My Week of Last Firsts

This has been such a crazy last week of school.  I have been really nostalgic about this whole last semester thing starting.  Some fun things from this week:

1.  I love my ward.  It is so great to be back with my ward and to see them all.
2.  I survived my last rush!  It was not as awful as expected, but boy were we busy at the bookstore!
3.  I am learning new things.  I have a snowboarding and a swimming class this semester, and I am really enjoying learning some new hobbies and how to do them correctly.

New Year's Resolutions

There's nothing like new years to urge a blog post on my seemingly empty and seemingly forgotten blog...

I've had a lot of time to think and to think and to think this Christmas break.  It might sound pretty sacrilegious, but I have not really been a fan of the Holidays for a long time.  I feel like I get very depressed around this time of year because I start to stew on how hard things are, or how awful things have been.  My flow and my business kind of leave me, and I'm left with nothing but my own thoughts.  As Lefou in Beauty and the Beast said, "A dangerous past-time" that thinking stuff is.  Great, now I have that song stuck in my head.  As I was saying, the break for me is traditionally a hard time where I stick myself in a rut, and end up missing out on the joys of the season.

This time around, I got thinking to how out of control my life has felt, and started in on the self-loathing because I wasn't happy with who I've become post mission.  I've been really upset with myself because I haven't retained many of the skills and attributes that I worked so hard to get.

Luckily, I've had some answered prayers and some things brought to my remembrance.  When I first got home I gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting.  I outlined three principles that I learned from my mission as they were taught to me by my companions.  The first lesson I learned was, as my blog title suggests, "Mianatra, mitombo, mivoatra," taught to me by a mini-missionary named Vonjy.  It translates to mean, "Learn, grow, progress."  Vonjy would tell me this whenever I was feeling down or when I was discouraged by my lack of knowledge in the language.  I'm just glad I understood what he was telling me.  This lesson is, for me, one of humility.  Of meekness.  It is not enough to just focus in on strengths or to only focus on weaknesses, but to be aware of weaknesses and work to overcome them.  To remember that I am entirely dependent on the Lord and to rely on His strength and His Atonement to help me become better.

The second lesson I learned came from a dear friend, Elder Jacobson.  I have always been a pretty indecisive person, and tend to focus on the reasons to not do certain things.  When I would start to act like this, Elder Jacobson would look at me and say, "Pourquoi pas?"  In French, this means, "Why not?"  Too often I focus on all the reasons why I shouldn't do things, instead of having the courage to do things.  The courage to begin, or the courage to persevere.  I look at all the reasons why I shouldn't pursue a girl, why I'm not good enough.  God didn't send me here to learn why I'm not doing things or to discover who I'm not.  He sent me here to learn who I am.  What qualities are hidden away in my potential that are just waiting to be uncovered?  What friendships are left unmade because I was too afraid to take a risk?  Pourquoi pas is a lesson in courage and in faith.  I need to have the determination to take risks, to be an object in motion and not an object acted upon.

The last lesson that stood out to me from my mission was taught to me by a companion who had way too much energy and was way too happy.  Elder Slater would often sing to me, "Aza manahy."  The best translation for this is Hakuna Matata, and it really is a wonderful phrase.  Worries only breed more worries.  Sister Lehnardt told me quote that "Worrying about tomorrow only steals from todays solace."  I really like that because it reminds me of the importance to enjoy the journey.  This lesson speaks for itself in my mind, because it emphasizes the importance of diligence and enjoyment in the moment, in the present.  Worrying about the future only brings anxiety, while worrying about the past brings depression.  But focusing on the present brings courage, joy, and more determination.

So, those are my three new year's resolutions.  After all, true doctrine, understood, changes behavior faster than a study of behavior changes behavior-Boyd K. Packer.

1.  Mianatra, Mitombo, Mivoatra
2.  Pourquoi Pas?
3.  Aza Manahy-Don't Worry-Hakuna Matata

Jeppson

For the past few months I have been wanting to write in my blog, but I haven't had the proper motivation or energy to do so.  Winter is always a hard time for me, and it is hard for me to do anything but the bare necessities.  But, as Elder Bednar quoted in a recent fireside, to not shrink is better than to survive, and I have been surviving.

The reason that I wanted to write a little bit was to get my memories down about a great man who passed from this life last Thursday.  That man is my Grandpa Jeppson, who was my hero in many ways.

I had been having quite a hard time with life, just feeling the winter blues that normally accompany the end of February.  I listened to a great fireside by Elder Bednar accompanied by a great weekend at home with my family, counsel from my dad, love from my mom, and laughter with my sister.  But then I came back to the drudgery of school and Ogden and work, and began to make some minor changes hoping they would make a big difference.  I was finally feeling like I was getting back on the right track, when I pick up my phone and realize that I have 20,000 missed calls and texts from my parents.  I called Dad to hear the news, "Grandpa Jeppson passed away.  We are at the house."

When I first heard that news, I don't think I realized what it meant.  I was in shock more than anything else.  With the passings of my first 3 grandparents, I didn't really find occasion to mourn and distress until the funeral.  I went and prayed to my Heavenly Father asking Him what He would have me do, and for some reason I still felt like I should continue with my plans to go to Las Vegas for the last weekend of Spring Break.

In short, I learned a lot about myself while I was in Vegas.  Although I was surrounded by filth and temptation, I was able to stand strong and not give in when it would have been so easy and no one would have ever found out.  While we were there we went and saw "Oz, The Great and Powerful."  The line that hit me there was when Glinda (still in Kansas and black and white) tells Oscar that he is a good person.  He protests, and she says, "The only person you have fooled is yourself."  I am definitely my own worst critic, and I have a terrible time realizing that I have worth and potential and value.  I think of myself as "bad" more often than not.  But during this trip, thinking of my Grandpa, I realized that I am good.

At the funeral, my dad gave the closing remarks.  He talked about what makes a great man.  My grandpa was not rich, overly eloquent, and could be pretty ornery from time to time.  But the truth is, he is a great man and a great role model to me.  What is it that makes him great?

The comments that came from memories of my grandpa seemed to have one main theme.  That was the theme of unconditional love.  No matter what, my grandpa could make a person feel welcome and loved.  When we would go camping and eat red vines, saltwater taffy, and play Yahtzee with my grandparents in their trailer, I just felt loved.

Whenever my siblings, or cousins, or I had any sort of activity, he was there.  If it was sports, dance, plays, graduations, talks, homecomings, birthdays, my grandpa made it a point to be there. He also made it a point to joke and tease and meddle.  He thought he was quite clever because when the Kukoo clocks in our house would go off, he would repeat soon after the kukoo, "Ben" or someone else's name saying, "They're calling for ya!"

The night of the viewing, my sister and I decided to watch a movie.  Trevor and Charlee were using the DVD player, so we had to resort to a good old VHS.  Tara chose the Lion King, my favorite movie.  After struggling to figure out how it goes in the machine, we settled down to watch it.  I don't think there is a more fitting movie we could have watched the night before the funeral.  At one point, Simba has lost view of who he is.  Rafiki points him to the pond and Simba's father Mufasa appears in the clouds.  His only counsel to his son is, "Remember who you are.  You are my son, and the one true King."  Every time before any Jeppson leaves the house, they know that one piece of advice is sure to greet their exit.  That is, "Remember who you are and what you stand for."  My grandpa fully remembered who he was.  He knew that he was a Son of God, and he treated everyone he met in the same way.  He knew that we were the son of a King, with the potential to become like them.  It must be a Rose Parker thing, but as Thomas S. Monson said, we should see people as what the can become.  That is how my grandpa lived his life.

This love and this unconditional acceptance is not unique to just my grandpa.  It is the legacy that he embodied of what it is to be a Jeppson.  We may not be the prettiest lot to look at, but when we get together you can be sure that there will be plenty of laughter and more food than you can handle.  But the biggest element you will find at a Jeppson gathering is love.  There is this acceptance of one another that must be reminiscent of the Celestial Kingdom.  An understanding that not one of us is perfect or better than the other pervades our reunions.  Even at a funeral there is hope and an overwhelming sense of love that cannot be compared to any other feeling I have felt in mortality.  I noticed this the most as I entered the chapel after the family prayer and closing of the casket.  I was surprised to see that there were walls did not burst because of the amount of love and support that I felt gushing from every person there to honor this great man.

I love the words of my cousin Jon Cook.  He said to my brother, "I wouldn't have missed this for the world.  He was like a grandpa to me.  He was also kind and respectful.  Even though we would banter about BYU and the U, I never felt any animosity or anger.  He is one of the best Ute fans out there."  It is only fitting that the back of the hurst had a U of U sticker, one that will always scream Grandpa Jeppson to me.

The world now seems a little bleaker without him in it.  I feel that I am mourning not only his loss, but the end of an era.  I am now a grand-orphan.  The world seems a little harsher without any grandparents to calm the woes or joke about Sarah and her lack of arms.  A family party will never be the same without his "Yep" or "Well" to fill in any silence.  But I am so grateful for the Plan of Salvation.  I feel his presence, and the presence of my other grandparents cheering me on. It is such a witness to me that the Savior lives to see the world come back to life as winter leaves and Spring comes again.  Although the grass may never be as green, and the skies might be a little less blue, the red of the U of U will always be a reminder to me that there is greater purpose to life than petty arguments and money.  It is the family and the love that is embodied in the memory of my Grandpa.  I love you and I miss you.  Give Grandma a huge hug from me!

A Legacy and Heritage Better Than Gold

Memorial Day each year marks my family tradition of going to Montpelier, Idaho to take care of our families graves.  Last year, we failed kind of miserably in making it up there, but this year we did our job.
We left after Church on Sunday, and picked up Trevor and Charlee on the way.  It was a fun drive up, and always fun to be with the whole family.  It is especially fun to get to know Charlee, because she has now been in the family for over a year.  Way crazy to think about.  There was snow on the way up, but we made it safe and sound.

Of course, it wouldn't be a trip to Montpelier without a race on spotting the "M" on the mountain first.  Trevor won, like he normally does, but I was a close second.  Tara might have won had she been awake for any part of the trip.

When we pulled in to town we met up with Aunt Sis, Uncle Lynn, Timmy, and Ty at the Arctic Circle.  I still remember when there wasn't an Arctic Circle in the town.  Ty was a blast to play with, and it was good fun to sit and visit with the family.  Tradition sure didn't let up, because we were holed up indoors for most of the weekend, watching the rain fall down.  After a little while, Aunt Donna and her daughter Jonie came, and it was really fun to listen to them talk.  They both thought that my dad was actually Traupa, and he looks more and more like his dad with the more weight that he looses.  I loved listening to Aunt Donna talk about her childhood and her grandparents.  There is so much wisdom in listening to our elders, and I love hearing about my heritage.

After a quick run to the cemetery, we went to the hotel room.  Not the most exciting vacation ever, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.  Ty is apparently really good at playing Angry Birds, and he was very entertained.  The rest of us found ways to entertain ourselves, whether going for walks, playing new card games, or watching basketball.

Monday was a lot nicer of a day.  Everyone but Dad and I were pretty slow to get out of bed, but no big surprise there.  After breakfast and packing up we took a ride out to the cemetery.  I love the Montpelier Cemetery, because it is probably one of the most peaceful places on the planet.  It was fun to sit back and listen to stories about the famous Uncle Cub, Traupa, and Grandma Eschler.  When Aunt Donna and Jonie got there, I sat down in the grass and listened to stories of my family.  The thing that stuck out to me the most was what a great family I come from.  She told me how kind my grandpa was to her, and how he spoiled her and she deserved every bit of it.  She told of how her parents were both very kind, and when Traupa went away to war, the biggest thing she remembers is her mother crying.  I think one of the biggest attributes in the Eschler side of my family is that of love.  There have been many generations that have passed by, but every story seems to be filled with that of love.  Whether it was my dad telling me about his Uncle Willard being a kind and good man, a Patriarch of the Church, or hearing stories about how my grandma never had to open a door because my grandpa was always there to do it for her, I just had the greatest feeling that I was surrounded by loving people, who did their best to serve the Lord and their fellow man.  It was an extremely neat experience to also look around at the family that was there with me.  My mom, dad, brother, sister-in-law, sister, cousins, aunts, uncles.  Every one of them has impacted my life in some way, and every one of them has shared with me some bit of love.  That is what  I think of when I envision the Celestial Kingdom.  There can be no joy greater than being surrounded by those you love and who love you back, unconditionally.

Traupa and Aunt Donna at Traupa's 90th? Birthday Party

Charlee, Trevor, Me, and Tara by Traupa and Grandma's Grave

Uncle Cub's Grave

Special Olympics

Saturday, March 24^th, 2012

Special Olympics Day

Today was a pretty dang good day.  I am pretty freaking exhausted though!  I woke up at 5:30 this morning and didn’t go to bed until around midnight last night.  At six o’clock I had a Folk Dance Rehearsal, and that was pretty fun.  It was a good practice, and I had way too much energy for that early in the dang morning.  It was fun to be with everyone and have some extra time to practice the dances.  Nothing too great to really add. 

I had to leave practice early-ish because I had the Special Olympics to get to.  I had plugged North Fork Park into my phone before I went to rehearsal, but it sent me to the wrong place.  So I called Melissa and she told me where to go.  It was a beautiful drive on the way up, but I hate driving through canyons because of how narrow it is.  Not really my cup of tea.  I pulled over a couple of times where the road widened to let some people pass. 

Once I got to the park, it was just a great day overall.  There were a ton of volunteers there, but not a ton of snow.  Much more snow than I was expecting though.  We spray painted lines in the snow for the snowshoe event.  Then we got running.  I was in charge of making sure that the volunteers where cheering and positive, which really was not a bad job at all. 

There is something special about the Special Olympics.  It went so smoothly, and I LOVED how positive the volunteers were.  The biggest thing for them to do was cheer on the athletes.  It was such a neat thing to watch the athletes do their best to run down the track, and to have all of these great volunteers cheer them on and help them to do what the can.  The parents and family were all great too.  It reminded me of what I might see if the veil was lifted from my eyes.  As I am striving to keep the commandments and do what is right, I am sure that all around me there are a whole host of angels around me to bear me up, cheering me on the whole time.  I am sure that even when I fall, or sin, or my snowshoe falls off, there is not a single person on my team telling me how awful I am, or feeling disappointed by my choices.  But, I think that they are there to cheer me on.  There may be some sympathy, and “Oh nos,” but there is no judgment at all.  Just hope that I will get my snowshoe back on and get back in the race, or get back in the track and simply finish the race.  And I am sure that when I do finish the race, I will be surrounded by my supporters who will be so ecstatic to put on my medal and receive me into the fold.

In general, the whole day went really well.  There were only a few of the people that had to be disqualified or otherwise, but it was a great experience.  I met family of Elder Horn, and got the number of one of the girls that is my age.  She was a pretty cute girl. 

After we got everything cleaned up, not a hard feat because there were SO many volunteers, I went to the Union Building to help set up for the closing ceremonies and the festivities of the evening.  At the Union we had bowling and movies for the athletes and volunteers, and it was just a big party.  For the first little while I just tried to direct traffic, but I spent some time hanging out by the movie room talking with two of the day volunteers.  It was a pretty good time. 

When Garrett Flint showed up, I hung out with him for the rest of the evening.  He is such a good guy.  I called a girl from Manakambahiny, Madagascar, who lives in Salt Lake.  I was so giddy to hear TRUE, PURE Malagasy spoken again.  She had such a great “tinkle” to her voice, and I felt like I was walking on air.  Garrett and I watched a bit of Enchanted with the athletes, and then we went and bowled for a little bit before dinner.  It was really the best game of bowling I think I have ever bowled, and I barely lost by three points at the end.  Dinner was good at it was a lot of fun to get to know some of Garrett’s cute friends, and talk to Jacob Burns too. 

The Closing Ceremonies were a lot of fun.  Each of the teams had a sign to carry into the Wildcat Theater.  The thing that surprised me the most was how many of the teams just went home and didn’t stay.  I think at least half of the teams went home.  But there were 30 Weber State Football Team members that showed up to escort the teams in.  They were so much fun and really got along great with the athletes.  I was trying to tell one of the guys that a team hadn’t shown up, and he could escort other athletes, and he wasn’t getting it.  I think it took me a good 2 full minutes to get into his skull.  Great guys, just not the brightest. 

The Closing Ceremonies went great.  All of the speakers were great, and I really REALLY liked the local band, Double Or Nothing, from South Ogden.  They even had an electric fiddle.  So cool.  I would totally buy their CD, and they were just cool guys.  The athletes loved their songs and were rocking out like nobody’s business.  I think that I liked the talk by paralympian Muffy the most.  She was very motivational.  She told the story of a guy that chooses to have a great attitude, and then gets shot.  He tells the doctors and nurses that he was choosing to live and that he was only allergic to bullets.  I have heard that story before, but it really spoke to me tonight.  It is all about my attitude.

After Closing Ceremonies was the dance.  That was a blast.  It was really fun to dance with the athletes and the other volunteers, but it was hard to keep going because I was so tired.  I would dance for a little while and then have to just stop.  The International Banquet ended write as the dance was underway, and it was HILARIOUS to watch the Middle-Eastern guys get out there and dance with them.  Such a great time.

After we were all done, I walked out with Garrett and Jake.  Garrett left and Jake and I sat around and talked for a good long time in the parking lot.  It was good to talk to him and realize that he feels the same way that I do right about now.  The hard thing about coming home from a mission is finding purpose and feeling like you are making a positive contribution, especially spiritually.  I got this thought that spirituality is like a tree/muscle.  The more you work and are able to do, the bigger your tree or the stronger your muscle.  I feel like when I first got home from my mission, I had a testimony the size of a redwood tree.  Then I didn’t feel important or worthwhile at all.  So, my treemuscle slowly shriveled all the way down until sometimes it feels like a dandelion.  It is kind of sad.  I feel like my testimony is growing again and I am contributing again, but it is a hard thing. 

We also talked about how FRUSTRATING girls are.  They never know what to seem what they want, and it is so hard to find a really neat, humble, awesome girl.  I just want to meet my best friend.  But, I guess I just need to be more open to the Lord’s timing. 

Birthday Wishes

This year I was really excited for my birthday, because it was my first birthday since I got home from my mission.  I was so excited when I woke up, that I went to Smith's before my first class and bought two bags of Twix and two bags of Hershey's kisses.  In all of my classes, I gave candy to my classmates because it was my birthday.  I felt like I was in elementary school again, and it was quite the party.

The day went pretty normally, and I didn't really do anything too exciting.  I guess the older you get, the more you have to work and have obligations.  I tried wearing around a button that my extremely old sister-in-law gave me, and it blew off before my first class.  The top part says, "It's my birthday. . ."  I guess it was pretty scandalous to wear, but I wasn't too worried about it.

At work I got to put on a flashing pin that said, "It's my birthday!"  It was pretty fun, nice to have something to do, I guess.  After work I hurried home and wrote an essay, and then I went to optional Folk Dance practice.  We have so much to do and I could really only stay for about an hour.  I was kind of frustrated that I couldn't get tininkling down as well as I had it before the break, but I guess that is just some motivation to work harder.

I left practice early and went and worked on some physics homework for a good hour as well.  I guess you can say that I might have my priorities mixed up a little bit, but I just had stuff that I needed to get done.

After that, I called my friend Bailee Paxman to see if she wanted to go country dancing.  She had to meet as the Folk Dance Presidency, but she said she would call me when she was done, and she did.  She is probably one of the most committed people I know that way, always following through on her promises.  She and Jack Shapiro came over and "kidnapped" me and took me to Denny's for food.  It was so much fun to talk and laugh with them, and I realized how blessed I am to have them in my life.

We were driving back from Denny's when Bailee had the idea that we should climb to the top of the Browning Center.  Both Jack and I are not the most spontaneous nor courageous guys on the planet, but after a little bit of coercion she had us convinced.  And thus began the adventure.  We stopped by my house to grab jackets and my camera, and then we were off to the races.  When we got to the parking lot, an older woman was leaving and so we just sat in the car until she left, and she was probably scared to death of us hooligans parking in the parking lot after midnight on a school night.

We hurried over to the west wall of the Browning Center, and Bailee explained how we would need to get over.  Jack just jumped right up like a cat and was on top of the wall in no time.  I gave Bailee a boost, and she lithely reached the summit as well.  Then it was my turn.  Let's just say that there are some people that are born to climb things, and the rest of us are left to stay on the ground.  With a little bit of help, I was able to get onto the wall and stick my foot into the first crevice, probably a good 3 feet off the ground.  And that was about as far as I could get. . . My legs kept shaking and I couldn't make it the rest of the way.  So, Jack got down and I used his knee to get up and then he helped me get a hold of the top of the wall.  I am surprised his arms didn't fall off from sheer exertion.  The rest of the way was pretty easy, but still intense.

The Browning Center has a series of roofs that are all connected by some pretty narrow metal ladders.  We scaled the first one, maybe 30 feet or so to the second highest roof.  The adrenaline was already pumping.  The next ladder was a slight drop to another roof, or you could just jump down about 10 feet.  I was aiming for a little ledge that was higher than the rest on, and when I dropped my feet didn't land on top of the ledge but were spread a bit too wide.  I landed and almost racked myself on the ledge, but luckily one side was higher then the other.  Bailee led us to the next ladder, the mother of all ladders.  I almost wet myself when I saw it, cause I swear the things was a hundred feet high.  Probably more like fifty in reality, but hyperbole is much more interesting.

Bailee climbed up first and then Jack.  Then came my turn.  I started to get light-headed halfway up the ladder, and thought, "Well, it was a great birthday, and I guess I'm going to die on my birthday."  I get a little freaked out by sketchy situations.  I kept climbing and praying that I would be okay.  I jumped off the ladder at the top, and my legs were pretty wobbly, with a big sigh of relief.  There were a few small ladders left, and then we were on the top!  It was probably one of the prettiest views of Ogden I have ever seen, and the temperature was perfect.  Campus was lit up like Disneyland, and I was just giddy that I made it up there!

The way back down wasn't nearly as scary, except for the huge ladder.  I will probably have nightmares about that ladder for the rest of my life.  Oh ya, I forgot to mention that the jacket I grabbed for Jack was bright orange, and kind of a joke for the night.

So, I had a great birthday and can't wait to go home this weekend to celebrate my b-day with the greatest family on the planet!!

Job Shadow

            “A Menu of Venues” was one of the lectures in my Life in Medicine class that really spoke to me during this section of the course.  I had never really taken the time to consider all of the many options that are available to me as a doctor.  I had always really considered doctors to work in the hospital or in their own practice.  The lecture on options for practicing as a doctor really opened my eyes, and brought a new level of stress.  The large assortment of choices all along the way is something that really stresses me out.  So, I decided that it was time for me to really determine if a life in medicine is a good decision for me.  I then decided to shadow some doctors during my spring break to try and get a feeling of what the end result can be if I do choose to pursue a course of medicine. 

            All of the options available to a medical doctor have their pros and their cons.  Some of them are much more appealing to me than others.  I find it helpful to consider my thoughts in a written form.  Owning my own practice and working in a clinic with other doctors are probably the best options for me and my future plans.  If any of these options wouldn’t work for me, I think I would love working in a hospital, especially if I could work for an academic institution.

            I would really enjoy to work in my own practice or in a clinic with other doctors for a variety of reasons.  First, I would really enjoy the autonomy that comes from working in my own practice.  A physician working in his or her own practice is the boss.  One of the physicians I shadowed during spring break was a podiatrist, and the other was a family doctor.  Both men mentioned how much they enjoyed owning their own practices and not needing to answer to anybody else.  The podiatrist I shadowed mentioned that one of the biggest stresses he has is worrying about all of his bills.  He has to worry about renting his office space, paying his employees, and other expenses required to operate a practice.  These are some of the stresses that are real for someone operating their own practice.

            I also really enjoyed the management aspect of working in a small practice or in a clinic with other doctors.  Both physicians that I shadowed had excellent, efficient staffs, and I began to realize how extremely important it is to have a happy, hard-working, and efficient staff.  The podiatrist mentioned that he enjoys being the boss and the manager because he has control of his employees.  He mentioned that if you work in a hospital, all of your employees are hired, and also fired, by the Human Resources Department.  He has had employees in the past that have caused problems because they could not get along.  But, he had the ability to be a great leader and a great manager.  I was extremely impressed by his motivation, philosophy, and example as a leader. 

           

            His philosophy in running his practice and in his life is to never crush anyone’s dream.  If they have a goal or a purpose, you should have every motive to help them achieve it.  His medical assistant was one of the most capable and efficient workers I have ever seen.  She knew exactly what he needed, and went the extra mile to accomplish her tasks.  However, she has a dream of becoming a dental hygienist.  The doctor told me that he will do whatever he can to help her with her dream, because that is what he wished others had done for him.  I learned that it is most important to be a mentor and a philanthropist in all aspects of your job in medicine, not just in working with patients.

            I really enjoyed the one on one time with patients available to both doctors in their practices.  It was a great feeling to be with patients and to not only assess their needs, but to also get to know them on a personal level and take an interest in their lives.  The family doctor had a patient who had been out of work and did not have enough money to pay for his medical bills.  So, he set up an arrangement with this patient to see him and give him his necessary prescriptions free of charge.  This doctor demonstrated to me the care that is essential in operating a great practice.  As I watched him communicate and treat each of his patients, I could sense the care that he had for helping each of these people.  He did not treat them as numbers, but rather as a person to be cared for and helped.  I really enjoyed this part of family practice. 

            The other aspect of family practice that I really enjoyed is the variety.  I love to be challenged, but I do not enjoy feeling boxed in to a corner or one specific area.  I loved shadowing a podiatrist, but I felt that after a year or two of looking at feet day after day I would grow bored.  Knowing myself, I realized that I need stimulation and change to keep me excited about what I’m doing.  I feel that a career in family practice would fulfill this need.  I watched while a bead was removed from a toddler’s nose, common illnesses diagnosed, casts put on, IUDs inserted, and learned that family doctors can also deliver babies.  I feel that with this much variety, it would be very difficult to become bored at work.

            One of my desires is to teach at some point in my career.  I love teaching and feel like I am a talented teacher.  I have not completely explored a career in family practice, but it would be a complete sell to me if I knew that I would have some opportunity to teach.  This is why I would consider working for an academic institution.  So far, I have not been a huge fan of primary research, but I have also not had much experience in the field.  These are some areas that I plan on researching as I continue to study and pursue a career in medicine.