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

So what do you even do anyway?

Over the past few months I've been repeatedly considering what my job actually entails as I've been creating resumes for a big-girl job and I've been preparing to transition my job over to a new department with completely new staff and try to find funding for that new set of folks. That means I've had to really think through the big picture of how what I do on a daily basis affects campus, but also the best ways to inform others about the nitty gritty details.

And then a few weeks ago one of my good friends asked a simple question..."So what do you even do anyway?"

I speak to this person on an almost daily basis, but I realized I never actually tell people what it is that I do. So here we go...in case anyone cares!

I am the service learning graduate assistant for 4 service learning projects at UNMC. I oversee all 4 projects and then also consult with several of the colleges on the UNMC campus to begin service learning programs within their school. And the last portion of my job is reading and responding to student reflections on their service learning/volunteering experiences (something I was trained to do because of service learning at Hastings College--thanks Jean and Dan--AND the years I worked in youth/young adult ministry--thanks Adam--honing my skills at delving deeper and asking the next-level questions).

My job requires something different each and every day, which I love. There are many days that I have absolutely no idea what I'll be doing as I head into work. Others are certainly more predictable, but always bring adventures of their own. Some days it's just a whole lot of ordering food for events or folding brochures for hours on end, but other times I will go almost a week without actually being at my desk or in the office at all. The best part of my job is being able to work with students who are seriously bada**. They are well on their way to being professionals and they take so much time out of their schedule to actually work in the community and make a difference. It's so amazing to be part of. Below are some photos of what I get to do when I go to work.

Bridge to Care
BTC provides health care services to refugees in Omaha. I've written about them before in a very different context.
Besides the biennial health fair, they also provide monthly health education sessions to refugee adults and mentoring
for refugee youth in 4th-8th grades. This photo is from our fall health fair that served more than 300 refugees!

bag packing for the BTC oral health hygiene fair--I packed 120 bags for 4th-8th grade students yesterday!

Decreasing the Donor Deficit
DDD signs up potential donors to the national bone marrow registry (thru Be the Match) and also provides
awareness/education on campus to health professions students about blood cancers. 

do juSTIce (DOuglas county Jail United with Students To Impact a Citywide Epidemic)
do juSTIce is the group I've been working with the longest. They offer free chlamydia and gonorrhea testing/treatment
to inmates at the Douglas County Jail. Additionally, they give age-appropriate/evidenced-based STI education at the
 Douglas County Jail, Douglas County Youth Correctional Facility, Omaha Home for Boys, and Community Alliance.
The students provide a full 25% of ALL chlamydia and gonorrhea tests in the county
(think somewhere in the range of 1,500+ tests per year plus the individual counseling that goes alongside that!).
This photo is from the poster session at the Society for Scientific Study of Sexuality conference in 2014.  

do juSTIce: actually getting to provide the STI education with inmates...one of my favorite parts!

condom kit assembly: condoms, testing locations, condom information shirts and a t-shirt designed by youth detainees
to promote STI testing. It's not uncommon for my co-workers/professors to ask  "you have the condoms out again...
what's the project this time?" 

EMPOWER
EMPOWER provides health education to domestic violence survivors in the Omaha area. They also provide education to
health professions students on domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking through documentary screenings,
awareness events, and lunch panels. This picture was taken at the "Take Back the Night" rally, which was a joint-effort
event with the UNO Gender & Sexuality Resource Center. Also pictured is the UNMC Title IX coordinator. 

EMPOWER had a service day this past weekend. They partnered with
Rejuvenating Women (organization that works with sex trafficking
victims) and Open Door Mission (homeless shelter) to do whatever
they needed. My task was to be buried in piles of tiny toiletries.

clearly I was having a wonderful time at the EMPOWER service event last weekend... :)

Match Day 2016

**(I really meant to have this posted last week, but it was Spring Break and I was out, you know, enjoying the world and not on my computer...but that doesn't mean I'm any less excited and proud!)**

I sincerely love this photo. Getting the envelopes.
photo cred: UNMC

I started this blogging journey on the very first day of orientation for medical school, so I'm not sure there's a much more fitting way to usher in the end of medical school for some of my greatest friends than another blogpost!

I had the great honor of being able to attend the Match Day 2016 ceremony at UNMC as an adopted family member of the lovely Meredith. If you're not familiar, Match Day is the day that medical students across the United States find out where they will be completing their residency. Everyone across the U.S. gets to open their little envelopes at 11 am and the celebrating (and sometimes weeping) commences. It's really quite a stressful process--and I didn't even have anything actually staked on the results!

Meredith's family (+me) celebrating her top choice!
photo cred: UNMC

UNMC tries to make the process fun (mad props to the social chairs--Jill, Lindsey, and Lauren--for making Match Week super wonderful and to class president Joe for your sense of humor during the ceremony and the past 4 years), but still it's stressful. There were a few speeches, a few gifts for the staff that had helped everyone through, and then everyone was able to go get their envelopes. While everyone had their own envelopes, the mad dash to pick them up ended up seeming a little cutthroat! Once everyone had their envelopes, they were allowed to open them with their friends/family/significant others.

Once everyone had the chance to open their envelopes and cry/scream/fall to the floor and convulse, students were randomly called up to the podium to announce their new homes. Everyone picked their own walk up song and there were baby pictures through medical school pictures of them playing on a screen in the background. A few brave souls waited until they were on stage to open their envelopes. I really have to tip my hat to those that did that--there is zero chance that I would be able to do that without having a panic attack while waiting.

Since we were actually seated in the front row, I got the best view of everyone's emotions--and especially their joy--which was one of the highlights of my day. After everyone had their moment to shine on stage the ceremony ended, but the celebrations were far from over. There was a gathering/dance/place to eat cake later that evening, which was another highlight of the day. It was so fun to hang out and catch up with everyone again--I'm not sure I've laughed that hard or danced that hard in a long time.  

Although I am EXTREMELY proud to know these incredible (almost) physicians and cannot send them more positive vibes for success in their new homes, it also felt like a really weird day for me. I know that I am not called to be a doctor--I've more than come to terms with that. But it was also strange being surrounded by everyone that I started that journey alongside as they are getting ready to move on. I will only be a student a few short months longer than they will, so in my own way I will be moving on with them, but it is different (I'm also a little jealous that they have a computer algorithm that matches them to a program and basically tells them where they're going to live for the next 3-5+ years of their lives...I need someone/something to do that for me! There are so many options that it's almost paralyzing!). I can only hope that we will get to work together in the future because they have all changed me for the better. 

Congratulations UNMC College of Medicine Class of 2016! Y'all are so awesome and I'm so proud to call you my friends! 

I'm proud of everyone in this class, but I'm extra proud of this one!
Megan and I started the whole process of MCATs, applying to medical school,
and interviews and acceptance on the same day as each other together.
So glad I was able to see her succeed.
Utah is lucky to have you!  

El Presidente "Making the Class Great Again"

I failed hard at getting the 2016 balloons in there,
but "A" for effort? 

DCYC volunteers: the originals