Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Starting Internal (and how to go to Gaza by accident)

      Not too long ago, I spent the weekend by the water. Despite living here for two years, it was my first time camping on the beach. And it was glorious- perfect weather, clear blue water, soft white sand, and lots of friends, both new and old. We spent our time perfecting our tans, splashing in the waves, and playing matkot (think ping-pong using a raquetball and no table). And thanks to Virginia, we even managed to get in a little yoga.


       While yoga on the beach at sunset can be a deep meditative experience, one can never forget the Israeli factor. So while this photo shows some focused yogis, just out of frame is a naked four year old laughing and trying to do cartwheels as incoming waves nip at his heels.

       This trip was my last hurrah before starting life on the wards, beginning in internal medicine. As I look back over the past week, I struggle to perfectly describe just how much my life has changed. I am no longer a student, sitting in a classroom surrounded by books. I am a part of a medical team- I see patients, I assist in their care. And while so far that has mainly involved giving directions to the closest bathroom or unsuccessful blood draw attempts, it is a leap forward in my medical journey.

       I think my life on the wards thus far is like swimming in the waves. I have dressed myself in the proper outfit (both figuratively and literally) and I have run with abandon into the unknown. As the waves crash around me, sometimes I jump at just the right moment and the wave carries me. Sometimes I hold my ground and feel the power of the wave crash around me. Of course, sometimes the wave sweeps my feet out from under me and I am lost, completely at the mercy of forces around me. Yet those waves are my favorite. I am caught by something so much bigger than I can imagine. Even when I feel lost, there is no place I would rather be. 


      And now, for those of you who have read this far, an explanation for the rest of the title. In order to go on our amazing beach trip, I rented a car. In order to keep costs low, I took small highways instead of the major tollway. On our way home, I didn't use GPS. Israel is a small country with good signage, you rarely need it. (I'm sure some of you know what happens next). Most of the girls in my car were asleep, and I was ready for a shower and a nap. So imagine my surprise when the road we had been on for almost an hour abruptly stopped. In it's place was a giant cement wall, complete with barbed wire and guard tower.And a small door. And a large sign announcing the Erez Crossing. Thankfully, I followed the news this summer, and remembered that the Erez Crossing is one of the main ways into Gaza.

      So, of course, I turned the car around and retraced our route, certain that I must have missed a turn a long time ago. There couldn't be a highway that went righto Gaza, could there? Turns out I missed the turn by only 2 kilometers. So yes, there was a road that went right to Gaza. And it's easy to get there, even by accident. What a vivid reminder of just how small this land truly is. 
     


Thursday, August 28, 2014

after a long hiatus...third year begins!

I know it has been a really, really, REALLY long time since I updated this blog. Over a year, in fact. So let's catch up- I completed my second year of medical school and took the first part of my licensing exam, Step One. Hard to believe I can sum up the hardest year of my life in a single sentence, but I spent the whole time with my nose in a book. And not the fun kind, but the dry textbooks without any pictures. Let's move on.

Despite studying like crazy, I got to spend a few months at home with my family. They fed me and kept me sane, while continually dropping not-so-subtle hints about the wonders of living in Minnesota. It wasn't hard to convince me, especially after a week at the lake.


And, of course, it will always be easy to convince me to return when I have a nephew this cute.


However, time keeps moving, the way it always seems to when you stop paying attention. Too soon, it was time to return to Israel, to school, to real life. The start of third year means it was time to prepare for working on the wards, finally seeing real patients and finally learning what medicine is all about. We started with a two week emergency medicine class, where we learned how to act like t.v. doctors (and then how NOT to) while learning skills like defibrillation and intubation. The most exciting, and the most terrifying, was learning how to draw blood and place an I.V.


As you can see from my bruises, my classmates and I still have some work to do perfecting our skills! Yet we are out of time, and next week we need to review physical exams before starting on the wards. So for now, we count ourselves proficient in emergencies and look forward to the next challenge. Can't believe that medical school is halfway done already!