It hurts right here if I cough while Mercury conjuncts Pluto

A few weeks before school ended, I noticed a new trend in my life. Every now and then when I tell someone that I'm studying Chinese medicine, the person gives me a list of symptoms then asks if I know what the problem might be.

Once I get past the deer staring into the headlights sensation, I panic. This question brings up a lot of issues for me. I've only studied for one year, folks! I have only a vague idea, if any, of what might be wrong with you. I'm not, in anyway, in a position to be giving medical advice. And, worry of worries, what if I give you the wrong advice. Yikes!

I asked two different professors how to handle this. I got a very vague, answer-me-with-a-question from one teacher, and an impatient, not-too-helpful answer from another instructor.

Just because the universe likes to really drive issues home for me, I have a new acquaintance who always wants medical advice. I am truly at a loss with her. It makes me wonder why Anatomy and Physiology isn't required for everyone.

She's a wonderful person, but her medical knowledge is zip. Not a problem except she spends a lot of our time together talking about her latest self-diagnosis. I won't go into detail because of HIPPA, ethics, and because most of what she says doesn't make much sense.

I've only completed one year of medical school, but I can say this person's ideas of how the body works and her dependence on the latest new age cure is really disturbing. I listen patiently and try to make sense of her nonsense. I ask a few clinical questions based on what little I know to try to help. Mostly I end up feeling anxious and driven to get her to a competent practitioner and advocate for her.

I won't be her advocate because I know I'll be pulled into a co-dependent situation that I don't have the time or patience for. She isn't experiencing anything life threatening. I would definitely step up if she was.

I realize that she makes me uncomfortable in part because I use Reiki to help people. I often wonder how naive and full of nonsense I've sounded when talking to people about this practice. Going to Acupuncture school has done much to boost my confidence, but I have a long way to go.

In contrast, I spent the next day with another new friend who is a biologist and does research studies for pharmaceutical companies. It was wonderful talking shop with her. She rounded out my limited knowledge about how medical studies are conducted--the protocols, limitations, and the researcher/patient relationships.

Sometimes, I worry that I'll never know enough for my patients. After spending time with my biologist friend, the inner critic came online, "You should have taken more biomed courses! You won't know what you're doing! One semester of cellular biology isn't enough!"

I smacked that voice of guilt and hysteria down by driving by my new school, Five Branches. I began to feel excited about getting back to my studies. To boost my confidence a little more, I looked at my Anatomy and Physiology grades one more time. Those A's sure feel good.

Maybe one day, I'll not only be a great practitioner, I'll know how to interpret new age mumbo-jumbo into a diagnosis.