Apply yourself

Metal trays. Heat lamps. Serving spoons.  Each food scooped into it's own little compartment. All of a sudden I'm back in elementary school when my biggest worries were counting the ticks on the mysterious analogue clock till recess and who I would sit by for lunch. But I'm not in elementary school. I'm sitting at a table in the Rift Valley Academy cafeteria of Kijabe, Kenya with an orthopedic surgeon and his family for Sunday lunch, anxiously pushing my food around out of it's tray compartments. Reorganizing. I attempt to keep a calm face as I listen to the advice of a practicing physician who has spent several years on a medical school admission board and I feel thoughts race frantically around my head. Reorganizing. 

For the past 6 months, I have been fighting with myself in a horrible ping-pong match of what to do with my immediate future. Team A: For better or for worse, apply this cycle to medical school. Team B: re-take the MCAT (the brand new, twice as long 2015 MCAT by the way…), strengthen my score & experience, and apply next cycle with some medical scribing under my belt. At the end of the school semester, this decision seemed settled. But this lunch sent the whole thing into another round of frantic ping-pong bouncing. Team A's victory began to give way to team B. By the direct comment of Dr. Davis (this new orthopedic surgeon acquaintance),  my MCAT score is indeed in need of strengthening. At the direct advice of Dr. Jayakar (a cardiac surgeon whom I greatly respect), medical scribing is unforgettable experience that would prepare me incredibly for the application process and a life in medicine. I've been so focused on pushing through and getting to the next step, and so worried about the outcome, that I've ignored some pretty obvious, important things. I know what I want to do to feel prepared for applications to medical school. Is it what I need to do? Is it something  I am able to do time and money-wise? Being prepared mentally, academically, physically, and spiritually for medical school (including the application process) follows no "traditional  timeline". It's different for each person. And vitally important. Hmm.

All I know now, is that I've got some serious thinking to do over the next week during my time shadowing at Kijabe hospital.

Today's highlight's include:

• AIC Kijabe "African" Church service complete with children's choir (adorable…)
• Sacrificial tea drinking and bread eating for a milk and gluten-intolerant Danielle. She snuck me her cup and slices so we could both accept the church elder's hospitality (by consuming our tea items) and keep Danielle from digestive hell. Also, I just love tea. Win, win.
• "American" Rift Valley Academy church service (that's right, two churches in one morning. Double Jesus points! ;) It also saved us from walking down and back up the hill between AIC church and lunch)
• Lunch w/ Dr. Davis. This count's as a highlight because he invited us to a super secret doctor meeting for the coming Friday. (super secret doctor meeting = the morbidity/mortality report meeting where the hospital's doctors gather to hear about recent important cases, major mistakes, successes, ect). This is something I could only DREAM to get to be part of at a US hospital (too many laws).
• Med school freak-out. A highlight because it needed to happen.
• Baboons! Yeah, they're a lot bigger than I thought. And apparently they steal vegetables from peoples gardens or ENTIRE SHEEP. Aka: they're the semi-vegetarian Chupacabras of Africa.
• Data sorting. Always good to get organized
• Video chats with friends. (Yay good wi-fi!)
• Pictures and laughter. This consisted of Dr. Sasaki sharing his photos from his weekend safari and me rediscovering a certain photo album from my 2013 Kenya trip. Our group kept noticing a strangely frequent appearance of photos with animal butts in them. So, naturally, I compiled an album entitled "The Butts of Africa". Yes, you're welcome to see it anytime.
• Leftover dinner from Aidah. Yum.
• Dishwashing and more laughter. "Dishwasher? I barely know her!" Joke tip to Danielle.

AIC Kenyan church

Run, baboons, run.

Emma guarding the house like a boss