Making the most of my meducation

I'm nearing the end of my first year of medical school. That will make me one quarter of an untrained doctor. What does that mean? I think I'm allowed to write prescriptions on post-it notes for over-the-counter medicines as long as I include that you'd need to consult a real physician or pharmacist or WebMD before taking anything. It's also a time of reflection. What have I learned? Where did all of the time go? Why are they still having classes when it's already so nice outside? How is it that I will be entrusted with patients and responsibilities in less than one year?

I've found wisdom in Sir William (Billy) Osler's counsel that the true physician is the enemy of horses ("aequanimitas", the roots of which are clearly "equine" and "inimicus"). I guess just as veterinarians must be willing to shoot a horse if its leg breaks and thus might be seen as the enemy of horses, so too must physicians be willing to shoot horses and also do whatever is necessary for our patients.

It's a lot of responsibility and kind of confusing, but so is the human body and life and insurance and "emotion"--all of those things that I hope to soon understand on a molecular level so I can pharmaceutically overpower them.