Summer fun!
My experience at Duke University for the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program was both inspiring and developmental in regards to my journey to medicine. This program was designed for minority students interested in perusing medicine to gain health and medical exposure. I took courses in Physics, Physiology, Writing in Medical Education, Ethics, Humanism & Health Care Policy, as well as Standardized Patient Orientation. These courses were enthralling in that it gave me an idea about how much work, organization, and dedication is needed to be successful as a student. I was fortunate enough to speak to many different Health providers throughout the hospital. Each of them shared their personal experiences in medicine as well as a few things that I would be able to look forward too. They all shared a strong sense of passion for their job which excited me for the journey ahead.
During the time the nation was dealing with race and identity tensions, I enjoyed the discussions that my peers and I engaged in about uniting communities and being accepting of all types of people. Wellness and sickness have no gender or race targets, and I the best physicians can connect with different types of people, as well as hold a strong voice in the community. At the Hospital that I shadowed in, I quickly became aware of the amount of patience that is needed when dealing with different patients. I come from a very diverse background, and I can connect with people on different personal levels which I observed many of the physicians do. A physician during my labor and delivery rotation shared with me a term she coined “physician personalities” in which different aspects of the job call for different types of people. The encouragement that I received at this program was incomparable and defiantly had a positive impact on my life.