October 28, 2007, The days are just packed!

Dear Gentle Reader,

I'm here, really! Well, we're here! I have no real excuse for not
writing, aside from saying that life here in Dominica intervened, but
not in any huge, tremendous way. There have been no earthquakes that
I know of. No additional hurricanes. No fires, crime, or anything.
Just simple things like studying, going to the beach weekly, and the
general things of everyday life.

I'm a little sad, though. A personal goal came and went without a
fight here, and I am very disappointed in the handling of it by both
me and the school. In January, Becky and I signed up for the Chicago
marathon, and had been planning on running it together. Last
semester, in June, I spoke to one of my instructors about when the
exams in the second semester would be, and I got information that
ended up being a week off. So, one of four exams that occur during
each semester ended up being on the day we would have flown back from
Chicago. When I went to the assistant dean here, the level of help I
received was next to nil. The only option I got from the
administration was to simply take a whole semester off to run one
marathon. I didn't think that would be a great option, so I ended up
taking the financial hit on the marathon entry fee, and the airline
fee to change the date of my flight to using it to return from
Christmas break. But, I'm not going to dwell on that. It's in the
past, and in the grand scheme of things it's a minor annoyance.

Classes are going reasonably well. I'm surprised by one thing,
though. The attrition rate here is something that simply astounds me.
I understand how many pressures can cause people to take a break from
school, and that has definitely occurred here. I also understand how
people get held back or suspended due to grades, and that has also
occurred. It cuts close to home with me, though. One of the guys
that I have had several small group things with, Kit Crafton, is
withdrawing from this semester. He and his wife have become good
friends with Becky and me. So much so, that last week, they moved
into one of the apartments next to us--now it's not simply due to
being close to us that they moved in, but they are still our
neighbors. And, next semester, Kit will still be semester 2, and I
(hopefully) will have moved on to semester 3. It took the wind out of
my sails, because Kit is getting a perfect 4.0. This is something
that I haven't got here. So, it took me aback.

This isn't everything that goes on here. I've sadly been losing focus
somewhat, though. Every day here is almost exactly like the last. I
can barely find anything that really makes one day different than the
last. But last night, Becky and I found a website that helped to get
me motivated again. The Alaska Family Medicine Residency program
http://www.akfmr.org and its student showcases have given me a little
more hope. Practicing in Alaska may not necessarily be the end of
Becky and my plan, but it is certainly an option. We've spoken many
times about going there for several years, and being able to go there
for training is something we're definitely not just open to, but
probably going to actively seek out. They even have a clinical
rotation program or two that I will probably look into.

So, recharged, I'll be trying my best to do the best with what I've got.

Cheers!

-j