ABSTRACT
There are 129 accredited medical schools in the USA. Many of these schools self-publish literary/arts journals containing original creative work of medical students. A certain percentage of this creative work takes the form of poetry written by medical students. Medical school embodies this process. Students selected to attend medical school are the result of a long and rigorous procedure, based primarily on academic and intellectual achievement measured by grades, particularly in the basic sciences, and performance in arduous examinations. The selection process is followed by separation and testing. In this regard, medical school, which offers such richness and promise, is also full of loss. There is literal loss for students who are geographically removed from family and friends. The eventual goal of a rite of passage is incorporation, or the integration of the person back into society, bringing new wisdom, insights, and skills in the service of suffering and oppressed others.
