The One Where the Classroom Becomes the Clinic

February 2026 | Vol. 70, No. 1
By Stephie Thomas, LECOM OMS-III

The first two years of medical school went by quickly, long days in the lecture hall, even longer nights studying, and an endless cycle of exams with barely enough time to breathe. Stepping into third year felt both exciting and intimidating. It meant returning to the clinical wards and caring for real patients again. Suddenly, it wasn’t enough to simply recall information. I had to apply it to complex situations, to real people with real consequences. Seeing physiology, anatomy, and microbiology come together at the bedside has been eye-opening and has finally put into perspective everything I learned during the preclinical years.

Raindrop

February 2026 | Vol. 70, No. 1
By Maya Rakoczy, PCOM OMS-II

What’s in a drop of rain?
The morning’s hopeful dew,
A peaceful Sunday drive,
A turf field misted through.

Storm clouds prophesy its falling,
Heavy and obscure,
Charged by lightning’s crackle,
A burden gone; a cure