The Bridge Between "Vacation" and Reality

I cannot believe it's already been a week since I landed and started my life in Dominica; just yesterday I was receiving my acceptance letter, and pinching myself into the reality that in 7 months time I'd be moving to a foreign country 3000 miles away from home to become what I have always wanted to be- Ashleigh Burt, MD. Arriving on the island the week before orientation started was the best decision I made. It both allowed me time to adjust to my surroundings, get to know my neighbors and the area around my apartment, explore a lot of what the island has to offer, build relationships with people who are going to carry me and push me through the next 4 semesters, and get through both the initial "honeymoon" and homesick phases of my culture shock.


Today marked the "official" beginning of my medical career on the island of Dominica with the commencement of orientation. This morning each first semester student was required to go through the motions of "checking-in" to ensure all addresses, phone numbers, and emergency contacts were correct; receive our financial aid refund checks (aka: the only way I will financially support myself throughout this endeavor); and to receive a neon pink sticker on our student ID's stating we are registered and officially checked in for the Fall 2014 semester (see picture below). Despite the redundancy of signing my name multiple times and repeating the same things multiple times, the final station provided each of us with the one tangible article that every aspiring physician looks forward to and takes immense pride in.....our white coats. Officially we are not able to wear them until Friday, September 12 when they are placed on our shoulders by current faculty and practicing physicians; however, looking in my closet to see my white coat hanging synthesizes every single emotion I've experienced up to this point, knowing that I am ready to tackle the tough road required to place "MD" after my name. As nervous as I am, and has difficult as I know it will be, looking at that coat makes it all worth it.

 

Later in the evening, we had an optional session providing us with more information about the island, it's history, the government structure, etc. Throughout the course of our first week on the island, the group of people I met on my flight from Puerto Rico and I have explored several areas within the island. After this historical introduction this evening, it was really exciting to be able to put some of our ventures into context. For example, yesterday we went on an excursion to the Kalinago Territory on the Eastern side of the island. The Kalinago people are the indigenous population of Dominica, and throughout the course of both English and French reign sought refuge in the inner regions of the island where terrain is much  more rugged and difficult to navigate. In 1903, 3700 acres were set aside as a territory specifically for them. They are able to rule their community much like a Native American reservation would in the United States- with their own government system and ability to maintain cultural norms and traditions. Their willingness to share music, dances, food, and open their lives to us was beautiful. Following our visit to their territory we traveled approximately 25 mins south to a small body of water called the Emerald Pool. It is located within a rain forest, and the pool is literally the collecting body of water from a waterfall. Finding words to describe the environment and the lush greenery would not even skim the surface of how absolutely stunning the locale is. We all waded in the water (it was freezing!!), and some group members courageously stood under the waterfall. Of course, being that it is a rain forest, the rain arrived promptly as we were on our way back to buses. Needless to say, living on this island has taught me that rain can literally come at ANY time of the day. Even when it's completely sunny, don't ever leave home without your umbrella. Despite the rain, it was our last hurrah prior to jumping into the reality that is school, and it couldn't have been a better way to end my first week here on the "Nature Isle."

Traditional dance of the Kalinago People

Emerald Pool

Throughout this week we will continue to have speakers and introductions regarding the island, it's rich history, food, and culture, but more and more focus will be shifted to our curriculum, exam schedules, course schedules, and, of course, thinking about USMLE testing down the road. I cannot believe (still) that I am fortunate enough to be here to train and become what I hope will be a compassionate, determined, optimistic, and inspiring physician.

Until next time, I will leave you all with some more pictures from our venture to the weekly market about 15 minutes away from my apartment for some fresh produce. Up until this moment, I had never had coconut water in my life. Now, I will never have coconut water again unless it is poured directly from the coconut into my water bottle. :)