As the third year of medical school is coming to a close, I've been spending a lot of time looking back in reflection. In less than 2 weeks, I will be taking my last exam as a 3rd year medical student (OB/GYN), and I will be free for 2 weeks of vacation! It's amazing to me how quickly this year has gone. I know that each and every week, every month, and every new rotation, I was excited, nervous, and ready for the next step. It seems to me a common trend that everyone is anticipating the future. As an undergrad student, I was eager to be in medical school. And now each year, I am eager for the next year. And as I come to my final year in medical school, I am thinking about residency. It is all part of the journey to think of the next stepping stone on our path, but we must ask ourselves: are we missing the beauty and the experience we receive along the way?
Looking back, I am already sad to see how quickly the years have gone by. I can remember my medical school orientation. I can remember meeting those people at the Northwest campus - little did I know the friendships I would build. I can remember getting my white coat (although I think I blacked out a lot of the white coat ceremony due to nerves and excitement). I can remember learning Biochemistry, Anatomy, Physiology, Neuro, and Pharm. I can remember studying so hard but also enjoying the times I spent with the friends I made. I can remember my second year of medical school, and how quickly it seemed that test known as boards crept up on me. I can remember listening to Lose Yourself as I made my way to that exam. I can remember the butterflies in my stomach and my heart in my throat as I opened that email with my board score to have relief sweep over me. And now, another year is past.
This year, I have grown and learned more than I have realized. I found my passion in pediatrics. I can still remember the one patient who I will never forget - a little boy in a traumatic accident whose life was changed forever. I can remember the little 7 month old who always seemed to cry unless he was held. I can remember loving my pediatric neurology time. I can remember the psychiatric unit I was on during my psych month and how the patients were troubled but so fun to talk with. I can remember those long hours I spent on my medicine month in the new hospital with the beautiful room. I can remember the first heart surgery I scrubbed into on an 8 month old boy. I can remember the first time I ever performed CPR. I can remember first-assisting to remove a lobe of lung from a lady with lung cancer. I can remember the first baby I ever delivered. I can remember the feeling I had when I held that little 2 pound boy in the palms of my hands that we delivered via C-section at just 24 weeks. These are the moments I will never forget.
As I move forward to my final year of medical school, I am amazed yet again at how quickly it passes by. As we step forward to another part of our journey, I hope I enjoy every day and every patient I interact with. I hope that every day is a learning experience. I can never understand the amount of blessings I have been given in this life. While the struggles these past three years have been more than real, I can honestly say I would never have done it any other way.
