We visited the medical school today. I was very excited to find out how medical school truly is from a student who is experiencing it at that moment. I have heard the perspectives of many students who have attended medical school, but sometimes they are so far removed from the experience that they can’t give me an accurate account. As I have gotten older, I have been wondering if medical school is truly practical. I don’t come from a rich family that can afford to support me, and I am beginning to realize that having my own family is very important to me.
At times, it seems nearly impossible for a woman raising a family to successfully make it through med school. As fate would have it, our student guide for the medical school visit just happened to be a woman with a family, so as we walked down the halls of the UNC hospital I soaked up the information she shared like the sun dries a sponge on a hot summer day. Her honesty put me at ease. She said it is hard and that she sheds a few tears at times, but that she succeeds because she truly loves medicine.
As we walked the corridors of the hospital, we passed a woman with the huge grin on her face; if she had not had on her white coat, I would have thought she was mental. It was great to see how excited she was to see young students interested in medicine. She totally took over the tour and began to answer our questions and became our “pseudo” guide. At first, I was somewhat taken aback by her domination of our tour, but I slowly began to appreciate her passion. The passion she had in her was amazing. I truly hope that whatever career I choose I can have that same excitement that she still had after a long day of work.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Finding the silver lining...
The alarm rang about fifteen times this morning. I was determined not to get out of bed. I just needed one more hour of sleep! But, it was clear the day was going to move on without me, so I forced myself out of bed.
It was then that I realized that we were expected to wear business casual clothes today. Now, I love to look fly, but today I just wanted to pull on a hoody, jeans and walk into the gloomy rain that was beginning to pour down. I was hoping that the dreary of the outdoors didn’t translate into the classroom.
As a walked into my physiology class, I sensed that more misery was about to present itself in the form of a quiz. I frantically re-read over the assigned article as I ate my cup of Ramen (the cheapest thing that I could find in the store to make my stipend stretch! lol). As I arrived to class, I was greeted with a quiz just as I expected, but I did well so I had stressed for no reason.
Sometimes I wish that the days would just stop and wait for me to catch up, but the one thing about SEP is that I never feel like I’m going through this alone. It feels so great to know that there are forty-nine other people struggling through the program with me. On my bad days, talking and joking around with my classmates give me that extra boost to make it through the day.
It was then that I realized that we were expected to wear business casual clothes today. Now, I love to look fly, but today I just wanted to pull on a hoody, jeans and walk into the gloomy rain that was beginning to pour down. I was hoping that the dreary of the outdoors didn’t translate into the classroom.
As a walked into my physiology class, I sensed that more misery was about to present itself in the form of a quiz. I frantically re-read over the assigned article as I ate my cup of Ramen (the cheapest thing that I could find in the store to make my stipend stretch! lol). As I arrived to class, I was greeted with a quiz just as I expected, but I did well so I had stressed for no reason.
Sometimes I wish that the days would just stop and wait for me to catch up, but the one thing about SEP is that I never feel like I’m going through this alone. It feels so great to know that there are forty-nine other people struggling through the program with me. On my bad days, talking and joking around with my classmates give me that extra boost to make it through the day.
Motivation
Last Friday was filled with motivation.
After a week of working long, hard hours in the classroom, I was exhausted once Friday came, but we were in for a long day. After class and visiting the N.C.
State Veterinary Hospital, we went to the opening ceremonies for the NC-AHEC Future Leaders in Health Care Conference.
I must admit that I wasn’t enthusiastic about going to a conference geared towards high school students. Here I am approaching my third year in college, and I had to sit through a speech for “kids” full of words of wisdom I had probably heard a thousand times. My assumptions were entirely wrong!
Dr. Antonio Braithwaite gave a speech that I want to carry with me forever. His message was full of motivation, dedication and drive. It made me feel as if I would never let another person tell me no again, and I would never sit by passively while something I truly want passes me by. I know that I am a motivated person, but his speech made me realize that in order to succeed I will have to convince others that I am hungry and that my entrance into the medical field will be the only thing that will alleviate that hunger.
Dr. Braithwaite's speech was short, but I truly feel that It has changed the way I will pursue my career. It was the highlight of my week.
After a week of working long, hard hours in the classroom, I was exhausted once Friday came, but we were in for a long day. After class and visiting the N.C.
State Veterinary Hospital, we went to the opening ceremonies for the NC-AHEC Future Leaders in Health Care Conference.
I must admit that I wasn’t enthusiastic about going to a conference geared towards high school students. Here I am approaching my third year in college, and I had to sit through a speech for “kids” full of words of wisdom I had probably heard a thousand times. My assumptions were entirely wrong!
Dr. Antonio Braithwaite gave a speech that I want to carry with me forever. His message was full of motivation, dedication and drive. It made me feel as if I would never let another person tell me no again, and I would never sit by passively while something I truly want passes me by. I know that I am a motivated person, but his speech made me realize that in order to succeed I will have to convince others that I am hungry and that my entrance into the medical field will be the only thing that will alleviate that hunger.
Dr. Braithwaite's speech was short, but I truly feel that It has changed the way I will pursue my career. It was the highlight of my week.
Monday, June 15, 2009
ANTICIPATION
Anticipation was all I felt the morning I arrived at the RDU airport the Saturday we were expected to start the program (May 16). As I slept endlessly on my flight from Dallas, I kept thinking this is going to be the summer that changes my life; the summer I decide if medicine is truly my calling.
I’ve been having these doubts lately. Is this med school thing really for me? Am I strong enough? Am I willing to sacrifice sleep, money, and time with my friends and family to achieve a childhood dream?
I keep thinking that maybe med school is a fantasy that I want to see fulfilled only to prove to my family that I can do it. So, I decided I would use SEP to prove to myself that this is the life I want for myself, and not because I want to avoid seeing the disappointment on my mother and father’s faces.
The first week of SEP was too crazy! Sitting in that three hour physics and biostat class, I just wanted to shoot myself. I must have been on something when I filled out that application! LOL The only the thing that keeps me going is Dr.D's crazy experiments when he demonstrates the movement of a falling object when it is thrown.
Surprisingly, the most exciting day of the week was our visit to the UNC School of Dentistry. Who ever thought I would be interested in a profession where you have to smell stale breath all day? I always wondered if that was the reason they wore masks. Lol I must admit though it was interesting to see all of the students practicing filling techniques on what looked like my grandma’s dentures.
I’ve been having these doubts lately. Is this med school thing really for me? Am I strong enough? Am I willing to sacrifice sleep, money, and time with my friends and family to achieve a childhood dream?
I keep thinking that maybe med school is a fantasy that I want to see fulfilled only to prove to my family that I can do it. So, I decided I would use SEP to prove to myself that this is the life I want for myself, and not because I want to avoid seeing the disappointment on my mother and father’s faces.
The first week of SEP was too crazy! Sitting in that three hour physics and biostat class, I just wanted to shoot myself. I must have been on something when I filled out that application! LOL The only the thing that keeps me going is Dr.D's crazy experiments when he demonstrates the movement of a falling object when it is thrown.
Surprisingly, the most exciting day of the week was our visit to the UNC School of Dentistry. Who ever thought I would be interested in a profession where you have to smell stale breath all day? I always wondered if that was the reason they wore masks. Lol I must admit though it was interesting to see all of the students practicing filling techniques on what looked like my grandma’s dentures.
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