No, really.

Mathematics' highest honor conferred upon Tits, for symmetry.

And all of a sudden, it was Spring.

Sometimes I find my greatest challenge to be balance. Doing everything at once requires composure.

Let me recap:

Three weeks ago, I delivered a talk about highly gifted education at an awesome un-conference in a town 6 hours away as the Honda rolls. The day after Rand and I returned, I began a new course (alongside my existing courses) through USC's Keck School of Medicine. Like many (if not most) medical schools, Keck divides its first two years into organ systems; familiarizing the students with the anatomy, physiology and pathology of different parts of the body individually. The neuro unit lasts for 9 weeks, and is also available as a Graduate level course through the department of Cell and Neurobiology.

So, effectively I am taking Medical School as an elective. There are lots of clinical courses the Student Doctors Proper are required to take that I am not - so I'm being a little bit glib. However, I am spending the balance of my enrolled hours in engineering coursework so the stress and business conjured by the analogy holds water.

This is my roundabout excuse for not updating my weblog. Mea culpa.

Remember when I was talking about how deeply casual engineers are? Medical students are the opposite - at least on this campus. True, there are some jeans-and-tshirt folks - but a surprising number of the student body (at least the first year students) are very well-assembled, coiffed, tan and fit. Heels, even!

Sometimes I wonder if I will ever find a work/academic environment where I feel like I completely fit in. It seems like I am always straddling two worlds. The rock star in a room full of scientists, the scientist in a room full of rock stars. The engineer in a room full of neuroscientists, the neuroscientist in a room full of engineers. And now more of the same, in a sense. Part of the team, but with distinct stats. Subject to the same rules, but working off of different first principles.

I think there is a part of my personality that seeks this, consciously or not. Perhaps it's an only-child thing? Maybe it's why I feel compelled towards an MD/PhD program. I want to have it all, be it all, do it all. It's not always healthy. I get exhausted sometimes.

I am fortunate in that I have some friends who also fit this mold - Teddy and Eric are prime examples - and my husband is a fine example of what it means to be a scholar, athlete and artist simultaneously. However, sometimes I find that simple questions from colleagues elicit complicated answers. Complicated and time consuming.

Anyway. This week is spring break. Medical classes are still happening, but the engineering classes are having a break. Tomorrow I am staying home, riding my bicycle, and generally gathering my focus.

On a separate note, I love iTunes. This week, for the first time in many years, I have listened to Automatic For The People in its entirety. It's like a security blanket to me... What can I say? I was a teenager in the 90's.

It is strange to think that I have been doing neuroscience since some of my classmates in their first year of medical school were sophomores in high school. My life is so freaking weird.

BIL

BIL was fantastic. I'll write more a little bit later, since today is my first day on a new campus and things are little nuts - you know how it is, when you leave town only to come home to an extraordinarily busy week.

I would like to mention, however, my talk got a nod in Wired. W00t!

If anybody can direct me to good video, I will post it here.