my flabber is so gasted

arguably, one of the most prestigious and well-respected professions in our society today is medicine. while other fields have undergone scrutiny for a perceived lack of morals (law), suspicion for alterior motives (politics) and vast underestimation and underpayment (education), the medical profession has by and large remained admired and respected by a majority of the population. we who are lucky enough to be able to be a part of this selective field work extremely hard to earn and maintain our roles within this profession. most people recognize how difficult being in medicine is, from getting into medical school to being accepted into a residency program. then how in the world is it possible that the exam that is widely recognized as the single biggest hurdle to receiving a medical degree doesn't have a back up plan??!?

ladies and gentlemen, i bring you the everlasting wisdom of the united states medical licsencing examination, step 1.

i realize that the switch to all electronic testing is a big step and one that i'm sure was taken with enormous foresight and planning. i'm sure that the powers that be made the transition into electronic testing with trepidation, knowing that the technological marvels by which we live our lives could quickly and easily come back and bite us in the collective ass.

and this week, they've taken a huge chunk out of the hindquarters of the prospective medical community of rochester ny.

the one testing center in town is experiencing some kind of irrevocable, catastrophic meltdown and thus, they've been closed all week. at this point, they are now saying that the earliest they'll be able to re-open is friday. which means four full days of testing are lost. i'm not sure how many people that center can accomodate, but it means that the busiest week of testing for rochester medical students has been wiped clean. and it's not like rescheduling is a cakewalk since students schedule their exam dates months in advance. all the centers within a five hour drive of rochester were booked (some places until july) as of a couple of hours ago; i know because i checked.

i understand that errors happen, even catastrophic ones. i understand that the people who work at the center deserve neither our wrath nor our tears because they are probably just as frustrated as we are. and i understand that this is beyond anyone's control and that no one is really to blame.

but really, how in the hell is there no back-up? how is there no plan B? how is it that even though everyone knows how fallible computers are, no one has come up with a reliable backup option for the USMLE? how hard would it be to have a paper copy? for such an important make or break examination, how can computers be the only option? i refuse to believe that the benefits don't outweigh the potential downfalls of having a paper copy on hand.

for me, everything has worked out ok. i found one testing slot open for friday in colorado springs, so i'll be able to make my flights ok on thursday and take the exam on friday and not miss out on too much of my vacation. but for many others, they've had to change travel plans; a friend of mine has had to reschedule his exam for syracuse, meaning he had to reschedule all his flights home and he'll be missing a family wedding. and, simply put, that is unacceptable. with all the stress surrounding such an important exam; shouldn't we be able to at least pick a date and stick with it?

years from now, this will merely be an anecdote to throw out there during residency interviews, a footnote to my medical education. but right now, it's a little hard to swallow. and for a profession that prides itself on its integrity and professionalism and seeks to be on the cutting edge of ingenuity, it's dropping the ball right now for its future generation.