I’ve had the best day today.
I woke up to a fresh pot of coffee and enjoyed a cup on the patio; Durham's weather has shifted from the unforgiving humidity of summer to a much gentler, calm fall climate. I finished breakfast and then geared up for the first virtual lesson of the day: Viruses that Changed the World. Can you think of a more engaging, appropriate topic for 2020? After appreciating every word, I felt such gratitude for public health and the roles of physician assistants (PA).
I then transitioned into a meeting for the Stead Society, our PA student organization. Even though we remain remote, the connection between our class and educators is apparent. I repeat to myself program director Dr. Barnett's mantra of “structured flexibility” when I start to get overwhelmed. I smiled at our student president's tropical-themed Zoom background. I smiled bigger knowing that I can tune in to these meetings from the comfort of my apartment, noticing that I have not remembered to change out of sweatpants just yet.
During these meetings, I am continually impressed by my cohort and their ability to remain resilient in these unprecedented times. Though this pandemic experience can feel somewhat isolating, our meetings reinforce the idea that we are, to quote “High School Musical,” “all in this together.”
After our quick meeting, I had some free time for a nice run around Lake Crabtree in Raleigh. The change in landscape from my hometown of Denver, Colorado to North Carolina has been consistently surprising. The running trail follows the lake's curves, boasting skyscraping trees, diverse critters, and fresh, crisp air. These lunchtime jogs are an absolute treat. I'm not sure there's a more relaxing place than between these giant Durham trees with the sun shining and birds chirping.
The rest of the day was filled with neuroanatomy. We walked through concepts about the nervous system and motor pathways. In the middle of the lecture, an upstairs neighbor dropped something loud, and I quickly jumped. I thanked my amygdala for the appropriate fear response, thanked my cingulate gyrus for the wide-eyed reaction, and thanked Dr. Megan Holmes for making sense of the limbic system.
I can feel the shift starting to happen—I'm starting to view the world through my PA glasses.
We have two months completed and 22 months left. I'm certain that the future will be full of failure and that failure is perfectly OK. It is OK to still not completely understand the mechanism of action of some pharmacologic agent. It is OK that I cannot spell ophtalmic ophthalmic without forgetting an h somewhere. I think we get used to succeeding in our academics or our careers or in our relationships, and then PA school comes along and reminds us that we have plenty of room for growth.
There have been ups and downs, but I've still had the best day today. I had the best day yesterday and I'm going to have the best day tomorrow, and I suspect that many best days still lay ahead.
Aubrey Waechter is a first-year student with the Duke Physician Assistant Program. Email aubrey.waechter@duke.edu with questions.
Editor’s note: Duke Physician Assistant Program students blog twice a month. Blogs represent the opinion of the author, not the Duke Physician Assistant Program, the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, or Duke University.