Lessons in Global Health: What Every Student Should Know

• One of the first and most important lessons I learned was that earlier in your career, you will receive far more than you will be able to give.
• Nonetheless, they were still important because they taught me the complexity of navigating research design and protocol in other  countries, the uncertainty involved with international endeavors, and the persistence that differentiates those who remain in global health and those who come to visit for a short time.
• They [the patients] sacrificed, not necessarily because they believed it would make a difference in their lives, but rather because in poorer regions of the world, relationships and hospitality are valued sincerely.
• Another important insight I gained only by taking chances was that you are your only limitation.
• One last lesson I learned was that as a student in global health, your biggest contribution will be determined by the greatest need.

AMSRJ Spring 2014 Vol. 1, No. 1

On applying to elective opportunities like global health

I really found this inspiring. I love that she found motivation from her grandma. Go grandmas!

I’ll be honest- I didn’t think I had a smidgen of a chance of becoming a Global Health Corps fellow. I had two reactions upon reading the position descriptions and mission statement of GHC. 1) Unprecedented excitement. I knew this was the opportunity I had been looking for, the next step in my career and the chance to actually apply my college education and internship experience into the real world of public health – basically my dream. The combination of fieldwork and professional development, but with an emphasis on fostering a community of leaders dedicated to achieving global health equity, seemed almost too good to be true. This led to thought number 2) Self-doubt. Although on paper I felt qualified for the position I was interested in, and I definitely had the passion and commitment GHC was looking for, I lacked confidence in my ability to persuade the GHC and mothers2mothers teams that I could be the one. Intimidated is an understatement for how I felt while perusing the GHC website. I didn’t have a Masters degree, wasn’t a doctor treating thousands of people on my own, and hadn’t established an NGO at the age of 18. Was I good enough to be one of those smiling faces? Nah, definitely not. Yet, I couldn’t get GHC off my mind. I had to at least make an attempt.

I will admit that I am the Queen of procrastination. I couldn’t bring myself to actually sit down and complete the application. I had the essay topics written on napkins that I tacked over my bed, hoping that I’d get some inspiration in the middle of the night and magically produce acceptance worthy essays. Obviously that did not happen. A week before the application was due, I hadn’t written one word. At this point in time, I had just graduated from George Washington University with an undergraduate degree and was working and traveling around Indonesia. I had a scheduled Skype date with my parents, and as a special surprise, my 92 year-old Grandma joined as well. I excitedly told my family about the GHC application, but as quickly as I lit up about the job posting at mothers2mothers, I followed with a negative remark along the lines of  “I’ll never get it-there’s no point blah blah blah woe is me.” My Grandma abruptly shut me up, told me if I didn’t apply she’d disown me, and proceeded to detail all of the reasons why I would be an exceptional candidate. She wouldn’t sign off of Skype until I virtually pinky promised her that I’d apply no matter what. There was something compelling about my Grandma screaming into the computer because she thought being halfway across the world implied that I wouldn’t be able to hear her. Her point came across loud and clear. I signed off after taking an award winning screenshot (see below), went for a surf, and mulled over my options. I could a) not apply, lie to my Grandma, and feel guilty for the rest of my life (this is dramatic but entirely true), b) apply, not become a fellow, but know that I at least gave it a shot, or, c) apply, BECOME A FELLOW, and be one step closer towards pursuing my dreams.  A few interviews and one acceptance email later, I became one of the 90 chosen as part of the 2012-2013 GHC fellow class.

One of my surgical attending is intimidating and intense on service, but then says things like this

"I don’t care about what grade you get on this rotation. I just hope that throughout your 3rd year, you remember why you’re here and approach all your patients with compassion. Treat your patients like your family. You’re getting up at 3am to go to the hospital because that patient is your mom… It can get tough, there’s going to be bad parts to every rotation, but don’t let that bring you down, don’t let that stay with you. Take the best parts of everyone you meet, appreciate them, let those stick with you, and develop your own style from there."

He’s totally and completely my attending crush/role model forever xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo.

Random stuff from the middle of surgery in the middle of winter

• Something I’ve learned recently: seniors including attendings, fellows, and residents are not necessarily right and if you have a different thought, you should speak up for yourself (nicely but still persistent) for the patient’s sake and for your own sake.
• The more I go through 3rd year, the less sure I am about what I want to go into. There has to be a balance between doing what you like and the lifestyle you desire. I like surgery, but I hate the lifestyle of most attendings I see and the patient populations I’ve encountered. But today, I was made aware of the nice lifestyles and the healthier populations that some specialized surgeons encounter (e.g. breast oncology surgeons, endocrine surgeons). I also love that it’s not just about the surgery, but to be a good breast oncology/endocrine surgeon, you need to be strong in clinical medicine—deciding when to cut/not to cut, when to biopsy/not biopsy, what alternatives could be better, and working well with multiple specialties. I want to follow a breast oncology surgeon for a day before my surgery rotation is over.
• I used to go to sleep as a child dreaming about the awesome life I’ll lead when I grow up. Now that I’m relatively “grown up,” I dream less and think about what’s important less. I’ve been pretty unhappy recently, being on surgery rotation in the middle of winter notwithstanding. I hope to find that child inside of me again.
• I’m excited to finally find a Chinese speaking drama that’s enjoyable to watch (我的自由年代). I can finally improve my Chinese in a fun way…I can now watch the most recent episode over and over obsessively while waiting for next week’s episode without feeling guilty hehe.
• Remember that when life is hard, when it feels like you’re just suffering all the time and not enjoying enough, remember why you’re going through this for, why you’re here—remember your long term goal. Remember your dream.

Medical Student Perspectives: How relationships in medical school will make you a better doctor

…the best advice I can give for relationships in medical school is to really have them. By “really,” I mean honestly putting your heart into them…I’m referring to all of your personal relationships…Your family and close friends will understand if they’re put in the back seat, or if the quality of your exchanges changes. True bonds are difficult to break. However, for that reason alone, they deserve more of you…Relationships help you reflect on a personal level, making your compassion more human, and develop the values you will rely on during your career. Surely, you will learn the most from your patients, but patients need someone with whom they can relate.

Here’s a sappy, feel-good (must read) article to offset the bitter, ranting post I made a few days ago…

Link: Medical Student Perspectives: How relationships in medical school will make you a better doctor

Ways to save money in medical school or other tight times

In light of increased discretionary spending for my good friend’s wedding as one of her bridesmaids, which I’m more than happy to do but that doesn’t change how strapped for money I am, I’m trying to find more creative ways to save money and still have a life. Here are some good ones I found on a simple google search (in no particular order)—

1. Sign up for membership at stores you frequent whether it’s grocery stores, convenience stores, department stores, clothing stores, etc.
2. Always bring your student ID in case you can get a student discount.
3. Eat at home.
4. Pack lunch & snacks everyday.
5. "Textbooks 2.0": online, electronic versions; renting textbooks; borrowing from/exchanging with friends
6. Shop at thrift shops.
7. Set a limit on how many times you can go out per month. Mine will be 3x/month. Maybe I can cut down to 2x/month.
8. Exercise whenever possible. Whenever I find a free slot in the schedule, I’ll go to the gym. There, less chance of spending money and at the same time it’s healthier! (Tip thanks to Jimmy Ng.)
9. Pass on watching movies in theater. Rent some movies from Redbox you’ve been meaning to see but never got to before they stopped showing in theaters…for 1/10 the price!
10. "If you save your change, at the end of the year you can take it to Coinstar and exchange it for a gift certificate without paying the fee they charge for changing to cash - Amazon.com has everything you could want to buy for Christmas presents." #
11. Learn how to take advantage of the Shell gas station Giant grocery store gives you! And other savings programs like this.
12. "Do all my shopping in one trip every three weeks. Fewer trips means better planning, less impulse buying, and less gas use. I make a list of what I need and stick to it UNLESS there is something I KNOW I will use that is seriously on sale. I also know which stores have the best prices on the things I buy regularly." #

# Tips thanks to Ohio State University School of Medicine Financial Services website.

Hope this is helpful for you! I will personally try to work on 6, 7, 9, 11, and 12.

Okay, I cannot end this post without a mini-rant:

To friends/acquaintances of medical students: please do not peer pressure us into spending more than we want or waft away our worries of being in debt with your thoughtless, “oh you’ll be rich doctors soon and pay off all your loans soon.” Yes, that will come (more) quickly for those of us going into radiology/anesthesiology/ophthalmology/dermatology but some of us will be filling the much demanded posts of primary care and will still be paying off our loans 10 years down the road… Please take your head out of the sand and read all the reports on how investing in medical education has one of the worst pay offs around. Also, realize that we’re not in debt for the 4 years of medical school, but at least 7 years because we still have residency afterwards where we get paid barely enough to keep ourselves alive much less start paying back loans. Unless you’ve been in our shoes or similar ones and know the feeling of watching your interest accumulate and compound year after year while knowing that you won’t even have a chance to do anything about it for another 5 years, please be more respectful of our financial decisions. And if you treat us to dinner or help us pay for something, trust me, we’ll remember and that generosity will be paid back to you 100-fold. Karma.

To other medical students: don’t let people who don’t know what they’re talking about peer pressure you. They’re not paying for the decision you make, you are.