Experiences of a West Indian Medical Student

This year presented an interesting paradox in which time seemed to fly by yet stand still in moments where it felt like we'd never arrive at this point. The race wasn't for the swift but for those who endured with fortitude and perseverance. I will admit it was without a doubt the most mentally taxing year which required a holistic perspective at all times. After all it is easy to have tunnel vision but because you have so many components simultaneously you cannot afford to dedicate all your attention to one thing at a time or you'll definitely be unprepared for many upcoming course assessments, quizzes, clerkships and PBLs. And let's not forget OSCE or OSPE!  Adaptability is the name of the game. It can be confirmed that our entire experience for Year 3 was done online with the exception of two in person Skills practice sessions, one each semester. The practice sessions were really just that --practice. In my experience you had to be quite familiar with the list of sk...

The truth is COVID-19 did not solve my problems, it simply put a pin in them and came with its array of mess that I needed to  address. School was no longer a building but an application, and the most challenging part was no longer getting to class but being in class; present and focused. The second semester came in phases and so did this pandemic but the consistent  underlying rhythm was the persistent uncertainty on what happens next… The transition to online classes took a week on the part of the administration to put things in place. Once the ball was rolling many questions were still unanswered and seemed to be floating in mid-air as we tried to make sense of what we were doing and how we were going forward. But as I said there was a persistent uncertainty which arguably was unavoidable; it was  unprecedented circumstances.  PBL (problem-based learning) was interesting, to say the least, if you’re familiar with the process you would u...

I started off this semester with every intention to do things differently compared to the first. I lamented on how I studiously dived into my work and yet still felt no more prepared than others who seemed to nonchalantly breeze through the academic term. I guess the epiphany for me was that I was loosing touch of the journey and only focusing on the end. I vividly recall expressing my sentiments as “happiness has become a pursuit rather than a state of being, trying to get to different goals and milestones”. However I can truly say I had no idea what this semester, and year by extension,    had in store for me.  I guess you’re probably wondering how did I do things differently this time. Well I made a concerted effort to find time to create moments rather than living day to day in a system which can ultimately have you prisoner to routine.    This really included things that I would not normally do during the semester like; going on a hike, going kayaking...