My Favorite Day

“What day is it?” asked Pooh
“It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.
“My favorite day,” said Pooh.
― A.A. Milne

After an amazingly relaxing winter break of visiting family and friends and traveling all the way from Seattle, WA, to Beaufort and Charleston, SC, I find myself back in Greenville with a mix of feelings. Although I probably would have opted for a longer break if given the choice, I am excited about what’s in store for this semester and beyond. In fact, I have been so excited about what waits for me at semester’s end that I am having a little trouble devoting my full concentration to my current studies. This is only slightly problematic given that the material is growing increasingly challenging and consuming (the physics behind the cardiac cycle… wait….physics?!).

Rachel enjoying her holiday break with her first nephew, Milo Anthony.

“Well, what is in store for the semester & summer?” I’m so glad you’ve asked! I attended a Global Health Conference at UCF in Orlando on February 1 (http://med.ucf.edu/global-health/conferences/global-health-conference-2013-2014/) along with several other classmates, with whom I am forming a global health interest group. (Yes, I’m involved in yet another interest group. As you can tell, I really love my extracurriculars.) And then for the month of June, I am planning to volunteer in Haiti with an organization called Ti Kay Haiti (http://www.tikayhaiti.org/), working in the TB ward of the general hospital in Port-au-Prince.

With all of these future plans I have to look forward to, I constantly need to remind myself to focus on and enjoy the task at hand. When I am successful in doing this, it is easy to see that there is something I can be excited about every day. I have compiled a list of things to share with you that I have enjoyed recently about school, life and Greenville — not in any particular order:

1)      The weather. It was 65 degrees the other day and beautiful— how could one complain about a winter day with that sort of weather?

2)      Eating dinner downtown with visiting friends. The lights strung across Main St. never get old and TakoSushi is delicious. How could you go wrong with a Southwestern/Japanese combo? Their Southwest Tuna Tartare is to die for! http://tako-sushi.com/

3)      Hiking in Paris Mountain State Park. http://southcarolinaparks.com/parismountain/introduction.aspx

4)      My EMT shift this past Saturday. I am getting more comfortable with taking vitals and assisting the paramedics on the truck. Having this confidence in patient interactions is huge for me, and I look forward to my shift next month.

5)      Yoga class every Tuesday at the school. I also take the occasional class at Greenville Yoga. It has a wonderful, calming atmosphere, and the student rate for a class is only $5! http://greenvilleyoga.com/

6)      New and exciting classes offered at the GHS Life Center. Barre Physique? Yes, please! Free membership for students: http://www.ghs.org/lifecenter

7)      Having a successful meeting with my research group and forming a strong plan and next steps for the required research component of the curriculum. http://greenvillemed.sc.edu/research.shtml

8)      The next episode of Dexter. My husband and I started season one over break— a terrible idea. It is highly addictive, so I strongly suggest NOT purchasing a NetFlix membership while in medical school. It can be distracting to say the least but also a great reward for studying.

9)      The dinner that my husband cooks me on a nightly basis. I am a VERY lucky med student! I am not looking forward to the start of baseball season, when my husband, an assistant coach at USC Upstate, disappears and I am forced to fend for myself in the kitchen again.

10)   Everything that we are learning right now in Structure Function 2. I never cease to be amazed at all of the intricate details that go into what makes up a human body, which I take as a sign that I am going into the right field!

When I find myself getting caught up with too many things in the future, I remind myself of the A.A. Milne quote written above. It grounds me and allows me to focus on and feel gratitude towards the unique opportunities that each day has to offer. I invite you to join in an attempt to find a way to make every day your favorite day.

Rachel Heidt

I am originally from Beaufort, South Carolina, and graduated from New York University with my B.A. in Psychology in 2009. Unsure of exactly what I wanted to do with my life, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work, travel, and volunteer for two years while discovering my desire to become a physician. I lived in Alaska, Belgium, Australia, and Thailand before beginning a one-year post-baccalaureate pre-medical program at Bryn Mawr College in 2011. I spent the past year in Berkeley, California, working for the University of California San Francisco as the analyst for the Division of Hospital Medicine at San Francisco General Hospital, the safety-net hospital for the city of San Francisco. My interests include integrative medicine, global and community health, narrative medicine, and working with underserved populations. Other interests include hiking, yoga, and exploring Greenville and the surrounding areas with my husband. I’m thrilled to be back in my home state and to become a member of the second class at USC School of Medicine Greenville. I look forward to sharing my journey into medical school with you!