I played soccer and I’ve always been a recreational runner. I was surprised and excited to find a group of medical school students who played soccer either in college or high school. We formed an intramural team. I also became a friend to someone who is a runner and now she has me training for the Pittsburgh Marathon. My family did a lot of camping when I was younger and I didn’t think I would find people who shared that interest in medical school but for spring break this year a classmate and I are going camping and hiking in Zion National Park.
My roommate and I went to India last summer for four weeks of quasi-clinical work and then we traveled around the country. It was eye opening to experience another culture’s approach to medicine and health. We went to an ob/gyn clinic–in India, it’s the male of the household who speaks with the doctor, not the woman herself. I brought that experience back with me, realizing that I need to be aware of the dynamic in the exam room when it’s me asking the questions. When we came back, we realized that there wasn’t a student interest group for international health. The administration encouraged us to start one, so we did.
