So it’s well-known, or at least commonly joked about, that med students will inevitably develop a hypochondria from spending so much time studying rare but horrible diseases. But I feel like the things I learn in public health are so much more terrifying. There should be a public health student syndrome. For example, today we talked about how common lead-based paints are, especially in old homes in New England. Last year I went to a departmental talk about how WE’RE RUNNING OUT OF CLEAN WATER IN THE WORLD. And of course there’s also all that stuff about drug-resistant bacteria and other emerging infectious diseases. You can live with one kidney, but you can’t live without water!!!! 

File this one under random things that pop into your head when you wake up at 5 am.