Experiences of a West Indian Medical Student

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...

We all should’ve seen this one coming, the culmination of my first semester’s experience.  Interestingly enough I have been putting off writing this article.    I guess it was because I was so relieved to be over with the whirlwind of exams. So you may be wondering why am I writing now. Let me clear the air while I’m ahead, it’s not because I’m ready to make a New Year’s resolution or start reminiscing of all my accomplishments this year.  Strangely enough it’s because of a movie I just watched, Patch Adams, which reminded me of why I even want to become a doctor. I was able to relate to Patch and everything he stood for. I don’t want to be a spoiler but Patch found himself so passionate, enthusiastic and ready to impact the life of each patient in a system where his peers were notably more focused on grades and his superiors saw each patient as a disease rather than a person. Oddly enough, though the movie was created in 1999 and based on a true story, the sa...

The last post mentioned my preparation for my ‘mid term’ exam which really isn’t a mid term exam but rather the demarcation of one course or ‘block’ and the start of another. Well let’s just say it went way better than I expected....  Good bye 10A, Hello 10B! The second block started on the following Monday giving us Saturday and Sunday to realign and refocus. However in reality it was more than that as the schedules for the 10B was not readily posted and we ended up having less lectures than expected during our first week. This gave me the opportunity to get my ‘pre-reading’ done and opened a window of compliance as I was working at my own pace, similar to that of 10A. Oh boy was I shaken up once the work actually started rolling in.  Soon enough I felt like it was too much to keep up with and my retention was at an all time low. Topics I overlooked in Biochemistry whilst preparing for my Spotter came back to haunt me and the ball kept rolling... Now I am at the ...

Week 5 Check-in  It’s my fifth week in and I’m ready to spill the tea.  So lets do a quick summary: Week 1 : Burnt the midnight oil (stayed up studying and pre-reading at ridiculous hours)  Week 2 : Got sick and fell behind ( impaired my immune system due to lack of sleep) Week 3 : Desperately tried to get on-top of my work , I did  :) Week 4 : Tried to maximize productivity before training x prep for  ‘Spotter’ (Similar to midterm assessment; mainly anatomy and few physiology questions) It’s common knowledge the vast difference between the secondary and tertiary level of education. So why did I start with the same learning approaches? Let me give you a quote by Bert Lance that explained my approach “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Honestly, I used what was proven and tested to give me the false sense of productivity I needed to feel to equate it with ‘hitting the ground running’. So what has changed now you may ask... and it all g...

Bright and goggly eyed I woke up Monday morning with the pent up excitement and realization that the weeks which seemed to be never ending was finally over and it was time to start my journey, officially. As expected I got there fairly early and having the benefit of getting a mini tour by one of my closest friends who’s in a year above me, I knew exactly where to go. No stress right? Au contraire, the stress came when I walked into the seemingly massive amphitheater and had no idea where to sit.  Drawing from advice I got I was immediately bombarded with “Sit in the middle, sit in the front” whilst also trying to scan the room for familiar faces, the simple question of where do I sit seemed to be my first stumbling block. I made a strategic decision and sat on the end of the fifth row from the front, at downstage left (theatre arts wasn’t useless after all in this instance). This accommodated a clear line of vision to the lecturer, the PowerPoint and an easy get away as the e...

I will first clear the air and make it known that I opted to take a gap year after completing CAPE and before starting Med School, a decision I haven't regretted to this day. This year has been filled beyond capacity with wholesome love and growth. I have been consistently challenged and pushed to be greater. The skill set I have gained makes me even more prepared to handle the challenges of university, more so those specific to Med School. Research skills,  writing techniques  and critical thinking were all demanded each day, staples I've learnt to apply to every situation. Source: Pixabay Having said that I must say that I am at a place that is a bit hard to explain. One in which you find yourself anxious to move on to the next chapter while also conflictingly nostalgic. In hindsight I think generally speaking I can say that  this year went by relatively quickly. However these last two months seem to be dragging its feet. As much as I enjoyed m...

Source: Pixabay I was exposed to the medical field at a young age and ever since then I have been fascinated with all that it has to offer. At the tender age of seven I had a heart murmur, a mild turbulence heard in the blood flow across the heart valve. This involved routine checkups at the family doctor where a series of peripheral instruments would be placed on my chest and each vibration was mapped onto what seemed to be a device resembling a lie detector. Each lub and dub was precisely drawn with the stroke of the pointer. The murmur was harmless and eventually faded away but the curiosity it peaked was far from gone.  However, it was at the age of 12 I recall making the conscious decision that I wanted to become a doctor. It was at this age I, along with my younger brother, got the dengue virus. With this virus the platelets of the patient is at risk and needs to be monitored. This required daily blood tests to be done. I recall sitting for lengthy periods day afte...