Having to wait that long outside on a dark street downtown would freak me out more than necessary. Even if the path was lit.

Oh yeah. I mean, pretty much the only people walking by were medstudent types, but there was a metrolink train thing stop only a block over and the hospitals (the closest being three blocks) were right there and hospitals aren't exactly known for their lack of desperate people.

I have taken more of an interest in that lately.

Me too. I like kids. And sick kids (as long as they're not screaming or puking on you) are cute sometimes.

I've been wondering what that would be like as a career. I think travelling to these poor, underpriveleged countries and providing medical assistance would be nice

I decided a while back that I wanted to go do that at some point. Evidently, some places let you do it when you're still in medical school (and I seem to think a couple when you're an undergrad, but I don't know), which would be wicked. Take off a year from college even and go over somewhere like that. I'd want to go to Russia or something, though, because I can't handle the hot.