The last three years were, aside from affiliations, spent holed up in a basement classroom set with 26 others on a daily basis. We were unique from previous classes with a more distinct grouping of social circles, which made us something of a difficult group to lead. But by the third year I had the pleasure of watching some of the straight-outta-undergrad kids grow up, and to see some of the older career change folk blossom to renew their self in more ways than one. We lost no one along the way, despite some grueling semesters and estrogen-laden social strata.
Here's a rundown of those who made a particular impact on my graduate years, in alphabetical order by first name:
Amanda was in my research group. We had to put up with a lot. Make something from nothing. Make something from what I will refer to as a rather sticky situation. Amanda also did this while balancing an uber hectic affiliation at NYU's Rusk rehabilitation center that required all notes and writings to be performed at home rather than at work (including all daily notes, all evaluations, and a daily critically appraised topic based on current literature). She was also the sole member of our group to figure out the hospital's impossible self-created, non-intuitive software program. Basically, if chaos was present then she could figure it out. Her job during days locked into a computer lab for 13 hours straight was to correct all phrasing and citations into APA style (three parts vs. 3-part, number of authors names present within citations, certain headings present or absent for tables, etc). For perspective's sake, had you seen our paper then you'd have smashed your head through the wall and run away screaming.
Danielle managed to complete school while raising two little girls, the second of which spent almost our entire first year with us in the classroom while gestating. School was ridiculous enough without having to raise kids; hers are now four and two. She's incredibly loyal and will defend those she cares about tooth and nail. She never hides who she is or her opinions, and is proud of who she is. Danielle was a massively supportive ear whenever I needed to quietly express my life stressors, and during our second year I definitely had my fill. She, like a few choice others, would recognize subtle changes in my affect and, amazingly, always offer just the amount of support I needed. And, even with potty training and ear infections and other mom-stuff distracting her, she always remembered and followed up as weeks went by. For that last point I was amazed. Her little girls are very lucky to have such a caring mom, and her future mini-patients are lucky to have such a goofy yet on point therapist caring for their future.
Erin was another member of my research group. We alternated at inadvertently leading/organizing our group throughout different phases of the project. Reliable, incredibly so. She also had patience at those points when I was about ready to throw in the towel. (Hello, dysfunctional Institutional Review Board and CUNY administration system!) She and a small group of others who were straight out of undergrad came in to the program very smart though young. By the time third year started, she was very smart and had grown into quite a standup and independent woman. It was great to see that transition first hand.
Heather skipped graduation because she and her husband now live in CA with their ~9 month old son. Heather lived in Harlem near me, and we studied just about every weekend that school was in session until her son was born during our last year. Her quirkiness, her constant humor and positive outlook, and her selfless nature only begin to describe how pinnacle she was to my graduate life. She brown-nosed professors after an exam because it was funny (not to get a different grade). She chopped off those anatomical structures she didn't recognize during our cadaver lab so they could not be used on a practical exam. She'd come up with the most random mnemonics and phrases to remember terminology. And she was the most capable of everyone at maintaining a full personal life when not within the walls of our Brookdale school campus. I wish she were not so far away, as she became one of my closest friends. But she is also the type for which the moment we do visit each other it will feel as though we never left off.
Katarina was the oldest of our class and worked as an EMT throughout the entirety of school, even when in an affiliation 40+ hours per week. As we neared the end of our second year she decided to take drastic steps to reconcile a major aspect of her personal life. That is significant, because second year was when we all wanted to pull out our hair, gnaw off our arms and drop out because we were so ridiculously overstressed. Not an easy time to keep your personal life sane, let alone to make such a drastic change. I am SO very proud of her. She has stuck to her guns, and it shows. And she sticks up for herself in those situations when others would let themselves get walked all over. She is also recently became a US citizen (originally from Sweden, came for undergrad and stayed ever since).
Katie was nicknamed our class's "secret weapon." She is tiny, yet managed to transfer/lift/whatever the six foot gorilla that is Phil whenever requested mid-lecture. She'd get herself into those situations thanks to a super spunky, don't-give-me-crap-cause-I'll-call-you-out personality. She'd bring up -- mid-class -- those discrepancies that the rest of us felt were touchy, usually resulting in a string of one liners between her and the huffy prof. Her best line to a prof during an exam feedback session: "No, you're wrong. But that's okay." I still snicker for a good five minutes when I think of that one. Awesome.
Laura I., a.k.a. Subconscious. (Get it? Two Lauras who are good friends...?) There's a reason why Laura ended up playing the program secretary in our faculty roast -- they are both endlessly caring and selfless, and are genuinely concerned about all those around them. She is of the older crowd, and her personal life went through a 180 for self-reconciliation following a faltered relationship. If you have not already heard the theme, we barely had time to remember to brush our teeth let alone to juggle emotional aspects of our life. What I saw was an incredible transformation, the willingness to be vulnerable and take steps independently, finding and learning to be unapologetic of her self. It started our first semester with the two of us going from cadaver to cadaver until the repetition made its way through the formaldehyde headaches and nausea and the overwhelming endless list of practical exam possibilities. It ended with her manual skills becoming so acute that her former affiliation sites want to keep her around, with pay. I am SO PROUD of her.
Meaghan is the one we all wish were our younger sister. Absolutely pure sweetness, incredibly smart and on point, the most humble person you know. She also played rugby in undergrad. She was another of the straight-outta-undergrad crew, though you'd never have known. She'd be nervous when asked to demonstrate or when presenting, only to speak calmly, eloquently, in a way that puts my speed talking excitement to total and utter shame. Oh, and did I mention she played rugby -- competitively -- in undergrad? A hard worker with a full arsenal, made no less effective by her completely sweet demeanor.
Myriah and her boyfriend own and operate a wine shop in Brooklyn (Big Tree Bottles), which they opened a merely a few months prior to the start of school. She is witty in a way particular to other smart New Englanders I have befriended throughout the years, heightened by an undergrad degree from the New School -- i.e. she is very good at ideas, at working with intangible entities, of making something of nothing. She is very unique, absolutely unapologetic, assertive. She wants things to be credible, though if something/someone is flawed yet knows it and has a sense of humor about it then she happy accepts it/them with open arms. She and I went through similar patterns of being overwhelmed by the massive amount of estrogen in our class, of wanted a break from being around people all the time (especially the same group every. single. day.) She was always very perceptive at noticing when I pulled back (even when I tried not to let it show) and, like a few particular others, became a very, very dear sounding board.
Phillip always gave his most at every test, every opportunity to study, every discussion. He is physically something of a gorilla, and over the course of three years his manual skills came full circle. He'd try to absorb every detail, to get it to mesh with everything else he'd learned. His presentations were smooth, articulate, very clear and engaging. He never complained, never balked, never let himself get caught up in the social politics prone to our decidedly female class. He also had a job lined up at his first affiliation weeks before graduation. That speaks worlds about his focus and attention to detail.
Ron (I somehow missed getting a solo shot of him) is known as our technology hero and class co-president. But he was also my partner for numerous papers as well as shared the same site for affiliation 2, the incredibly fun outpatient neuro affil of last summer. His background is in athletic training, and he ended up creating quite a unique repertoire of exercises for his neuro patients. I loved treating my own patients within earshot so I could hear the exchange of banter between Ron and a certain athlete-level patient with cerebral palsy: "You want me to do WHAT? Did you even read my chart?" He also introduced the lot of us to what I semi-fondly call crack-coffee, a stupidly strong coffee dressed just so with milk and sugar. A few sips left me buzzing for about 8 hours while we attempted to speed talk our way through midterm and final exam studying.
Sarah had super strong academics, but that's not why we love her so much. It's because she was our resident hippie. We ended up slapping our foreheads in speechlessness at least twice a week. Exhibit A) "My boyfriend and I are eating vegan now too," followed by Myriah: "But you're eating sardines for lunch." Exhibit B) following a compliment from a prof that she looks nice for her appearance at their clinic, "Thanks. I changed in the elevator." Exhibit C) Prof: "I said everyone MUST use WHITE paper so no one could TELL whose was WHOSE!" Sarah: "But I just needed some color in my life!" We loved her more with every new quip.
Yami was in my anatomy cadaver group, and ever since we floated in the front row but on opposite sides of the room. If anything remotely funny happened, obvious or not, my side-glancing eyes would catch hers and we'd soon enough have to stifle ourselves. On the estrogen overflow days, I could look over with wide eyes for a reciprocal "I have no idea!" She came from a former career as an accountant at a major firm here in NYC, was fully credentialed as a CPA. Even if the entire rest of the class was asleep during your presentation, she was listening and nodding the whole way through. She introduced me to peanut butter filled pretzels. And she spent just about every break from school volunteering at a variety of local camps and international sites for kids with specific conditions. Inspiring? Yes'm!
