I Ain't a Playa I Just Think a Lot!

I totally wasn’t planning on writing a blog entry just this minute. Before me lies my Neuro Clinical Pathophysiology notes, my beloved Sigg bottle, and the subscription slip for Runner’s World which I have used to note down my daily tasks. Most days are like this. Work out, come to school and do work independently (FAR, FAR AWAY FROM A CLASSROOM!), check my Twitter, check gmail, attend meetings (if any), go home, eat, listen to class recordings, take notes, sleep, REPEAT!

This is why medical school just feels boring sometimes. And don’t start with that, “Try going to class mess”! Nuh-uh! Better grades without attending classes proves that not all of us learn by being talked at. That’s just the problem. We are mass-educated because people think this is the most effective manner to distribute knowledge. But, the fact that only about 20 of 186 or so students regularly attend class should tell someone out there that the other 166 of us are finding alternatives to archaic learning modules.

In this space, I have felt completely…marginalized. My writing talents have been swept under the rug except when I choose to write independently or write a scholarship essay. Most days, I fight “dronedom” with fashion. I dress a little out of pocket or I toss on a dress to boost morale. If this is my “job”, I should dress the part, right? Here's a sample from today:

When I’m not hating on med school or studying, I’m usually filling my time with family or friends. Sometimes I’m wandering or riding the train (one of my FAVORITE things to do in Chicago). But this past Saturday, I got my volunteer on! 30+ med students put on a Student National Medical Assocation (SNMA) Health Fair in Chicago’s Englewood community. For those who don’t know, Englewood is one of the neighborhoods in Chicago hit hardest by HIV/AIDS and is also one of the poorest in the city. Ah yes, lest we not forget that health follows wealth (to a point). At any rate, I felt like my comrades and I got together for the greater good of a community that needs physicians. We provided basic screening services such as: BMI, cholesterol, blood glucose, musculoskeletal, sexual health, neurology, etc. We also had two physicians on hand to give consultation to attendees.

The event was a success for sure—well attended despite rain, and well-staffed by med school folk. But, it left me with a few questions: 1) Where is the sustainability in such an effort? 2) When most patients are uninsured are they waiting for the next health fair to address their health needs? 3) What can medical students do to fill health gaps in depressed communities? I love that we do good and feel good helping communities, but I can’t help feeling that health fairs are a sort of sloppy band aid. I’m not saying we shouldn’t volunteer, but maybe we need to start partnering with clinics like Mile Square (a Federally Qualified Health Center) that agrees to take on a certain percentage of uninsured patients. Too bad FQHCs are too few and far between—not to mention far too saturated.

What’s an anthropologist-turned doctor to do? I see all of these inequalities and glitches in a system, not to mention a basic dirth of empathy between physicians and patients. But, I’m just ONE person. We need to be indoctrinated and educated in ways that don’t contribute to our growing apathy. I’ve read too many articles that demonstrate med student loss of empathy over the course of four years of medical school. Bridging gaps is really hard. Bridging gaps with a workforce that is disparaged and burnt out is even harder.