Third year of medical school. A time when a student can know nothing and everything at the same time. Meet Schrödinger’s student.

Morning report. Second day in the hospital, my first day attending morning report. As I come in, I take a moment to figure out where to sit. A resident walks past me and mumbles “students sit in the back”. I sit in the back. I am soon joined by my peers. A fellow student with vastly more experience than I (he has been at the hospital for a week) gives me the rundown. The seating is arranged based on medical expertise. The attendings sit at the head of the room. Senior residents sit closest to them, followed by residents and then interns. Then two poorly watered ficus plants. Then medical students. We share the back of the room with some dusty JAMA issues from past decades. I pick up a couple of volumes and place them in the chair in front of me. I know my place. Read more.