Coming into March, I knew it would be extremely busy. The first weekend I had a college interview. The second weekend, I was helping run an event for international students at UTD. The third weekend, I was in Oklahoma being a small group leader for a church camp. The fourth weekend, I was attending a missions seminar and we had family coming in from out of town. Add school and volunteering and various other responsibilities to the mix, and it seemed like I was bound to fall apart at any moment. Idleness has never been a word in my dictionary and I have always lived a relatively fast paced lifestyle. However, this past month, I wondered if perhaps I was being stretched too thin. It seemed like the list of tasks I needed to accomplish would never end - for every one thing I managed to finish, another two were added. This past week especially has been a struggle for me. Not only physically exhausted, but also mentally. My steam has begun to run out and it is difficult for me to remember that there is any purpose to any of this.
I think my lack of motivation was evident. Last week, Mr. Wysong pulled me aside and for lack of better word, gave me a "pep talk." He reminded me that there were people watching me and looking up to me. If I gave up now, not only would I disappoint those around me, but I would be failing myself. He challenged me to find the strength within me to give everything I had and finish strong. With less than 70 days left till graduation, it blows my mind that the end is actually within sight. However, between today and June 4th lie AP exams, and Final Presentation Night, and Final Product. Though these last few months will be incredibly testing, I know that if I do not give it my all, I will later regret it.
I think my lack of motivation was evident. Last week, Mr. Wysong pulled me aside and for lack of better word, gave me a "pep talk." He reminded me that there were people watching me and looking up to me. If I gave up now, not only would I disappoint those around me, but I would be failing myself. He challenged me to find the strength within me to give everything I had and finish strong. With less than 70 days left till graduation, it blows my mind that the end is actually within sight. However, between today and June 4th lie AP exams, and Final Presentation Night, and Final Product. Though these last few months will be incredibly testing, I know that if I do not give it my all, I will later regret it.
Pardon by tardiness in uploading this video, but about a month ago, I had to give a presentation about my Original Work. For those of you who may have kept up with my blog and my journey, you may remember that for my OW, I decided to stray away from Pediatric Neurosurgery and focus on something that truly resonated with me: Global Medical Missions. Up until this project, I had known there was a huge medical need all across the globe, but I was not aware of exactly how immense this need was. Through this project, I began to see more clearly that the need for basic medical procedures had for too long been ignored. If you have some time to spare, I would greatly appreciate it if you would watch my speech and give critiques/feedback. It can be about anything from content to delivery to logistics. I am currently preparing for my Final Presentation which will be in May and so, any and all comments are welcome! If you would like to see my actual report, click here.
In the midst of Chiara malformation resection, one might imagine pin-drop silence and complete and absolute concentration. But instead, I find myself surrounded by light-hearted, but meaningful conversations. Dr. Price, who is the only female pediatric neurosurgeon in Dallas, is someone I would arguably consider "Super Woman." In addition to being a pediatric neurosurgeon, she's a single mom and has adopted a daughter from China. It amazes me how, in the middle of her incredibly hectic life, she found to not only have a family, but raise them. Every time I stand in her operating room, I always hear stories about her children and the latest going on in her life - whether it be about her favorite cabinet in her kitchen, or how her daughter is learning how to cook or the flowers she is planning on planting in her garden. But beyond that, I truly appreciate how Dr. Price always takes time to truly teach me and explain to me what exactly is going on. In this last visit, I had the privilege of being able to see a Chiara malformation. I have said this over and over but the difference between researching about a particular disease and seeing it in person is truly mind-blowing. To read more about my experience, click here.
After a lengthy break, I was able to go and visit Dr. Weprin around 2 weeks ago. The morning started off with rounds and one of the most interesting things about this visit was the variety of personalities that were present. Each individual had a distinct manner of carrying themselves but they were all incredibly brilliant. Going to the clinic is always exciting because I learn something new with each experience - although it may not always be about pediatric neurosurgery. I was also able to meet with Ms. Stefanie Beavers who will be helping me a lot and giving me guidance on my Final Product. I was also able to sit in on a lunch conference in which some of the latest research was being discussed. It was particularly interesting to me how all the doctors bounced ideas off of each other and offered their own opinions to ultimately come to one conclusion or action plan. To read more about my visit, click here.
However, to be completely fair, I think majority of my friends in ISM also faced an unprecedented amount of sleep last week. Original Work, which some might consider a mini Final Product, was due on Friday. Though this project had been assigned months in advance, many of us mistakenly made the choice of waiting until the last week to even begin working on it. Originally, I had planned on doing a statistical analysis of the growth of tumors. But because of some unforeseen difficulties, I decided to shift my topic to a more missional topic: global surgery.
I have mentioned this in previous posts, but in regards to my career, I am more interested in pursuing something along the lines of medical missions. However, what exactly is the need? Is it providing treatment for diseases such as HIV and Malaria? Or, is it developing proper healthcare systems? Is it surgery? These are just a few of the questions I researched more thoroughly in my Original Work.
Though it took an incredible amount of effort and numerous sleepless nights in a row, I am proud of the work that I completed.
To see my final report, click here.
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