how we learn

     The student I'm on with hands me a patient list after a presentation.  "The resident said for us each to pick up one patient."  I grab the list and look at it.  Wait a minute.  These medical record numbers are for a different hospital than the one I'm assigned at.  And the admission date is from 2 months ago.  Something doesn't add up.  I text the resident for some clarification.  He responds, "just read up on their chart.....and good luck finding them."  I look at the schedule and realize we're supposed to be in the morgue in the afternoon.  It slowly dawns on me, these "patients" aren't really patients in any sense of the word anymore.  They are more specimens, really, by this point.