Proud Moment

This past weekend I attended the graduation ceremony at my alma mater (Nova Southeastern) & even had the privilege of hooding two close friends & mentees of mines. For the medical student & their family medical school is one grueling process filled with ups & downs so just being able to be apart of their success brings me great joy. While we(the hooders) were in the back waiting to be seated I got this déjà vu moment & realized barely a year had passed when me & my friends were waiting to walk into the auditorium floor as a medical students for the last time. It was a great feeling & can’t wait to get another opportunity to do it again.

The Phone Call

One of the toughest things I have experienced as a Physician is having to make that final phone call to a family member to inform them that their loved one is no longer alive. When it happened the first time I was a nervous wreck because I knew that suddenly for the rest of this family member’s life I would be known as the bearer of the worst news ever. Everything seems to happen in slow motion, as I look for the number and begin to dial a small part of me doesn’t want this person to pick up, not because I don’t know what to say but I am not entirely sure of how to say it. As each ring passes the anticipation builds until suddenly you hear “hello”  and I begin to tell them that despite everything we have done that their dad/mom/sister/brother/son/daughter just didn’t make it. There usually is a state of confusion or disbelief that what I am saying isn’t true as if they are waiting for me to say I’m joking but as they quickly realize that the reality is that the person they might have spoke to just hours ago isn’t here anymore you can hear a pin drop. As we both gather our thoughts I remained the voice of calm as I could sense the tears run the this person’s face. As the conversation continues for what seems like 30 minutes which in reality is more like five, acceptance kicks in & they become expression appreciation for all our efforts & makes plans to speak with me when they arrive to pick up personal belongings. 

I still remember the day during the second year of medical school when my cousin called to tell me that my father had passed away. I remember waking up thinking it was just another day with another early phone call to wake me up out of much needed sleep & in a flash there was silence as he told me the news. The whole world stops as you begin to digest the words & there isn’t any thing to say that it really going to change that. The advice I give to future colleagues that in this day & age where most of the communication is done by text messages & emails and everything has become so impersonal remember that the skill of being able to talk is one that will never go unappreciated.  

Change is necessary

“The key to change... is to let go of fear.”

Later on today the rest of my future colleagues will finally know where they will be spending the next few years of their life in regards to residency. I have about three & a half months left to go till intern year is over so I wanted to pass on one of many words of advice to the incoming interns. I think the biggest transition that I had to learn as the title alludes to is that as you make the progression from 4th year medical student to Physician, you have to learn how to deal with the upcoming changes in your professional, personal & spiritual life and how your everyday decisions will play a huge role in how things turn out.

Your responsibility, dedication, & commitment  to this profession will not only be pushed to a limit that you never thought it would go but when life is added on top of it all, how you respond and adapt to this new situation that you signed up for will be greater than any anatomy or physiology test you’ve encountered. With all that being said you still have to understand what you can & most importantly what you can’t change about yourself for your progression to occur.

Personally I have never been one who was able to sit around and just go with the flow especially if I didn’t feel that I had any say in the matter. On the one hand its probably the reason why I not only pursued this career in medicine but also held various leadership roles in the greatest student organization (SNMA) , my fraternity, & in various medical societies since I was a first year medical student. But on the other hand in the company of those who aren’t used to being around people who are gung-ho about taking on the world it could be view as too ambitious, & borderline crazy which can not only lead to contempt but even underlying envy. As an intern take ownership of every action you take and understand that not taking any action can be just as detrimental. Doing things because that is how its always been done should never be a reason why you do it. In this day and age “Status Qou” is no longer an option. Right now the enjoy your final moments as student doctor because big changes are coming whether you are ready for it or not ,& if you aren’t than you will be left behind by those who are.

“All great changes are preceded by chaos”

The Day Before

Fourth year osteopathic students around the country are waiting for the most important email of their life to hit their inbox tomorrow. Last year at this time I was doing outpatient geriatrics and for all honestly I tried to act like it was another day but deep down I knew I was as nervous as I have ever been all my life. The interview season was over, all the thank you emails & cards had been sent and all I could rely on was the fact that I thought I did a good enough job impressing the programs I had rotated at. It is definitely a lot to take in because not only are you hoping that you match but you’re also hoping that you match at the your top spots. All I can say is good luck everyone and hopefully you end up where you want to be.

The stress of fourth year is almost over & soon the stress of being the new intern will be upon you.

RIP Whitney Houston

Word of Advice

At the end of the month many of my future osteopathic physicians will be submitting their rank lists for their future residency spot. The last year of medical school in all frankness sucks. For the past 3-4 months you have been on the interview trail & doing electives trying to keep your best foot forward knowing(in your mind) that one bad day could cost you your spot. Now all your hard work since the day you stepped into medical school ends with you turning in a list praying that the computer gods work their magic. The best advice I can give is RELAX and trust that you did everything you could to get where you wanted and if things don’t work out and you end up at your 5th spot when the dust settles you have to continue to be the best resident you can be because it will show to your fellow interns, students, attendings and patients when you aren’t happy.

A look back at what I was going through last year at this time http://www.drpierresblog.com/2011/01/decisions-decisions.html