The second day of class itself, we were all required to give a speech. Under normal circumstances, I am actually quite comfortable with public speaking. But this was a different scenario. As I was waiting anxiously in my seat, I remember hoping that I would not walk up there, forget everything and make a complete fool of myself in front of all my peers. I was expecting an intimidating and harsh audience. But what I received was the exact opposite. Every single one of my peers listened attentively, and gave me positive feedback and constructive criticism. Beyond the public speaking tips I gained through this particular exercise, I learned something even more valuable - that we are not in this alone. We have got an entire group of friends that are standing along beside us, rooting us on, making sure that at the end of this year, we accomplish our goals. I am ecstatic about this upcoming year and cannot wait to learn more about my topic of study, pediatric neurosurgery. More so than that though, I am excited about all the valuable skills I will learn from not only my mentor, but also my peers.
Although initially I was quite daunted by the amount of work and effort required, it is amazing to look back and see how much I have already accomplished. Over the past two weeks, I have chosen my quote of the year, written my mission statement, researched the basic information about pediatric neurosurgery and also set-up this blog. This upcoming week, I plan on finishing my resume, polishing up my blog, as well as adding more contacts to my list of pediatric neurosurgeons.
