A few weeks ago, we hiked to Pancake Rocks. Located about 45 minutes from downtown Colorado Springs on the west side of Pikes Peak. It was a beautiful day with few people on the trail, but we still carried our masks in our pockets to throw on as we approached other groups. The trail started…… Continue reading Pancakes
Category: Medical School
The Interview Trail
On residency applications there’s a section for “Hobbies and Interests”. We are able to write whatever we choose in this section and in mine I listed a few things that I enjoy doing in my free time: getting outside, traveling, and the link to this blog. Many of my interviewers have either asked me about…… Continue reading The Interview Trail
2020: In Brief
“Be willing to be surprised; be open to the unexpected”. Wow. To say we had no idea what was coming our way approximately 365 days ago is an understatement. I always like to sit down and reflect a bit before the New Year because it’s a nice transition point to pause, re-evaluate, and reflect. Last…… Continue reading 2020: In Brief
//Seasons Change//
We started this season with the blooming of new life and increasing sunlight, yet things felt dark and uncertain. We didn’t understand the virus or its impact on us. We were figuring things out as we went. Day-by-day. Week-by-week. Now, here we are, and the weather has changed again. The leaves that once sprung from…… Continue reading //Seasons Change//
Black//White
I remember the first time I became consciously aware of my whiteness and the lack of racial diversity I experienced growing up. It wasn’t when I first moved to Atlanta, but actually much later when I flew home to Colorado. It was a late-night flight when I stepped off the plane at DIA and started…… Continue reading Black//White
Did I Get a Gold Star?
What is success? I’ve asked myself this question a lot in the last few months as I’ve battled with thoughts of comparison and self-doubt. My performance has been under the microscope as we hastily wrap up our third year of medical school where our grades are mostly determined through individual evaluations by our clinical preceptors.…… Continue reading Did I Get a Gold Star?
Equity//Equality
Are we playing at being God when we are forced to choose who gets the single remaining ventilator? When we decide to withdraw care in order to free up scarce resources? Who will be there to pick up the pieces for these physicians who are making these decisions that no human was meant to face?…… Continue reading Equity//Equality
We Spin On
**trigger warning** A family friend shot himself in the head last week. Is that jarring? I thought so. He’s still alive, but probably not for much longer. Going home on hospice care because the ventilators are needed for other people who want to live. Anger. Sadness. Despair. There is no room for second chances here.…… Continue reading We Spin On
Who Sets This Curve?
In college, there were always those students who “set the curve”. They did the best on exams and therefore defined how the grading would play out for the rest of the class. We have a different kind of curve on our hands, but we all play a role in how this curve is set. We…… Continue reading Who Sets This Curve?
There Are Lessons to Be Learned
I sank to the floor and tears rolled down my cheeks when I read the email titled “Pause to Third Year Clerkships”. I was trying to stay calm before this huge decision, but I felt overwhelmed and out of control the moment it was made. Between the stresses of finishing up third year, studying for…… Continue reading There Are Lessons to Be Learned
Glimpse of Grace 