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MARCH 2022 |
VOL 5 ISSUE 7
In this issue:
- Dreams and Nightmares
- Financial Wellness
- Houston Happenings
- Managing Great Expectations
- MS4 Advice
- SPOTlight
- Tasty Recipes
- Thrive at UT
- Time Is Now
- UTHealth Wellness Connection
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The Well is a monthly newsletter that serves to
positively impact the well-being of the McGovern student community
by highlighting a myriad of wellness-related content.
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Click here to share your thoughts on The Well!
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For many, ‘getting the A’ (acceptance), as it is stated on Reddit, is of utmost importance. You are now much, much closer to becoming the doctor you’ve always dreamt of becoming than you’ve ever been before.
The body of McGovern, I believe, is composed almost exclusively of dreamers—students of different ages, nationalities, and from different walks of life who’ve had to overcome obstacles to get ‘here’.
‘Here’ is a dream. ‘Here’ is an achievement—a form of excellence.
But what happens when being ‘here’ ceases to be a dream and becomes more of a nightmare, instead?
‘Here’ transforms from the bright and beautiful white coat and respect of our family and friends into sleepless nights, missed social gatherings, and academic uncertainty.
‘Here’ becomes the pressure we feel from loved ones to make good on our huge financial and time investments.
‘Here’ is the pressure from the hope-filled stares of young black boys and black girls realizing that since it is possible for us, it is possible for them, too.
‘Here’ means more comparison to our cousins at the Thanksgiving dinner table after a rough semester.
‘Here’ means delayed weddings, broken relationships, and a lackluster social life.
The dream becomes a nightmare we didn’t sign up for.
This is a very discouraging and jarring realization. No matter the warnings and memes, no one can truly prepare you for this reality. But—I truly believe that the presence of a nightmare requires the existence of a dream. And the fluctuation between the two is, for the most part, controlled by the dreamer. Just like in the movie ‘Inside Out’, we see that the ugly and the beautiful need each other in order to have life. There is power in that realization.
You are achieving greatness. You are excellent. Your struggles do not contradict that truth.
‘Here’ you are actualizing your dream of saving lives.
‘Here’ you are making connections and networks that will last a lifetime.
‘Here’ is beautiful.
And your time ‘Here’ is short.
Yes, ‘Here’ is an investment. A costly one. But a worthwhile one so long as you don’t lose yourself while . . . ‘here’.
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Managing Great Expectations |
Medical school is an endeavor that demands a level of competence and confidence. For many of us, our thoughts on our performance in medical school oscillate between periods of confidence in our abilities and moments of self-doubt. Moments of self-doubt may be permeated by imposter syndrome, which is an internal experience or self-perception that one is not as competent as others perceive them to be. Many of us at some point in our training feel like someone is going to realize that we don’t know what we’re doing and that we don’t belong in medical school. And yet, we continue to pass all of our exams and perform well in the clinical setting. Self-doubt feels unavoidable and oftentimes worsens in situations where confidence is expected, but perhaps not felt such as during transitions or in unfamiliar professional settings, which are hallmark features of medical school. Learning to manage self-doubt becomes an invaluable skill as we move forward with our careers. Over time, we learn to manage our expectations and understand our reactions to changes and professional challenges. We identify spaces where we can share our feelings and experiences with trusted mentors and colleagues, likely realizing that we are not alone in our struggle. As medical professionals, we are all deserving of support and a space to share our collective experiences. |
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For preclinical students, the initial years of medical school are filled with hours poured into staring at Sketchy videos, flipping through Anki cards, studying for Step 1, and listening to lectures. Unfinished checklists. Schedules. ScholarRx. Boards and Beyond. Each day presents with even more information than the day before. As aspiring physicians, we have a desire to work with people and be in a clinical setting. Sometimes, it can seem like that humanistic portion of medicine is so disconnected from our reality as preclinical medical students. It may feel silly right now to think that one day we could be saving lives when we currently use the Sketchy symbol of a man with a golden staff to remember Staph aureus. However, being in this stage also affords us an incredible opportunity to learn as much information as we can about the medical world. It is an amazing feeling when someone asks about a drug or disease and we actually know what they’re talking about. In this preclinical stage, even though we don’t get to work with patients much, we have time to explore and take advantage of our resources. We have time to integrate all the material that we learn to develop a profound understanding of medicine. We have time to explore our interests, connect with our peers, and enjoy being a student. One day, all of this hard work and intense studying will pay off. All the hours spent annotating textbooks and taking notes will be worth it. As we look forward to our clinical years, it’s important to also be in the present and enjoy the process of learning for the sake of learning.
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Interested in keeping the good dreams coming while warding off the nightmares? Here are some science-backed, Houston-centric ways to improve your sleep:
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Sig’s Lagoon Record Shop: Located straight down Main Street from the medical school, look no further for CDs, records, and tickets to local music events
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Cactus Music: Among their music selection, used DVDs could include hidden gems focusing on meditation, visualization or relaxing visuals to help you zen into those zzz’s
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Quarter Price Books: Located conveniently next to Cactus Music, pick up a book and some tunes for the ultimate sleep-time routine
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Houston Public Library: With two locations, there are double the places to check out your next favorite
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Rice Coffeehouse: Located on Rice’s campus, this student-run coffeeshop boasts a “Chaus soothing tea”
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The Path of Tea: With more than 100 loose-leaf options, you’re bound to find your new favorite addition to your nighttime routine
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As I approach the end of medical school, I can’t help but reflect on the wonderful memories I have made throughout these four years. From meeting my beautiful wife and getting married, to finding a specialty worth pursuing, my life has changed in so many positive ways since starting this journey. Yet amidst the blessings of these past years, I have been challenged in ways I never expected. Navigating board exams, new rotations, and friendships during a world pandemic can be mentally exhausting. At times it seems the only constant thing is change. And with these changes comes new responsibilities, new anxieties, new challenges, and new failures. If change is inevitable, I have learned the only way to persevere is to embrace adaptation and to remain steadfast in hope. Do not lose the perspective that today is meaningful, purposeful, and the challenges you encounter are necessary for your growth. This gives birth to new perspectives, new dreams and goals, and new achievements. We are not guaranteed tomorrow, and our best days do not have to be a million years away. There is always a reason to be joyful and enjoy today. Go for a hike in the woods, enjoy early morning donuts at the park, or host a game night with friends. Find support and encouragement in those around you and cultivate peace to sustain you through difficult days. Then when you reach the end of medical school, you can look forward to new beginnings with excitement knowing that you are capable of living a wonderful life today.
| Cristian Ybarra, MS4
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McGovern Tourney Challenge |
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Whether you don’t know basketball
or know all things basketball,
in the ESPN Tournament Challenge!
You will be able to make your picks
once official matchups are announced
on Sunday, March 13.
Top bracket eligible for prize!
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Turn clocks ahead
one hour on Sunday, March 13
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Hot Topics
Click on a topic for tips on tackling the issue
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The Rink: Rolling at Discovery Green
Bank of America’s Screen on the Green
Goat Yoga Houston
Howl Night & Camping with the Wolves
at Saint Francis Wolf Sanctuary
03.01 | Houston Rockets vs LA Clippers
03.04-05 | Dancing with the Stars, Smart Financial Centre
03.04-05 | Maxwell, Toyota Center
03.11 | Bob Dylan, Smart Financial Centre
03.12-13 | Dua Lipa, Toyota Center
03.12-13 | Nicky Jam, Smart Financial Centre
03.13-14 | JoJo, House of Blues
03.14-15 | Willie Nelson, 713 Music Hall
03.18-19 | Colbie Caillat, Cullen Performance Hall
03.20-21 | George Strait, NRG Stadium
03.25-26 | Daughtry, Revention Music Center
03.25-26 | New Edition, Toyota Center
03.26-27 | John Mulaney, Toyota Center
03.27-28 | Tyler the Creator, Toyota Center
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Financial Wellness Resources |
Financial Wellness @ McGovern
- https://med.uth.edu/admissions/wellness-resilience/financial-wellness-2/
Student Financial Services
- Newsletters | https://www.uth.edu/sfs/newsletters-and-information/
- Website | https://www.uth.edu/sfs/
- YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrdQD4Kixa5GUWD_Lu8YHRQ
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| Ombudsperson
Are conflicts or concerns causing you undue stress? Contact the Office of the Academic Ombuds. Robin Dickey, PhD, MA, LPC, is available as a listener, mediator, and coach for all members of our UTHealth family. Make an appointment today! https://www.uth.edu/evpara/academic-ombuds.htm
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Thrive at UT is a free app designed to enhance UT student well-being and help busy students live their best life. Thrive helps you make small changes in your routine that have powerful long-term impacts. |
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| UTHealth Wellness Connection |
UTHealth Student Counseling Services has introduced a blog bringing mental health and wellness resources to you. Click the link below to read the latest! |
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Brought to you by the McGovern Student Wellness & Resilience Committee
Questions, Comments, or Contributions to The Well,
please email MS.Wellness@uth.tmc.edu
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