Above: Tristan Thorn and Yvaine from the 2007 movie, Stardust.
"AS ANOTHER CHAPTER OF MY LIFE
CLOSES..."
As you can tell, I get really retrospective when I leave experiences in my life that I consider significant. There's a lot to ponder, think, reflect, and analyze, especially after I recognized that a lot about me and my knowledge of medicine (of course) has changed over the last 20 months. Yet, to me, it is perplexing how such a short amount of time can change me.
The great chapter cliche is one of my favorites, used quite frequently as one traverses from one giant part of life to another. However, as I was sitting in San Juan International Airport at my gate for one last trip returning from Dominica, I noticed that there actually are lot of ways I can compare my life in Dominica to my experience of reading a really good fantasy book or story, for several reasons:
Okay, I'm getting too cocky... let me rethink that. :D
1) Unique, admirable characters
I'm not going back to high school and use this time to list out all my friends that I've met here at Ross... that's not the point. The point is: I've met a lot of people here who I'm proud of being colleagues with, and just like those great characters that you see in fantasy novels (everyone from buccaneers to knights of the round table to helpful animals), each one of them have great qualities that will make them great doctors. Also, each one of them made life quite interesting for me here at Ross, either through adding spice to my day or by being supportive every day.
2) Antagonists that thicken the plot
However, the reality is that there were also people that I didn't really pleasure as much working with, people who think that they're something they're not. It's not like I can do anything to change them... my great medical adventure tells me that there's many more of those people I'll encounter in my profession. Just like every main character in a fantasy novel, although a lot of barriers will stand between me and my final goals, its my job to learn how to work with them.
3) Anticipation, Unpredictability and Excitement around every corner.
I'll admit that during every semester break, I was lined in with anticipation:
- NOT only would I be excited to return to the Nature Isle because of expecting the unexpected...
- NOT only because of pondering what adventures I'd go through with my friends...
- AND NOT only because of what new future doctors I would encounter...
BUT... because what I would learn next in the lecture hall. Even with the limits that the NBME (the ones in charge of deciding what we get out of medical education) puts on what we can learn in such a short amount of time, the world of Medicine is quite broad and filled with caveats and tricks about the human body that can enrich any mind.
4) Lessons learned.
Well, some of you may zap me on this argument, but I think I could learn a few lessons from a fantasy book (e.g. NEVER ever enter a dragon's den... Come on!) But I'll be honest that Dominica has taught me a lot not only as a medical student, but in a sense of moving on from myself. Some of the great stories that stress the importance of lessons and "growing up" include the movies The Lion King (You can't deny Simba and his lesson of Hakuna Matata) and Stardust (Tristan Thorn, who from his adventure grows from a nobody to a hero). My first 20 months have taught me some of the tools (as previous entries have said) that will be useful in not only making me into an able doctor...
... BUT also looking upon life in ways that I never imagined before.
5) Travels to Far Away Lands
Dominica, I'll be honest, is the furthest I have been away from home. Depending on how my flights to the island lay out, I could traverse to this different world in only 24-48 hours. Living in Dominica has taught me a lot about third-world countries. A lot of people at Ross complain about how Dominica isn't the States. BUT... that's the beauty of it: it isn't America. Come on people, when you signed to go to Ross, you should have known what you were getting yourself into. It's just another one of those instances where I see people not in "Carpe Diem" because all they can do is complain and not enjoy what Dominica has to offer in 16-20 months.
And that leaves off my last reason why my life Dominica was like a good book...
6) When I come to the ending, sometimes I just wish that story would never end...
But there's no doubt about it, every story (even the best of the best) has to come to a close.
Over the next few weeks, I'll be studying for several crucial exams for my med school career (comprehensives and boards, etc. etc.). During this time, even though my mind will be filled to the brim with info for these exams, I'll be bringing some reflections on some Non-Fictional layman non-fictional medical literature and also from recent news and events. I believe being a doctor doesn't just require just brains and loads of caffeine (Energy Drinks or Coffee, doesn't matter)... I've learned that it also is an art that requires a sense of humanity, critical thinking, and creativity, So, like I always say:
STAY TUNED.
Congrats on making it this far and good luck on your upcoming exams!
ReplyDeleteAs a future prompt, I'd like to hear more about the antagonists in your story.
One last thing: If I remember correctly, Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa actually used the "Hakuna Matata" mantra to shield them off from the world and the things that hurt them in the past. Timon initially taught Simba "When the world turns your back on you, you turn your back on the world." (Yes, I am a Disney freak.) Don't worry... the story has a happy ending. ;)