Being alcohol-free has been a relatively uneventful life choice. I just don’t like the taste of alcohol, and I get headaches after just a few sips. That’s about it. Has my decision to remain alcohol-free been a big deal in medical school? Not really. It should come as no surprise that there is a fair amount of drinking in medical school. There are a ton of nice bars just next door in the Central West End; the school sponsors a fair number of happy hours, class parties, and a float trip at the beginning of the year; and your classmates will undoubtedly throw parties of their own. If you don’t drink, I strongly suggest you still take part in these events as they are tons of fun. Whether your idea of a fun weekend is doing a bar crawl, hitting up a club, or staying in and watching movies, it’s all cool. The decision of whether to drink shouldn’t be tied to whether you want to have fun. If you prefer to stay sober at any of these events, that’s fine. If you plan on drinking, that’s just as cool. Just remember that, in the immortal words of Dr. Linda Pike, ethanol catabolism leads to hypoglycemia.
— William C., M1