Socially Distant

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”

Fred Rogers

Much has changed since I last wrote here! I was deep into my surgery rotation and in a haze of sleep deprivation, but enjoying following my patients, seeing new surgeries and being challenged by attendings who kept me on my toes and constantly learning. Then came COVID-19, social distancing and the eventual halting of rotations. Now thousands of medical students are away from the hospital, graduations and Match Days have been cancelled, and we’re all trying to figure out what’s next.

Personally, I am feel torn between my desire to stay safe, do my part by staying home (I’m currently in MN with my family) and a fierce desire to do anything and everything to help those on the front lines of this pandemic. I’m not one to sit idly by. We got into this field to help people, so sitting home seems hypocritical at best. I’m so glad that those at my medical school are working on creative ways to utilize our talents while away from the hospital. Inspired by #medstudenttwitter, I started organizing fellow students who are able and willing to help with childcare for our colleagues and we are now up to 30 volunteers. We just reached out to our residents and fellows and I’m hopeful we are able to provide some relief to them during this time.

There’s much we don’t know about what the next days and weeks hold. Fear is rampant. I see it in bare grocery shelves and in stores forced to ration toilet paper and hand soap. I see it in my classmates who want to know what the end of our academic year is going to look like. The truth is, no one really has the answers. We’re all just doing the best that we can, given the information that we have. It’s easy to bicker with one another, but if we’re going to get through this, we need to work together.

Give one another grace and exercise patience. Check in on one another. There are many with mental illnesses which are triggered by isolation, children who rely on school as a source of food, and countless who are now unemployed and don’t know how they’re going to make rent. These times are harder on them than on those of us privileged to have a loving home to go to and not worry about going without. Social distancing doesn’t have to mean social isolation. FaceTime your friends, relatives and neighbors, play games online together, have a virtual happy hour. In time, we will be able to return to work and school, be reunited with our friends and colleagues, visit loved ones living in nursing homes or far away. What a joyous day that will be, full of hugs and laughter! Until then, the best thing we can do is stay home so those on the front lines stay safe and, for those with faith, pray with all our might.