From D1 to DR: "No Set Date"

Hey followers!

After a week long of orientation, figuring out how to buy electricity in a developing country, setting up an router in Chinese, and knowing the closest laundry service is only a couple meters away (thankfully), you could say my first week on the island has been chaotic. But manageable.

When I have told people that I have been accepted to medical school in the Caribbean, the first response I get is: "ohhh wow! You are SO lucky!" The same exact response I got when I told people I received a full basketball scholarship which would pay for my entire education. "You must have won the lottery!" But at the end of the day...I have been resilient to get into medical school, making sure my applications were impeccable, grammar correct and syntax superb, nothing was out of order. Same with my basketball. I made sure I did everything correctly for coaches to recruit me and wanting me on their team. It has NOTHING to do with luck...all hard work, some tenacity, and having "no" as motivation to do that much better. Ross University is located in one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean and I am very fortunate to be here and pursuing my career, but luck has had no hand in why I am here. Every single person that I have met on Dominica, has a unique and amazing story...and makes me realize we are all here with a common goal..to obtain and M.D. and get out. We all want to be closer to home, closer to friends, closer to hospitals where we could be making connections and networking ourselves with our future colleagues..all benefits of getting into a Canadian or American University. But we are here, and let me tell you...the facilities are amazing. For anyone reading this and not sure about the Caribbean route...DO IT. The anatomy lab is one of the best equipped facilities in the medical world and our class sizes are not that bad. I think I have 250 in my incoming class. Back home in Canada, Queen's University takes the most students topped at 99. Not 100...99...I won't get into that here..it makes my blood boil too quickly haha But you know what? Everyone is SO excited to be here, from the students. the faculty, the support staff, CTL (center or teaching and learning) and they all want us to succeed. At the end of the day, whether you have went to the U.S, Australia, or the Caribbean, what hospitals want to see is that Step 1 score (if you are planning to do rotations in the states, and possibly residency later on)...we are all in the same boat when it comes to standardized examinations. Work hard here, and you will still have that M.D after your name like every other medical student. (Just my advice:))

I have titled this blog as "No Set Date" as this past week we had an amazing speaker who is an alumni of Ross and is now a Pediatric Hospitalist in California. She said something in her hour long talk that really stuck out to me. That always having a set date is going to drain the life out of you. If you are always thinking that assignments are only due on this day, or an exam in this date and then are "free", or after finals are over you can finally party and relax, whichever you prefer, will have you burnt out by the end of it all. Life should never have set dates, just let it happen.

You will miss all the small and amazing stuff in the middle of life if you are always looking forward to the end.

Be conscious of your surroundings, be happy, be healthy, and be present. Don't think about two weeks from now. Don't think of four years from now (I HAVE to stop doing that) and be here. Right now. It is 6:55pm on Sunday night and tomorrow is my first day of medical school. Am I nervous? Of course. But I am ready to conquer Day 1 and move on to Day 2 when that day is over. No set dates...you don't need them..the only day you need to worry about is today...and that my friends, is a beautiful thing.

Off to pre-read before my life-long journey of learning starts tomorrow, thank you for all your support. You make me want to keep pursuing this blog!

Bye for now,

-E xo

Pictures thus far on the beautiful island of Dominica!