Students at Harvard Medical School have just launched Third Space, a quarterly literary magazine for the university community that highlights medically related creative work from students and faculty alike. The first edition is spectacular and full of intelligent humor and quality writing. The magazine also features an Art section.
A sample from their comedy advice column, Chief Complaints:
Do you think if I ask more questions in lecture everyone will know how smart I am? I’m worried that people don’t know I read ahead last night!
SmartEPants
Dear SmartEPants,
You have good reason to be worried. For all you know, your fellow students think you’re an idiot, someone accepted to medical school because of political gaming or a computer glitch in the admissions office. Prove them wrong. When you use big words in section, don’t just say them; spell them. If someone offers you a hat, politely accept it, then make a dramatic showing of struggling to fit it on your massive, knowledge-filled head.
I’m not saying you should write your MCAT score on your forehead. That would be absurd, as no one will be able to see it there when you’re busy at the front of the class. Instead, tattoo it to your neck, or have it screen-printed on the back of all the science competition t-shirts you should be wearing.
In lecture, raise your hand, but not to ask questions — those are a sign of knowledge weakness. Instead, correct the professor, or provide semi-related or even unrelated scientific facts that you Googled the night before. No one will expect your comments to be relevant, because you should be sleeping in lecture, a sign that you have nothing to learn from class and need rest from the hours of studying you did the night before. Also, if you rub sand in your eyes they turn red so everyone knows you were working too hard for sleep.
You’ll thank us later.
Third Space
Link: Third Space…