...I did. I withdrew from school as of May 15, 2009. There were a variety of reasons I could list off as to why I decided to stop my pursuit of a Medical Degree at St. George's University, and I may do that at some later time. Save to say that there was one major change that swayed me: my wife gave birth to our daughter.
About a week after she was born, I went home to visit her. I had an amazing week with her and my wife. I then returned to Grenada (some 3,000 miles away) for the another month of school and final exams. However, my life had fundamentally changed and I had all new priorities.
I completed my final exams, finished my coursework for that 1st full year of medical school, and I wished my classmates well.
I do not know if I will return to that island again, and I know that what I learned there (both in and out of the classroom) will never leave me. I am a better person for having attended SGU and I hope to keep in touch with all the friends I met in Grenada.
Please, still keep in touch. Thank you for the support during my time in school and wish me luck as I move onto the next phase of my life.
"Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans." -- John Lennon
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Monday, November 10, 2008
A few weeks ago....
I remember traveling by car in the fall. Southern Minnesota was a great place to wander--trees bursting with color and flocks of birds migrating overhead. My favorite game to play while riding in the car was to guess who was faster--the birds or us. I played the same game with the moon, but the moon always seemed to tie us to our destination.
As I am sitting here in Grenada this fall, I can not tell that the seasons have changed. Yes, the grass is a bit greener from the frequent rain showers and there seem to be more mosquitoes around; but I cannot honestly say I feel any difference from now, when I first came to Greanada, and when I departed last spring.
Thus, I am left to reminisce on last fall, and the experience I enjoyed. I was able to join my new in-laws in South-Western Minnesota. In and of itself, this is not all that exciting. Imagine a land spread as far as you can see under grey-blue skies, dried-out khaki corn stalks and a cold wind. Occasionally, there's a pocket of trees, but for the most part, the corn and sky dominate the view.
But we did not come to take in the scenery. I was about to leave my innocent childhood memories of birds flying behind, to take up arms and bring those creatures back to the ground. The birds, that is, not the memories.
I was going hunting.
I am the minority in these parts. There are VERY few 27 year olds in the Midwest who go hunting for the first time. But there I was; license in pocket, father-in-law's shotgun slung over one arm, trudging through knocked down corn. Dogs bounding through the field hunting up pheasants. I cannot say I was very successful, but there were nearly a dozen in our party, spaced along the field walking in a fan formation. Somehow I was suckered into taking the furthest point (i.e. I had to walk the farthest). I didn't see many pheasants in that field, but we did manage to startle a 10-point buck that was bedded down. My brothers-in-law took great care to mentally note where it ran off to--deer hunting season started a weeks later.
We hiked through corn, grass and mud over several fields and I fully enjoyed the teamwork and freedom to enjoy the outdoors with such purpose. My father did not really approve of guns and the only opportunity I had to fire any came at scout-camp; where there was a range with a few .22's we aimed at paper targets. I recall that I did quite poorly with this marksmanship, although this was before we recognized that I needed glasses.
However, as I watched a black lab flush a rooster not 10 feet in front of me, I realized it was not the glasses that made the difference. I hesitated, fearful that this was really a hen, and let the streaming tail-feathers sail past me until the bird was almost 20 feet behind me. Only then did I mange to raise my borrowed gun and let loose two shots. Both missed.
It's not the glasses, it was practice and confidence I lacked. And I had done so well in Nintendo's "Duck Hunter"! I got a brief, and well deserved ribbing from nearby family but continued on; hopeful for an opportunity to redeem myself. The next day I got my chance.
I got up early, well before sunrise, to join my new cousins on a quick truck ride out to a neighbor's field. We unloaded, carried a few decoys out and setup the plastic ducks and Canada Geese in an attempt to lure migrating birds. Once positioned in a surprisingly realistic way, the six of us huddled in the standing corn, sipping on Miller Light or whatever we brought and waited.
Those moments from my youth, riding in the car, came back to me. I saw the massive flocks of birds, lines of ducks and v-shaped geese against the opaque sky. It was very different and exciting feeling to see those same patterns come under such a different circumstance.
We continued to huddle in the corn, watching the flocks fly silhouetted against the clouds. Suddenly, there was a loud "quack" nearby. My attention snapped to my right where I saw Brent with his duck call out. I relaxed a bit and began scanning the horizon. Mark O. pointed off to the north-west where I could barely make out a few dots against the clouds. There were at least fifteen or twenty ducks coming closer. They circled us a few times at a safe distance. Mark said that they were inspecting the site to make sure it was safe. We all sat still hoping that the birds wouldn't see us crouching among the corn in our various shades of camouflage.
Matt told me where to stand and talked me through how I should plan to fire when the time came. The ducks came in, and we opened fire a bit too soon. We missed all ten or so that dropped down and the birds retreated in a bizarre panic.
We packed up and headed back to our shack to grab some hot lunch. Later that evening, we returned to the field and our decoys. The geese were flying in the distance and we crouched in the cornstalks again. But we didn't need to wait long. Brent pulled out his goose call and proceeded to get the attention of a few distant dots. Phil and Jon waved the goose flag and simulated a landing bird further enticing the large grey, white and black birds closer.
We all waited until the last possible moment and when the geese were no more than eight feet off the ground we stood and opened fire. Realizing the trap, four of the creatures flapped and fled, one was not so lucky. The fifth animal took a hit on the wing and another shortly there after.
I got my goose. It was surprising how heavy the animal was, and later how warm its insides were. Brent, Matt and Shawn walked me through the easiest way to clean the bird. And the animal that was, hours before, trying to land on a field, was now sealed in a vacuum pouch and chilling in Dave's large chest freezer. I sat down at the fire after washing my hands and grabbing a brat with mustard and kraut. Not a bad day.
It took a great group of people to pull off this weekend. I was able to borrow a gun, be driven to the right field, shown where to stand and when to fire. We worked as a team to bring in and hit the birds and we all shared in the stories and jokes after the sun had set.
The sky is not often grey in Grenada. There are no geese and I only shiver when I am happily in my air-conditioned room. Firearms are illegal on the island and there is no hunting. The seasons do not seem to change and the ocean provides a barren and endless horizon. However, I feel many of the same lessons I from that weekend carry over to my current education.
I will not complete Medical school alone. There is far too much information to get through solo and study-partners will always help by testing your memory. We meet to shoot questions and build rapid-recall, we trudge through the same dense material. Furthermore, we all have the same target in our sights. We strive to become great physicians, and with each other's help we can land that future position we desire.
I am sad to be away from home during the fall. I miss the beautiful color of the leaves, the smell of the wet grass and being with my wife and family. Now, I also miss this new fall sport and my new extended family. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to realize a part of me that I did not have before. And I am glad to use what I learned.
As I am sitting here in Grenada this fall, I can not tell that the seasons have changed. Yes, the grass is a bit greener from the frequent rain showers and there seem to be more mosquitoes around; but I cannot honestly say I feel any difference from now, when I first came to Greanada, and when I departed last spring.
Thus, I am left to reminisce on last fall, and the experience I enjoyed. I was able to join my new in-laws in South-Western Minnesota. In and of itself, this is not all that exciting. Imagine a land spread as far as you can see under grey-blue skies, dried-out khaki corn stalks and a cold wind. Occasionally, there's a pocket of trees, but for the most part, the corn and sky dominate the view.
But we did not come to take in the scenery. I was about to leave my innocent childhood memories of birds flying behind, to take up arms and bring those creatures back to the ground. The birds, that is, not the memories.
I was going hunting.
I am the minority in these parts. There are VERY few 27 year olds in the Midwest who go hunting for the first time. But there I was; license in pocket, father-in-law's shotgun slung over one arm, trudging through knocked down corn. Dogs bounding through the field hunting up pheasants. I cannot say I was very successful, but there were nearly a dozen in our party, spaced along the field walking in a fan formation. Somehow I was suckered into taking the furthest point (i.e. I had to walk the farthest). I didn't see many pheasants in that field, but we did manage to startle a 10-point buck that was bedded down. My brothers-in-law took great care to mentally note where it ran off to--deer hunting season started a weeks later.
We hiked through corn, grass and mud over several fields and I fully enjoyed the teamwork and freedom to enjoy the outdoors with such purpose. My father did not really approve of guns and the only opportunity I had to fire any came at scout-camp; where there was a range with a few .22's we aimed at paper targets. I recall that I did quite poorly with this marksmanship, although this was before we recognized that I needed glasses.
However, as I watched a black lab flush a rooster not 10 feet in front of me, I realized it was not the glasses that made the difference. I hesitated, fearful that this was really a hen, and let the streaming tail-feathers sail past me until the bird was almost 20 feet behind me. Only then did I mange to raise my borrowed gun and let loose two shots. Both missed.
It's not the glasses, it was practice and confidence I lacked. And I had done so well in Nintendo's "Duck Hunter"! I got a brief, and well deserved ribbing from nearby family but continued on; hopeful for an opportunity to redeem myself. The next day I got my chance.
I got up early, well before sunrise, to join my new cousins on a quick truck ride out to a neighbor's field. We unloaded, carried a few decoys out and setup the plastic ducks and Canada Geese in an attempt to lure migrating birds. Once positioned in a surprisingly realistic way, the six of us huddled in the standing corn, sipping on Miller Light or whatever we brought and waited.
Those moments from my youth, riding in the car, came back to me. I saw the massive flocks of birds, lines of ducks and v-shaped geese against the opaque sky. It was very different and exciting feeling to see those same patterns come under such a different circumstance.
We continued to huddle in the corn, watching the flocks fly silhouetted against the clouds. Suddenly, there was a loud "quack" nearby. My attention snapped to my right where I saw Brent with his duck call out. I relaxed a bit and began scanning the horizon. Mark O. pointed off to the north-west where I could barely make out a few dots against the clouds. There were at least fifteen or twenty ducks coming closer. They circled us a few times at a safe distance. Mark said that they were inspecting the site to make sure it was safe. We all sat still hoping that the birds wouldn't see us crouching among the corn in our various shades of camouflage.
Matt told me where to stand and talked me through how I should plan to fire when the time came. The ducks came in, and we opened fire a bit too soon. We missed all ten or so that dropped down and the birds retreated in a bizarre panic.
We packed up and headed back to our shack to grab some hot lunch. Later that evening, we returned to the field and our decoys. The geese were flying in the distance and we crouched in the cornstalks again. But we didn't need to wait long. Brent pulled out his goose call and proceeded to get the attention of a few distant dots. Phil and Jon waved the goose flag and simulated a landing bird further enticing the large grey, white and black birds closer.
We all waited until the last possible moment and when the geese were no more than eight feet off the ground we stood and opened fire. Realizing the trap, four of the creatures flapped and fled, one was not so lucky. The fifth animal took a hit on the wing and another shortly there after.
I got my goose. It was surprising how heavy the animal was, and later how warm its insides were. Brent, Matt and Shawn walked me through the easiest way to clean the bird. And the animal that was, hours before, trying to land on a field, was now sealed in a vacuum pouch and chilling in Dave's large chest freezer. I sat down at the fire after washing my hands and grabbing a brat with mustard and kraut. Not a bad day.
It took a great group of people to pull off this weekend. I was able to borrow a gun, be driven to the right field, shown where to stand and when to fire. We worked as a team to bring in and hit the birds and we all shared in the stories and jokes after the sun had set.
The sky is not often grey in Grenada. There are no geese and I only shiver when I am happily in my air-conditioned room. Firearms are illegal on the island and there is no hunting. The seasons do not seem to change and the ocean provides a barren and endless horizon. However, I feel many of the same lessons I from that weekend carry over to my current education.
I will not complete Medical school alone. There is far too much information to get through solo and study-partners will always help by testing your memory. We meet to shoot questions and build rapid-recall, we trudge through the same dense material. Furthermore, we all have the same target in our sights. We strive to become great physicians, and with each other's help we can land that future position we desire.
I am sad to be away from home during the fall. I miss the beautiful color of the leaves, the smell of the wet grass and being with my wife and family. Now, I also miss this new fall sport and my new extended family. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to realize a part of me that I did not have before. And I am glad to use what I learned.
Monday, August 18, 2008
1st lecture
If the first day of class gives any insight to what the term may be like, there is one word that could describe the upcoming months: surprising.The first surprise was that the Biochemistry department has a new interim-director: Dr. Davidson. The second surprise came mid-way through his orientation lecture. The Charter Hall fire alarms suddenly went off. What was most amusing was the lack of response the student body and professors in attendance displayed to the extremely loud alarm. There was a shocked gasp in the crowd immediately following the first burst of shrill noise, but after that there was only a moderate level of chatter among the students. We all sat in the lecture hall for approximately 5 minutes, waiting for someone to silence the noise and allow us to resume our lectures. Then Dr. Davidson's voice came across the lecture speakers informing us that we were to evacuate the building as "...we have no idea what is going on." All 400+ students filed out the doors into the steamy midday sun and stood around for the next 15 minutes.
We were allowed back into the lecture hall, Dr. Davidson took up where he left off, and the remainder of the presentation went off without a hitch.
As we were returning to the hall, I did witness
Dr. Martin examine one of the fire-alarm pull devices and comment that it lacked a dye pack and say with some humor that any student could come by and set off the alarms without having any way to identify who it was.(Please note, this posting is not intended to encourage any student to take such actions as the student body would not view such behavior with any favor).
What amused me the most was the total lack of response, fear or alertness most all the students displayed to this fire alarm. Perhaps it is partially due to the nature of such noises on campus. For example, our room in SD 6 can hear fire alarms going off in other rooms at all hours of the day, with great frequency. Perhaps I'll keep a tally some day (or hour) while I'm studying. Then again, perhaps I'll keep my focus on my books.
Restart...
Term 1 classes begin today. However, my first lecture is not until Wednesday afternoon. Unlike last term, I've already met with several classmates and have organized a study group; and we have a plan to power through this term of biochemistry. I am truly looking forward to the opportunity to redeem myself and better understand the material that escaped me last term.
The new countdown timer at the left was my wife's suggestion. I'll add a new "break" timer so I can count down the days until I am home on little breaks. Christmas is the next holiday, and I was happy to find snoopy decorating his house. I imagine I will be doing the same as snoopy shortly after I arrive home. Although, I'm terrified at the pitch of our home's roof. Maybe I'll just put lites on the porch and garage; yeah, that'd be safer.
The new countdown timer at the left was my wife's suggestion. I'll add a new "break" timer so I can count down the days until I am home on little breaks. Christmas is the next holiday, and I was happy to find snoopy decorating his house. I imagine I will be doing the same as snoopy shortly after I arrive home. Although, I'm terrified at the pitch of our home's roof. Maybe I'll just put lites on the porch and garage; yeah, that'd be safer.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Warm days
Things are beginning to fall into place. We still lack network and internet in SD 6, but the students still put up at the Grand Anse campus have been cleared to move into their rooms in the newly opened wing of SD 6. The rooms still have the mild smell of fresh paint and grout.
We were also allowed to lock our doors yesterday! This may not seem like that big a deal, but we were just issued our keys. This is a major improvement from the previous day and a half where we and our neighbors were left to use duct tape or some other object to prevent the self-locking doors from closing when we left.
On a more personal note, I have now been cleared to register as a student again. I will only be taking one class, but I will perform well enough to make up for the extra time I will be spending on this island.
Although it is a good thing I am seeking this profession. Today while trying to clean up my haircut with my trimmers, I forgot to adjust the comb height properly. I was painfully aware of this lapse while looking in my mirror at the bright white streak down the side of my scalp. I had no choice but to continue the same height cut all over my head, and I am now left with little more than 1mm of hair. I look like a brand new chia pet... but much more pale.
I will have to wear sunscreen and/or a hat to prevent this from burning under the VERY hot and humid sun here along the equator. Sunsets are still rapid, although it seems to be taking quite a while for them to start. I am sure that will all change once classes start next Wednesday.
We were also allowed to lock our doors yesterday! This may not seem like that big a deal, but we were just issued our keys. This is a major improvement from the previous day and a half where we and our neighbors were left to use duct tape or some other object to prevent the self-locking doors from closing when we left.
On a more personal note, I have now been cleared to register as a student again. I will only be taking one class, but I will perform well enough to make up for the extra time I will be spending on this island.
Although it is a good thing I am seeking this profession. Today while trying to clean up my haircut with my trimmers, I forgot to adjust the comb height properly. I was painfully aware of this lapse while looking in my mirror at the bright white streak down the side of my scalp. I had no choice but to continue the same height cut all over my head, and I am now left with little more than 1mm of hair. I look like a brand new chia pet... but much more pale.
I will have to wear sunscreen and/or a hat to prevent this from burning under the VERY hot and humid sun here along the equator. Sunsets are still rapid, although it seems to be taking quite a while for them to start. I am sure that will all change once classes start next Wednesday.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Lucky boys....
So, in my note yesterday I may have mentioned that I had no idea as to when I'd be allowed to move into my preassigned room in SD6. Turns out, my roomates and I were VERY fortunate to have been selected for the "A" wing of SD 6. We moved into our "home" on campus last night. We're in. It's done. We have running water, power, A/C, and a fully functioning kitchen. The only thing we're missing is network and internet access from our rooms. However, compared to Grand Anse, this is true luxury.
Apparently, by the time our third member arrived, the RAs on the G.A. campus informed him that they had no more rooms. If we had not been permitted to move in, he and a number of others on his flight would have to have slept on the floor or be put up in a hotel somewhere.
Regardless, it is very comforting to know that I am settled and I will shortly be attending my first course, Parasitology, this morning.
Take care and keep in touch.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Update...
I'm now on campus and looking around there is some noteworthy points. First, Monday 8/11/08 the campus is closed. The housing office is open, Q Store and Pearl's are open on limited hours.
Classes begin tomrrow for term 2. 8am - noon Bell Hall -- Genetics and Parasitology.
Bring your printout full registration form.
I'll try to post images of the notes I got this info from soon.
Good luck!
Classes begin tomrrow for term 2. 8am - noon Bell Hall -- Genetics and Parasitology.
Bring your printout full registration form.
I'll try to post images of the notes I got this info from soon.
Good luck!
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