Answer the Call

Walmart’s tossed out the black and orange and brought in the red and green—must be November 1. And as I hang up my costume this year I’m reminded of the time when costumes meant that lady down the street from Grandma would put out a HUGE pot of candy that read, “Have at it.” After pillaging this pot of gold I’d go knocking on all the other neighbors’ doors and demand they choose one of two options, to which they always chose the latter (I can’t say I complained). Upon my return, my grandmother would look at the mound of tooth-destroyers I had amassed and tell me “Now, Jeremiah, everything in moderation.” And although I’m sure at the time she spoke of my post-Halloween candy, I can tell you from experience that her words are wisdom for more than just the diet. Looking back at what happened last year, I wish I had applied them in more areas of my life.

Cellphones seem to have a knack for going off precisely in the worst moments possible. As if medical school interviews aren’t nerve-racking enough, my cellphone decided to disobey my “silent commands” and ring anyway (gotta love technology). Flustered, I pulled it out, saw Grandma’s name as the culprit, and hastily turned the phone off. After the interview, I called her back, received a busy signal, and resigned myself to call her back again sometime that weekend. After all, missing college courses because of interviews had increased my workload tremendously. She would understand. That night as I struggled through Genetics homework, I received a call from my mother: “Jeremiah, you’re grandmother’s been rushed to the hospital. They think she had a stroke. I’ll keep you updated.”

My pen dropped. My heart sank. A sudden thought flooded my mind—had I missed out on the last opportunity to speak with Grandma? What if she was calling because she was ill? What if I could tell that her speech was slurred over the phone? Could help have come sooner if I had been more persistent in returning her call? Thinking about that moment, I’ve penned these words:

The hands of life’s clock wait for no man; this fact is certain.
To all good things in life we wave goodbye and close the curtain.
Time is priceless, and of all our valuables, most precious.
But this one-way commodity can’t be bought on Amazon or Craigslist.
It can only be spent. Consequently, we prioritize our spending,
Creating long term plans that become kings of our timing.
But in our goal-oriented society and our destination-focused culture
Has our neighborly attention attenuated and the journey lost its grandeur?
At our own path we stare selfishly with blinders to our vision
Driven by the incessant sting of the whip we call ambition.
And in our minds we justify this pedestal-placing of ourselves,
But deep in my heart I know regret is all that will be felt
When in retrospect we look at the opportunities that arose
To serve others, and yet my plans, my desires, myself—is what we chose.
Even in the midst of AMCAS, MCAT, Step 1, and Step 2,
We must realize that medicine is not a commitment to me and you,
But rather a lifelong dedication to those despairing and distraught.
“I’m too busymaybe later…”—we ought to fight these all too common thoughts.
Because the day that we as doctors no longer struggle with workload
Is the same day that we for final time will hang up the long white coat.
If we profess to be caring physicians who solemnly swore The Oath,
Then Hippocratic—not hypocritical—must we be, and this day let our love show.
Now—in the heart our training—we must learn to take the time
To give of ourselves, and live out the message of these rhymes.
So when that needy family member phones, or you’re asked to give more than your all,
I hope we’ll sacrifice self. I hope we’ll answer the call.

Paracelsus is credited for saying, “The dose makes the poison,” meaning even that which we would call “good” can be harmful in excessive amounts. I am fortunate that my excessive ambition and excessive self-focus did not cost me my last conversation with a woman I dearly love. I was given another chance; I was able to speak with my grandmother again. We all have dreams. We all have goals. But these dreams and goals to serve others one day should not prevent those that we can serve this day. I hope we as future medical doctors can see the truth in that.

Jeremiah White

Formerly from the Baltimore area, I graduated from Bob Jones University with a degree in pre-med. Having interacted through MedEx with the faculty and students, I knew the doctor USCSOMG wanted to graduate was the doctor I wanted to become. If I’m not hitting the books, you can probably find me spending time with my better half or on the basketball court. It is an honor and a privilege to be a member of the class of 2018, and I’m excited to share my passion for global health, children’s health, and health education with my peers. “To whom much is given, much more shall be required.”