This week has been an absolute whirlwind of activity. Finals are on the horizon — an ocean swell that will soon be breaking and crashing all around us. This trimester, the swells have been coming with a rapid tempo, inundating us with one exam after another since Week 3. When life is consumed by taking measured breaths between waves, some lofty goals are sidelined.

I had a few grand plans for this trimester. I wanted to make a “master book.” A compilation of all commonplace conditions, their symptoms, the biochemistry involved, the physiology behind the process, the deficiencies, and the best treatment plan. An individualized handbook of chiropractic and functional medicine. “Perhaps next trimester I’ll have mastered time management enough to work, excel at school, and accomplish tangential goals” seems to be a permanent mantra of mine lately. However, juggling school, assignments, extracurriculars, family, and sleep can sometimes require something hardly short of magic.

I spent a good chunk of this week crafting an accurate, yet readable research paper for Medical Microbiology. I chose Listeria monocytogenes — a surprisingly crafty little microbe with a whole slew of its own “magic” at its disposal. That was a good 3,300 words. Another 1,000 words went into a case study for said class, expounding on the terrors bestowed on humanity by Neisseria Gonorrhoeae(Gonorrhea). Needless to say, my occasional penchant for hypochondriacal musings is gaining quite an arsenal to use against me. And, as if I hadn’t had enough time with bugs, the other lulls in my weeks were filled with enteroviruses, amoebas, and hepatitis viruses, as our Medical Microbiology exam is Monday.

Good Food Festival

Characteristic of the delightful, sadistic irony that follows me around, after learning about all the fecal-oral modes of transmission via food, I found myself volunteering at the Good Food Festival at UIC in Chicago.

Bugs or not, the Whole Food Festival was absolutely phenomenal! Volunteering and community service are some of the cornerstones of our education here at National University. I really think we need more involvement with the community than is fostered by the school, as most of the community outreach is facilitated by the various clubs on campus. Interaction with community is so crucial for a physician. It ties us into the community in an intimate way. It lends insight into community trends and mindset and this particular event was a gem! All throughout, there were vendors, local businesses, and individuals who were trying to make a positive difference in community health. There were classes to help facilitate new healthy business growth. It was, overall, refreshing to see and interact with so many people who are passionate about expanding health and access to healthy food products.

Waves or not, every day is made worth it when you get the chance to see the lives positively affected by your beliefs.