First Year
Pushing Past Boundaries
Dec. 4, 2017—I had been accepted to medical school, hard work and careful planning had paid off, and I was ready to start the next chapter in my life. I learned that one of my parents had been diagnosed with a terminal disease. I thought about all of the times they had passed on opportunities to travel...
In Anticipation of Med School
Nov. 27, 2017—It’s amazing to me that I’m sitting here writing this post on my feelings and thoughts of entering med school. Why, you may ask? Well, because I wouldn’t be writing it if I had not gotten into medical school. I wouldn’t be writing this at all if my expectations of a potential future, dreamy aspirations, and academic...
To Live is Incredible
Nov. 13, 2017—Vivir es increíble. The words on the leather and metal wrapped around my wrist speak for themselves: To live is incredible. I happened upon this bracelet in a bustling street market in Madrid this past summer, and could not help but take it as a sign. Similar potent words by Oscar Wilde have served as...
Homeostasis
Oct. 23, 2017—Wait, medicine isn’t all zebra metabolic diseases and killer bugs? Welcome to Homeostasis, the third block of the FMK phase. Homeostasis is the first 12-week block at Vanderbilt and it hits the ground running, covering hematology/oncology, cardiology, renal, and pulmonology. That sounds like a lot, and I am not going to lie, it is definitely...
Med School: Am I Ready?
Oct. 16, 2017—“You are never ready, you just run out of time.” This statement, out of every advice I was given in the weeks prior to starting school, has stayed with me the most. It is true, at least for me. I am as ready as I will ever be, but it is difficult to measure that...
First Year Wellness Retreat
Oct. 9, 2017—On Friday, September 29, the first year med school class embarked on a full-day retreat to Deer Run camp in Thompson’s Station, Tennessee. The theme of the day was Wellness and the students were ready to embrace a day away from the classroom, so spirits were high! In the morning, Dean Fleming, Dr. Yakes, and...
The Med School Traverse
Sep. 25, 2017—Having grown up in New Hampshire, I’ve spent my life playing in the mountains—from bushwhacking on hot summer days to backpacking in the dead of winter. Every adventure has been uniquely memorable, but earlier this summer I completed a hike that was especially meaningful to me. The Presidential Traverse is one of the toughest day...
North to South: Tips for Any Transplant (& Entertainment for any Southerner)
Aug. 28, 2017—I am a Boston girl through and through: I was raised in a Metrowest suburb, attended Tufts for undergrad, and spent the last year living in and working in Cambridge. More tellingly, I’m a die-hard Celtics fan, am fiercely loyal to Dunkin Donuts, and believe turn signals are somewhat optional. And while I was thrilled...
Meet and Greet (MAG)
Aug. 21, 2017—On July 19, 2017, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine welcomed its newest members: the VUSM Class of 2021! After a morning of introductions and welcomes, the real fun began with MAG (Meet And Greet) and the College Reveal! Here at Vandy, students are sorted into four colleges named after former Deans: The Gabbe Lions, the Batson Phoenix,...
Medical Outdoor Orientation
Aug. 14, 2017—MOO, Medical Outdoor Orientation, is the annual student-led culmination of VMS orientation. The goal of MOO is not necessarily to focus on the academic aspects of transitioning to medical school, but to allow for students to get to know one another in a more social and comfortable setting. After a day of pontooning, hiking, or...