Nothing like traveling to a small town in Tennessee complete with, blue flame-painted Jettas, guys celebrating their girl's birthday at Wendys, and signs advertising a "Hog Trade" every third week. As you can tell, it was Rural Track day. Today we were each assigned a different doctor to shadow for the morning. Though I've only been in med school for two months, I'm amazed at the amount of knowledge I've already accumulated. Two months ago, I wouldn't have noticed much about my preceptor's practice of medicine, but today I found myself critiquing his interaction with the patients, his manner of using the diagnostic equipment, and his thoroughness of exam. Medicine is an art, each doctor finding his own way to prepare the impromptu script thrown at him with every entrance into the exam room. It was a good way to reemphasize my reason for being here. Our first patient had Bell's Palsy (a defect of one of the cranial nerves). It made me realize that all my studying of Anatomy isn't in vain, and that it will be of use to me. Though not an incredibly small town, Rogersville is small enough where the doc knows Jane's dad who's the head of the Lions club and also treats her son who's going to the local community college. You could say the family doc is almost like the local gossip or Dear Abby, knowing almost everything about everyone in the town.
Still lacking in hours for the service learning component of my Psychology class, I stopped by the Church Hill clinic again to volunteer my services as a translator. Though we didn't have as many patients, it was still a rewarding experience as I conversed with some of the local Mexicans and met some people devoted to the cause of healing not only the physical but the spiritual as well.
Well, I should probably get some sleep. Like today, tomorrow promises to be another long day as I head to Knoxville for the weekend. It will be good to see everyone again and live "normally" for a weekend..well...maybe with a little studying.
9.30.2004
9.28.2004
An Epiphany
"C'mon Michele, you can do it," I kept telling myself. I was almost up the hill and my heart was pounding, body warm and sweat pouring; a contrast to the cool, crisp Autumn air around me and the breeze blowing past. "Alright! Sit it back down and take the resistance down to about a level 5" Sigh...I snapped back to reality to realize I was not hiking up some steep hill in the Smokies; rather, my feet were strapped to the pedals of a spinning bike and I was staring out the window onto a gloomy Johnson City day. I'm not a huge fan of cold weather (I'm glad God hasn't called me to be a missionary in Alaska), but I have to admit, the new coolness that pervades the mornings is somewhat refreshing. It brings back many fond memories of bonfires, hayrides, crackling leaves, smells of apple cider and all the other wonderful warm and cozy things of Fall. Maybe I'll get to enjoy some of those things this semester.
Overall, it's been a good day. I had an epiphany about my study habits in relation to Anatomy. I think I've finally pulled myself out of the undergrad mentality of "I don't want to learn this because I'm never going to use this information again so I'm just going to cram enough of it in my brain to do well on the test". So if I can just convince myself to succumb to nerdiness and think studying is the most fun thing in the world, then I think I'll do alright. We celebrated my friend Loan's birthday last night and it almost felt like a normal night of sitting around eating dinner with friends and watching TV until someone flipped it to some Medical/Health channel and we all started "ooing" and "aahhing" over the cool surgeries the docs were performing. Gotta love going to school with a bunch of medical school nerds :o).
Speaking of...it's time to hit the books again with my new improved study techniques. All play and no study means Michele can't go to Knoxville this weekend to hang out with friends and family.
Overall, it's been a good day. I had an epiphany about my study habits in relation to Anatomy. I think I've finally pulled myself out of the undergrad mentality of "I don't want to learn this because I'm never going to use this information again so I'm just going to cram enough of it in my brain to do well on the test". So if I can just convince myself to succumb to nerdiness and think studying is the most fun thing in the world, then I think I'll do alright. We celebrated my friend Loan's birthday last night and it almost felt like a normal night of sitting around eating dinner with friends and watching TV until someone flipped it to some Medical/Health channel and we all started "ooing" and "aahhing" over the cool surgeries the docs were performing. Gotta love going to school with a bunch of medical school nerds :o).
Speaking of...it's time to hit the books again with my new improved study techniques. All play and no study means Michele can't go to Knoxville this weekend to hang out with friends and family.
9.19.2004
The Macedonian Call
Wow! What a refreshing weekend it's been! I didn't realize how much I needed a redirection of my focus until Saturday. The seminar was a time of inspiration and encouragement as I listened to story after story of how God had called people with all types of talents and backgrounds to serve Him and how He had worked through their lives to impact the lives of so many others. It was great to meet Dr.Farrar and his wife and to hear their countless stories about living in Nigeria. They are definitely a source of inspiration, having kept their eyes on God and their hands serving Him for 50 years together, over 30 of that in medical missions. I can only hope that God will allow me to serve like them (though it looks like it may be solo, but I've got way to much else on my plate to worry about such things) and for as long.
Needless to say, though I've spent all day today studying HDBG, my mind has been thousands of miles away in lands where people haven't heard the gospel and the message of hope that it brings and where people are dying for a lack of basic health care. The Spirit touched me at the seminar yesterday, and I'll be praying to see where I'm led for more preparation next summer. Though I could hop on a plane tomorrow without a qualm, I understand how much more effective I can be in my service in a few years. If Christ took 30 years in preparation for His ministry, surely 26-29 years can't be too bad. In the meantime, like Isaiah in Isaiah 6, Here Am I, if I can't go right now, at least I can prepare myself between now and then and try to share the gospel here (after all there are more Christians in Africa now than the US).
It's getting late so I'd better wrap up my studying and pray that God blesses me with a clear mind tomorrow during my test!
Needless to say, though I've spent all day today studying HDBG, my mind has been thousands of miles away in lands where people haven't heard the gospel and the message of hope that it brings and where people are dying for a lack of basic health care. The Spirit touched me at the seminar yesterday, and I'll be praying to see where I'm led for more preparation next summer. Though I could hop on a plane tomorrow without a qualm, I understand how much more effective I can be in my service in a few years. If Christ took 30 years in preparation for His ministry, surely 26-29 years can't be too bad. In the meantime, like Isaiah in Isaiah 6, Here Am I, if I can't go right now, at least I can prepare myself between now and then and try to share the gospel here (after all there are more Christians in Africa now than the US).
It's getting late so I'd better wrap up my studying and pray that God blesses me with a clear mind tomorrow during my test!
9.14.2004
Mr.Gorlin, Would You Like GASELA with That?
Girls' Night: Me, Aleisha, Nicoll, Mer, Anacharlene 
There's nothing more that will get your adrenaline going than hanging 20-30ft in the air by your fingers and toes on little molded pieces of fiberglass, relying on a few pieces of webbing and rope and the goodwill of your belayer. Hannah and I decided to go relieve a little post-test stress Tuesday afternoon by rockclimbing at the gym. It was a stress-relieving and humbling experience as I realized how pitiful my forearm strength is. Oh well...at least it gave the testosterone-ladened belayers a good laugh after we left I'm sure.
I think I'm going to survive med. school on silly little acronyms, pneumonics, and goofy little drawings (hence the oddly titled post). Then when I get out of med school, I'm going to publish a book with all my silly little study aids and use the proceeds to pay off my loans (hey, I'd buy a copy). Yeah, that's about the only hope I have of cramming over a semester's worth of material into my head for this Monday's test.
Other than having a mountain of studying to do and no time to do it, things are going well. My cousin is coming in tomorrow with Dr.Farrar and the Medical Missions Seminar is this weekend. Though I'll probably have to study through half of it, I'm excited. I've actually been given the privilege of speaking on behalf of Health Talents International about the MET program. It's my hope that others will be motivated to try it out and that it will lead them to want to do mission work. The seminar itself will be a nice refresher for me and a reminder of exactly why I'm here torturing myself with long nights of studying embryology, anatomy, genetics, everything else you could possibly cram into 27 hours of classes, etc..
Well, I'd better go remove my Anatomy study aids and books from the living room so my cousin doesn't freak out tomorrow when he comes. TTFN!
There's nothing more that will get your adrenaline going than hanging 20-30ft in the air by your fingers and toes on little molded pieces of fiberglass, relying on a few pieces of webbing and rope and the goodwill of your belayer. Hannah and I decided to go relieve a little post-test stress Tuesday afternoon by rockclimbing at the gym. It was a stress-relieving and humbling experience as I realized how pitiful my forearm strength is. Oh well...at least it gave the testosterone-ladened belayers a good laugh after we left I'm sure.
I think I'm going to survive med. school on silly little acronyms, pneumonics, and goofy little drawings (hence the oddly titled post). Then when I get out of med school, I'm going to publish a book with all my silly little study aids and use the proceeds to pay off my loans (hey, I'd buy a copy). Yeah, that's about the only hope I have of cramming over a semester's worth of material into my head for this Monday's test.
Other than having a mountain of studying to do and no time to do it, things are going well. My cousin is coming in tomorrow with Dr.Farrar and the Medical Missions Seminar is this weekend. Though I'll probably have to study through half of it, I'm excited. I've actually been given the privilege of speaking on behalf of Health Talents International about the MET program. It's my hope that others will be motivated to try it out and that it will lead them to want to do mission work. The seminar itself will be a nice refresher for me and a reminder of exactly why I'm here torturing myself with long nights of studying embryology, anatomy, genetics, everything else you could possibly cram into 27 hours of classes, etc..
Well, I'd better go remove my Anatomy study aids and books from the living room so my cousin doesn't freak out tomorrow when he comes. TTFN!
9.10.2004
Stepping up on the Soap Box: Some Reflections
If variety is the spice of life, then I have to say that mine has been at least at a jalapeño level the past few years with all the little winding paths God has taken me. The Lopez family sent me an email today, wondering if I was ok and whether or not I had been near the hurricane and letting me know I was still in their thoughts and prayers and that their two children still asked about me. Though I only knew them for two months last summer and a few weeks this summer, they are like my second family. It's amazing how such a bond could be formed that a couple from another culture would still be emailing me over a year later to see if I had fared the bad weather. I think that's one of the things I enjoy most about serving our Lord, the richness of life He has blessed me with. I love the fact that God gives us a Christian family and blesses us with relationships that run just as deep, if not deeper, than our blood roots.
I think often times we forget this and instead identify ourselves by X label on the door of our church. I wish people would just know me by "Christian" instead of "that girl that goes to the church that doesn't have instruments," and I wish others and people at church wouldn't identify the church by such a trivial detail such as a stringed piece of wood or a lack thereof. Instead, I wish people would comment about a church full of believers, worshipping like those in Acts 2, not with some flashy, feel-good services but rather as a family who supports one another, relying solely on God's Word, and where each member uses their God-given talents to the benefit of others. I think sometimes we forget this familial aspect when trying to be a Christian and think that it's just about doing our good deed. Yet, if we don't build relationships while "doing good deeds" and enjoy the blessing that God gives us of these relationships, what are our good deeds except un-paid labor and what puts "spice" in our lives?
Ok...I realize I've just written a sermon so I'll step down from the pulpit now.
I suppose an update needs to be given on the situation this past weekend in Pigeon Forge. Well, I didn't know the girl from Honduras but we did have people in common. About my age, she taught me an important lesson. Before worship began, she asked the preacher to pray for her because she felt badly about some things that had happened the week before, and she didn't want to take the Lord's Supper with that guilt on her shoulders. It made me stop and think about how often I take the Lord's Supper for granted and how much do I seriously examine myself and my thoughts before taking it.
Well, it's sunny outside, class is done for the week (though not my studying), and it's Friday afternoon which means it's time for Ultimate Frisbee. Cheers to all of you who've added "spice" to my life!
I think often times we forget this and instead identify ourselves by X label on the door of our church. I wish people would just know me by "Christian" instead of "that girl that goes to the church that doesn't have instruments," and I wish others and people at church wouldn't identify the church by such a trivial detail such as a stringed piece of wood or a lack thereof. Instead, I wish people would comment about a church full of believers, worshipping like those in Acts 2, not with some flashy, feel-good services but rather as a family who supports one another, relying solely on God's Word, and where each member uses their God-given talents to the benefit of others. I think sometimes we forget this familial aspect when trying to be a Christian and think that it's just about doing our good deed. Yet, if we don't build relationships while "doing good deeds" and enjoy the blessing that God gives us of these relationships, what are our good deeds except un-paid labor and what puts "spice" in our lives?
Ok...I realize I've just written a sermon so I'll step down from the pulpit now.
I suppose an update needs to be given on the situation this past weekend in Pigeon Forge. Well, I didn't know the girl from Honduras but we did have people in common. About my age, she taught me an important lesson. Before worship began, she asked the preacher to pray for her because she felt badly about some things that had happened the week before, and she didn't want to take the Lord's Supper with that guilt on her shoulders. It made me stop and think about how often I take the Lord's Supper for granted and how much do I seriously examine myself and my thoughts before taking it.
Well, it's sunny outside, class is done for the week (though not my studying), and it's Friday afternoon which means it's time for Ultimate Frisbee. Cheers to all of you who've added "spice" to my life!
9.06.2004
Viva Knoxvegas
Boomsday on the River
Nothing like spending a weekend in Knoxvegas. How can one describe it? The smell of combustion as the city spends lots of well-earned tax dollars to entertain its citizens with an impressive display of fireworks. But that's ok because the strong smell of alcohol everywhere is probably what brought in the tax dollars in the first place. I mean what's a UT football game weekend without thousands of good ol' Tennesseeans supporting their state with a little Jack Daniels and seeing who can get drunk the earliest? (the city is highly in favor of this since they just lowered the legal time to sell alcohol on Sundays from noon to 10am in honor of this weekend's game). And who can forget the sight as the whole town paints itself orange and white..everything from cars to window displays to that funny looking rubber mask the guy sitting two rows away from me was wearing. Except there was this one lady who thought it'd be cool to where light green pants instead of orange. Now maybe if she were a guy and colorblind I might could forgive here but come on....you just CAN'T where anything but orange or white on gameday. I mean its just blashphemy to not where the most hideous color on earth even if you are sitting up in the double letters like I was, closer to Mt.Leconte than Shield-Watkins Field (though I'm very grateful for being given those tickets). Why pay half of your paycheck to the VASF for season tickets and then NOT wear orange? I never thought I'd say I missed hearing Rocky Top but it was somewhat of a welcome sound to my ears...even after I'd heard it for like the 40th time. And since we beat UNLV, I didn't mind it too much when the whole crowd decided to yell "cow-poopie" on the crazy blind refs. You gotta love the enthusiam of the TN culture. We love our sports and ain't nobody gonna make a bad call on our boys out there on da field. Between some hardcore ice cream eating at girls' night (you can't have a girls' night without a gallon of MooseTracks and spoons for all) and all the munchies and cookouts at the CSC, I think my belly has extended to the size of the GoodYear blimp.
Yep...definitely a great weekend of fun, friends, and fellowship. Time to get back to the books and being a "serious" student.
"Rocky Top you'll always be home sweet home to me. Good Ole Rocky Top. Rocky Top Tennessee!"
Nothing like spending a weekend in Knoxvegas. How can one describe it? The smell of combustion as the city spends lots of well-earned tax dollars to entertain its citizens with an impressive display of fireworks. But that's ok because the strong smell of alcohol everywhere is probably what brought in the tax dollars in the first place. I mean what's a UT football game weekend without thousands of good ol' Tennesseeans supporting their state with a little Jack Daniels and seeing who can get drunk the earliest? (the city is highly in favor of this since they just lowered the legal time to sell alcohol on Sundays from noon to 10am in honor of this weekend's game). And who can forget the sight as the whole town paints itself orange and white..everything from cars to window displays to that funny looking rubber mask the guy sitting two rows away from me was wearing. Except there was this one lady who thought it'd be cool to where light green pants instead of orange. Now maybe if she were a guy and colorblind I might could forgive here but come on....you just CAN'T where anything but orange or white on gameday. I mean its just blashphemy to not where the most hideous color on earth even if you are sitting up in the double letters like I was, closer to Mt.Leconte than Shield-Watkins Field (though I'm very grateful for being given those tickets). Why pay half of your paycheck to the VASF for season tickets and then NOT wear orange? I never thought I'd say I missed hearing Rocky Top but it was somewhat of a welcome sound to my ears...even after I'd heard it for like the 40th time. And since we beat UNLV, I didn't mind it too much when the whole crowd decided to yell "cow-poopie" on the crazy blind refs. You gotta love the enthusiam of the TN culture. We love our sports and ain't nobody gonna make a bad call on our boys out there on da field. Between some hardcore ice cream eating at girls' night (you can't have a girls' night without a gallon of MooseTracks and spoons for all) and all the munchies and cookouts at the CSC, I think my belly has extended to the size of the GoodYear blimp.
Yep...definitely a great weekend of fun, friends, and fellowship. Time to get back to the books and being a "serious" student.
"Rocky Top you'll always be home sweet home to me. Good Ole Rocky Top. Rocky Top Tennessee!"
9.02.2004
God's Little Surprises
I love it how God puts little pieces and fibers from different people's lives together to form a thread of opportunity. My phone doesn't get reception inside of Stanton-Gerber and I was literally about 10 feet from the door when it rang. No one ever calls me so I was kinda excited and wondering who in the world would be calling me at 10am. To make a long story short, it was the preacher from the Pigeon Forge Church of Christ telling me that there was a lady who just moved there from Honduras and who doesn't speak English. He was looking for a translator and it just so happens that I'm headed to that part of TN this weekend and just so happens that I've been to Honduras and there's a 90% chance that either I've been to the church she's from or I know someone that goes there. So...I'll be going there Sunday morning to translate the service and Bible study class for her. So it'd be more fun to go to church at Laurel and eat potluck lunch afterwards, but you can't turn down an opportunity that God has placed in front of you like that. That's what I think alot of Christians miss out on. We wonder why God isn't working in big ways in our lives, but we fail to acknowledge and act upon all the little opportunities he places before us.
On the bright side, I did pass my Anatomy test and can now focus on learning about the Head and Neck which starts tomorrow. It's going to be really weird in lab. Before, I've been able to distance myself somewhat and tell myself it's not really a person. I think it's going to be pretty hard to do that tomorrow when "He" is staring me in the face, that intricate God-created being.
So the thought for the day? Look for those little "random" moments God places before you, those times when the Spirit moves within you, urging you to step out on that limb and do something you think might be illogical, irrational, but something totally satisfying for you know that it's God's Will. That's what life is all about: savoring those God-given opportunites to serve Him according to His purpose.
On the bright side, I did pass my Anatomy test and can now focus on learning about the Head and Neck which starts tomorrow. It's going to be really weird in lab. Before, I've been able to distance myself somewhat and tell myself it's not really a person. I think it's going to be pretty hard to do that tomorrow when "He" is staring me in the face, that intricate God-created being.
So the thought for the day? Look for those little "random" moments God places before you, those times when the Spirit moves within you, urging you to step out on that limb and do something you think might be illogical, irrational, but something totally satisfying for you know that it's God's Will. That's what life is all about: savoring those God-given opportunites to serve Him according to His purpose.
9.01.2004
Street Musician Seeks Work
Ever feel like you've studied and studied for something and when you take the test you could have done just as well going in there blind knowing nothing about the subject? Yeah...the past four hours of my life were just spent like that. So be looking for me playing on your local street corner soon because I think I just failed my thorax exam. Oh well, how was I supposed to know the relationship of the azygos vein to the greater splanchnic nerve at TV 9 or what that tiny nerve fiber pinned in a mass of something innervates? I just hope the powers that be are gracious in grading our tests this afternoon.
Yeah, it hasn't been too great of a week so far. The problem when you move somewhere new is that you have to leave the old behind. I really miss my friends and church families back in ktwown and home. I just haven't found the same up here. I went to the JC version of the CSC last night for a devo. I don't know if it was just the attitude of the group at that moment or what but the atmosphere just seemed immature and spiritually unfocused instead of the encouragement and strengthening I was hoping I'd find. On the other hand, one of the guys in my study group showed me a really encouraging verse last night on our study break. I like the Message's version of it (from Psalm 94): "When I was upset and beside myself, you calmed me down and cheered me up....God became my hideout, God was my high mountain retreat."
I can't wait til this weekend, FREE of studying, filled with spending time with old friends and hopefully a little Big Orange football (once a Vol always a Vol). Knoxvegas here I come!
Well, I'd better get back to class. It's definitely going to be a windows rolled down listening to 80's mix CD, burning off some post test stress in spinning class, venting with the girls kinda day.
Yeah, it hasn't been too great of a week so far. The problem when you move somewhere new is that you have to leave the old behind. I really miss my friends and church families back in ktwown and home. I just haven't found the same up here. I went to the JC version of the CSC last night for a devo. I don't know if it was just the attitude of the group at that moment or what but the atmosphere just seemed immature and spiritually unfocused instead of the encouragement and strengthening I was hoping I'd find. On the other hand, one of the guys in my study group showed me a really encouraging verse last night on our study break. I like the Message's version of it (from Psalm 94): "When I was upset and beside myself, you calmed me down and cheered me up....God became my hideout, God was my high mountain retreat."
I can't wait til this weekend, FREE of studying, filled with spending time with old friends and hopefully a little Big Orange football (once a Vol always a Vol). Knoxvegas here I come!
Well, I'd better get back to class. It's definitely going to be a windows rolled down listening to 80's mix CD, burning off some post test stress in spinning class, venting with the girls kinda day.
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