An unexpected PT test - Book Issue

Two military medical students look at a stack of books on a cart
By Sharon Holland

The Uniformed Services University (USU) F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine class of 2021 has been going through military and academic orientation since they arrived on campus two weeks ago, but next week starts their official first day of classes.  

With classes come the books.  Lots of them.  One hundred twenty-seven pounds of them to be exact.  From Anatomy to Psychiatry to Histology and beyond.  

Students came prepared with backpacks, rolling suitcases, and storage chests on wheels to transport their books and the medical equipment bags that were handed out in assembly-line fashion by USU’s Multidiscipline Laboratory staff and fellow medical students.  

“I feel like today made life as a medical student that much more real - because we can literally feel the weight of the knowledge that we will be expected to carry with us for the rest of our careers,” said Army Second Lt. Sean Young.  

“It's amazing that USU provides us with all of the books we could possibly need to do well in medical school. It's a great financial burden taken off of the students, and it was nice to have second-years [students] there giving us tips on the books we were getting,” said Air Force 2nd Lt. Samantha Murphy. “I thought the process ran really smoothly overall, and it definitely made starting class next week seem less daunting.”

A male and a female Air Force student site in a lecture hall with their heads turned slightly left. There is a slide on the projector, the words are blurred.
The day started off in Lecture Room E with information about student resources. (Image credit: Kelsey Gilbert)

Military students walk down a hallway with suitcases in hand
Following the lecture, students grabbed their suitcases (and duffles, and backpacks, and trunks) and headed to the anatomy lab downstairs to collect their books. (Image credit: Kelsey Gilbert)

A man in scrubs is talking to a line of military students who are listening intently
 After depositing their suitcases at the end of the line, students receive instructions on how the Book Issue will run, and where to go afterward. (Image credit: Kelsey Gilbert)

military students stand in line with metal carts
Students were to take a cart and a checklist of all the books, and move through the line in the anatomy lab. (Image credit: Kelsey Gilbert) 

Second year students were there to hand out books and give the first years tips. (Image credit: Kelsey Gilbert)

Two photos side by side. Left: a female Navy student leans slightly to the left and look at her stacked books on the cart. Right: a female airforce student holds a book in her left hand and marks a paper with her right.
Left: ENS Melissa Jordan makes sure her books don't topple over as she collects all the books she'll need during her time at USU. (Image credit: Sharon Holland)
Right: A student checks the books she received against the list. (Image credit: Sharon Holland)
  
A female in civilian attire smiles at the camera while pushing a cart loaded with books
MD/PhD student Samantha Scott gets her books at the same time as med school students. (Image credit: Sharon Holland)

a stack of book on a small dolly is held by a student whose face is out of frame
Everyone had a different idea about the best way to transport 127 pounds of books. (Image credit: Kelsey Gilbert)

A male wears a USU lab coat while others take coats of the rack and try them on in the background
After receiving books, students headed upstairs to try on lab coats. (Image credit: Kelsey Gilbert)

A close up of the right shoulder of an Army student featuring the American flag patch as she removes the lab coat she was trying on
Students filled out order forms and will receive their lab coats at a later date. (Image credit: Kelsey Gilbert)

Two photos. Left: Many assorted military students in a room look through bags. Right: A close up of the Doctor's Bag with students going through their bag in the background
Students received "Doctor's Bags" which included various tools a doctor might need.
(Image credit (left): Sharon Holland, (right): Kelsey Gilbert)

Most of the equipment included in the Doctor Bag laid out for easy viewing
Items included in the Doctor's Bag: diagnostic set case, convertible power handle, opthalmoscope head, basic/standard sphygmomanometer, large adult cuff and bladder (not pictured), child cuff and bladder (not pictured), Taylor percussion hammer, Ralls alloy tuning fork 128Hz, Ralls alloy tuning fork 512 Hz, disposable 4mm speculum, stethoscope, eye chart, insufflator bulbs, physician pen light, otoscope fiber optic. (Image credit: Kelsey Gilbert, special thanks to ENS Melissa Jordan for letting us use her Doctor's Bag)