Fog

You step outside your front door. It’s early in the morning and you are about to drive to work, to clinic, to the library. You have a day, week, month, even a year, planned in your head. There are things you need to get done; things you want to get done. You step outside your…

Self-Motivation

I stand at the starting line  Of the race that is today.  A place full of dreams,  Jammed full of possibilities So many that they are leaping over each other Trying to get out.  On this day,  I promise to treat others with kindness Give it my very best Get up when I fall.  For…

Letter of My Journey

It is no lie that medical school has become one of the toughest and grittiest processes I have faithfully endured. This academic process has tested every fiber of my being while revealing parts of myself that I believe would have never matured had I given up or chosen a different path. This journey has tested…

The Shaw Family

What really comes to mind when thinking of black people? Would you be nervous starting a conversation with me or another black person? What are some of the Expectations, Perspectives, and Comfort level you have? When you see me as a fourth year medical student do you say “he’s one of the good ones,” an…

My Perspective on Racial Inequality

I have never faced racial discrimination, none that I can remember anyway. Yet, I am aware that it and stereotypes exist. I have always been given an opportunity to excel, and I am grateful to God for that. As a child that was born in America to a Caribbean family, I am proud of my…

Now that you see us, don’t ignore us.

It is beautiful to see how the people of this country have mobilized to speak out against the unjust actions taken by a few police officers. I believe that the video recording of George Floyd, a black man who did not deserve to be tortured and killed by the police, gave many in the white…

Compassion Fatigue

The other night I was watching Hasan Minhaj’s show on Netflix, Patriot Act (highly recommend it if you haven’t seen any episodes, by the way). As it was his last episode of 2019, he did a short recap of some events from the year, ending it with some news clips about how “we just want…

Believe

Do you ever feel like the room is spinning, like you’re being pulled in every direction, like if you stop to relax or take a moment to dream, sit still, enjoy the fresh air, the breeze, your own sanity, or just anything remotely fun that your world will come crashing down in a matter of…

Bad Things Can Happen

Bad things can happen. Sometimes a lot of it, all at once. I am a control freak. I desperately want to have sole power over all aspects of my life. This is why the past year of my life absolutely broke me. My dream of becoming a doctor was finally starting to come true last…

Do Doctors Cry?

“Do doctors cry?” A peculiar and unexpected question posed to me from my 6-year-old nephew, holding a small plastic stegosaurus in his hands.  “Yes, sometimes they do” I replied. “Why?” My thoughts were suddenly swept up in a whirlwind of unpleasant memories.  All the years I have spent in medicine granted me a plethora of…