Winner

A Circle for Valentine's Day

This story begins with me.

To get a better idea of what medicine is like in practice, I started shadowing several in the Salt Lake Valley.

This led me to the man seen below, Dr. Louis Borgenicht

  

"Dr. Lou", as he is known by his patients, is a pediatrician in private practice on 900 E 200 S. I shadowed him a handful of times and got a good dose of what I look for in a physician - using physical medicine. Dr. Lou is old-school in the best way. He doesn't jump to tests that are unnecessary, he uses experience and H&P to treat his patients, all of which love him. As I was talking with him, he recommended a book to me:

 

This book.

This book is amazing. It rang so true with everything I saw in El Salvador, about the coupling of poverty and poor health, and it inspired me to do more good as I returned to El Salvador in 2011. It follows Dr. Paul Farmer in his quest for equality and access in global medicine. It influenced me in both my essays and interviews for medical school in the fall/winter of 2011. Which led me:

 

Here, to Temple University School of Medicine. Where I study, learn, and am tested every day with something new and fascinating. Yesterday while I was waiting to enter my OSCE exam, I read an announcement on one of the many electronic bulletin boards in our beautiful building. An announcement that Dr. Paul Farmer would be the speaker for the annual AOA conference. 

 

 

     This is Dr. Farmer. He revolutionized treatment protocols of HIV/AIDS, MDRTB, and other illnesses of global public health. I have counted him as one of my heroes since I started reading about him, which was after a suggestion from Dr. Lou, who I had shadowed to get a better idea of medicine was like. It is always interesting to see how things will come full circle in our lives. I am so excited to hear Dr. Farmer speak that I almost can't take it. 

Just one more reason why I love my path, I love my school, and I love medicine. 

Happy Valentine's Day.

Feel it start to Permeate

Can't help myself but count the flaws
Claw my way out through these walls
One temporary escape
Feel it start to permeate
We lie beneath the stars at night
Our hands gripping each other tight
You keep my secrets hope to die
Promises, swear them to the sky
The bittersweet between my teeth
Trying to find the in-betweens
Fall back in love eventually
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
As it withers
Brittle it shakes
Can you whisper
As it crumbles and breaks
As you shiver
Count up all your mistakes
Pair of forgivers
Let go before it's too late

I love this song. It's sad but I love it. It was the song playing when Lexie was confessing that she was still in love with Mark in the season finale last year. It's so sad and reminds me of something sad, but right now, it's all I want to listen to. 

Now you can too :)

 

 

Keeping my word

"I will try to be better about posting photos and posts over the next month. Even if it is to count down until I go home for Christmas."

Famous last words. I was terrible at posting in December. But since it is a new year I plan to do better. My resolutions are as follows:
1- Not let med school ruin my life
              In block one all I did was study, and missed out on getting honors because of a peer review grade I had no control over. I had not been going to the gym and was unhappy with how I looked. So basically, I sacrificed with no benefit - in the end my grade had been out of my control. I made a change starting in block 2 that I would get back to my routine of a 2 hour gym session every day and so far I have done a decent job maintaining it. I want to be better about getting enough sleep and managing my time so that I can do the things I want to do and stay on top of my school work.

2 - Stay in better touch with friends and family
           Which includes posting on this blog.

3 - Be less forgetful
           This one is hard because I am even forgetful in close relationships. Like when we talk and they tell me something, but I forget it, then when they have to repeat themselves they get frustrated and think I don't care, which is just not true.

4 - Love more
            Self explanatory I think

5 - Explore more
           At Christmas, my aunt suggested that I get a book about Philadelphia because I would learn all sorts of cool facts and history about Philly. I am going to take her advice because even though I have lived in Philadelphia for six months, I do not know a ton about it. I am still learning things, like the Flyers' nickname is the Broad Street Bullies, all the time and I like that but I can do more.

So I hope you enjoyed my resolutions. They aren't serious until you write them in some form. I hope that everyone reading this will help me keep my resolutions, and if you write yours I will return the favor. 

Lastly, I would not have survived the last few months without the people featured below.
So thank you

My Favorite Goofball Part 1

My Favorite Goofball Part 2 (but notice I am still able to keep posing - pure talent)