Island Med Student

Wow. If you had told me 5 years ago that I’d be sitting here today, sipping my coffee, glimpsing out the window at lush, tropical island scenery, glancing around the room at medical textbooks and supplies, and writing a blog entry for Medscape, my jaw would have dropped in disbelief. In retrospect, though, it’s probably best that I didn’t know what lay ahead of me. Discovering your future is like opening a gift; it’s more fun if you have no clue what it’s going to be.

So, here I am. My name is Kendra and I am a first-year medical student attending Ross University School of Medicine on the island country of Dominica, which is situated between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. I’m 27 years young, which means I didn’t come straight to medical school after my undergrad classes. Instead, I took time off to work at a state psychiatric hospital and at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Looking around at some of my fellow classmates who are only 22, I am thankful that I made the decision to take that time off. With all the things that I’ve learned in the past 5 years, I could write a lengthy book. And maybe I will write that book, someday.

All of you readers out there now have the opportunity to follow me through medical school from day one. My classes just began last week, so you’ll most likely see my medical school journey through the eyes of an unseasoned, quixotic, first-year medical student all the way to a seasoned, learned, physician. At least that is my hope. I’ve read about how many med students enter medical school all starry-eyed, ambitious, and hoping to save the world. But then the stress, pressures, and unfortunate realities of medicine and healthcare sometimes extinguish their hopes and dreams. I sincerely hope that does not happen to me. There will certainly be times where I will feel bitter about medicine and will feel like no matter how hard I work at being a good physician, I can’t make a patient take care of themselves, and I can’t make the healthcare system perfect.

I also know that medical school is not easy. Making my way through the daunting labs, herculean exams, and endless amount of information will likely be the most challenging thing I’ve ever attempted. There will be frustrations, setbacks, and failures, and the light at the end of the tunnel will sometimes fade into a faint flicker; but I will do my best to remember that the light is always still there.

So, here goes everything. This is bon voyage to my old life and bienvenue to the wonderful world of medical school. Please make sure your seatbelts are properly fastened, and I hope you enjoy the ride.

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