Hi Friends!
I know I've kinda fallen off the face of the earth on here... not purposefully but because honestly I haven't really known what to say. I haven't figured out how to put what I want to say into words.
Do I talk about third year and how tough it was?
Do I talk about step 2?
Do I talk about fourth year?
Do I talk about applications?
Do I talk about interview season?
HONESTLY I don't really want to talk about any of them - hence why I haven't posted.
UNTIL TODAY
I realized all I want to do is reflect on this journey so far.
It has been long and tedious. I've been more exhausted than I can imagine. I've felt more homesick than I've ever felt. I've been able to live in so many exciting and new places. I've been able to see so many beautiful sights and things. I've seen things that are unimaginable. I've met with people I've never thought I'd meet. I've had experiences that not many people have experienced.
Everything I've seen/done/experienced so far have spanned from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. From the excitement of birthing a baby that a couple has been trying for for ages to the tears of a patient coming in from a trauma. I've gone through a whole range of emotions in just one 24 hour shift. And as much as I could not imagine doing anything different in my life I've noticed how it's changed me.
Not in a bad way, but not in a good way either.
In order to get through medical school you need to be tough. That's what I was always told. Okay be tough be tough. Got through Dominica and Step One. I WAS TOUGH. Then came the hospital. In order to get through day after day after day of caring for your patients it wears you out. You have some amazing beautiful encounters and you have some not so great encounters. You have people telling you you're doing great keep it up! Then you have people questioning why you did "x, y, z".
In order for me to cope with that I "became tougher". I hardened up - if something good happened - that's fine. If something bad happened - that's fine. There were no emotions anymore. I still cared so deeply for my patients wanting to make them feel comfortable and they were being cared for. But I wouldn't allow myself to feel emotions. I wouldn't get happy, sad, mad, angry, elated, joyous, scared or even homesick. I just did. I showed up. Cared for my patients and left. I couldn't handle the moments of excitement of helping a patient to the embarrassment of doing something incorrect and being spoken to about it. So I just wouldn't let myself feel either emotion.
So yeah you have to be tough to get through medical school, I'm not saying I am but I never TRULY realized what that meant until now. I've missed too many birthdays to count. I've missed get togethers, funerals, dinners, weddings, parties... YOU NAME IT I'VE MISSED IT.
I've lost contact with dear friends, I've felt like I haven't been able to be a good friend, a good sister, daughter or granddaughter. It can feel very isolating. Yet here I am still knowing that medicine is all I ever want to do.
I know medicine online can be glorified. Flatlays, fun study sessions, cool surgeries, cute scrubs.
AND IT IS ALL OF THOSE THINGS!!!
But there is also more. There's those tears of sadness, anger, frustration. Those 2 am eureka moments. Those disorganized desks with notes everywhere and UWorld ripping apart your soul. Those silent moments after a tough case. The exciting moments with patients.
And everything in between.
And I wouldn't change it for the world.
- Jen
Showing posts with label Happiness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Happiness. Show all posts
Wednesday, 11 December 2019
Sunday, 17 June 2018
Rotation One Done
Friends!
I just finished my family medicine rotation! To say I enjoyed it would be an understatement. I’ve known I belong in primary care for a long time. I’ve always enjoyed sitting with people and learning more about them and how I could help them. After going through this rotation I’ve grown to appreciate and respect the job of a primary care doctor more than I ever did before. They can be a patients voice, their shoulder to cry on, their sounding board, their confidant, a friendly face, the only stable portion of a persons life and so much more. The role of a general practitioner has been made to be someone who just writes referrals out and moves onto another patient. After this rotation I can assure you they are so much more than that. I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the most amazing doctors who love and care for their patients more than I can begin to describe. They came in every day with a smile on their face ready to absorb any pain or suffering their patients were going through. They guided their patients through the medical system, trying to make sense of the complexities of it.
I’ve honestly loved working with the patient population I’ve seen at my clinics and within the hospital. I have learned so much in a few short 6 weeks - I’m excited to see what I will continue to learn and grow through during my next rotation.
As I’m sure you’ve all seen through my blog so far - Medicine is tough. I’ve only known the academic aspect of it and boy that was something. Being on the other side and learning about the clinical side of medicine makes me realize how seemingly “easy” the academics were.
*anyone in the basic sciences reading this probably having serious palpitations right now trust me it’s worth it*
The learning curve is steep - trying to grab my book knowledge, multiple choice question answering brain and let it grow to allow me to see the diseases and pathology in front of me (still trying to figure it out). All while trying to learn a new location, with new people a WHOLE new environment. I’d be lying if I said it was easy. I thought, “How am I going to make it through this?” multiple times a day.
Guys, somehow... even when you think you can’t make it through it, you always do.
- Jen
I just finished my family medicine rotation! To say I enjoyed it would be an understatement. I’ve known I belong in primary care for a long time. I’ve always enjoyed sitting with people and learning more about them and how I could help them. After going through this rotation I’ve grown to appreciate and respect the job of a primary care doctor more than I ever did before. They can be a patients voice, their shoulder to cry on, their sounding board, their confidant, a friendly face, the only stable portion of a persons life and so much more. The role of a general practitioner has been made to be someone who just writes referrals out and moves onto another patient. After this rotation I can assure you they are so much more than that. I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the most amazing doctors who love and care for their patients more than I can begin to describe. They came in every day with a smile on their face ready to absorb any pain or suffering their patients were going through. They guided their patients through the medical system, trying to make sense of the complexities of it.
I’ve honestly loved working with the patient population I’ve seen at my clinics and within the hospital. I have learned so much in a few short 6 weeks - I’m excited to see what I will continue to learn and grow through during my next rotation.
As I’m sure you’ve all seen through my blog so far - Medicine is tough. I’ve only known the academic aspect of it and boy that was something. Being on the other side and learning about the clinical side of medicine makes me realize how seemingly “easy” the academics were.
*anyone in the basic sciences reading this probably having serious palpitations right now trust me it’s worth it*
The learning curve is steep - trying to grab my book knowledge, multiple choice question answering brain and let it grow to allow me to see the diseases and pathology in front of me (still trying to figure it out). All while trying to learn a new location, with new people a WHOLE new environment. I’d be lying if I said it was easy. I thought, “How am I going to make it through this?” multiple times a day.
Guys, somehow... even when you think you can’t make it through it, you always do.
- Jen
Sunday, 22 April 2018
Tough Times
Friends!
I'm sitting here writing this and I should be going to bed but I can't help but think. Think about MERP in August 2015 then moving to Dominica January 2016 then coming home April 2017 and finally being in IMF.
It's only been 2.5 almost 3 years but I feel like I've lived a lifetime. It's been so rewarding, frustrating, exciting and nerve-racking and I can't even begin to try to put it into words.
I always end up writing these blogs when I need to hear what I'm writing in these blogs the most. I think to myself - if I need to hear this I can only imagine others do too.
I've been thinking lately about this journey... specifically my journey but I want to include everyone on this journey. I always go back and forth in my mind about sharing my journey and being public about it because I never want someone to compare their journey with mine.
Because I know I do that.
So it got me to thinking... write a blog about it.
I've heard the line (and thought the line) "well ______ is going through ______ so I can't complain".
But when I take a step back and really think about when I say something like that I'm really putting my own personal struggles and hardships down. EVERYONE... let me say this again EVERYONE is going through their own struggles. Whether it's personal or family oriented, seemingly big or seemingly small, within your control or not. We all have things we need to deal with and none of that should ever be compared. No one should ever be little their own struggles because it seems like it's not a big deal. It's important enough for you to think about - therefore it's a big deal... to YOU.
The beauty of medicine and its journey is that everyone is going to experience it very differently. We're all going to have different paths yet we all want the same thing... that MD/DO behind our names. Some students struggles may be internal - whether it be imposter syndrome, test anxiety, lack of confidence. Or external - family, friends, personal illness. Maybe some students deal with all of the above.
My point is your journey is your journey - however bumpy or smooth, internal or external. It's yours. And you should be proud of your journey. No matter how far along your journey you are. You could be in clinical rotations, basic sciences, just getting into med school, studying for your MCAT or just starting your pre-med journey.
Be proud of where you are and what you've accomplished up to this point. Never focus on someone else's road. Be proud of you.
- Jen
I'm sitting here writing this and I should be going to bed but I can't help but think. Think about MERP in August 2015 then moving to Dominica January 2016 then coming home April 2017 and finally being in IMF.
It's only been 2.5 almost 3 years but I feel like I've lived a lifetime. It's been so rewarding, frustrating, exciting and nerve-racking and I can't even begin to try to put it into words.
I always end up writing these blogs when I need to hear what I'm writing in these blogs the most. I think to myself - if I need to hear this I can only imagine others do too.
I've been thinking lately about this journey... specifically my journey but I want to include everyone on this journey. I always go back and forth in my mind about sharing my journey and being public about it because I never want someone to compare their journey with mine.
Because I know I do that.
So it got me to thinking... write a blog about it.
I've heard the line (and thought the line) "well ______ is going through ______ so I can't complain".
But when I take a step back and really think about when I say something like that I'm really putting my own personal struggles and hardships down. EVERYONE... let me say this again EVERYONE is going through their own struggles. Whether it's personal or family oriented, seemingly big or seemingly small, within your control or not. We all have things we need to deal with and none of that should ever be compared. No one should ever be little their own struggles because it seems like it's not a big deal. It's important enough for you to think about - therefore it's a big deal... to YOU.
The beauty of medicine and its journey is that everyone is going to experience it very differently. We're all going to have different paths yet we all want the same thing... that MD/DO behind our names. Some students struggles may be internal - whether it be imposter syndrome, test anxiety, lack of confidence. Or external - family, friends, personal illness. Maybe some students deal with all of the above.
My point is your journey is your journey - however bumpy or smooth, internal or external. It's yours. And you should be proud of your journey. No matter how far along your journey you are. You could be in clinical rotations, basic sciences, just getting into med school, studying for your MCAT or just starting your pre-med journey.
Be proud of where you are and what you've accomplished up to this point. Never focus on someone else's road. Be proud of you.
- Jen
Monday, 19 March 2018
MS3
Friends!
Long time no post!!! I've been waiting to post and finally share that I have closed the door on MS2 and am moving forward to MS3!
I think this is the year that all medical students dream about. Finally getting into the hospital, being done with Step One, interacting with real patients with real problems and really diving into medicine.
Since writing Step I've been running around trying to get my life organized and finish all of my pre hospital health check ups along with organizing my life into two suitcases before I head off to IMF.
I've slowly been updating my professional attire since, let's be real, I've been living in leggings and tank tops for the past year.
What is IMF you may be wondering? Well my school has a six week program called the Internal Medicine Foundations that we must complete before starting our core rotations. The simplest explanation is it's a pre-clinical bootcamp... we get to work on and perfect our patient encounters, practical skills (scrubbing in, IV lines, physical exams), SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan) notes and History and Physical Exam notes. Even though I haven't started yet, I am very thankful that my school has this since it allows us to brush up our skills before we're in the hospital on our rotations (I know my first few interviews/physical exams aren't going to be the smoothest).
After six weeks of IMF we begin our core rotations (one year) which consist of Family Medicine, Surgery, Internal Medicine, Ob/Gyn, Pediatrics and Psychiatry.
Also, I've been looking at all of the different resources available for core rotations and it's been VERY overwhelming!
I'm planning on keeping you all updated throughout this part of my medical journey as well - what resources I've used and my experiences along the way. If there's anything in particular you want me to write about please let me know.
AND THANK YOU, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, for joining me on this journey.
- Jen
Long time no post!!! I've been waiting to post and finally share that I have closed the door on MS2 and am moving forward to MS3!
I think this is the year that all medical students dream about. Finally getting into the hospital, being done with Step One, interacting with real patients with real problems and really diving into medicine.
Since writing Step I've been running around trying to get my life organized and finish all of my pre hospital health check ups along with organizing my life into two suitcases before I head off to IMF.
I've slowly been updating my professional attire since, let's be real, I've been living in leggings and tank tops for the past year.
What is IMF you may be wondering? Well my school has a six week program called the Internal Medicine Foundations that we must complete before starting our core rotations. The simplest explanation is it's a pre-clinical bootcamp... we get to work on and perfect our patient encounters, practical skills (scrubbing in, IV lines, physical exams), SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan) notes and History and Physical Exam notes. Even though I haven't started yet, I am very thankful that my school has this since it allows us to brush up our skills before we're in the hospital on our rotations (I know my first few interviews/physical exams aren't going to be the smoothest).
After six weeks of IMF we begin our core rotations (one year) which consist of Family Medicine, Surgery, Internal Medicine, Ob/Gyn, Pediatrics and Psychiatry.
Also, I've been looking at all of the different resources available for core rotations and it's been VERY overwhelming!
I'm planning on keeping you all updated throughout this part of my medical journey as well - what resources I've used and my experiences along the way. If there's anything in particular you want me to write about please let me know.
AND THANK YOU, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, for joining me on this journey.
- Jen
Friday, 20 October 2017
Type A or B?
Hi Friends!
I'm writing this post because I've been having many conversations about this topic over the past few weeks and I honestly find it pretty interesting.
I'm sure you've all heard about Type A and Type B personalities - but what do they really mean?
I just typed them into google and this fun little quiz came up to see what personality type you are
What Personality Type are you?
As medical students I think we all have a part of Type A personality in us, some more than others, but what does that really mean?
Other than the obvious personality traits a Type A person is described as impatient, concerned about time management, anxious, rigidly organized, workaholics... the list goes on. What else does Type A mean?
There have been several studies published that show that people who have Type A Personality are more likely to have early CAD (coronary artery disease), high blood pressure and are at an increased risk of stroke. As someone who is trying to be in the medical field and who's job it is to advocate healthy choices and decisions, I believe it's pretty ironic that we could be the patients who have very preventable health issues.
Then what do we do to prevent this? I'm going to be honest I'm still trying to figure it out for myself because my personality heavily sits on the Type A side but I think it just all comes down to having an outlet.
Whether that means drawing, working out, dancing, singing, going in nature, playing with animals (favourite by far), reading, watching your favourite TV show - we need to integrate something into our schedule that can help relieve some of our stress.
For example, I'm gonna use myself here, my first round of studying at home I just studied day in and day out. No breaks. Nothing fun. No days off. And I noticed that my energy levels were SO LOW. It was so hard to get out of bed in the morning - so difficult to get motivated and tough to even learn new information. I decided something had to change so I started integrating in work out breaks, dance parties, study space changes and little did you know my productivity levels increased and even though I was waking up an hour earlier (some days even more) than I did before I had a heck of a lot more energy. I gave myself one day off a week and to my surprise even though I was working one less day a week (shame, shame, shame) the other six days I was working I was able to get so much more done and I was able to retain a lot more.
Figuring out a schedule that works for you can be a pain but once you figure out what works best for your body I promise your studying will feel totally different.
- Jen
I'm writing this post because I've been having many conversations about this topic over the past few weeks and I honestly find it pretty interesting.
I'm sure you've all heard about Type A and Type B personalities - but what do they really mean?
I just typed them into google and this fun little quiz came up to see what personality type you are
What Personality Type are you?
As medical students I think we all have a part of Type A personality in us, some more than others, but what does that really mean?
Other than the obvious personality traits a Type A person is described as impatient, concerned about time management, anxious, rigidly organized, workaholics... the list goes on. What else does Type A mean?
There have been several studies published that show that people who have Type A Personality are more likely to have early CAD (coronary artery disease), high blood pressure and are at an increased risk of stroke. As someone who is trying to be in the medical field and who's job it is to advocate healthy choices and decisions, I believe it's pretty ironic that we could be the patients who have very preventable health issues.
Then what do we do to prevent this? I'm going to be honest I'm still trying to figure it out for myself because my personality heavily sits on the Type A side but I think it just all comes down to having an outlet.
Whether that means drawing, working out, dancing, singing, going in nature, playing with animals (favourite by far), reading, watching your favourite TV show - we need to integrate something into our schedule that can help relieve some of our stress.
For example, I'm gonna use myself here, my first round of studying at home I just studied day in and day out. No breaks. Nothing fun. No days off. And I noticed that my energy levels were SO LOW. It was so hard to get out of bed in the morning - so difficult to get motivated and tough to even learn new information. I decided something had to change so I started integrating in work out breaks, dance parties, study space changes and little did you know my productivity levels increased and even though I was waking up an hour earlier (some days even more) than I did before I had a heck of a lot more energy. I gave myself one day off a week and to my surprise even though I was working one less day a week (shame, shame, shame) the other six days I was working I was able to get so much more done and I was able to retain a lot more.
Figuring out a schedule that works for you can be a pain but once you figure out what works best for your body I promise your studying will feel totally different.
- Jen
Saturday, 30 September 2017
Motivation
Hey friends!
I am back for another post! Quick turn around I know. I've surprised myself too.
I've been asked this question and I've seen this question floating around the internet for the longest time now and I figured - WHY NOT SHARE MY TWO CENTS ON MY BLOG!
The question on everyone's mind every hour of every.single.day. "How do I stay motivated?"
Thinking about it - that's a pretty darn good question that quite honestly I don't think I even have the answer to. Do you want to know why?
I don't rely on motivation.
I can already imagine what is going through your mind right now... what do you mean you don't rely on motivation? Are you crazy? What planet do you live on? How did you make it through two years of med school not relying on motivation?
My answer to you is simple. I rely on dedication.
If we were to only look at the definition of the two words:
"Motivation: Desire or willingness to do something; enthusiasm."
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/motivation
"Dedication: If you say that someone has dedicated themselves to something, you approve of the fact that they have decided to give a lot of time and effort to it because they think that it is important."
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/dedicate
Based on my understanding and interpretation of these definitions, motivation comes and goes while dedication is more permanent. So why would I rely on something that changes based on the day?
Do I wake up every single morning fully motivated to study and learn as much as I can? Honestly no. Some days I wake up and I just soak up all of the information I am reading that day. Other days I wake up and I'm lucky if I make it through one chapter.
On those hard days where my motivation is a big fat zero am I still fully dedicated to become a doctor? Heck yeah I am! That will always be the dream even if I am having a very non-motivational day.
I've found now that I've been attempting to change my mindset from relying on motivation to relying on my dedication I haven't been getting as frustrated with myself on those days my motivation has been a little low.
Show up. Every day. Be dedicated to your goal. Motivation will come and go. Stay true to your course.
- Jen
I am back for another post! Quick turn around I know. I've surprised myself too.
I've been asked this question and I've seen this question floating around the internet for the longest time now and I figured - WHY NOT SHARE MY TWO CENTS ON MY BLOG!
The question on everyone's mind every hour of every.single.day. "How do I stay motivated?"
Thinking about it - that's a pretty darn good question that quite honestly I don't think I even have the answer to. Do you want to know why?
I don't rely on motivation.
I can already imagine what is going through your mind right now... what do you mean you don't rely on motivation? Are you crazy? What planet do you live on? How did you make it through two years of med school not relying on motivation?
My answer to you is simple. I rely on dedication.
If we were to only look at the definition of the two words:
"Motivation: Desire or willingness to do something; enthusiasm."
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/motivation
"Dedication: If you say that someone has dedicated themselves to something, you approve of the fact that they have decided to give a lot of time and effort to it because they think that it is important."
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/dedicate
Based on my understanding and interpretation of these definitions, motivation comes and goes while dedication is more permanent. So why would I rely on something that changes based on the day?
Do I wake up every single morning fully motivated to study and learn as much as I can? Honestly no. Some days I wake up and I just soak up all of the information I am reading that day. Other days I wake up and I'm lucky if I make it through one chapter.
On those hard days where my motivation is a big fat zero am I still fully dedicated to become a doctor? Heck yeah I am! That will always be the dream even if I am having a very non-motivational day.
I've found now that I've been attempting to change my mindset from relying on motivation to relying on my dedication I haven't been getting as frustrated with myself on those days my motivation has been a little low.
Show up. Every day. Be dedicated to your goal. Motivation will come and go. Stay true to your course.
- Jen
Friday, 15 September 2017
Imposter Syndrome
Hi Friends!
I write this blog post on a slow morning - as I sit here and it's past 11 and I still haven't finished my first cup of coffee.
I've been doing a lot of reflecting about undergrad and medical school these past few days and I wanted to share with you the basis of my thoughts - and Imposter Syndrome basically sums it up.
The first time I heard this term I was in PSYCH 100 in undergrad - winter semester of my first year of undergrad. Back then it was more or less a definition I had to memorize for one of my midterms and nothing more. Now it's definition has a lot more meaning in my life.
For those of you who are wondering what I'm talking about:
"According to Joan Harvey, the impostor phenomenon (IP) is a “psychological syndrome or pattern. It is based on intense, secret feelings of fraudulence in the face of success and achievement. If you suffer from the impostor phenomenon, you believe that you don’t deserve your success; you’re a phony who has somehow ‘gotten away with it.’” (Harvey, 1984, p. 3). “Syndrome” may be too strong a term, but many of us experience these feelings with varying strengths and frequencies."
https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/planning-courses/tips-teaching-assistants/impostor-phenomenon-and
I think that website from Waterloo sums it up pretty well!
But that's basically what every medical student deals with at one point in time.
I think about all the times my friends and I talk about medical school and making it off the island and I can never forget how I explain myself getting through medical school "under the radar - letting me slip through the cracks and hoping they don't find me". If that's not textbook Imposter Syndrome I don't know what is.
As I've mentioned before - as medical students we're PHENOMENAL at bringing up our classmates and believing in them but we always fail at believing in ourselves.
The amount of times I've found myself telling my friends or thinking, "If only you believed in yourself as much as I believe in you". For whatever reason I, and I'm sure many other students, cannot transfer those feelings to myself.
I've been struggling to find a way to fight those imposter feelings - that website I posted up above has some ideas that I'm going to try to implement into my daily life.
I am sure I'm not the only student who has been experiencing this so I'm opening up about them on my blog hoping to maybe kick start a conversation about this and maybe share some ideas about how to fight Imposter Syndrome.
- Jen
I write this blog post on a slow morning - as I sit here and it's past 11 and I still haven't finished my first cup of coffee.
I've been doing a lot of reflecting about undergrad and medical school these past few days and I wanted to share with you the basis of my thoughts - and Imposter Syndrome basically sums it up.
The first time I heard this term I was in PSYCH 100 in undergrad - winter semester of my first year of undergrad. Back then it was more or less a definition I had to memorize for one of my midterms and nothing more. Now it's definition has a lot more meaning in my life.
For those of you who are wondering what I'm talking about:
"According to Joan Harvey, the impostor phenomenon (IP) is a “psychological syndrome or pattern. It is based on intense, secret feelings of fraudulence in the face of success and achievement. If you suffer from the impostor phenomenon, you believe that you don’t deserve your success; you’re a phony who has somehow ‘gotten away with it.’” (Harvey, 1984, p. 3). “Syndrome” may be too strong a term, but many of us experience these feelings with varying strengths and frequencies."
https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/planning-courses/tips-teaching-assistants/impostor-phenomenon-and
I think that website from Waterloo sums it up pretty well!
But that's basically what every medical student deals with at one point in time.
I think about all the times my friends and I talk about medical school and making it off the island and I can never forget how I explain myself getting through medical school "under the radar - letting me slip through the cracks and hoping they don't find me". If that's not textbook Imposter Syndrome I don't know what is.
As I've mentioned before - as medical students we're PHENOMENAL at bringing up our classmates and believing in them but we always fail at believing in ourselves.
The amount of times I've found myself telling my friends or thinking, "If only you believed in yourself as much as I believe in you". For whatever reason I, and I'm sure many other students, cannot transfer those feelings to myself.
I've been struggling to find a way to fight those imposter feelings - that website I posted up above has some ideas that I'm going to try to implement into my daily life.
I am sure I'm not the only student who has been experiencing this so I'm opening up about them on my blog hoping to maybe kick start a conversation about this and maybe share some ideas about how to fight Imposter Syndrome.
- Jen
Wednesday, 12 April 2017
The Last Hoorah
My internet family!
I just found out today I have passed the island portion of my lifelong journey of medicine. I had to recheck multiple times before I would actually believe it... BUT I DID IT!
I want to start this off by sending a huge congratulations to all of my classmates who went through this amazing journey with me. You all did it and you should be so proud of your accomplishments! I can't wait to rotate in hospitals with you.
I thought since I've been on the island for 16 months I'd give you guys 16 things I've learned while on island:
1. How to live without running (clean) water and other luxuries of home
I remember my first week on island, I was so shell shocked about being here. Dominica was nothing like home. You didn't have a Wal-Mart down the street or grocery stores on every corner. It was a developing country. I didn't know what to expect when I left my sweet comfort zone I called home but when I got to Dominica I realized what I was in for. At first it was weird filling up your water at a filling station but over time you got used to it. You got used to the low water pressure at certain times of the day and just worked your way around it (I am now a morning shower person), or when you turned your tap on that one time late at night and nothing came out. Since then I always have an extra water bottle for brushing my teeth.
2. 8 straight hours of sleep is a luxury
At home I'm used to sleeping in relatively quiet areas, aka the suburbs, so coming to Dominica and hearing bugs all night, and waves, and motorcycles was something to get used to INITIALLY. Then the semester starts... and all of a sudden you notice yourself telling yourself "one more hour... I'll be okay". Then you start calculating how long you'll be asleep if you fall asleep RIGHT NOW.
3. Simple things become difficult
I find this point partially embarrassing but it's true. I have lost the ability to do some simple tasks or utilize the English language. The amount of times I've tried to order something on campus and I stand there pointing to food at a total loss of what this item is actually called. It ALWAYS happens to me with pepper jack cheese. Recently I've been leaving the tap running and walking away...
4. Dominica is NOT the Dominican Republic
I confused this the first few months after I applied
5. There is a reason people in the Caribbean leave the Caribbean in the summer
It gets HOT here in the summer. I mean your skin feels like it's melting off hot. For our summer semester I would leave my house an hour earlier in the morning and an hour later at night to make sure I didn't melt. I would also take multiple showers a day and drink loads of water and STILL managed to get dehydrated.
6. No amount of coffee is enough coffee
If you know me you know this is a life motto of mine. It does get scary though when you drink a lot of coffee/energy drinks/caffeine pills and you still yawn as if you've never slept before. I've been working on keeping my caffeine levels low unless a mini or final is coming up and I 150% recommend doing that.
7. When it rains it pours
I mean that literally. Don't EVER leave your umbrella at home. It could look like a nice innocent sunny day, but I promise you as soon as you leave your house the weather gods sense you left the umbrella at home and they will make it pour... for the rest of the day.
8. Don't forget sunscreen
Again you may think "I'll be outside for less than an hour in the middle of the day I'll be good!" WRONG. If you are fair skinned like me trust me you will burn, and you will peel and it will be the most uncomfortable burn of your life. The sun down here is strong.
9. Nothing is better than a sunrise or sunset
If you've looked at my Instagram you will see MANY sunsets, and if you go through my phone you will find countless more. There's something about watching the sun set and hearing the waves hitting the beach that can make any amount of stress go away (even if it's for just a minute).
10. Island time is a real thing
Your landlord tells you 10:30, or laundry is supposed to arrive at 9... add on about 30 mins (on a good day) and that's the approximate time that your appointment will actually happen. At first this is kind of odd to get used to but by the end of the first or second month it's just the normal.
11. Not doing anything is a very guilty feeling
You will see after about a month into medical school, you're always doing something. Organizing notes, scarfing food down, writing notes, watching lecture, walking somewhere, going to lab, working on clinical skills... it's always go, go, go and all you want to do is to sit and relax. When you do get that day to sit and do nothing you feel guilty and weird... like you should be doing something. Every time I go home my parents always tell me to sit and chill SORRY NOT IN MY VOCABULARY ANYMORE.
12. Missing family events suck
Birthdays, Thanksgiving, Easter, Canada Day, Fourth of July... never gets easier. I always get the FaceTime call in followed by the "woah you look tired"... thanks guys... and being shown the yummy food and just being with the extended family.
13. Being homesick happens... often
You're so busy while you're on the island and you have barely any time to think about anything other than school and what you're doing tomorrow for class. But when you do sit down and think (especially if you stayed on island between semesters) you really start to miss your concrete jungles back home. Remember that traffic you used to despise? You kind of miss sitting in it. Those obnoxious honks from cars speeding by? You miss it. Starbucks... you miss it... a lot.
14. Missing food you never missed is normal
When I lived back at home did I ever crave any type of fast food? NEVER! A salad? NO WAY! On island... every day. Being in a smaller town is great because you don't have many distractions but it also means you see the same restaurants every day. When you first come on island that Chinese place down the street may be the best! Two months in you never want to see chicken fried rice ever again.
15. Your family may be far away but your friends will fill that void
This runs closely with lesson 12... even though you miss family events with your family back home you get to spend them with what I like to call them my "Island Tribe". What is also sad about this lesson is that you only get to spend these events with this island tribe on Dominica once. That's right one time. Unless you're lucky and you get your birthday on island two times. As difficult as it is to not be with your family for those special days - your island tribe will always come to save the day when you're feeling some serious home-sickness.
16. Self love is the best love
Medical school is tough stuff. It's no walk in the park and if someone says it is they're a liar. You have to push yourself harder than you've ever pushed yourself in your entire life. Sometimes it pays off. Sometimes it's as if you never studied. It happens to every single one of us. It's hard to realize at times but you didn't get here by chance. You worked your butt off and made sacrifices in your life to get here. It may not seem like its paying off now but in the long run it is. Never EVER give up hope on your dream. If you ever need a little pick me up always feel free to shoot a message my way.
Jen
I just found out today I have passed the island portion of my lifelong journey of medicine. I had to recheck multiple times before I would actually believe it... BUT I DID IT!
I want to start this off by sending a huge congratulations to all of my classmates who went through this amazing journey with me. You all did it and you should be so proud of your accomplishments! I can't wait to rotate in hospitals with you.
I thought since I've been on the island for 16 months I'd give you guys 16 things I've learned while on island:
1. How to live without running (clean) water and other luxuries of home
I remember my first week on island, I was so shell shocked about being here. Dominica was nothing like home. You didn't have a Wal-Mart down the street or grocery stores on every corner. It was a developing country. I didn't know what to expect when I left my sweet comfort zone I called home but when I got to Dominica I realized what I was in for. At first it was weird filling up your water at a filling station but over time you got used to it. You got used to the low water pressure at certain times of the day and just worked your way around it (I am now a morning shower person), or when you turned your tap on that one time late at night and nothing came out. Since then I always have an extra water bottle for brushing my teeth.
2. 8 straight hours of sleep is a luxury
At home I'm used to sleeping in relatively quiet areas, aka the suburbs, so coming to Dominica and hearing bugs all night, and waves, and motorcycles was something to get used to INITIALLY. Then the semester starts... and all of a sudden you notice yourself telling yourself "one more hour... I'll be okay". Then you start calculating how long you'll be asleep if you fall asleep RIGHT NOW.
3. Simple things become difficult
I find this point partially embarrassing but it's true. I have lost the ability to do some simple tasks or utilize the English language. The amount of times I've tried to order something on campus and I stand there pointing to food at a total loss of what this item is actually called. It ALWAYS happens to me with pepper jack cheese. Recently I've been leaving the tap running and walking away...
4. Dominica is NOT the Dominican Republic
I confused this the first few months after I applied
5. There is a reason people in the Caribbean leave the Caribbean in the summer
It gets HOT here in the summer. I mean your skin feels like it's melting off hot. For our summer semester I would leave my house an hour earlier in the morning and an hour later at night to make sure I didn't melt. I would also take multiple showers a day and drink loads of water and STILL managed to get dehydrated.
6. No amount of coffee is enough coffee
If you know me you know this is a life motto of mine. It does get scary though when you drink a lot of coffee/energy drinks/caffeine pills and you still yawn as if you've never slept before. I've been working on keeping my caffeine levels low unless a mini or final is coming up and I 150% recommend doing that.
7. When it rains it pours
I mean that literally. Don't EVER leave your umbrella at home. It could look like a nice innocent sunny day, but I promise you as soon as you leave your house the weather gods sense you left the umbrella at home and they will make it pour... for the rest of the day.
8. Don't forget sunscreen
Again you may think "I'll be outside for less than an hour in the middle of the day I'll be good!" WRONG. If you are fair skinned like me trust me you will burn, and you will peel and it will be the most uncomfortable burn of your life. The sun down here is strong.
9. Nothing is better than a sunrise or sunset
If you've looked at my Instagram you will see MANY sunsets, and if you go through my phone you will find countless more. There's something about watching the sun set and hearing the waves hitting the beach that can make any amount of stress go away (even if it's for just a minute).
10. Island time is a real thing
Your landlord tells you 10:30, or laundry is supposed to arrive at 9... add on about 30 mins (on a good day) and that's the approximate time that your appointment will actually happen. At first this is kind of odd to get used to but by the end of the first or second month it's just the normal.
11. Not doing anything is a very guilty feeling
You will see after about a month into medical school, you're always doing something. Organizing notes, scarfing food down, writing notes, watching lecture, walking somewhere, going to lab, working on clinical skills... it's always go, go, go and all you want to do is to sit and relax. When you do get that day to sit and do nothing you feel guilty and weird... like you should be doing something. Every time I go home my parents always tell me to sit and chill SORRY NOT IN MY VOCABULARY ANYMORE.
12. Missing family events suck
Birthdays, Thanksgiving, Easter, Canada Day, Fourth of July... never gets easier. I always get the FaceTime call in followed by the "woah you look tired"... thanks guys... and being shown the yummy food and just being with the extended family.
13. Being homesick happens... often
You're so busy while you're on the island and you have barely any time to think about anything other than school and what you're doing tomorrow for class. But when you do sit down and think (especially if you stayed on island between semesters) you really start to miss your concrete jungles back home. Remember that traffic you used to despise? You kind of miss sitting in it. Those obnoxious honks from cars speeding by? You miss it. Starbucks... you miss it... a lot.
14. Missing food you never missed is normal
When I lived back at home did I ever crave any type of fast food? NEVER! A salad? NO WAY! On island... every day. Being in a smaller town is great because you don't have many distractions but it also means you see the same restaurants every day. When you first come on island that Chinese place down the street may be the best! Two months in you never want to see chicken fried rice ever again.
15. Your family may be far away but your friends will fill that void
This runs closely with lesson 12... even though you miss family events with your family back home you get to spend them with what I like to call them my "Island Tribe". What is also sad about this lesson is that you only get to spend these events with this island tribe on Dominica once. That's right one time. Unless you're lucky and you get your birthday on island two times. As difficult as it is to not be with your family for those special days - your island tribe will always come to save the day when you're feeling some serious home-sickness.
16. Self love is the best love
Medical school is tough stuff. It's no walk in the park and if someone says it is they're a liar. You have to push yourself harder than you've ever pushed yourself in your entire life. Sometimes it pays off. Sometimes it's as if you never studied. It happens to every single one of us. It's hard to realize at times but you didn't get here by chance. You worked your butt off and made sacrifices in your life to get here. It may not seem like its paying off now but in the long run it is. Never EVER give up hope on your dream. If you ever need a little pick me up always feel free to shoot a message my way.
Jen
Sunday, 15 January 2017
One Year Can Change Everything
Hello my friends!
I'm currently sitting in a classroom learning about hypertension and all different vascular and heart disorders (I'm in my Cardio block) and I took a little study break and I saw that one year ago today I had my white coat ceremony. I can vividly remember the day... we had lectures that morning and then in the afternoon we got to sit through our white coat ceremony. I couldn't focus in class that day - this is a big day for any medical student - finally getting that short white coat with the hopes that one day it will become a long white coat. I remember looking around at all of my classmates and just seeing how happy and determined we all were.
Since then we've gone through three full semesters - now starting our fourth. It's been a long and bumpy road I tell you but all the while so worth it. Throughout this past year, and I can only speak for myself, there have been so many tears, frustrations, doubt, panic phone calls home, naps, patient encounters, skills developed, people met and mental strength that I don't think I can even put it into words. You really don't know what this takes until you fully immerse yourself in it.
Even still I find myself sitting here thinking, "Do I really deserve to be here?" and that thought is always followed by "JENNIFER YOU CAN'T FAKE YOURSELF THROUGH MEDICAL SCHOOL". And I think we all need to really realize that. You didn't just somehow stumble upon this path and somehow made it to this point in your journey by chance. You did it because you put in the hard work and dedication and carved your way here. Yes I said it...
YOU DID IT you smart human you!
So pat yourself on the back and give yourself a little credit, I know we are all our hardest critics, because you should be pretty darn proud of yourself for getting this far in your journey. Whether it be deciding you want to go into medicine, getting accepted into medical school, finishing your first...second...third...fourth...fifth semester, writing step one/comlex, doing rotations, getting that match, getting through residency or getting that ultimate final goal of being an attending. Hold your head high and smile because it takes a lot of hard work and you did it... not by luck or by some chance.
You did it because you worked your butt off and achieved it.
Jen
I'm currently sitting in a classroom learning about hypertension and all different vascular and heart disorders (I'm in my Cardio block) and I took a little study break and I saw that one year ago today I had my white coat ceremony. I can vividly remember the day... we had lectures that morning and then in the afternoon we got to sit through our white coat ceremony. I couldn't focus in class that day - this is a big day for any medical student - finally getting that short white coat with the hopes that one day it will become a long white coat. I remember looking around at all of my classmates and just seeing how happy and determined we all were.
Since then we've gone through three full semesters - now starting our fourth. It's been a long and bumpy road I tell you but all the while so worth it. Throughout this past year, and I can only speak for myself, there have been so many tears, frustrations, doubt, panic phone calls home, naps, patient encounters, skills developed, people met and mental strength that I don't think I can even put it into words. You really don't know what this takes until you fully immerse yourself in it.
Even still I find myself sitting here thinking, "Do I really deserve to be here?" and that thought is always followed by "JENNIFER YOU CAN'T FAKE YOURSELF THROUGH MEDICAL SCHOOL". And I think we all need to really realize that. You didn't just somehow stumble upon this path and somehow made it to this point in your journey by chance. You did it because you put in the hard work and dedication and carved your way here. Yes I said it...
YOU DID IT you smart human you!
So pat yourself on the back and give yourself a little credit, I know we are all our hardest critics, because you should be pretty darn proud of yourself for getting this far in your journey. Whether it be deciding you want to go into medicine, getting accepted into medical school, finishing your first...second...third...fourth...fifth semester, writing step one/comlex, doing rotations, getting that match, getting through residency or getting that ultimate final goal of being an attending. Hold your head high and smile because it takes a lot of hard work and you did it... not by luck or by some chance.
You did it because you worked your butt off and achieved it.
Jen
MERP C - we out!
Wednesday, 19 October 2016
I'm Still Kicking!
Hey friends!
I know it's been a while and I'm so sorry for taking FOREVER to write up a new post. Honestly I just haven't really had any inspiration to write. The last thing I want to do is to write up a blog post and have it not be genuine. I started this blog to just help out others the way I was helped throughout this whole medical school journey so the last thing I wanted was to be posting emotions I don't genuinely feel while I'm here. Today I got that inspiration back.
We had our very first community clinic today. For those of you who don't know what it is, we go out in small groups to different villages in Dominica and perform a medical history and physical exam on a REAL PATIENT. This is done all on our own (with our junior faculty watching us to make sure we are performing our skills correctly) but we run the whole interview and physical exam on a patient who is experiencing actual symptoms and are dealing with an actual disease.
A group of colleagues and I went to a village about 30 minutes from our town thinking we were going to see two patients in the clinic but once we arrived we quickly realized the clinic had actually planned two home visits for us. As nervous as I was I was kind of excited to see what a home visit was actually like. So, we had a quick drive over to our patients house and then it was my colleagues and my show. We were greeted by a very friendly gentleman who welcomed us into his home with open arms and was ready for us to learn and to use him as a learning tool. As I sat there and spoke to the patient I realized how lucky I am to have my health and to be aware of any health concerns I could face (i.e. caffeine withdrawal). This gentleman was speaking to my colleague and I about his condition and how at first he had no idea what any of his diagnoses meant. It took him several years before actually realizing that what he is suffering from will not end well if not treated properly. This whole process of interview and physical exam took approximately an hour and I couldn't have been more grateful for the whole experience. The fact that this gentleman is suffering from several diseases and is still so happy, friendly and so willing to help students improve their medical knowledge makes my heart so warm.
This made me think about how fortunate we are back at home to have a significant amount of patient education and support groups to help patients as they go through any diseases they may be suffering from. As well as being so incredibly grateful to be able to go on this amazing, yet sometimes frustrating, journey to become a doctor. When we walk into a room we are the person in charge of this persons health and they look up to us for that. It shouldn't be taken lightly but also not to the other extreme of an overwhelming amount of pressure. I always find myself on the latter, putting too much pressure on myself to know everything and getting frustrated when I don't. A good friend of mine left me with this message and I'm going to leave it here for all of you...
"You diagnose your patient with your mind and not your heart, so study with your mind and not your heart. Your mind will save your patient. Your heart will comfort them."
- Jen
I know it's been a while and I'm so sorry for taking FOREVER to write up a new post. Honestly I just haven't really had any inspiration to write. The last thing I want to do is to write up a blog post and have it not be genuine. I started this blog to just help out others the way I was helped throughout this whole medical school journey so the last thing I wanted was to be posting emotions I don't genuinely feel while I'm here. Today I got that inspiration back.
We had our very first community clinic today. For those of you who don't know what it is, we go out in small groups to different villages in Dominica and perform a medical history and physical exam on a REAL PATIENT. This is done all on our own (with our junior faculty watching us to make sure we are performing our skills correctly) but we run the whole interview and physical exam on a patient who is experiencing actual symptoms and are dealing with an actual disease.
A group of colleagues and I went to a village about 30 minutes from our town thinking we were going to see two patients in the clinic but once we arrived we quickly realized the clinic had actually planned two home visits for us. As nervous as I was I was kind of excited to see what a home visit was actually like. So, we had a quick drive over to our patients house and then it was my colleagues and my show. We were greeted by a very friendly gentleman who welcomed us into his home with open arms and was ready for us to learn and to use him as a learning tool. As I sat there and spoke to the patient I realized how lucky I am to have my health and to be aware of any health concerns I could face (i.e. caffeine withdrawal). This gentleman was speaking to my colleague and I about his condition and how at first he had no idea what any of his diagnoses meant. It took him several years before actually realizing that what he is suffering from will not end well if not treated properly. This whole process of interview and physical exam took approximately an hour and I couldn't have been more grateful for the whole experience. The fact that this gentleman is suffering from several diseases and is still so happy, friendly and so willing to help students improve their medical knowledge makes my heart so warm.
This made me think about how fortunate we are back at home to have a significant amount of patient education and support groups to help patients as they go through any diseases they may be suffering from. As well as being so incredibly grateful to be able to go on this amazing, yet sometimes frustrating, journey to become a doctor. When we walk into a room we are the person in charge of this persons health and they look up to us for that. It shouldn't be taken lightly but also not to the other extreme of an overwhelming amount of pressure. I always find myself on the latter, putting too much pressure on myself to know everything and getting frustrated when I don't. A good friend of mine left me with this message and I'm going to leave it here for all of you...
"You diagnose your patient with your mind and not your heart, so study with your mind and not your heart. Your mind will save your patient. Your heart will comfort them."
- Jen
Thursday, 23 June 2016
3/4 Of The Way Through First Year
Hello my friends and family!!
We just had our second mini of second semester yesterday and thankfully had a BEAUTIFUL day to relax on the beach afterwards and enjoy a well deserved dinner and night off. Our second mini was all about the GI and Renal systems - it was a tough one and it really took a lot out of me. The blocks were short but very dense and full of a lot of information and material. Now we are on to our Neuro and Psychiatric block which I am very excited about.
I've received a decent amount of questions about how you tough out medical school and being so far away from home so I'm going to share my knowledge on my blog.
In all honesty it's hard. As I said before the last two blocks took a lot out of me, I was constantly tired, frustrated, and home sick. It's hard to keep on pushing through material when you aren't as interested in it or it's just not sticking. I'm still figuring out how to master that skill and am growing from my mistakes daily. One of the big things I learned, (and I know this may sound silly) is to actually pretend you're interested in whatever you may be learning. You don't want to know the amount of times I was studying and I had to pep talk myself and say "OK JEN, you love intestinal motility and secretions - keep on reading".
I've also come to realize if you're in a bad mood and are not willing to learn you will not learn or retain the information. I really grasped this concept after these past two blocks. So how do you get yourself into a positive mindset to learn? I love motivational videos, beach walks, calling home and meditation have done miracles for me.
Medical school is tough, and I know people say that time and time again. Until you've been here and gone through it you won't understand what I actually mean. Not only do you need to learn a lot of information you need to mentally keep yourself in check. This game is just as much physical as it is mental. I've dealt with some mental blocks myself and I have to continuously remind myself to not bring myself down or beat myself up over minor things.
The past is the past - learn from it and keep on keeping on. You're not going to be amazing at every single block and that's just a fact. You're meant to be here and use whatever drove you to be a doctor in the first place to keep that flame burning!
Jen
We just had our second mini of second semester yesterday and thankfully had a BEAUTIFUL day to relax on the beach afterwards and enjoy a well deserved dinner and night off. Our second mini was all about the GI and Renal systems - it was a tough one and it really took a lot out of me. The blocks were short but very dense and full of a lot of information and material. Now we are on to our Neuro and Psychiatric block which I am very excited about.
I've received a decent amount of questions about how you tough out medical school and being so far away from home so I'm going to share my knowledge on my blog.
In all honesty it's hard. As I said before the last two blocks took a lot out of me, I was constantly tired, frustrated, and home sick. It's hard to keep on pushing through material when you aren't as interested in it or it's just not sticking. I'm still figuring out how to master that skill and am growing from my mistakes daily. One of the big things I learned, (and I know this may sound silly) is to actually pretend you're interested in whatever you may be learning. You don't want to know the amount of times I was studying and I had to pep talk myself and say "OK JEN, you love intestinal motility and secretions - keep on reading".
I've also come to realize if you're in a bad mood and are not willing to learn you will not learn or retain the information. I really grasped this concept after these past two blocks. So how do you get yourself into a positive mindset to learn? I love motivational videos, beach walks, calling home and meditation have done miracles for me.
Medical school is tough, and I know people say that time and time again. Until you've been here and gone through it you won't understand what I actually mean. Not only do you need to learn a lot of information you need to mentally keep yourself in check. This game is just as much physical as it is mental. I've dealt with some mental blocks myself and I have to continuously remind myself to not bring myself down or beat myself up over minor things.
The past is the past - learn from it and keep on keeping on. You're not going to be amazing at every single block and that's just a fact. You're meant to be here and use whatever drove you to be a doctor in the first place to keep that flame burning!
Jen
We kinda love snapchat
My walk to school
Kitty cuddles
Suture lab
After mini 2
Sunset last night
Friday, 3 June 2016
Hometown Family To Island Family
I recently got a question; "how do you handle being so far away from home, away from friends and family, on an island by yourself with only being able to study?"
I know I had this question before I came down to Dominica and it really festered in my mind, kept me up at night, and made me really worry. I was fortunate enough to know the other students in my MERP Canada class so that calmed some of my nerves but I was still nervous.
"All my friends are at home, I only know 10 people, my family is nowhere near, I can't go home on weekends like in undergrad" ... all these thoughts (and more) passed through my mind night after night as the big departure date was coming.
My mom came down with me and stayed for two weeks, and dad was able to come for the second week my mom was here - I couldn't have been happier to have them here as I settled in to a new country. But let me tell you - the night they were leaving I bawled my little eyes out. I was so upset. They were my last bit of home left on this island - and they were going BACK home. I was devastated - but with the pace of the material here you need to keep on track and trudge forward.
As the semester continued on and days were spent in a classroom or library time flew by and many new friendships were made. The best thing about being down in Dominica is that everybody is dealing with the same things you are. We have the same classes, same professors, same amount of work we need to do and most importantly we're all far away from home.
And you bond over that. You find your tribe, as I like to call my friends, because they are there day in and day out like a family. My island family has been with me through just about every type of emotion you can think of. When things get tough we band together and support one another.
I know for a fact there is no way I would have gotten through first semester on my own and I can thank each and every classmate for putting a smile on my face at one point in time last semester and this semester. My heart is so full with the love I have for my friends here.
I honestly didn't know how things would be down on the island.
Are the students going to be cut throat?
Are the upper semesters going to be intimidating?
The answer to both questions is no. I've never met a group of more supportive and encouraging group of students.
Do I still get homesick and wish I was with my family? Absolutely, there are good days and there are bad - but I've always got my second family here in Dominica and they mean the world to me.
Jen
I know I had this question before I came down to Dominica and it really festered in my mind, kept me up at night, and made me really worry. I was fortunate enough to know the other students in my MERP Canada class so that calmed some of my nerves but I was still nervous.
"All my friends are at home, I only know 10 people, my family is nowhere near, I can't go home on weekends like in undergrad" ... all these thoughts (and more) passed through my mind night after night as the big departure date was coming.
My mom came down with me and stayed for two weeks, and dad was able to come for the second week my mom was here - I couldn't have been happier to have them here as I settled in to a new country. But let me tell you - the night they were leaving I bawled my little eyes out. I was so upset. They were my last bit of home left on this island - and they were going BACK home. I was devastated - but with the pace of the material here you need to keep on track and trudge forward.
As the semester continued on and days were spent in a classroom or library time flew by and many new friendships were made. The best thing about being down in Dominica is that everybody is dealing with the same things you are. We have the same classes, same professors, same amount of work we need to do and most importantly we're all far away from home.
And you bond over that. You find your tribe, as I like to call my friends, because they are there day in and day out like a family. My island family has been with me through just about every type of emotion you can think of. When things get tough we band together and support one another.
I know for a fact there is no way I would have gotten through first semester on my own and I can thank each and every classmate for putting a smile on my face at one point in time last semester and this semester. My heart is so full with the love I have for my friends here.
I honestly didn't know how things would be down on the island.
Are the students going to be cut throat?
Are the upper semesters going to be intimidating?
The answer to both questions is no. I've never met a group of more supportive and encouraging group of students.
Do I still get homesick and wish I was with my family? Absolutely, there are good days and there are bad - but I've always got my second family here in Dominica and they mean the world to me.
Jen
Tuesday, 10 May 2016
2X - Let's Do This!
Hi friends!
I'm writing to you after my second day of classes and after being on the island for roughly a week. We've had our introduction into our second semester and I'm looking forward to it. I've been told it's a very heavy physiology semester (not my strongest subject) so I know I'm going to have to work hard to do well this semester. We do a lot more clinical skills classes this semester which I am very excited for because it makes all of the hard days in the library seem worth it.
As much as being in the big city with all of my Starbucks cravings satisfied I found myself missing this island I've come to call home.
This is what I found myself missing on a daily basis:
1. The climate
I'm writing to you after my second day of classes and after being on the island for roughly a week. We've had our introduction into our second semester and I'm looking forward to it. I've been told it's a very heavy physiology semester (not my strongest subject) so I know I'm going to have to work hard to do well this semester. We do a lot more clinical skills classes this semester which I am very excited for because it makes all of the hard days in the library seem worth it.
As much as being in the big city with all of my Starbucks cravings satisfied I found myself missing this island I've come to call home.
This is what I found myself missing on a daily basis:
1. The climate
- Toronto was a little too chilly for my liking. I keep on saying I'm a pretty horrible Canadian when it comes to accepting winter - I've learned it's worse after I've been living in a warm climate for four months.
2. The ocean
- I love the water, the beach, swimming, laying by the water... I could go on for ages. I'm fortunate enough to live right by the ocean so I get the lull of the waves putting me to sleep after a long day at school. My first night at home I was so exhausted but I found I could not fall asleep because it was SO QUIET! I lost my ocean sleep maker.
3. The locals
- Even after one semester on the island you get to meet and love the lovely people of Dominica. They're always so happy and friendly - again comparing to the people of Toronto who are always in a hurry and very busy. I have to admit I was guilty of sitting at home telling my parents that I missed all of my island family
4. The routine
- As much as 14 hour days is long and painful I honestly missed them. At home I found I had no schedule and was running around trying to get everything done and trying to see everyone as quickly as possible before I came back to Dominica.
5. My Island Family
- Not only the locals of Dominica I missed my friends. Even though we spend all day with one another I have grown to love them like I do my own family. I've said time and time again I know I wouldn't have made it through first semester without them and I can't wait to go through the rest of my semesters with them by my side.
Talk soon,
Jen
My last Starbucks :(
On my way to St. Maarten
First day back
Sunsets
Sunsets
Wednesday, 30 March 2016
Future Dominica-ers
Hello friends!
I've gotten a few questions about what I brought to Dominica and how I got it here so I figured if some people have that question (and I know I had that question before coming down) more people do as well. So I brought a lot of stuff... I had four suitcases (two me, two my mom) and shipped two barrels.
In my suitcases I had
I've gotten a few questions about what I brought to Dominica and how I got it here so I figured if some people have that question (and I know I had that question before coming down) more people do as well. So I brought a lot of stuff... I had four suitcases (two me, two my mom) and shipped two barrels.
In my suitcases I had
- Clothes(athletic shorts/tops, sports bras, bras, underwear, comfortable tops, jean shorts) - I highly suggest bringing clothes you are not too attached to. Sometimes things get lost in laundry or ruined down here (it rains a lot).
- Professional clothes - for first semester we had to dress up three times, and then once for white coat ceremony
- Hygiene products (shampoo, conditioner, soap, tweezers, nail clippers ect.) - I packed enough in my suitcase to tide me over until my barrels came
- Running shoes, sandals, nice flats, sperry's (my favourite)
- BRING RAIN BOOTS AND A RAIN JACKET - you'll thank me later
- School supplies - textbooks I really liked
- Water bottles - I highly suggest some larger bottles to use as a back up when the water looks brown
- External hard drive, laptop, phone, iPad
- Doubles of electronic chargers
- I couldn't leave Canada without a French Press and Starbucks coffee
- Some granola bars
- Ziplock bags
- Towels
- 2nd pair of glasses
- Contacts
- Sweaters and longer pants - all of the buildings on campus are CHILLY
- Coffee travel mugs
- UV water filter, rechargeable flash light
- Portable charging stations
- Bug spray - please don't forget this
- Sunscreen
In my barrels
- Lots and lots and lots of snack foods (granola bars, chocolate, protein bars, crackers, peanut butter, nutella) - trust me this stuff is expensive here. If you have a go to snack food I suggest you pack a decent amount of it
- Larger bottles of shampoo and conditioner
- Case of water
- Tissues
- Extra bed sheets
- Toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors
- More school supplies
- Gum
- Notebooks
- Blank Paper
- More coffee and tea
- First aid kit
That's a rough list of what I brought down here to the island - add or get rid of things as you see fit. One thing add is that you will get a weekly printing allowance - I could print my weekly notes on that with no problem. If you're worried about bringing a printer I say don't fret.
If you're wondering about anything else to bring down just send me a message or comment and I'll be happy to help you out!
Jen
Here's some island pictures
On the pier
Post Mini Dinner
It was raining hard one day and I had patient interviewing - so I hid my dress under my rain jacket
My grandma surprised me for lunch one day
The beach
Tuesday, 23 February 2016
Halfway There!
Hello Friends!
So I just finished my second mini of the semester - it was on four weeks of material. It doesn't sound too bad until you try to study it and you realize how much information it actually is.
Officially halfway done the semester! These past six weeks have FLOWN by! I thought since I've been in class for six weeks I should share six things I've learned since I've gotten here:
1. Be Flexible. Everything isn't going to work out the way you want it to when you want it to. I'm used to getting things done in a North American lifestyle and it's not the same here. This is Dominica. Things move at a different pace and you just need to adjust to it.
2. Creepy crawlies will be everywhere. Two incidents for me in the past week. One day I woke up with ants all over my room. And actually last night I walked into my room after a weekend in the library to find a little lizard just chilling on my desk. If you know me - you know I'm not a huge bug fan...
3. You can't always get what you want. Literally. The grocery store near by isn't always fully stocked, they don't have a lot of the comforts from home. AKA Reeces Peanut Butter Cups or other sweets from home. 100% miss my Starbucks Blonde Roast coffee.
4. Just because I live on an Island does not mean I have a sick tan. I actually spend a ridiculous amount of time in the library. The only sun I get is going to and from the lecture hall to the library. Unfortunately you only see the beautiful pictures I see on my walks through campus. You don't see me staring into my cubicle for 14 hours.
5. Consistent water is very underrated back at home. For those of you reading back in North America or other parts of the world appreciate having water every night. It's a bit of a buzz kill to come home after spending the day on campus to not be able to shower or brush your teeth properly (this is why you prepare backup water in the fridge). Again refer back to lesson 1.
6. Friends will get you through anything. Close by or far away. I've met some amazing people while I've been down here and I don't think I would have been able to get through this without all of them. I think I'm still going a little crazy but I'd definitely crazier without them. And all of my friends back at home who constantly support me with loving messages always bring a smile to my face when I'm stressed out. Even though it may take me a while to respond I always love the messages I get.
Until next time,
Jen
So I just finished my second mini of the semester - it was on four weeks of material. It doesn't sound too bad until you try to study it and you realize how much information it actually is.
Officially halfway done the semester! These past six weeks have FLOWN by! I thought since I've been in class for six weeks I should share six things I've learned since I've gotten here:
1. Be Flexible. Everything isn't going to work out the way you want it to when you want it to. I'm used to getting things done in a North American lifestyle and it's not the same here. This is Dominica. Things move at a different pace and you just need to adjust to it.
2. Creepy crawlies will be everywhere. Two incidents for me in the past week. One day I woke up with ants all over my room. And actually last night I walked into my room after a weekend in the library to find a little lizard just chilling on my desk. If you know me - you know I'm not a huge bug fan...
3. You can't always get what you want. Literally. The grocery store near by isn't always fully stocked, they don't have a lot of the comforts from home. AKA Reeces Peanut Butter Cups or other sweets from home. 100% miss my Starbucks Blonde Roast coffee.
4. Just because I live on an Island does not mean I have a sick tan. I actually spend a ridiculous amount of time in the library. The only sun I get is going to and from the lecture hall to the library. Unfortunately you only see the beautiful pictures I see on my walks through campus. You don't see me staring into my cubicle for 14 hours.
5. Consistent water is very underrated back at home. For those of you reading back in North America or other parts of the world appreciate having water every night. It's a bit of a buzz kill to come home after spending the day on campus to not be able to shower or brush your teeth properly (this is why you prepare backup water in the fridge). Again refer back to lesson 1.
6. Friends will get you through anything. Close by or far away. I've met some amazing people while I've been down here and I don't think I would have been able to get through this without all of them. I think I'm still going a little crazy but I'd definitely crazier without them. And all of my friends back at home who constantly support me with loving messages always bring a smile to my face when I'm stressed out. Even though it may take me a while to respond I always love the messages I get.
Until next time,
Jen
Post Mini 2 relaxation
Always need to laugh
Sunset on campus
Rainbow post anatomy lab
Cotton Candy Clouds
Sunday, 10 January 2016
It's Time For The Fun To Begin
Hello Friends!
Just finished my first full week on the island and I have been having a blast. There have obviously been some ups and downs with getting accustomed to the island but so far everyone I've met has been very kind, helpful and excited to start medical school.
We've done one full week of orientation and were fed a lot of information about first semester, finishing medical school, all of our tests, about campus, about the island... you name it - we covered it this week. We also dealt with the more formal aspects of the school including checking in, getting our white coats, finding our lockers, anatomy lab orientation and being put into our lab dissection groups.
After being fed all of this information and seeing all of the different things we need to do it is very easy to get overwhelmed. But I've been told time and time again just take it one day at a time and don't let yourself fall behind.
After all of these intense orientation sessions we had some excursion activities. I saw the Indian River where the Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed, Trafalgar Falls, the Botanical Gardens and Scotts Head (the Southern most point of the island where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean Sea) it was absolutely stunning but not without excitement.
After our long, sweaty hike my friends and I were on the beach area figuring out if we wanted to go into the water to cool down when we quickly realized there was a distressed swimmer in the ocean. Being a lifeguard I knew I had to go try to help this swimmer, I quickly took my shirt, shoes and shorts off (luckily I was wearing my swimsuit underneath). I went down the VERY ROCKY beach and finally made it into the water to help the swimmer in need. Unfortunately when I placed my foot down in the shallow water I landed directly on a sea urchin. As I said that day, I'd rather a sea urchin in my foot than anything else.
Shout out to all of my friends who helped me and have been checking up on me after the incident.
Medical School has to start off with a bang and I can't wait to see what other adventures it may throw my way!
- Jen
Just finished my first full week on the island and I have been having a blast. There have obviously been some ups and downs with getting accustomed to the island but so far everyone I've met has been very kind, helpful and excited to start medical school.
We've done one full week of orientation and were fed a lot of information about first semester, finishing medical school, all of our tests, about campus, about the island... you name it - we covered it this week. We also dealt with the more formal aspects of the school including checking in, getting our white coats, finding our lockers, anatomy lab orientation and being put into our lab dissection groups.
After being fed all of this information and seeing all of the different things we need to do it is very easy to get overwhelmed. But I've been told time and time again just take it one day at a time and don't let yourself fall behind.
After all of these intense orientation sessions we had some excursion activities. I saw the Indian River where the Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed, Trafalgar Falls, the Botanical Gardens and Scotts Head (the Southern most point of the island where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean Sea) it was absolutely stunning but not without excitement.
After our long, sweaty hike my friends and I were on the beach area figuring out if we wanted to go into the water to cool down when we quickly realized there was a distressed swimmer in the ocean. Being a lifeguard I knew I had to go try to help this swimmer, I quickly took my shirt, shoes and shorts off (luckily I was wearing my swimsuit underneath). I went down the VERY ROCKY beach and finally made it into the water to help the swimmer in need. Unfortunately when I placed my foot down in the shallow water I landed directly on a sea urchin. As I said that day, I'd rather a sea urchin in my foot than anything else.
Shout out to all of my friends who helped me and have been checking up on me after the incident.
Medical School has to start off with a bang and I can't wait to see what other adventures it may throw my way!
- Jen
On our canoe in the Indian River
The Indian River
Trafalgar Falls
The tip of Rosseau with some friends
The beautiful Scotts Head
Friday, 18 December 2015
The First of Many Lasts
Hey guys,
Today marks one of the many lasts I have before I embark on my journey to medical school in Dominica.
My last day of work...
Call me crazy but I wished this day would never come. Starting back in June I never imagined how much of an impact the people who make up this amazing sports clinic would have on me. I started this job with a hope of working my butt off for the summer to make some money and then calling it quits before I started MERP. Soon that turned into me looking forward to going to work every day, then me saying I'll work weekends while in school, then me pushing my end date as late as possible to me crying on my last day.
I've been told that you're very lucky if you get along with the people you work with let alone have them make such a dramatic impact on you. I've been so very fortunate to work with 18 phenomenal human beings who have showed me more kindness and understanding than I could ever dream of.
From the Doctors who are the kindest and most generous people I've met. They put up with my many questions and clarifications with the biggest smiles on their faces. I can only hope to be half the doctors you are once I get my MD. I look forward to being your colleagues one day in the future.
To the physiotherapists, Rick, Andrew, Karen, Jessi and Susan. For all of the booking shenanigans I have put you guys through you always deal with my frantic questions and patient inquires with a breeze. You're all some of the funniest and knowledgeable people I've met. I know I could trust all of you to take amazing care of me if I ever needed it - you're some of the finest physios in the field and I am honoured to have met all of you.
To the amazing massage therapists, Louise and David. You two are more amazing than words can explain. Two of the greatest massage therapists I've met in my life. I can say you two do your job with so much ease and with an extreme amount of skill - if I could bring you both in my suitcase to give me massages through medical school I would.
To the beautiful chiropractors, Pamela and Christina. The both of you take being a chiropractor to a whole new level. Your kind hearts and high level of knowledge make you impossible to dislike. You both put so much dedication into you work and it's very admirable. I only hope that when I become a doctor my clients will think of me the same way your clients think of you.
And last but not least to the rock of this whole clinic, Shelly. If you've met this beautiful human you would know what I'm talking about. Words cannot describe how thankful I am to have you as my boss. You've been more than just a manager to me. You've been a support system. Not only within my work life but within my academic life. I know I can always turn to you and you will always have a kind, supportive word for me to help pick me up. From day one you've made me feel a part of your Beaches family. I know whenever I come back I can come back to my work family and you will all welcome me with open arms. It takes a special person to be the kind of manager you are... you're irreplaceable.
Thank you all for an amazing seven months. You will all see me back in the clinic whenever I'm back in the city!
Jen
Today marks one of the many lasts I have before I embark on my journey to medical school in Dominica.
My last day of work...
Call me crazy but I wished this day would never come. Starting back in June I never imagined how much of an impact the people who make up this amazing sports clinic would have on me. I started this job with a hope of working my butt off for the summer to make some money and then calling it quits before I started MERP. Soon that turned into me looking forward to going to work every day, then me saying I'll work weekends while in school, then me pushing my end date as late as possible to me crying on my last day.
I've been told that you're very lucky if you get along with the people you work with let alone have them make such a dramatic impact on you. I've been so very fortunate to work with 18 phenomenal human beings who have showed me more kindness and understanding than I could ever dream of.
From the Doctors who are the kindest and most generous people I've met. They put up with my many questions and clarifications with the biggest smiles on their faces. I can only hope to be half the doctors you are once I get my MD. I look forward to being your colleagues one day in the future.
To the physiotherapists, Rick, Andrew, Karen, Jessi and Susan. For all of the booking shenanigans I have put you guys through you always deal with my frantic questions and patient inquires with a breeze. You're all some of the funniest and knowledgeable people I've met. I know I could trust all of you to take amazing care of me if I ever needed it - you're some of the finest physios in the field and I am honoured to have met all of you.
To the amazing massage therapists, Louise and David. You two are more amazing than words can explain. Two of the greatest massage therapists I've met in my life. I can say you two do your job with so much ease and with an extreme amount of skill - if I could bring you both in my suitcase to give me massages through medical school I would.
To the beautiful chiropractors, Pamela and Christina. The both of you take being a chiropractor to a whole new level. Your kind hearts and high level of knowledge make you impossible to dislike. You both put so much dedication into you work and it's very admirable. I only hope that when I become a doctor my clients will think of me the same way your clients think of you.
And last but not least to the rock of this whole clinic, Shelly. If you've met this beautiful human you would know what I'm talking about. Words cannot describe how thankful I am to have you as my boss. You've been more than just a manager to me. You've been a support system. Not only within my work life but within my academic life. I know I can always turn to you and you will always have a kind, supportive word for me to help pick me up. From day one you've made me feel a part of your Beaches family. I know whenever I come back I can come back to my work family and you will all welcome me with open arms. It takes a special person to be the kind of manager you are... you're irreplaceable.
Thank you all for an amazing seven months. You will all see me back in the clinic whenever I'm back in the city!
Jen
Thursday, 10 December 2015
21 Days to Relocation
Helloooooo friends!
Since I've written Mini 3 I have been going non-stop getting ready for the big move down to Dominica. Not only am I working full time (until the 19th) but I'm packing, organizing my visa application and most importantly trying to see everyone I care about before I leave.
I know that last task is impossible but I'm doing my best.
I honestly thought this day would never come. I've always had a part of me that wanted to travel and experience difference parts of the world but that time has never come - until now. I know it's going to be an adjustment, I won't have the same comforts as I do at home (bread is $15.00 - I'll be living without carbs) but it'll be an adventure.
Half of this adventure is figuring out what I'm going to need while I'm down there. I can't pack for this like I do vacations - the night before - it takes weeks of planning. Here's a rough list of things I'm bringing down:
- Paper, spiral note books, pens, pencils, highlighters, post its, apple chargers, shampoo/conditioner, body wash, toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, shorts, t-shirts, 1 sweater, socks, running shoes, birks, hiking boots, insect repellant, filtering water bottle, mosquito netting, canteens, sunscreen, hats, workout attire, summer dresses, peanut butter, nutella, crackers, granola bars, sheets, pillows, kleenex, toilet paper, aloe vera, coffee, french press, rain jacket, old textbooks
And that's all I can think of off the top of my head. As you can see I'm bringing everything down that I possibly can. Not only regular things to bring on a trip but also ALL of my schooling materials plus extra.
I'll be flying out January 1st at 6:25 am - here's to an amazing last few weeks in the homeland!
Jen
Since I've written Mini 3 I have been going non-stop getting ready for the big move down to Dominica. Not only am I working full time (until the 19th) but I'm packing, organizing my visa application and most importantly trying to see everyone I care about before I leave.
I know that last task is impossible but I'm doing my best.
I honestly thought this day would never come. I've always had a part of me that wanted to travel and experience difference parts of the world but that time has never come - until now. I know it's going to be an adjustment, I won't have the same comforts as I do at home (bread is $15.00 - I'll be living without carbs) but it'll be an adventure.
Half of this adventure is figuring out what I'm going to need while I'm down there. I can't pack for this like I do vacations - the night before - it takes weeks of planning. Here's a rough list of things I'm bringing down:
- Paper, spiral note books, pens, pencils, highlighters, post its, apple chargers, shampoo/conditioner, body wash, toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, shorts, t-shirts, 1 sweater, socks, running shoes, birks, hiking boots, insect repellant, filtering water bottle, mosquito netting, canteens, sunscreen, hats, workout attire, summer dresses, peanut butter, nutella, crackers, granola bars, sheets, pillows, kleenex, toilet paper, aloe vera, coffee, french press, rain jacket, old textbooks
And that's all I can think of off the top of my head. As you can see I'm bringing everything down that I possibly can. Not only regular things to bring on a trip but also ALL of my schooling materials plus extra.
I'll be flying out January 1st at 6:25 am - here's to an amazing last few weeks in the homeland!
Jen
Saturday, 21 November 2015
Medical School
Hey guys!
It's with great pleasure that I let you all know that I will be heading down to the Caribbean at the end of December to follow my dreams of becoming a doctor.
I've just gotten a little taste of it here and I'm sure it's going to be a lot different once I'm down on the island but I have to say I am more than excited to sink my teeth into the medical field and do what I've wanted to do for my whole life.
After going through all of this I feel like I have proven to myself that I can do it - and that if I put my mind to anything I will achieve it. I want all of you to remember that too.
I promise to keep you all posted along the way. Including my preparations for leaving while still here in Canada.
As I've said before it's going to be a wild ride - and I cannot wait for you all to tag along!
Jen
It's with great pleasure that I let you all know that I will be heading down to the Caribbean at the end of December to follow my dreams of becoming a doctor.
I've just gotten a little taste of it here and I'm sure it's going to be a lot different once I'm down on the island but I have to say I am more than excited to sink my teeth into the medical field and do what I've wanted to do for my whole life.
After going through all of this I feel like I have proven to myself that I can do it - and that if I put my mind to anything I will achieve it. I want all of you to remember that too.
I promise to keep you all posted along the way. Including my preparations for leaving while still here in Canada.
As I've said before it's going to be a wild ride - and I cannot wait for you all to tag along!
Jen
Monday, 17 August 2015
Medical School Week 1
Hello friends!
I just finished my first quiz of medical school along with my first week of medical school. Let me just emphasize one thing...
I was not ready for that.
The difference between undergrad and medical school is astounding. You can think you will prepare all you want but it will never be enough until you're actually there. The information comes at you much quicker and you have to do a lot of the work on your own.
For example - I have two two hour classes a day. That easily amplifies to 4 + hours of work in the evening.
Is the work impossible? No - but it is a lot.
Along with the fact that you can no longer memorize and regurgitate information. The questions asked are testing your clinical knowledge - you can know a biological pathway theoretically but would you be able to notice it in a clinical question?
That's all for now! Let me know if there is anything you'd like me to specifically talk about.
- Jen
I just finished my first quiz of medical school along with my first week of medical school. Let me just emphasize one thing...
I was not ready for that.
The difference between undergrad and medical school is astounding. You can think you will prepare all you want but it will never be enough until you're actually there. The information comes at you much quicker and you have to do a lot of the work on your own.
For example - I have two two hour classes a day. That easily amplifies to 4 + hours of work in the evening.
Is the work impossible? No - but it is a lot.
Along with the fact that you can no longer memorize and regurgitate information. The questions asked are testing your clinical knowledge - you can know a biological pathway theoretically but would you be able to notice it in a clinical question?
That's all for now! Let me know if there is anything you'd like me to specifically talk about.
- Jen
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