Home

Finals are over and I'm now home in Vermont. I'm sitting on my back porch watching my puppy, Newman play with a stick -- more like a tree limb -- in my backyard and thinking how quickly time flies by. It seems like just yesterday my Dad was driving me to the airport at 4am in the blistering cold, on my way to an island I had never been to, where I was pinning all my hopes on a dream that may or may not come true. And now, five months later, I'm back home. I can officially call myself a medical student!

Now that I'm home, the summer feels like it's already flying by. I'll be working at the hospital in Burlington, but I like my job and it keeps me busy. Most of my friends are spread out across the country and I've already planned roadtrips to visit them all.

This may be crazy, but I miss Grenada. Maybe it's the great weather (it's been raining and 60-something degrees ever since I've been home), the new friends I made while I was there, or the spectacular views of the ocean. I am proud to say that I saw a great deal of the island during my first term, much more than some of my fellow SGUers. While I still have a lot to explore, I think I'm off to a good start. With all that the "Spice Island" has to offer, I'll be happy to return to my Grenada home in August.

Final Countdown

It's May and that means finals are almost here. It's overwhelming to think that I'll tested on so much information in so little time and also to imagine myself sitting in a plane on my way back to Vermont after spending four months here in Grenada. I've already done the math and there's no way I can fail any of my courses. I knew I could do it, deep down I knew I could, but now that the semester is winding down, I have this odd feeling and I'm not really sure how to describe it.

It's almost as if what once seemed impossible -- getting into medical school and surviving -- is now possible.

So, what's next? Well, a lot actually. I still have another year and a half in Grenada and two more years of rotations somewhere in the States. If I've learned anything while I've been down here, it's that I will never stop learning. Medicine is always changing, techniques are always advancing, and people always want more. I've had a wonderful experience at SGU so far and I'm so happy with my decision to come to Grenada.

I recently found this video on YouTube. It's funny and representative of about 99% of the stuff I've learned this term.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bygOaphU4o

Okay, time to get back to the books!