Becoming a Doctor

I truly enjoy reading your journals! Thank you. It's funny in a weird way, I seem to be the one benefiting the most from all of these, because I get to see the great thoughts and insights that each of you have. I think you are missing out on learning from each other, and that's a shame. If you think it's a shame too, please post "It's a shame" in the group section of our Google Hangout.

Spring Break is upon us. I have one more journal topic that will be an assignment (see below). I will not be assigning work over Spring Break. I will however, be posting daily journal topics here on this blog, and if you would like to journal on those, I will gladly read them. See Google Classroom for more information. I hope you each can have a restful time away from the stressors of homework and daily assignments. I will Post again in Google Classroom on April 15 or 16.

Journal Topic of the day: Becoming a Doctor
Please watch this update from MedCram. What are your thoughts on becoming a doctor? Does working in a hospital under the conditions that are described in the video sound appealing to you? What types of needs do you think doctors working with Covid 19 patients have?




My Journal RE: Needs (from Thursday)
I don't know exactly how I feel about Spring Break. Actually, I have been repressing my feelings about most things recently because I have deadlines to finish, and my deadlines don't care about my feelings.

I do care about my feelings though. For me, it takes a long time and a lot of focused intention to notice exactly how I feel. I try to handle this by getting up early, and reading positive and insightful texts in order to get me started on the right path for the day.

For me, when I wake up, I tend to have angry, judgemental thoughts, along with worry and anxiety. It's better for me to get up before everyone else and do my reading and journaling in the morning because I've been told I LOOK angry every morning when I wake up! That makes others sometimes think that I am mad at them, but actually I (usually) am not!

I have read that people who have had trauma, especially trauma early in their lives, are more susceptible to this type of thinking. I don't know for sure about others, but that has been my experience (I'm pretty sure I told all of you about my brother's accident when we were kids).

Over the years I have collected strategies that I have adopted and use in order to be able to cope with daily stressors and the negative emotions they can produce in me. I have a whole collection of tricks, tips, insights, etc. that can be applied at different times. I would say that some people learn these types of things from their families as they grow up, but some do not, and they have to learn them as they get older and through experience.

I don't consider myself to be fully self-actualized yet. There are still many things that I want to be able to do, but in order to do them I'll need to change some thinking patterns and behaviors. Like all of you, I have social needs that are not being met due to the Coronavirus situation, but I have shelter, food, and hope and I am looking forward to being able to see you students and all of my friends again in person. Until that time, I will keep on taking on my responsibilities to the best of my ability, and try to bring joy to the other people in my life on a daily basis.