Inspired!

I think I may have found a new direction in life. At least, it's something to keep me going for a little while, to make me feel like I have a goal to work towards. 


I really enjoy lab-work, and learning about diseases and disorders, and the physiological and genetic basis for psychiatric and personality disorders, and I'd love to work with kids, so may be I can be a child/adolescent psychiatrist? I know this doesn't give much opportunity for dissections and surgery, but I'll have to study med so maybe I'll get my fill there? Plus I can still work with brain sections/live animals in the lab, with stimulation projects and drug trials and stuff. I'd be able to see PEOPLE and still do lab stuff. I think it'll keep me motivated for at least a little while.

Getting into med isn't going to be easy. Oh well. I have the rest of the year to go. And then after med I'll need to do 5+ years of further training. So at least I'll know what comes next, unlike right now. 

I've been researching the little monster, and there's supposedly and association with increased ACC (anterior cingulate cortex) stimulation. And this area is associated with emotional awareness and error detection, reward-based learning, empathy and decision making. All of which is very plausible. There's also a purported link between higher ACC activity and left-wing political orientation vs lower ACC activity and right-wing sympathies. Very interesting. 

So, all in all, sort of a good day!

Peace and love,

S.