Listen to the audio above for a heightened experience.
@darkskindchik as Khona Nzama.
Rất tiếc! Hình ảnh này không tuân theo hướng dẫn nội dung. Để tiếp tục đăng tải, vui lòng xóa hoặc tải lên một hình ảnh khác.
Beep beep. Beep beep. Beep beep. I was woken up by the most panic inducing sound ever, my damn alarm clock.
My head was pounding like I had drank a fifth of moonshine, but that was a normal everyday thing due to my hectic schedule that barely left me any time to breathe. Like clockwork, no pun intended, my heavy hand reached over to the noise making contraption and slammed down on it. Hard.
I mean, who wants to wake up at 4 in the morning to complete clinical rotations and shadow doctors who couldn't care less about the students and future doctors they were supposed to be teaching? No one. But I had to, it was my final rotation before my residency and I was coasting home to my doctorate degree. I just needed to hold on a bit longer. Shaking my thoughts off, I prepared myself for the long day ahead. I begrudgingly got out of bed and managed to drag my feet through the process of getting dressed for the hospital. Scrubs? Check. Coat? Check. Left overs for lunch? Check. Hideous slip-resistant shoes? Check. Backpack full of A&P notes I don't even remember taking? Check.
I loved medicine and the thought of becoming a doctor was elating. I chose this path because as the child of Zulu immigrants from Cape Town, South Africa, I wanted to make a difference in my home country by providing healthcare for the millions of black South Africans that can not afford it due to the reverberating effects of the "long gone" apartheid. So no matter how tired or in pain I was, whenever it was time to enter the hospital I pulled my shoulders back, held my head high, and walked with purpose.
Arriving at the intimidating building, I immediately placed all my things in my designated locker and proceeded to the clinic auditorium to find out who I would be shadowing this month. Walking swiftly to the board where all student info was listed I silently prayed I wasn't going to be put in an observation group with students that were annoying or a nonchalant doctor. Finding my name, I place my finger on it and trace it to the right. Dr. Trevante Nemour Rhodes, MD Primary care physician—Internal medicine Hospital meeting room 7 5am-5pm Sighing wistfully at the time printed, I shuffled out of the auditorium and back to my locker to pick up my observation notebook. My migraine was still going strong and I didn't know how I was going to get through the morning, let alone the day. This degree was going to be the death of me.
As I walked into the classroom to join the observation/lesson, an unfamiliar voice boomed throughout the large room filled with about 20 students and I was taken aback when I settled into my seat enough to see who it belonged to.
A statuesque man paced about the front of the classroom in his white coat and stethoscope he hung expertly around his neck as he championed the importance of always scrubbing into an appointment to avoid getting sick yourself, and always being in proper hospital attire, all basic things but the way he spoke and his mannerisms took my breath away. He was obviously a 6 footer, had the cleanest temple fade I had ever seen in my life, and even through his white coat you could see he was built like a ball player. His dark skin and brown eyes complimented his almost frighteningly perfect white teeth and with it being a casual Friday, he had on a nice pair of tan chinos, a simple green long-sleeved sweater, and some Stan Smith's. I could tell by his attire and his flawless face he was one of the younger doc's. "Proceed to the table." His voice boomed. So charismatic. As we all gathered around the circular demonstration table, Dr. Rhodes and I locked eyes momentarily. As he expounded upon various case studies he wanted to teach us about, I noticed he kept looking in my direction, almost like I was the only person in the room with him. For a little while I was so caught up in the game of cat and mouse eye contact the doctor and I were playing that my migraine went unnoticed. Sadly, it reared its ugly head again and this time it was so intense that I winced and hissed quietly in pain. Judging by the look on Dr. Rhodes face when he looked up at me once more, he had seen and heard. He continued teaching for about a few hours more and then abruptly ended the session and told everyone to go grab lunch and head home. Thank Umdali* I was relieved to be out of there and hopefully going back home to eat and get back in bed, but that excitement was cut short by the sound of the handsome doctors voice. "Except for you extern Nzama. Make your way to my office on the 2nd floor please." He said professionally, yet pleasantly, as he stacked the laminated papers on the work table. Perturbed by his request, I shot him a tight-lipped smile and did as he said.
