New Beginnings

Beginning medical school at NCNM was a bit daunting for me. I came from a humanities undergrad major, had worked for several years as a marketing manager, and then took time off when I gave birth to my daughter. Taking my medical prerequisite classes had been a cinch – just one or two courses at a time fit in well with my stay-at-home mom routine.
My first quarter at NCNM was a whirlwind. We were preparing for mid-terms before it really hit me that I was enrolled in medical school. I was enrolled in 24 credits, vastly more than I had averaged as an undergrad. Constant memorization of science terminology had me studying every day, in all my spare time. My family? Didn’t see them much…
But, as the quarter wore on, I began to gel with the ND program and with my schedule. Anatomy lab was one of the highlights of my week. The first week of lab, I had dreaded having to be in the same room as a dead body, having to look at it and memorize anatomical structures. However, the experience was far more interesting than I had anticipated. Dr. Brons, our professor, had us observe a moment of silence for the people who had donated their bodies so that we could learn from them. “What an amazing gift these people have given us,” I thought. It became apparent to me that each body, in its infinite wisdom, had developed to suit that particular person’s physiology. Each person had different shaped and sized anatomical structures. Some had interesting pathologies that we noted as we observed. While always keeping in mind that gift that we were given, we learned, discussed, and returned again and again to learn more. I was actually sad when the three terms of anatomy lab were over!
As the year progressed, I became better at balancing my time between school and my family. I also made sure to take care of myself and practiced the naturopathic principles I was learning in my courses. Optimizing my diet, my health, and my energy gave me more time to pursue my studies and allowed me free time as well. That is a big thing I have noticed at NCNM – students who do not take care of themselves may do well academically in the short term, but those students tend to stumble as time goes on. Medical school is really like a marathon – you have to pace yourself and take care of yourself along the way.
I’m now in my third year of the ND program. It is really amazing how quickly the time passes. This year, I have learned to draw blood – something I dreaded and feared I would fail miserably. The first time was tough, mainly because I didn’t want to hurt my classmate (we practice on each other!). But, as I have practiced, I have come to feel that this skill is vital to my development of a successful naturopathic practice. When I have my own clinic, I want to be able to draw blood right there, so that I can get labs quickly and minimize inconvenience for my patient. I have begun to approach “stab lab,” as we call it, with an understanding that drawing blood is a skill I want to master before graduation. It is exciting to continue to practice and challenge myself. A big change from the dread I experienced during my first class!