List Lust

The summer is dwindling down and I am slowly being forced to face the reality that is my second year of medical school. Although I'm warming up to the idea, I wouldn't call myself excited. So, being the type-A nerd I am, I attempted to amp myself up by creating to-do and shopping lists. I love lists. I have been known to make lists of lists that I need to make. They're so neat and organized...or so they make me feel. I believe I even sleep more peacefully with a prioritized collection of my random thoughts lying just so on my nightstand, ready to be checked twice in the morning. Sigh.
An item which I'd like to place on my "need" list, but is unfortunately classified as a "want," is a doctor's bag. A few of the ladies in my class have already started to accessorize with them on clinical exam days, which prompted my hunt for it - the timeless, classic piece that shall hold all of my equipment and make me feel legitimate, like a real (student) doctor.
And I found it, about three months ago through a shopping website. Cruelly, it showed just the image at first. I immediately fell in love, and then clicked on said image only to discover the brand (Coach) and the corresponding price tag. I refuse to pay nearly $500 for a handbag...unless its contents include a new stethoscope...and maybe a BP cuff for good measure. I spent a total of $75 on clothes and shoes for myself this entire year. That purse was an entire new wardrobe.

After completing the grieving process, I happened to stumble upon this beauty today. Wouldn't it pair perfectly with a white coat? Alas, at $250, it's still about five times more than I am currently willing to pay for a purse. I've resigned myself to carry my instruments in my tote bag from Target until I'm no longer living on loans. I've also decided to design a line of women's doctor bags for a medical student's budget: we can barely afford the equipment the bags hold, people.