Dear Anonymous,

You may have noticed that I don't typically reply to visitors' comments. Or maybe you'll never come back, and this will just be a stir in the water of two ships passing in the night. In any case, a lot of that has to do with the fact that I think of this blog as a logue not of dia, but mono. However, I don't think it would be fair to make you cry and not offer a brief acknowledgment, or maybe just some unsolicited advice.

I don't know your reasons for wanting to become a doctor. Maybe your parents pushed you in that direction, or maybe, I hope, it was something a little closer to your heart. Don't forget it, though, because you'll have many sleepless nights - some by choice, some not - and it's easy to lose sight of the big picture. And it won't matter, really, if you don't get into the medical school that you want, or if you don't match at your top residency choice, or - and here it is - or if you don't get into medical school at all. At the risk of sounding like some high school yearbook quote, following your heart may not always lead you where you expected to go, but you'll end up where you hoped to be.

I guess it's easy for me to say, since I'm already in the thick of it, but I hope you believe me. I must confess, I'm a bit skeptical, since I find most premed undergrad students to be annoyingly achievement-oriented and not very receptive to advice like this. But like I said, I wanted to make amends for wetting your eyes.

I hope that you will have a restful night. And tell your grandmother that doctors make terrible husbands.

Sincerely,
Chase