do i know you?

It’s always weird running into my former classmates. I never know what kind of reaction I’m going to get.

Take quiet-computer-guy. I barely spoke to him during the first two years of med school because, well, he’s quiet and I’m quiet. But every time I run into him now, he greets me boisterously with, “Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeey!!! Long time no see! What have you been up to?” It always takes me a moment to recover from the shock.

Then there’s the
super-gunner-who-was-above-attending-required-classes-and-already-acting-like-a- snobby-orthopedic-surgeon guy. I would have expected him to pretend to never have known me. Never would I have ever expected him to actually call my name to catch my attention because I hadn’t even noticed him in the first place. And a hug?! That was just way too weird. Gross. I’ve got gunner cooties now. Excuse me while I go wash up.

Then there’s creepy short old Asian man who just wouldn’t stop hitting on me during first- and second-year. Maybe he got the message after second-year. Because now he just pretends not to know me. Thank goodness.

Then there’s
super-gunner-can-I-study-for-boards-with-you-because-I’m-only-pretending-to-be-a- gunner-to-hide-the-fact-that-I’m-struggling chick. I suppose she’s still a little upset that I never did end up studying with her. Because I can totally see past that pretend-niceness of hers. Maybe it’s because she said, “I heard you got married” in a most I-can’t-believe-anyone-would-marry-you tone of voice. Well, I can’t believe anyone would marry you, thank you.

Then there are the people who struggled with me through the physical exam and diagnosis class (otherwise known as the class where we learn how to take histories and perform the physical exam, including the all-important breast exam, Pap smear, prostate exam, and digital rectal exam among other things). I would have thought that sharing these terrifying and embarrassing “firsts” with each other would have forever bonded us. But not so. They all pretend to not know me whenever I see them around. It’s not like we practiced on each other and I did something horribly wrong to them.

And finally, there are all the people who never wanted to talk to me in the first place during the first two years of med school. They don’t want to talk to me now either. No big surprise there.

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