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Showing posts from January, 2017

A Year Outside of the Classroom: Chapter 9- Reminder

Everything happens for a reason. That's what I try to remind myself as the world around me seems to be spinning of its axis, tragically transforming people's lives in ways they had not, could not , imagine.  I've felt an ache in my chest with every new administrative decision our new government has made, a nauseating sensation I haven't been able to shake away regardless of what I do. Twenty-one years ago, my parents left the country they knew, the language they were comfortable in, the families who held their hearts, and embarked on a new journey in the United States, the land of the free. They left a beautiful homeland decorated in olive and fig trees. They left the comfort of a home they knew to walk around in with their eyes closed and embraced life in an unfamiliar country, where they aspired to DREAM.  I learned the definition of dreaming in this country. From the simple question of "What do you want to be when you grow up?" to the sayin...

A Year Outside of the Classroom- Chapter 8: Medical School Interviews Part 2

“Can you share a story of a patient you encountered that influenced you the most?” When I was asked this question, there was one name that came to mind immediately: Tariq. Twelve-year-old Tariq, one of the PCRF patients who were operated on during the week-long mission trip in Ramallah Hospital. Tariq was only one of many patients who came with stories and experiences that I was sure since the moment I met them would stay with me through my studies, as I sipped coffee while studying, while I worked out to release my stress. Tariq and 15+ other patients went to class and work with me, reminding me to keep going when I feel like quitting. So while I pulled out my deck of cards once again for this other interviewer to see, Tariq and all those people were there looking at them too, reminding me I was doing to put aside my nerves and fear because as long as my intentions to help others like them remained, I would accomplish what I wanted to accomplish. As a pre-med student, I was a...

A Year Outside the Classroom- Chapter 7: The Source

I'm not particularly sure where I am going with this post, but bear with me. There is lots of reflection that I am going to attempt to put together cohesively. If you have read my post about this, I am sorry ahead of time that I'm writing about this again. I've written previously about how much I love what I am working in right now, the flow of the hospital, the constant reminder of where I want to be, how much work I still need to do, and the continued rememberance of my "why." This past week, however, was a really hard week. Thankfully, no one passed away. No lives were traumatically and dramatically changed. It was long and I was tired, so tired that it has taken me until today (after 2 days away) to feel like writing about it. I started out the first day totally motivated and energized. But by the 4th day of working, I was drained and I couldn't seem to think of my "why." I've seen a variety of cases this week, as I usually do, ...