Summer is Coming

“Only in the darkness can you see the stars.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

As we move into week 3? 4? Infinity? Sheesh I don’t even remember how long we’ve been doing this physical distancing thing anymore! It seems like an eternity has passed since my surgery rotation came to an unceremonious end and we retreated into our homes in order to keep those working in our hospitals safe. I’ve felt all of the emotions over the last few weeks. My first was frustration, wanting desperately to find a way to help. I’ve been sad for my friends in the fourth year whose graduations and Match Days were cancelled. I’ve been worried for my friends, colleagues, and mentors who are facing this pandemic head on and reaching their max physical and emotional capacity. I’ve been anxious, wondering what the next weeks, months and year will hold as we move forward into uncharted territory.

Despite all of that, the sun shines outside my window over a gorgeous spring day that whispers summer will soon be here. Suddenly, life doesn’t seem so hard. I’m full of hope that we will get through this together. I’m grateful to have a safe place to lay my head at night and that my family is still working. I’ve been floored by the work that my classmates have put in to coordinate efforts that will address the needs of our community and hospitals over the coming weeks. I’m continually inspired by the dignity, grace and creativity of our administration as they work to come up with solutions to keep us learning, involved in patient care and set up for success as we apply for residency this year. We would be hopelessly lost without their leadership. I’m incredibly proud of my co-student reps and our teams as we work to take some of the burden off of our leaders and just know we are up to something great!

Time away from rotations has given me time to try new things. I got to brag on my classmates on the local news station in Norfolk and will be giving a webinar for premed students at St. Olaf because why not? I’ve been able to enjoy the beautiful weather, exercise more than I have in months (even if it’s just walking), and catch up on much needed sleep. Life slowing down gives us a chance to reexamine our priorities. There’s nothing like a pandemic to force us to rethink how we do things, but dare I say it’s about time? Families are spending time together, some for the first time in years. Communities are coming together to take care of one another, encouraging our healthcare workers, picking up groceries or prescriptions for the elderly, and checking on neighbors who are feeling isolated. When this is all over, let a healthy balance in our lives be something we don’t compromise on. Let’s recenter ourselves around what truly matters to us. Maybe, just maybe, we will find we are better for it.