The Gunner

A Gunner - ubiquitous in medical school. Pathognomonic for someone with something to prove. Every group has one, or if you’ve truly been cursed by the randomly-assigned-groups Gods, you’ll have several.

The Gunner has a booming voice, a cocky attitude, and begins to drool with pleasure and disdain as a weaker student [read: opponent] fumbles in front of a group. She comes out of the physical diagnosis quiz first and tells you that it’s really hard, you’re going to fail, just accept that now. You get in and it’s completely straightforward. Among a group of peers, he dominates the discussion and downplays everyone else’s suggestions, adding “of course, that’s so obvious that’s why I didn’t even mention it.” Add a clinical tutor or a professor and she jumps at every question before the last word escapes the lips of the questioner. If it’s clearly directed at someone else, the Gunner may still jump in. With the professor still there he says things to make others in the group look stupid, or slow, or like slackers. He incessantly "corrects" another student, only to be then repeatedly corrected by the vigilant tutor. She complains about not getting 100% on the exam, blaming the professors and exam writers, citing that the B she earned is the worst grade she’s ever gotten. Ever. The Gunner takes over the assigned work responsibilities of others in the group without apology or explanation. The Gunner is the first to volunteer for anything. The Gunner’s actions may be mild and she may seem like just an eager learner, or she can be malicious, and an outright devious person, willing to do anything to get ahead.

Karma must be coming back at me - I’m currently dealing with several Gunners in my life. I’ve noticed an alarming trend. They are all female. Female medical students now make up over 50% of the total student population in most US medical schools. Females are found in every specialty, even neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery, the seemingly impenetrable fortresses of male domination in the medical field. Sure, women are the minority in those fields, and being female is still a disadvantage. Female physicians are still on average paid less than their male counterparts. Inequality abounds in practice, but in school, at least according to the numbers, there is more equality. Are female Gunners gearing up for their lives in practice? Are they a product of the long climb to get into medical school? Or were they born that way, and Gunners just find themselves pursuing medicine or law or another arduous yet highly respected field?

I wonder if the tutors and professors are as annoyed as I am having to deal with them. I wonder what will happen to these people when we reach the clinical years. One thing is certain, in this highly respected profession of colleagues, there is little to no collegiality when it comes to the Gunner.

The Underground

Here we have our own Underground culture. It's made up of a group of people, a population, who are generally unwelcome. It's a group of people who communicate by cryptic messages and signage posted on our "Community" cork boards around campus. It's a group of people who have a secret Facebook group: if you're not in the club you can't see it, and there are no identifying features posted to your profile. It's a group of people who the University refuses to support. Although we are a "club" we don't receive any Student Government funding*. We are off the radar. We don't exist. We live under the rugs and in the dark alleys.

Who are we? We are your lecture-hall neighbors. We sit next to you, study with you, give presentations to you and listen to your presentations. I am that bleary-eyed girl getting coffee right behind you. I gave you that mnemonic you now use. I am the girl who makes your sandwich for lunch. I am the man behind the IT counter. I am your teaching assistant. We're so ordinary, yet so marginalized. Why? Why go to so much trouble to push aside someone who is just like you?

I am a student, a woman, a person with the right to love who I want and not be subject to criticism, derogatory comments, or violence. We are the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people of this island, and this school, and we have a right to be here. So get over it, and get over yourself.






*as far as I know