September 2011
5 posts
Motivation, by Emma
There are two types of people in this world, those who act with their hearts and those whose minds lead them. Learning which category you fit into is crucial to understanding the motivations behind your actions. I’ve been considering this a lot lately and relating it to my decision to pursue a career in medicine. Medical school is proving to be much more difficult than I ever expected. It’s...
August 2011
13 posts
Part-time Job; What Should I Do? by Jessica
So I am contemplating what to do for a part-time job this year as I study for my MCAT retake. I want about 15/20 hours per week at most. Here are some options I’m considering…
1. Starbucks: I love coffee and I love people, so this seems like a no-brainer. Plus I’m there almost every day of the week, so the free coffee during my shifts and otherwise 30% off would be pretty...
No Quick Fix, by Emma
It seems medical school is quickly changing my views on most everything. While I’ve discovered a ton about myself and become very self aware, I’ve also struggled to form my own opinions on matters regarding health care reform. I have never been the person to get excited over health care reform, mostly because I feel like we are going nowhere but down. We have lots of great ideas about how to...
Questioning My Life, by Jessica
As much as I want med school, my horrible MCAT score has haunted me. And haunted me. And haunted me some more.
There is a personal issue I have not posted about that I finally feel ready to: my anxiety issues. When people think of anxiety, they usually just think of being nervous about something, plain and simple. Unfortunately, this is much worse than that. I was driving home from shadowing a...
EDIT: I passed :) :) by, Emma
Sorry for the pessimistic post last night. I talk to Samantha every morning before she goes to school and yesterday was rough on me. She doesn’t usually complain about missing me but this time she sounded almost depressed (if a four year old could be depressed) and asked me if I would even be home for “santa claus time” and that broke my heart. I guess anything could have set me...
Dropping Out, by Emma
I think I failed my first test and I’ve decided if I get below a 50% I’m dropping out. Life Sucks
Just Keep Swimming..Swimming..Swimming, by Emma
Well I’m in the middle of my fourth week of medical school. Assuming I make it until Friday that will be ONE MONTH DOWN. WOOOOO :) I’m adjusting to the life of a medical student rather well (I think). Yes, I’m exhausted and wish I had more free time but I’m really enjoying the material (minus anatomy) and that eases the burden of a never ending workload.
We have our...
A little twist on the Hippocratic Oath, by Emma
“Within this Oath and written covenant, I accept the responsibility and privilege that comes along with being a caregiver to others in the field of medicine. I solemnly swear to adhere to these guidelines to the best of my ability and judgment:
I dedicate myself to the journey of lifelong learning and servitude; attributes, which I believe, embody the practice of medicine. I will work...
Snap, Crackle, Popppppppp, by Emma
Well, here goes nothing. Tomorrow begins “real” classes, though I’m not sure the past two weeks were fake? Im already super busy, we have 150ish PowerPoint slides a day (3 days a week) so that adds up quickly. My goal is to stay on top of everything so I don’t end up cramming (and subsequently failing) for exams. Plus, family is coming to town for my white coat ceremony and...
Expectations, by Emma
I’m beginning to learn the importance of living life with an open mind, relieving yourself of the daily expectations imposed both internally and externally. This includes not only allowing yourself to stray from daily schedules but also taking people as they are without preconceived judgment. One of the mottos of the SELECT program is “scheduled flexibility” because we are such a new, innovative...
Are you there, Prozac? It's me, Jessica ... by...
Life is full of highs and lows; right now, I’m at a low.
I was so ecstatic and flattered yesterday when my college called me about the site visit. However, it really got me thinking about life and analyzing where I am right now. When I inquired as to why I was being invited, I was told I am a great “success story;” to be completely honest, I couldn’t feel *less*...
Expanding, by Jessica
I have some really cool news!
First, a little background. I attended college through a Single Parent Program at Endicott College in Beverly, MA. It is pretty unique because not only did I receive almost full funding for my education, but I got to live on campus with my daughter and another roommate/child in a four bedroom apartment. Endicott even provided financial support for childcare; I was...
