Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Borat Week At Cambridge Medical School

To my millions of faithful readers (and by that I mean two readers; three if you include the blind guy I gave my blog address to on the way to lectures; three-and-a-half if you include his seeing dog!) who have been waiting in suspense for an explanation of the new banner (and those of you who've sworn off coming here for the next week because you think it's simply an excuse for me to make more horrible Borat jokes** and procrastinate more; have a little faith, will ya? Of course I've got a reason for this. In addition to those two. --Editor) I do actually have a proper reason for the new look. (Well. Okay, I'm using a very loose definition of 'proper' here, but still. --Ed)

This week has unofficially been dubbed Borat Week at Cambridge by students doing Experimental Psychology. Why? Because we get lectures from Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, who sadly is less recognised for the fact that he is a world expert on autism than he is for the fact that he is also a first cousin of Sacha Baron-Cohen, the comic genius behind such creations as Ali G and Borat (picture links not suitable for children. Or mental health, for that matter. --Ed)

So it was that I stepped into my first Exp Psych lecture with the great man, expecting, perhaps a little unrealistically, to be greeted with a scene like this:


Don't ask me why my head is turned 180 degrees backwards. Angry Medics have, uh, very flexible neck muscles. (And the ability to read your mind. Whaddya mean I have crap Photoshop skills, huh?! Well -- well, uh -- well so's your mom! Hah! --Editor)

But instead of giving us great one-liners or doing comedy shtick, Professor Baron-Cohen turned out instead to be one of those quietly inspiring teachers. Even when I went up to ask him a question, he had absolutely no airs at all and treated me like any other person. Despite his star quality lent to him by his more famous cousin and by his own achievements, he remains humble and had that characteristic soft-spokennness I've seen in so many good doctors who work with children (like the consultant in this video from the MTAS March).

But wait! I'll still be keeping up the Borat theme throughout this week (Why? Because. --Ed) and just to reward you for risking mental damage and coming here, I'm going to put up a series of audience participation posts so you can help me make some important academic decisions (Why? Because. --Ed). So stay tuned, and help me procrastinate.

**In response to this post by Cal of Short White Coats, where she voiced her fears about failing her EMQs (such a modest dear, isn't she?), I posted, for lack of anything else to say (hmm now I wonder why? Oh yes, that's because we at Cambridge DON'T GET EMQs for THREE YEARS. Or anything else remotely clinical, for that matter --Ed), a mindless Borat comment:
*in thick Borat accent* I is jealous of you! In Kazakhstan we do notta haf money to pay actors, so de doctor, he bash us in stomach wit crowbar, and when we haf different symptoms we diagnose each other. Self-diagnosis save money. Great success!
I'm witty, right? Right? How am I not getting paid for this, right? Right? HELLO?

Dangit. I really need to get some insecticide for these damn crickets.

22 comments:

beajerry said...

That's very cool!

I wonder if he gets barraged with questions about his brother.

Argus Lou said...

His cousin, Beajerry, his cousin. Let's not get too conjugal. Or is it conjunctival? Oh, forget it, I'm no medic.

Angry, is that a white bra you're wearing on your backside in the picture? You're a regular Linda Blair, too, aren't you? (cue: 'Exorcist' soundtrack) (I can't even remember what it sounds like.)

Ms-Ellisa said...

When I read that comment on Cal's blog I went nuts... I went to three people and said with thick Borat accent - easily mastered by a Greek - "Self diagnosis save money" and they just stared at me... Man - don't they get it???????
Maybe because they weren't meds...

Anonymous said...

eh dude.. check out kuhan's blog again... it's quite happening :P

Ruairidh said...

Hehe good to see you had a good lecturer who wasn't egoistical about who he's related to!

In France we are so behind on autism it's unbelievable!

Anonymous said...

Yeah, why ARN'T you getting paid for this? And you cambridge students think you're soooo clever. HA!

Calavera said...

I loved that Borat comment, really made me laugh no end! I could just imagine it being said and all!

And:

I got a mention!! Wheeee!

And:
I like the new look and the map in the background! Very smart!

But. Erm... Should you not be revising the intricate details of the TRIM/TRAM RIF/RAF NOD12 CARD22 lipopolysaccharide-endotoxic caspase-enterolytic inhibitorase pathway or other such mind-numbing nonsense??

In other words - I can see through your procrastination!! How are exams going?

Pseudo_Doctor said...

figured I'd make an intelligent comment here.......NIIIIICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Michelle, Bethany, Zach & James said...

Angry Medic...he #4 prostitute in all of Cambridge...niiiiice!

Did I say prostitute? I mean blogger. Oops. He doesn't make any money of this!

But you should! You would probably qualify for some blog ads us with 20 hits per month don't qualify for. Seriously.

~MvMedstudent

The Angry Medic said...

BeaJerry: Borat be his cousin, not his brother. In this country it is still illegal for siblings to sleep together. Not so in Kazakhstan, greatest most advanced country in world! My brother is also my cousin, my father and my husband. Great success!

Argus Lou: You are very clever. Also you like conjugal? You come my house! You can use my neighbour's sister! She very good at conjugal. No STDs for 2 weeks now!

And what-ta you mean Exorcist soundtrack? In Kazakhstan we no need exorcise. No one is fat here.

Ms Ellisa: You are very kind and nice! How much? :)

Dan: I like you! Do you like me? You will be my boyfriend?

Ruairidh: You are very fast for to spam my blog after I spam yours! You come my house in Kazakhstan, I can use your speed for to steal my neighbour's cow's milk from her tits before he milk her. He is assholes.

Carmelo: Ahaha! You are very funny! Are you Jew?

And I not getting paid for this but I getting paid for other services I provide! Is very lucrative. I like.

Cal: You are very nice. And I gave you credit because I is pedantic assholes about netiquette. (Not like you in this post. You make me cry for two days.) In Kazakhstan if we not follow government netiquette guidelines, we be execute.

And I not prepared for exams but I not scared. In Kazakhstan we score high on exams by giving sexy time to examiners. Here I do same, I sure pass. Great success!

Raveen: You is very intelligent! You come Kazakhstan and serve army! Our premier, he is retarded. You sound like him, maybe you become premier too?

Michelle: How dare you. You insult me and hurt my deeply feelings. You is very insensitive to say those things about me. I am now #3 prostitute in Cambridge. I work hard to achieve that position. Please be correct in your numberings next time.

The Little Medic said...

I think these exams are sending you a bit crazy.

p.s. - We should really stop stalking you now.

Calavera said...

*jaw drops*

But... but it was Phoenix's comments and I credited him! Fair enough, I'll rewrite the entry!

Anonymous said...

oi. you're going nuts. i can't believe you only slept 5 hours yesterday just so you can stay up to watch porn and emulate eugene.

medstudentitis said...

If I was Sacha's cousin I would change my last name just so people would stop making Borat jokes in my presence. But hey, maybe he feels differently.

Twanna A. Hines | FUNKYBROWNCHICK.com said...

Borat's brother is an expert on Autism. That, in and of itself, is cool. But, the fact that you're actually going to hear him give a lecture?? Now, THAT'S amazing!! :)

You soooo have to snap pictures of that guy and stick them on your blog.

For the record, if I was Sasha's cousin, not only would I *not* change my name ... I would also create a t-shirt that said: "I'm Borat's Cousin". :)

That guy is really funny.

Argus Lou said...

FunkyBrownChick, for the last time: Borat's cousin. (nice bikini, ja?)

Angry Medic, you even more cleverer than me. You stick stethoscope into titslings of nurses for practice in broom cupboards. And juggle conjugal words like expert on STDs.

You come to Sweetzerland and I show you talents von Heidi. Many cows with milch to shteal. Funny yodelling sounds. Big sucess land!

Future Doc said...

i've been reading your blog with interest for a while now and I am very thankful for your insight you provide into medical student life.

Keep on writing!!!

p.s. The Hippocratic Oaf , do you know who he is? and how to contact him? I throughly enjoyed his blog, it then suddenly came to a stop

Anonymous said...

Hey Borat/Angry,

He be an expert on Autism? You be soo very lucky to hear him lecture. My son, he be 15, he have the mild autism, he be have Asperger's . He be very smart and funny, he be have hard time in socializing. He be lucky go to good, small school that be specializing in "different learning styles" (disorders).

You be take best good care, tracy

Ruairidh said...

The Angry Medic, you be scary, in old country you don't care for patient. Patient cares for you.

Cow can be patient.

The Angry Medic said...

Sorry for the late reply, guys. Exams aren't looking so hot here :P

Cal: AWWW...no no, I was kidding. I'm in stupid Borat mode, remember? I'm supposed to come up with something irritating to say.

Besides, you ARE pretty fun to irritate you know. I like how all the exclamation marks come out. Is nice! I like very much! In Kazakhstan when exclamation marks come out, it means goats are having fun in shed!

(There I go again.)

Medstudentitis: Hahaha I KNOW. Reputedly he hates being referred to as Borat/Ali G's cousin though, and whilst I was highly expecting someone to yell 'JAGSHEMASH!' during his lectures, no one did. Think it's because he's such a nice guy (like, SERIOUSLY NICE) that no one wants to make fun of him. Looking at him you wouldn't think his family relations are as...outlandish as they are :P

Funky Brown Chick: LOL I can see that T-shirt being worn actually. With a big fat Borat grin on it. Great success!

And I, uh, may have tried to snap a picture of him, but he may, um, have been very wary of trigger-happy cameramen. There must be one somewhere on the web, though...

Argus Lou: Ah, Argus, always the arbiter of correct facts. Thank God you're not my tutor, else you'll go orgasmic with all the correcting you'd have to do ;)

And oh - GAWD. Like, you should have put a do-not-read-whilst-eating warning before that comment! You do Borat better than I do!

Jack: Aw, thanks you for kind words! I like you. You come my house! I give you free ride on tractor. You can use my sister!

And no mate, I've also tried stalking the Hippocratic Oath for a while now but no sign of him. I think he's in a clinical school in London somewhere and must have gotten really busy. Shame, though, he wrote so well.

Tracy: Awww really? Wow, your son must be really smart then. And you must be a really dedicated mother. Plus you're right, he's very lucky to have found a good school. Around here it's just not so easy, many facilities fall short of the mark and the NHS refuses to take responsibility. Yes, Prof Baron-Cohen displayed all the signs of being an excellent children's clinician...he was very soft-spoken and nice. Thanks for the wishes, and you take care too! (Don't be too sad now that Her Majesty's back here with me :P)

Ruairidh: Hahahaha...whatever happened to Yakov Smirnoff?

Dr. Deb said...

How wonderful that one brother offers us wit and humor, and the other insight and wisdom. You are a bunch of lucky ducks at Cambridge.

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