full circle

One of my goals for 2017 is to write at least one blog per week. The end of the first week of the year creeped up a little quicker than I expected and yet no blog. Hoping to remedy that immediately...

Shortly before Christmas was my graduation ceremony.

It was quite run of the mill as far as graduation ceremonies go. I've never been much of a fan of graduation ceremonies after having to play Pomp and Circumstance one bazillion times in high school and college with the band. But it was extremely special for 2 reasons:

1. I FINALLY graduated. With a degree. Not the degree I really ever anticipated receiving nor in the time frame I had originally planned. But with a degree that makes me extremely proud, gives me life and allows me to be excited about the work I am privileged to do every single day. 
2. My journey at UNMC ended in the way it began: me crossing the stage at Joslyn Art Museum in front of my family and loved ones. (insert The Lion King's The Circle of Life audio here)

My life is quite different than when I started at UNMC 4.5 years ago. It's also quite different from what I had dreamed for it to be that very first time walking across that stage 4.5 years ago. But it's really truly so much better than I could have ever imagined. 

I had a moment on that stage where the emotions of my time at UNMC quickly came flooding back: the terror of anatomy classes, the utter boredom of biochemistry, being diagnosed with Crohn's disease, the confusion over physiology, surgery, medical leave, M1 year--take 2, the love of neuro core, the looming dread that medicine (my dream since I was 8 years old) was not for me anymore, more sickness, abruptly quitting medical school and switching careers, the relief of being accepted into public health, the adjustment into a new lifestyle, the freedom to pursue things that interested me and to travel, the feeling of healing, the fear of the next steps in my career, the frustration at my capstone, and finally, the utter elation that I had finished. 

The past 4.5 years have been a lot. I really don't have a better way to explain it...there was plenty of awesome intermixed with the not-so-great and some in between things as well. But there was very little time for reflection in the midst of all of that other than what I wrote on this blog. 

So I need to thank you all for helping me survive (and thrive) throughout my tenure at UNMC. I needed this blog as an outlet for all that was going on in my crazy, wonderful life probably more than you needed to be reading any of my thoughts. I also need to thank my friends and family for being incredible support systems and for occasionally (literally) picking me up off the ground helping me move forward when I couldn't get up on my own. 

It's been a ride, but boy am I ever glad that I made it back, full circle, to that stage at Joslyn. 

Grandma + Uncle Dale
@ the hooding ceremony

My capstone adviser, Dr. Tibbits
@ the hooding ceremony

Aunt Lorraine + Uncle Dick
@ graduation

Aunt Jayne
@ graduation

 UNMC COPH 2016 winter graduates 

Annie, the other maternal & child health grad <3

Mom + Dad
@ the hooding ceremony

the very first time I walked across that stage
@ UNMC COM 2016 White Coat Ceremony
August 17, 2012

White Coat Ceremony

Friday was our white coat ceremony. It sort of made this whole medical school thing real. The ceremony was held at Joslyn Art Museum (which is beautiful and wonderful...if you haven't been, please go the next time you're in Omaha). We got a brief history of the medical school, the president of the alumni association talked, had a few brief remarks from the Dean of the College of Medicine and then, finally, we got our white coats.

I know that you have to be pretty smart to get into medical school, but they gave us this long list of things to do while we were on stage (get coat, shake two hands, place paper in basket, put coat on, shake 3 hands, sign your name, shake one more hand, get two pictures taken) and it was honestly kind of hard to remember all of the steps. I was nervous and got a serious case of stage fright, so my brain went out the window, but apparently I walked through all of the steps without any major hiccups.

After we all were coated (I'm not really sure that "coated" is a word, but I'm going to go with it. It sorta sounds like being knighted, which is pretty awesome, but unfortunately I'm not English and don't get the privilege of being knighted, so I'll settle for being coated), we had to take an oath. Here's the oath:

I dedicate myself to the sciences and the art of medicine.

I promise:

to be humble in my ignorance

to preserve the dignity of those I serve

to respect my colleagues in the health professions

to conduct myself in a professional manner

and to offer support and encouragement to fellow students.

May I fulfill these responsibilities and bring honor to the University, the faculty, and the students of medicine. 

Yikes, bikes and trikes! That seems like such a tall order! I know that my friends, family and classmates will be there to help support me throughout the next four years as I live out the words of this oath. Thank you to everyone who has been there to support me this far...

• to all of you who patiently listened to me complain about my classes and course load at Hastings College
• to those of you who have written letters of recommendation for me over the years for various scholarships, summer programs, medical school, etc
• to all of you who reassured me that I would, in fact, get into medical school
• to my parents for loving me even when I was being neurotic (and for cooking me meals and for allowing me to have a temporary study haven at the house whenever I needed some peace and quiet) and for teaching me to work hard to achieve my goals
• to my fellow classmates for all of the late night study sessions and for explaining basic concepts to me when I was just too dense to understand their simplicity
• to the doctors whom I have shadowed over the years and who have modeled the right ways to become a great physician
• to the staff and members of Church Health Center for challenging me to always remember the humanity in health care and for supporting me in my wacky bi-vocational career goals
• to my beautiful roommate Megan who has been by my side every step of the way as we applied, interviewed, were accepted and prepared for medical school. I know that I wouldn't have survived orientation week without you by my side!
• to the new friends I am making within my M1 class for reminding me to laugh when I am scared to death of the journey we are beginning.

I'm quite sure that I've missed far too many people on my list, but please know that each of you have made an impact on my journey. One thing that was re-iterated several times this week was that we will NEED to rely on our friends and family to help us get through the next four years, so thanks in advance too!

Something that I thought was really cool about the white coat ceremony was all of the people who have been part of my life, even tangentially, that were involved or present. Obviously my parents were there, my grandmother and Godmother/Aunt, Dr. Edwards, and Megan's parents also were there. But then there were the others. My mother's best friend from college (who is actually a friend of mine's mom!) helped to sponsor my white coat (Dr. Edwards sponsored the rest of it), one of my classmate's grandmothers used to work at Good Samaritan Village with my mom and remembers me as "little Jenny," another one of my classmate's uncles went to HC with my parents as well and was excited to meet me. Moments like that remind me of how small the world is sometimes. There are several of my classmates who are actually high school friends with some of my closest college friends. I actually just discovered that I used to teach dance to the younger siblings of one of my classmates. I'm grateful for these connections and am excited to continue to expand them. 

Megan getting her coat.

Fellow HC student, Jake Wardyn, getting his coat.

Dr. Lydiatt (President Alumni Association) coated me. 

UNMC Class of 2016

Thank you Aunt Lorraine for everything you've done over the years!
And thanks for sponsoring my white coat!

A special thanks to Dr. Erin and Dr. Chris Masada for sponsoring my white coat
and for the wonderful little note you sent with it!

My wonderful roommate, Megan! 

Mama and Daddy. 

Grandma
(I had to take my shoes off so I wasn't too tall for this picture)

Oh and just so everyone knows...I have only *officially* joined one extracurricular group so far. I'm still considering 3-5 more, but can everyone just take a moment and be impressed with the self-restraint I'm showing? Okay, great. Thanks for that! 

Classes start 8 am on Monday morning in the Gross Anatomy lab. Tomorrow I begin a delightful 10 weeks with a cadaver and 3 other students in my lab group. Wish me luck! I apologize in advance for smelling like formaldehyde.