I sit in the classroom,
staring blankly at the wall.
The professor has gone off once again,
regaling a story of some elderly patient’s fall.
One of us is lost on Facebook,
one is scrolling on their phone.
One has moved on to flashcards,
one naps in the corner alone.
We have already glanced through the PowerPoint,
the key buzzwords we were sure to claim.
This content isn’t really that difficult,
with the prior lecture, this material is exactly the same.
His voice is horribly monotone,
and impossible to hear in the back.
His phone rings and he answers his phone,
as the wasted minutes continue to stack.
The lecture is halfway over,
though the lecturer is behind.
The information at the end will suffer,
so the concepts on YouTube videos we must find.
The clock finally strikes 10 to the hour,
we loudly applaud in glee!
We get up to stretch, chat, eat, move and relax —
only six more hours until we are free.
Poetry Thursdays is an initiative that highlights poems by medical students. If you are interested in contributing or would like to learn more, please contact our editors.
Managing Editor and Contributing Writer
University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine
Currently, Brian is a fourth-year medical student at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. He was born in Westchester County, NY, and moved to Laguna Beach, CA in 2007. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology and a Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2017. Brian is planning on becoming an OB/GYN and is currently interested in Surgical Oncology. Outside of the classroom, Brian enjoys playing racquetball, reading on personal finance and nutrition, and enjoying outdoor activities at the beach and hiking.