Dayton, Boston, and books

Dayton

Dayton, OH

A month ago I was in Dayton, OH for another interview at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine.  The faculty and students were beyond kind and supportive, the facilities were freshly new, and the program had many offerings… but I realized that my heart was back in Chicago. I accepted the spot at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine a week before my Wright State interview, and shortly thereafter I withdrew from several other schools. After much prayer, talks with family and friends, and a strong gut feeling, I made up my mind. I still went to Wright State because my flight ticket was non-refundable and it was fairly short notice to cancel the interview.

Dayton is the sixth largest city in OH of about 140,000. The people in the area are friendly, and there are a few cool shops and fun places to hang out. I stayed with a friend from college who is currently a first year at Wright State and lives in a beautiful apartment complex 5 minutes from campus. I grabbed some pizza with another college friend (who’s a second year at the school) from a thin crust place. Wright State's SNMA (Student National Medical Association) chapter hosted a dinner for ethnic minority applicants the night before our interview. I think we went to TaqueriaMixteca. The food was beyond delicious. I ordered something with rice, guacamole, and chicken.

There were many opportunities during my three days in Dayton to learn a lot about the school. One of the cool things I learned was that Wright State is ranked number four in the nation for its commitment to its social mission. The faculty and students were unbelievably friendly and warm. My interview felt more like a conversation than anything else. I had two interviews that were back to back, both with faculty members. One was a retired Professor who was still seeing patients at the hospital, and my other interviewer was the Anatomy Professor. I was not nervous, worried, or ridden with anxiety before, during, or after the interview. Getting worked up doesn't help with anything. I believe it went well, but at this point I am certain that I belong at Loyola.

Boston

This past weekend (April1-3) I returned to Boston for the Biomedical Science Careers Program (BSCP) conference and New England Science Symposium (NESS). I have to admit, while I learned a lot at the conference and symposium, I enjoyed the mini-reunions I was having left and right so much more. I met with a college friend who is a second year in the Harvard MD-PhD program, several Harvard SCTRP (Summer Clinical & Translational Research Program) alumni from last summer, a high school friend who’s completing an MBS at Tufts (and who I hadn’t seen in 5 years!), another friend who’s doing a PA program also at Tufts (who I met volunteering in Guatemala three years ago), and a few others. I didn’t get to see everyone I hoped to see, but there’s always a next time. Though I came back from Boston feeling exhausted physically (mostly because of the crazy 9 hour bus ride), I was rejuvenated and refreshed mentally and emotionally. Social interactions and relationships with others does have a wonderful impact on our mental and emotional wellbeing.

Books 

This year, as part of the Goodreads Challenge, I made a resolution to read at least 30 books. I finished 11 and am loving this challenge so far. I’m grateful to have time during my gap year and before M1 to read for pleasure. Sure, I work full-time, but I very rarely take work home. I definitely didn't have this much free time during undergrad.

I stayed with a friend in Cambridge this past weekend. She lives near Central Square, which is peppered with coffee shops, restaurants, and bookstores! I stopped by two, browsed around a bit, and eagerly added some books to my “Want to Read” list on my Goodreads app (which is now at 75; needless to say, there’s no way I’m going to get through all of these by the time I ‘settle’ down after my medical training, let alone by the end of the year. So I've made it a life goal to get through all 75...and more). I ended up buying a little book called “Writing the Family Narrative”. About a year ago I decided that sometime throughout my career I will write my memoir and a narrative of my family’s history. This is a new initiative that I'm excited to take on. I’m confident that through research, interviews with my relatives, and much reflection, I can craft an engrossing narrative that explores my family’s roots in Jamaica, my erratic childhood, and the journey I’m currently taking through this exciting thing called life.

Anyway, leisurely pursuits and projects outside of school and work such as my memoir writing are taking a temporary backseat. I’m using the time I have to catch up on must-reads and bestsellers including (and I highly recommend these):

• "The Help" - Kathryn Stockett
• "The Kite Runner" - Khaled Housseini
• "A Thousand Splendid Suns" - Khaled Housseini
• "Brain on Fire" - Susannah Cahalan 
• All of Atul Gawande's books
• Many more (I can add a full list in another post)

What are you waiting for? Sign up for the 2016 Goodreads challenge! You will find it to be an exciting and gratifying experience.