Air Balls and Banana Bread

So when I wrote on here last time, I left you all in suspense with the upcoming terror that was Mini 1 Part 1 that I took last Monday. I will admit that the idea of learning all of the information from the first two weeks of school scared me, but that fear was multiplied (probably just inside of my own and other student's heads) considering the pre-test processes we had to go through. First of all, you couldn't bring anything to the test. A number 2 pencil (old-fashioned), not mechanical, and your ID. That's it. Nothing else was allowed in the building. Now, you must consider that I typically carry my backpack with two water bottles, an umbrella, laptop/charger, cellphone, wallet, headphones, and notes/study guides with me pretty much all of the time. So to tell me that I can only bring a pencil and my ID is like stripping me of everything that I know and (this may sound weird) but made me feel...naked. And it's not like I have an overabundant supply of wood pencils laying around either...I have one. One flimsy splinter of a stick that could break at any moment. One impossible question that may lead me to snap that twig in half. In reality, I was actually worried that I might break the lead during the test and who knows what would happen from there (I was not the only one in this situation and that felt this way, so don't judge!). Secondly, we were basically patted down before we could enter the building to take the test in order to make sure none of us had any type of electronic devices on us. If you snuck something in and got caught, you wound up with a 0 on your first test. And let me tell you, when the exam prompter tells you to check your pockets for cellphones for the final time before we start the test, you do it anyways even though you know it's tucked away back at your apartment. You can't be too careful!

So despite all of my neurotic behaviors, I was very impressed by the exam. Each test booklet had our individual names on them with our school ID numbers (I would have never expected that). It was pretty legit and wasn't to be taken lightly. After all, Mini 1 Part 1 was the most important test that each of us students have ever taken in our lives up to this point. And I am glad to say, that after receiving my grade two days later, I started off my medical school education on the right foot. As a reward, I took the rest of the day off and got burnt at the beach!!! It's funny, I live ten feet from the beach/ocean, yet I never have time to ever go there or even see it during the daytime.

After all of the hype settled down from taking our test and receiving our first grades as medical students, it again was back to reality. Four straight days of lectures (4 hours each day), one 4 hour lab (breast and pectoral region), and a small group learning session on Friday. Now, I'll be the first to admit that it was a little hard to concentrate and dedicate myself 100% after my test on Monday, but if you don't learn to readjust quickly...you will fall far behind.

During my short time here at Ross, I have become involved in two things here on campus: intramural basketball and the Ross Student Catholic Association (RSCA). I'll start with basketball first. I played point guard in high school. I played shooting guard in college. I now play center in medical school. Now, you can read this several different ways. "Wow, he must have grown!" No, no I haven't. "Wow, he must not be able to shoot anymore." You're getting warmer (considering I haven't played basketball in over a year, I AM a little rusty). "Wow, there must not be that many tall, athletic guys at Ross that play basketball." Bingo! I also have to share that playing intramural basketball in Dominica is not the same thing as playing intramural basketball at Gustavus. At Ross, we play outdoors, we play at night under dim lights, we play in the rain (it rains about every hour here), and we also play in the wind. All factors that can both equalize the greatest and worst players, and make fools of us all no matter the skill level. All it takes is the first air ball (and you always blame it on the wind, of course) or the first pass to hit you square in the face (because of the lights, I think) to realize, "Yea...I probably won't be as good as I used to be in college."

The first actual organization that I joined here at Ross was RSCA. It is a close-knit group of Ross Catholic students who get together every Sunday for mass and participate in other activities together as well. On Sunday, we provided our first health clinic of the semester for a town about twenty minutes south of Portsmouth called Dublanc. First, we attended mass (wearing our scrubs and RSCA shirts) with the local townspeople. Sidenote: Masses down here are so much more engaging than masses that I am used to back home in the U.S. It is amazing to witness a group of people living in such poverty be so soulful and joyful about their religion and belief in God. You know how sometimes your eyelids may get a little heavy during mass, well that doesn't happen here when you have parishioners yelling out "Alleluiah!" and "Amen" all of the time. It's not typically what I am used to, but it was refreshing. Right after mass, we started our clinic where we provided stations for: HPI (Health of Present Illness), blood glucose, blood pressure/pulse, vision test, height, weight (body mass index), and a few others along with providing the folks with juice and banana bread. I was able to share a piece of bread with a young girl who had never even had a piece of banana bread before. She was adorable and I really enjoyed that moment. Overall, we had anywhere between 250-300 people that we tended to and left feeling pretty pleased with ourselves. We provided a service to a group of people who won't receive any other medical attention besides what we did today. Even though there is a medical school right nearby, there isn't an abundance of doctors here to provide care for these people living in the rural towns of Dominica. I guess it's nice to feel fulfilled by participating in an event like that, but it always leaves you with a thirst for wanting to do more. Today was a good day. Exhausting, but good.

After some days down here where you can spend 3 hours memorizing the details of one lecture slide, not even realizing how it relates to you becoming a better doctor, you feel like giving undergraduate pre-med students this kind of advice about their desire to go to medical school:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKTN5NHfwlQ

But then, after days like today, where you really made a difference in somebody's health, life, and, quite possibly, future...it makes all of the hard work worthwhile.