Student Voices
What's My Diagnosis
Chinwe Okeke, College of Medicine
April 10, 2011
I was sure of it. All the signs were there. I had seen this illness before in many textbooks. I knew what the doctor was going to tell me. I swallowed the lump of fear mounting in my throat. My examination room door opened and in walked the manila folder in the hands of the doctor. “There’s nothing wrong with you,” the physician reassured me. Strangely, I felt a sense of disappointment. Not that I wanted to be sick, but I was...
Journey through AUA: Part 2 – Basic Sciences 1st semester
Jasmine Riviere Marcelin, College of Medicine
April 09, 2011
For many students, going to the Caribbean for medical school can be filled with so many firsts –away from home/parents; experiencing a new culture, and of course, first time really learning to study. The first two can easily be overcome with time, but the latter can be quite elusive. I thought I already knew how to study, but my toughest semester was my first. Undergrad has more memorization without overlap; medical school is more about cumulative understanding. So the first...
Survival Strategies
Alberto Marcelin, College of Medicine
April 04, 2011
If I was told 10 years ago that I would be studying 12+ hours daily, endlessly toiling toward an end that would only become clear days before I reach it, I wouldn’t have believed it. But here I am diploma in hand, and it still feels surreal. I’m here. I did it. The ceremony will make it official, but I’m a doctor!
Medical school was difficult, and though I never felt like giving up, there were times when I felt overwhelmed. During my clinical years I was...
Journey through AUA – Antiguan Adventure
Jasmine Riviere Marcelin, College of Medicine
April 04, 2011
For me, basic sciences in Antigua did not come with culture shock or homesickness because Antigua was already my second home. I stayed with my parents, understood the dialect and did not have to acculturate. For the few of us who are Antiguan at AUA, being in Antigua for sixteen months was no big deal. However for the other 98% of students, this move was no doubt a scary adventure to a place with no family, and whose locals speak a language that did not sound like...
Um Um Good
Chinwe Okeke, College of Medicine
April 04, 2011
I could not concentrate on my patient’s answers during a history and physical encounter. My empty stomach felt as though it was auto-digesting itself from lack of food. At that very moment, my stomach growled so loudly, the hospital administrators surely had to hear on the eighth floor. The scent of lunch was wafting down the hallway. I was curious to see what was on the patient’s tray as the nutrition staff made rounds. While each...
If I knew then what I know now...
Alberto Marcelin, College of Medicine
March 28, 2011
Now that I am at the end of my medical school career, I have had the opportunity to reflect on the last four years. I am proud and happy that I have made it through successfully, but looking back, there are some things I might have done differently. In basic sciences, I remember that most of us approached studying with a “one test at a time” attitude, where we crammed very hard prior to each exam, and then stopped studying once the test was over. While that...
Abs of Steel
Chinwe Okeke, College of Medicine
March 28, 2011
Want to know a secret? I am afraid of needles. I feel palpitations when I see them, and I have to take slow, deep breaths to prevent a full-blown panic attack from ensuing. Want to know another secret? I also don’t like the sight of blood; I can’t stand the gurgling sounds when a patient is being suctioned, and I almost lose my lunch at the sight and sound of someone losing their lunch. So, you’re probably wondering what I get asked weekly,...
Congratulations, you have matched!
Jasmine Riviere Marcelin, College of Medicine
March 25, 2011
I will never forget my Match week. This last week has become permanently etched in my mind; an exciting memory to share with friends and loved ones for years to come. My husband Alberto and I both waited for “Black Monday” to learn whether we were successful at securing residencies. On March 14, 2011, we each received an email at 11:55AM with the subject line: Did I match? Of course, just that subject is enough to cause anxiety in even the most calm and confident person. I...
