I find it ironic that the first two-thirds of this trimester flew by, while the last third felt unusually long. I think I can attribute that to the deeper sense of presence I’ve intentionally brought into this season’s softening.
In many ways, the end of every trimester marks the beginning of a new chapter. This one is no exception. We’ve finished our finals, wrapped up classes and are preparing to take a well-deserved break.
Abundance
The rain has also brought life to the garden outside. With each passing day, it seems to grow a little brighter and more abundant. In many ways, I’m finding that my learning experience is growing in a similar fashion. As I begin to think about how everything I am learning will apply to a real-world setting, particularly to the clinic where I’ll be interning shortly, I’m grateful for the experiences I’ve had observing my senior peers practicing patient care. Many of those seniors are graduating, and since they are, this ending feels especially significant.
To all our graduates: I wish you joy and fulfillment as you embark upon the next leg of your journey as healers. The world needs more thoughtful and compassionate practitioners than ever, and we will be there to support you.
With Sincere Thanks
I’d like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Christopher Hartman, naturopathic medicine clinician, for going above and beyond to share his wisdom with me during my clinical observations. His ability to take the knowledge I’ve gained in the classroom and show me what that knowledge looks like in practice has been invaluable. Additionally, I appreciate that he always tries to bring the focus back to the underlying root issue of what a patient is experiencing instead of focusing solely on the presenting complaint.
Sometimes I feel like there isn’t much that Dr. Hartman doesn’t know, and what I appreciate most is that he’s always willing to share his thought processes. I ask him lots of questions; and sometimes find that asking one question leads to 5-6 additional questions. This is because I’m trying to figure out how experienced clinicians come to the conclusions they make. Our discussions have really helped me consider how to use clinical reasoning more thoughtfully and flexibly. I don’t want to be someone who only memorizes protocols; I want to learn enough to be able to determine when and how to adjust those protocols so that the care I provide can be tailored to the individual sitting across from me. Dr. Hartman has truly enhanced the clinical observation experience, and I am already looking forward to seeing who my next lead clinician will be once observations resume in the next trimester.
As far as acupuncture is concerned, I have been reflecting with equal gratitude on the environment that acupuncture clinician Dr. Sarah Montesa has provided for us to explore through various case studies. She showed great agility in her responses along with providing ample room for us to explore our thoughts and ideas in creating treatment plans as opposed to waiting for the “correct” answers to be handed down to us. There were instances where we would be given a mock case, and I could feel myself connecting the dots using the different symptoms, patterns, treatment principles and acupuncture points we’ve covered throughout class.
It was an awesome feeling knowing I wasn’t only recalling information but being creative with it, explaining why I selected certain points, listening to other people’s approaches, and re-evaluating mine. Sharing and discussing ideas with Dr. Montesa and my fellow classmates made the case studies feel collaborative, which I greatly enjoyed. It allowed me to see another example of the type of practitioner I hope to become.
What Comes Next
All that remains now is trusting in the hard work that has taken place over the course of the semester. I have studied, prepared, practiced and attempted to demonstrate my commitment by utilizing the tools that have been given to me within these last exams. Somewhere along the line, there’s a need to trust in what you have constructed and executed.
I look forward to the break ahead, and wish you all the best of luck, and peaceful energy as you allow your mind and body to rest after asking so much of both of them for the last 15 weeks.
