We are back in Niger for our second visit, and able to stay almost a full 3 weeks this time. It has been fun seeing a lot of familiar faces, and also noticing differences in how the Beebout kids have grown and matured. The youngest, Ben, is now 4, so would have been 2.5 when we were here last. As expected, he has changed a lot. It is fun playing with him, as he knows our names and talks to us now. The girls are also maturing -- in fact, we arrived on Lydia's 15th birthday, and depart on the day she takes her PSAT test.
It is a busier time of year in the clinic, with more sick patients (more malaria), and we have done less formal teaching to the doctors and students of the clinic (compared to last time when we did several sessions on bedside ultrasound). We had one Friday morning session to introduce EKGs, and then Michael has worked one-on-one (or two) reviewing the interpretation of the EKG examples we printed for them. We did another resident medical english class, where we could break into small groups to get more individualized teaching for the residents. It was cardiology residents this time, and we had much more variable attendance. The 5 or 6 who came consistently have definitely shown progress over the 20 hrs of the course.
I am trying to be a little more helpful in the clinic. I've worked with another foreign doctor (Esther from Germany) and she communicates with the patient and I enter the details into the computer, and in that way hopefully we are more efficient. I have learned more about the typical names people have, more about the neighborhoods or "quartiers" in Niamey, and I've also been forced to not just recognize a diagnosis and treatment plan, but to actually know it better in order to document clearly the medicine and dose prescribed for malaria, for example. Similar to last time (but more of it because we are here longer), we help by seeing English speaking patients which includes a lot of the missionary community.
Thats the mile high view of our time here. We really enjoy spending time with Jeremy, Susan, and the kids. Now, if we just knew French... and maybe were comfortable navigating the city...
ps I tried a wet prep again and it was as frustrating as last time, and made me motion sick again :-P
Saturday, October 20, 2018
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Niger - frustrating first attempt at a wet prep
We arrived in Niger on Wednesday, April 12. It is now Saturday, April 22.
Weather: The first week was hot, but we were optimistic about how we felt and handled the heat. It wasn't so bad, definitely manageable and we would consider returning in April. However, it was relatively cool - about 105 for a high. The last day and the forecast for the rest of our trip is the high being more like 109, and it is noticeable. It makes it harder to do things.
Today, in clinic, I tried to find yeast on a wet prep. Clinically, the patient had a clear yeast infection with extensive skin findings (under breasts, pannus, and in inguinal region) as well as vaginal discharge. Here, instead of like cottage cheese, the question to patients is "is it like tapioca?" I knew Susan was interested in making wet preps a more common tool here, so I took the time to get into the lab and find a test tube and saline. Actually, one of the harder things to find was a q-tip. Finally, we had all of the tools. The pelvic exam went well. Not the most yeast I have seen but some white clumps present on vaginal walls. We set it all up in the lab and I searched. I do think I saw yeast, but it is hard to show to the medical students because the options on the microscope are either not enough magnification power, or too much. My favorite setting is the yellow lens, and I could not get it to focus at all. I think the lens is misplaced? Very frustrating. Its a tool that would be great to have, relatively low cost with the major overhead being the microscope and that already being in house. Except the yellow lens. *sigh*
Weather: The first week was hot, but we were optimistic about how we felt and handled the heat. It wasn't so bad, definitely manageable and we would consider returning in April. However, it was relatively cool - about 105 for a high. The last day and the forecast for the rest of our trip is the high being more like 109, and it is noticeable. It makes it harder to do things.
Today, in clinic, I tried to find yeast on a wet prep. Clinically, the patient had a clear yeast infection with extensive skin findings (under breasts, pannus, and in inguinal region) as well as vaginal discharge. Here, instead of like cottage cheese, the question to patients is "is it like tapioca?" I knew Susan was interested in making wet preps a more common tool here, so I took the time to get into the lab and find a test tube and saline. Actually, one of the harder things to find was a q-tip. Finally, we had all of the tools. The pelvic exam went well. Not the most yeast I have seen but some white clumps present on vaginal walls. We set it all up in the lab and I searched. I do think I saw yeast, but it is hard to show to the medical students because the options on the microscope are either not enough magnification power, or too much. My favorite setting is the yellow lens, and I could not get it to focus at all. I think the lens is misplaced? Very frustrating. Its a tool that would be great to have, relatively low cost with the major overhead being the microscope and that already being in house. Except the yellow lens. *sigh*
Thursday, December 1, 2016
more than visiting the world
When Death Comes - Mary Oliver
When death comes
like the hungry bear in autumn;
when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse
to buy me, and snaps the purse shut;
when death comes
like the measle-pox
when death comes
like iceberg between the shoulder blades,
I want to step through the door full of curiosity,
wondering:
what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?
And therefore I look upon everything
as a brotherhood and a sisterhood,
and I look upon time as no more than an idea,
and I consider eternity as another possibility,
and I think of each life as a flower, as common
as a field daisy, and as singular,
and each name a comfortable music in the mouth,
tending, as all music does, toward silence,
and each body a lion of courage, and something
precious to the earth.
When it's over, I want to say all my life
I was a bride married to amazement
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.
When it's over, I don't want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.
I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened,
or full of argument.
I don't want to end up simply having visited this world
When death comes
like the hungry bear in autumn;
when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse
to buy me, and snaps the purse shut;
when death comes
like the measle-pox
when death comes
like iceberg between the shoulder blades,
I want to step through the door full of curiosity,
wondering:
what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?
And therefore I look upon everything
as a brotherhood and a sisterhood,
and I look upon time as no more than an idea,
and I consider eternity as another possibility,
and I think of each life as a flower, as common
as a field daisy, and as singular,
and each name a comfortable music in the mouth,
tending, as all music does, toward silence,
and each body a lion of courage, and something
precious to the earth.
When it's over, I want to say all my life
I was a bride married to amazement
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.
When it's over, I don't want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.
I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened,
or full of argument.
I don't want to end up simply having visited this world
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Traveling to and from the Des Moines Embassy Club
Interviews start tomorrow! I went for a drive to assess the parking situation and to hopefully figure out some clear instructions so people know where to go and what to do with the applicants. The picture above is taken from the skywalk outside of the Ruan building and shows what is left of the parking garage we used to go to. So... that's why we have to find a new place!
Since Linda provides us with parking stickers, we need to be sure to park in Public Parking Ramps. There are two that are similar distance from Ruan Building, but the 4th and Grand skywalk route is much simpler than the 9th and Grand skywalk route.
To get to the 4th and Grand parking garage from Broadlawns, you can use your phone. However, I don't have a smartphone. So I am going to go through instructions anyway. Of course there are multiple ways to go -- I tried going the usual way (taking 6th south all the way into downtown) and I think that way is slow.
My recommendations:
Take Hickman East (turn Left out of Parking lot) and then find your way to 2nd Ave and go south (turn right). You can do this by going straight across 6th when you come to the first light(Arlington and Franklin), or by turning right on 6th and then taking University over to 2nd Ave. The road shifts to a one way and turns into 3rd St to take you over the interstate. Take 3rd all the way to Grand, where you will turn Right (going west). You'll want to be in the left lane because the parking garage is on the left. You'll take the first left turn (onto 4th St) and then see the entrance to the parking garage on your left.
The Parking Garage:
It is like a bridge that goes over 4th St. The skywalk is only accessible from the far North West corner of the building. When you first enter the ramp, you will be going up the ramp only on the side that is east of 4th St. You want to get high enough that the ramp is at its full length and you can park closer to the west side. The exit is on the West side anyway, so either way works. If you are really trying to set yourself up for efficiency, the skywalk is on level 2 so try to park on that level.
 |
| The red arrow shows where the stairs are for the skywalk access from the parking garage (GREEN SQUARE) Dont be confused, they made this map silly. The arrow is pointing WEST, not north. |
The Skywalk:
You can look at the map, of course. Maybe you can, or maybe you can't see the text "Ruan Center/Bankers Trust." After coming out of the stairs, you will need to turn left. Take the first right and go straight (over 2 roads) until you come to a T intersection in the skywalk. Turn right at the T and follow the skywalk around the corner to the Ruan Building. You can go in the building to take the elevator (but you have to go down to the first floor and switch elevators) or you can take the stairs down and then go to the elevator bay that goes to the top (2 bays of elevators, only one goes to the top).
Getting back is just the reverse. Try not to miss that first turn in the skywalk if you are talking, after that it is straight anyway and you shouldn't get lost.
Leaving the parking garage, you will have to turn left onto Grand because it is a one way. The first road after that is 5th which is a ONE WAY the WRONG WAY. But the next light is for 6th St which you can turn right onto and go North all the way past Mercy to Hickman. Then you are home again, home again, riggidy jig. Call, email, text if you have questions!
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
In Iceland for our honeymoon
We made it safely to the Keflavik airport yesterday morning at 6:30, after a 5 - 6 hour direct flight from MSP. We picked up our tiny little Suzuki Swift rental car and hit the road! Our first adventure was to explore the Reykjanes peninsula where the airport is. Really, we just drove to the western edge to find the "bridge between two continents." Iceland is, I think, the only place where there is land at the meeting of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. So they set a bridge up over cliffs that face each other.. maybe the actuall meeting is directly below the bridge, and maybe its not. But it is pretty far out of the way and not built up too much as a tourist location to be entirely fake. We snapped a few pictures but it as SO windy and cold, we didn't stay long. Though we were there long enough for Michael to try his hand at standing on one plate and peeing onto another. He might be mad at me for saying that.
The best stop of our trip so far was next. As we drove along the south coast we stopped at Grindavik, which is a working fishing village. The guidebook recommended a cafe by the docks, and so we stopped. It was really good with an awesome breakfast and latte for me. But we really hit the jackpot because the worker (possibly the owner?) sat down and talked with us for quite a while. We enjoyed hearing about Grindavik and the challenges the fishing industry has seen there, the volcanoes and various geothermal hot spots around the island, the beattles and specifically John Lennon, the weather, the roads in iceland... we couldn't have planned it better if we had tried, but this man (never got his name) was a perfect introduction into Iceland in our first hours.
After we left the shop our plan was to drive up and see the three sights in the Golden Circle. But my faithful driver was very tired (i was too, but had had a latte), so we found a parking lot and slept in the car for 2 hours before continuing on to Geysir, Gullfoss, and then Thingvilir. So it was a pretty full day though our initial plan was to keep it short and get to bed early because of the short sleep on our flight. Time to start a new day!
The best stop of our trip so far was next. As we drove along the south coast we stopped at Grindavik, which is a working fishing village. The guidebook recommended a cafe by the docks, and so we stopped. It was really good with an awesome breakfast and latte for me. But we really hit the jackpot because the worker (possibly the owner?) sat down and talked with us for quite a while. We enjoyed hearing about Grindavik and the challenges the fishing industry has seen there, the volcanoes and various geothermal hot spots around the island, the beattles and specifically John Lennon, the weather, the roads in iceland... we couldn't have planned it better if we had tried, but this man (never got his name) was a perfect introduction into Iceland in our first hours.
After we left the shop our plan was to drive up and see the three sights in the Golden Circle. But my faithful driver was very tired (i was too, but had had a latte), so we found a parking lot and slept in the car for 2 hours before continuing on to Geysir, Gullfoss, and then Thingvilir. So it was a pretty full day though our initial plan was to keep it short and get to bed early because of the short sleep on our flight. Time to start a new day!
Monday, May 27, 2013
Roller Coasters
After graduation, Michael and I planned a small road trip for just the two of us. We ended up making the 7.5 hour drive from Iowa City to Sandusky, OH on Thursday, so that Friday morning we could wake up and go to Cedar Point Amusement Park and ride roller coasters. I had hoped it would be a hot summer day on May 24th, but unfortunately it was cold and windy. The benefit to bundling up in jackets we usually wear in the winter is that we had zippered pockets where we could "secure loose articles." I had also hoped the lines would be shorter because we avoided the weekend and went on a Friday, but unfortunately there were buses and buses full of kids on end of the year school trips. Even considering these things, we had a great time.
Michael had looked up a couple of roller coaster rank lists and was very excited that Cedar Point had 4 in the top 30 of one list, and another list had different roller coasters in their rankings. We decided to try and ride every coaster, in order to make our own rank list. Around 2 when we went to the car to make our lunch, I was very concerned we wouldn't be able to do it, because the lines were so long. Three or four of the roller coasters had wait times over an hour and a half. The longest line we waited in was for their new roller coaster called GateKeeper. It had only opened 2 weeks before we got there, and we waited for a little over an hour and a half. Even though we waited so long, I felt good about it as we neared the front and looked back to see the end of the line extending even further back in the maze of railings.
By 5 in the afternoon, I started to think we would be able to ride all of them, because the lines started shortening. I think we would have done it, but when we arrived at the last 2 on our list they were closed for mechanical problems.. We ended up riding 10 of 14 roller coasters, and we were able to ride the one at the top of our list twice. Raptor and Wicked Twister we couldn't ride because of maintenance, and two others we chose to pass up because they were described as a black diamonds instead of black double diamonds (we rode one black diamond coaster and it was decidedly less aggressive and thrilling than the others).
Our Ranking...
1. Maverick. A western themed coaster. It's unique characteristic is that after it shoots you quickly up the first hill, the slope goes past vertical on the way down. There are lots of twists, but the ride is smooth and not bone-jarring. 3/4 of the way through the ride you enter a tunnel and slow nearly to a stop. Then the ride shoots you out of the tunnel, probably the fastest acceleration of the ride. This was obviously our favorite, and remained at the top after our second ride. :)
2. GateKeeper. This ride is touted as a "record breaker" for being the coaster with the highest point of inversion. That's all good and fine, but it is not why we liked it best. The seats are arranged in a bat wing fashion, so there are two seats on either side and looking across to the other set of seats, the rail is just below eye level. It makes you feel like you are on the wings of a plane, and when the coaster twists it is like the plane is banking. This is especially exciting when it comes to the gate. The coaster got its name because it is located at the front of the park and the front gate has two towers going up, like the prongs of a plug-in. Also like the prongs of a plug in, the towers have holes cut from the middle and the track goes through these, like threading a needle. As you first approach the tower, the car is horizontal and you feel like the bat wings will get clipped off. Of course the car twists and you slide through - just like you were flying through canyons or the maze of the Death Star.
3. Consistently ranked as one of the world's best steel rollercoasters, Millennium Force is our third favorite in the park. It doesn't have loops or twists, it's main thrill coming from speed and height. You're pulled to the top of the hill with the same slow steadiness I remember from roller coasters as a kid, the anticipation and the height almost dizzying (plus the incline is at a 45 degree angle to the ground - super steep!). I wasn't so scared that I didn't appreciate the moment to look around and take in the view of the lake. Then you're over the crest and zooming down. I had to check online, because I couldn't remember all the speeds from the day, but this one reaches 93 mph and that first lift hill goes up to 310 feet.
This is where our lists start to look different. I think Michael ranks Mean Streak next, but I'm going to go ahead and stick to my list.
4. Top Thrill Dragster is definitely built for height and speed. It was the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world for 2 years after it was built in 2003, reaching 420 feet and 120 mph. Even though it goes 100 feet taller than Millennium Force, you spend much less time at those heights and so you don't get to look around or psych yourself out too much. Also, it's super short. You basically zoom out, getting up to 120 mph in 4 seconds, then go straight up to 420 feet, turn around and come straight down. After that you stop and roll back into the station. It's only as high in my ranking as it is because of the novelty of its height and speed.
5. Magnum XL-200. This roller coaster was built in 1989 and was revolutionary. It was the first complete loop steel coaster to go over 200 ft. Compared to the new roller coasters, it doesn't really compete, but it is a quality ride all the way around with good variety. I especially liked all the little hills it has because I like the feeling of my stomach coming up into my throat (weightlessness?).
6. Gemini. This wooden coaster is named because it has two tracks running side by side, but we road it when only one track was running. It predates Magnum, but is another exciting and enjoyable ride. It comes higher in my list than Michael's because of the importance I put on those hills and weightless feeling.
7. Corkscrew. Also a pre-90's coaster, this one is steel with three inversions, one of which brings your right down over the sidewalk so that you feel like you can touch the heads of the people beneath you (of course there is a grate directly in between). Looking back on this one, I am fond of it, but it featured upside down tricks instead of weightless sensation hills.
8. Mean Streak. This ride is the last wooden roller coaster we made it to. It is in the far corner of the park, and even when all the other lines were half an hour, this one was less than 15 minutes. It was high and had lots of hills, but it was too rattly for me to really enjoy it. I didn't even get the sensation of falling as we went down the first crank hill. The thing I was most amazed with on this one was how long the ride lasted. We kept going and going, racing along within an arms reach of the supports of the track we'd just come from or were soon headed to.
9. Mantis is a stand up roller coaster, but besides that, it wasn't anything special. I bonked my head and hurt my ears on the head rest, and got off of it complaining that it rattled my bones too much. Also, I think it was more of a twisty, inversion thrill ride than a weightless thrill ride, and it really emphasized the twists.
10. Iron Dragon. I'm starting to think this one should maybe go ahead of the Mantis, mostly because I was really uncomfortable on the Mantis. But it sits at the bottom of the rankings because it wasn't very exciting. It wasn't thrilling, but it also wasn't uncomfortable. A good ride, just not a special roller coaster in a park filled with special roller coasters.
Michael had looked up a couple of roller coaster rank lists and was very excited that Cedar Point had 4 in the top 30 of one list, and another list had different roller coasters in their rankings. We decided to try and ride every coaster, in order to make our own rank list. Around 2 when we went to the car to make our lunch, I was very concerned we wouldn't be able to do it, because the lines were so long. Three or four of the roller coasters had wait times over an hour and a half. The longest line we waited in was for their new roller coaster called GateKeeper. It had only opened 2 weeks before we got there, and we waited for a little over an hour and a half. Even though we waited so long, I felt good about it as we neared the front and looked back to see the end of the line extending even further back in the maze of railings.
By 5 in the afternoon, I started to think we would be able to ride all of them, because the lines started shortening. I think we would have done it, but when we arrived at the last 2 on our list they were closed for mechanical problems.. We ended up riding 10 of 14 roller coasters, and we were able to ride the one at the top of our list twice. Raptor and Wicked Twister we couldn't ride because of maintenance, and two others we chose to pass up because they were described as a black diamonds instead of black double diamonds (we rode one black diamond coaster and it was decidedly less aggressive and thrilling than the others).
Our Ranking...
1. Maverick. A western themed coaster. It's unique characteristic is that after it shoots you quickly up the first hill, the slope goes past vertical on the way down. There are lots of twists, but the ride is smooth and not bone-jarring. 3/4 of the way through the ride you enter a tunnel and slow nearly to a stop. Then the ride shoots you out of the tunnel, probably the fastest acceleration of the ride. This was obviously our favorite, and remained at the top after our second ride. :)
2. GateKeeper. This ride is touted as a "record breaker" for being the coaster with the highest point of inversion. That's all good and fine, but it is not why we liked it best. The seats are arranged in a bat wing fashion, so there are two seats on either side and looking across to the other set of seats, the rail is just below eye level. It makes you feel like you are on the wings of a plane, and when the coaster twists it is like the plane is banking. This is especially exciting when it comes to the gate. The coaster got its name because it is located at the front of the park and the front gate has two towers going up, like the prongs of a plug-in. Also like the prongs of a plug in, the towers have holes cut from the middle and the track goes through these, like threading a needle. As you first approach the tower, the car is horizontal and you feel like the bat wings will get clipped off. Of course the car twists and you slide through - just like you were flying through canyons or the maze of the Death Star.
3. Consistently ranked as one of the world's best steel rollercoasters, Millennium Force is our third favorite in the park. It doesn't have loops or twists, it's main thrill coming from speed and height. You're pulled to the top of the hill with the same slow steadiness I remember from roller coasters as a kid, the anticipation and the height almost dizzying (plus the incline is at a 45 degree angle to the ground - super steep!). I wasn't so scared that I didn't appreciate the moment to look around and take in the view of the lake. Then you're over the crest and zooming down. I had to check online, because I couldn't remember all the speeds from the day, but this one reaches 93 mph and that first lift hill goes up to 310 feet.
This is where our lists start to look different. I think Michael ranks Mean Streak next, but I'm going to go ahead and stick to my list.
4. Top Thrill Dragster is definitely built for height and speed. It was the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world for 2 years after it was built in 2003, reaching 420 feet and 120 mph. Even though it goes 100 feet taller than Millennium Force, you spend much less time at those heights and so you don't get to look around or psych yourself out too much. Also, it's super short. You basically zoom out, getting up to 120 mph in 4 seconds, then go straight up to 420 feet, turn around and come straight down. After that you stop and roll back into the station. It's only as high in my ranking as it is because of the novelty of its height and speed.
5. Magnum XL-200. This roller coaster was built in 1989 and was revolutionary. It was the first complete loop steel coaster to go over 200 ft. Compared to the new roller coasters, it doesn't really compete, but it is a quality ride all the way around with good variety. I especially liked all the little hills it has because I like the feeling of my stomach coming up into my throat (weightlessness?).
6. Gemini. This wooden coaster is named because it has two tracks running side by side, but we road it when only one track was running. It predates Magnum, but is another exciting and enjoyable ride. It comes higher in my list than Michael's because of the importance I put on those hills and weightless feeling.
7. Corkscrew. Also a pre-90's coaster, this one is steel with three inversions, one of which brings your right down over the sidewalk so that you feel like you can touch the heads of the people beneath you (of course there is a grate directly in between). Looking back on this one, I am fond of it, but it featured upside down tricks instead of weightless sensation hills.
8. Mean Streak. This ride is the last wooden roller coaster we made it to. It is in the far corner of the park, and even when all the other lines were half an hour, this one was less than 15 minutes. It was high and had lots of hills, but it was too rattly for me to really enjoy it. I didn't even get the sensation of falling as we went down the first crank hill. The thing I was most amazed with on this one was how long the ride lasted. We kept going and going, racing along within an arms reach of the supports of the track we'd just come from or were soon headed to.
9. Mantis is a stand up roller coaster, but besides that, it wasn't anything special. I bonked my head and hurt my ears on the head rest, and got off of it complaining that it rattled my bones too much. Also, I think it was more of a twisty, inversion thrill ride than a weightless thrill ride, and it really emphasized the twists.
10. Iron Dragon. I'm starting to think this one should maybe go ahead of the Mantis, mostly because I was really uncomfortable on the Mantis. But it sits at the bottom of the rankings because it wasn't very exciting. It wasn't thrilling, but it also wasn't uncomfortable. A good ride, just not a special roller coaster in a park filled with special roller coasters.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Graduation
Today is day number four since earning my Doctor of Medicine degree. Of course I don't feel any different, and I think there was more hype leading up to my high school graduation. Strange, considering this is a degree I can actually do something with.
But I guess I couldn't have gone to college without graduating high school, and I couldn't have started medical school without college - so they are all linked.
Maybe high school graduations are easier to celebrate because there is a very established routine. The community where I grew up expected senior pictures, which would then be used to make graduation announcements/invitations. The invitations would all reference weekends in May, which are thus expected to be busily spent attending various graduation receptions. The receptions are easily hosted by parents in houses or community buildings.. as opposed to college, where such large gathering spill out of dorm rooms or "bachelor pads."
Another contributing factor to graduation from high school being a more celebrated event could be that there were more people paying direct attention to what I did when I was in high school. Or, if people were not paying attention to the four years during high school, they may have been involved in the 14 years preceding it. The celebration of high school graduation is not only for accomplishments achieved during high school, but for all the years of life preceding it as well.
With hype or without, graduation from medical school is an accomplishment to be proud and excited about - which I unfortunately had to be reminded of in the staging area before commencement. With all the stress of corralling my family from place to place on graduation day, I'd started to forget the purpose of the day. When my friend asked me how I was feeling and my response was less than enthusiastic, he reprimanded me and suggested I take a step back to look at what we'd done. What did we do? We studied really hard to learn facts and details. But everyone knows that. What else? We spent time reflecting on many of the ethical issues and questions that are presented to physicians daily. We practiced writing patient encounter notes, long and time consuming at first, little by little becoming more efficient. We put ourselves in uncomfortable situations because we needed to learn. We bumbled through presentations, hoping that repetition would make us less bumbly. We changed our sleep schedules to match whatever hospital schedule was needed, and frequently woke up at hours that other young adults see as bedtime.
Maybe most importantly, we learned that we will always be learning. It is easier for me to look ahead and recognize all that is left for me to learn than it is to look behind and recognize all the knowledge I have gained. Talking to Liz, who just started medical school this year, is helpful for realizing how much I have learned. It is especially encouraging after a rough day "at work" where it felt like I didn't know or recognize anything, to come home and explain something - thus validating that the 4 years of study were not, in fact, wasted.
But I guess I couldn't have gone to college without graduating high school, and I couldn't have started medical school without college - so they are all linked.
Maybe high school graduations are easier to celebrate because there is a very established routine. The community where I grew up expected senior pictures, which would then be used to make graduation announcements/invitations. The invitations would all reference weekends in May, which are thus expected to be busily spent attending various graduation receptions. The receptions are easily hosted by parents in houses or community buildings.. as opposed to college, where such large gathering spill out of dorm rooms or "bachelor pads."
Another contributing factor to graduation from high school being a more celebrated event could be that there were more people paying direct attention to what I did when I was in high school. Or, if people were not paying attention to the four years during high school, they may have been involved in the 14 years preceding it. The celebration of high school graduation is not only for accomplishments achieved during high school, but for all the years of life preceding it as well.
With hype or without, graduation from medical school is an accomplishment to be proud and excited about - which I unfortunately had to be reminded of in the staging area before commencement. With all the stress of corralling my family from place to place on graduation day, I'd started to forget the purpose of the day. When my friend asked me how I was feeling and my response was less than enthusiastic, he reprimanded me and suggested I take a step back to look at what we'd done. What did we do? We studied really hard to learn facts and details. But everyone knows that. What else? We spent time reflecting on many of the ethical issues and questions that are presented to physicians daily. We practiced writing patient encounter notes, long and time consuming at first, little by little becoming more efficient. We put ourselves in uncomfortable situations because we needed to learn. We bumbled through presentations, hoping that repetition would make us less bumbly. We changed our sleep schedules to match whatever hospital schedule was needed, and frequently woke up at hours that other young adults see as bedtime.
Maybe most importantly, we learned that we will always be learning. It is easier for me to look ahead and recognize all that is left for me to learn than it is to look behind and recognize all the knowledge I have gained. Talking to Liz, who just started medical school this year, is helpful for realizing how much I have learned. It is especially encouraging after a rough day "at work" where it felt like I didn't know or recognize anything, to come home and explain something - thus validating that the 4 years of study were not, in fact, wasted.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)