sunday, september 14, 2008

the annual new york city race for the cure is sunday, september 14, 2008. i have formed a team in memory of my sister, steppin' for sabrina! my family and friends have walked in the race the last two years in memory of nina and we will be in central park again on september 14th.

you may know that one in seven women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. you can help these women and thousands of others in the fight against breast cancer. join the fight against breast cancer by registering (as part of my team - Steppin' for Sabrina) or by supporting my efforts with a pledge contribution. the money raised through the Race will fund vital education, screening and treatment programs for underserved women in our own community and support the national search for a cure.

i need your support! every step counts and all contributions are appreciated, no matter how small!

thank you and help me reach my fundraising goal of $5,000!!

Join or make donations at Steppin' for Sabrina.

Thank you!!

is first year really over...

now that summer is here, i have the opportunity to reflect on what the last year has meant, what i’ve learned (or was supposed to have learned) and where do i go from here. i have been asked countless times, while catching up with friends and family, “so, how was medical school”? i have attempted to answer that question, but am i doing the experience justice? it has been a roller coaster ride and i’ve tried to take small victories where i can and learn from the defeats. when i look back, can i say that i am satisfied with my performance and accomplishments? what is the measure of success? is that measure realistic? if i say that it isn’t realistic, is that because I didn’t accomplish my goal(s) or was my expectation truly something i could accomplish? i still don’t know the answer to these questions. so in the meantime i try to enjoy the free time….i stroll through the park with my dog, lay in the park reading a book or writing in my journal, and most importantly i’ve started running and training again! in between these moments of rest, i think about these questions and try to do some self-reflection and analysis. most, if not all of my friends, would say “just relax”...why am i using my free time to think about school and rehash the emotions and actions of my first year? my response would be, growth only comes from honest self-reflection. imagine going through life, making choices, establishing and ending relationships without ever reflecting on those decisions. were they really the best decision at that time and for the circumstance? could you have made a better, smarter choice? could you have applied a different set of principles, a different strategy? so at the end of the day i’m left with more questions than i have answers. i guess not much has changed since the beginning of the year. i’ve got some academic / review goals for the summer, but i’m truly trying to give myself a mental break. next year will be difficult, whether some of that is self-induced i’ll let you decide, so i want to be prepared. i already feel like step 1’s are staring me in the face...gosh that seems so strange…i still haven’t gotten my arms around the fact that i’m in medical school, much less done with my first year and thinking about step 1’s. i am so blessed...this privilege is more than i could have imagined it would be and i work diligently to insure that i don’t squander this opportunity. i don’t want to be average / mediocre / just pass...i want to be exceptional, i want to feel confident that when i’m placed in a medical situation i have the knowledge, skills and confidence to make the hard / necessary choices...choices that will be made with empathy, concern, and in the best interest of my future patients and their families. i think i might have gone off on a tangent…

anyway, back to summer...rest, relax, travel, visit family and friends, review, prepare the appropriate study space in my apartment, start investigating board prep courses and review schedules and try to schedule in some time for exercise next year! seems fairly do-able...off to board my flight back to new york...didn’t believe that i was actually going to rest and take some time off did you ?!