Weeks 8 through 12

It is officially April already and I am not really sure where this past month went. March was a whirlwind of events and April is shaping up to be equally as crazy. The semester is now nearing the end. As of now all I have left is 3 lecture days, 1 simulation session, a lab practical, an exam and then the cumulative final before the end. Some days from one hour to the next my brain feels noticeably fuller.

Here are some of the March highlights: I survived Mini 2, the second of the three semester exams. After the Mini I kayaked with a couple friends over to secret beach for an afternoon. My neighbors and I went down to Scotts Head which is the southernmost part of the island where the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea are separated by only a narrow strip of land. We also hiked up to Trafalgar Falls and swam at the base of one of the waterfalls. On St. Patrick’s Day I went for a midnight swim in the Caribbean and got to see the bioluminescents, it was kind of like blue underwater fireflies. I went cliff jumping, which in retrospect was not the best idea I’ve ever had. I am unfortunately still feeling some of the effects of that decision.

Sarah and I found a two bedroom apartment for next semester and we are looking forward to moving in a few weeks. Hooray for good friends and roommates! Our new apartment doesn’t have the view that Sarah’s current place has but it is definitely an upgrade for me. Also it has ceiling fans in both bedrooms as well in the living room which was a large part of the reason we knew we wanted the place as soon as we saw it.

That is pretty much my life for now I just have to get through the next three week of studying and then I get to enjoy a much needed break. Here are a few important, albeit obscure lessons from Dominica. Never send all of your laundry out to be washed because if it rains too much and the water gets dirty they might not wash it and they might not bring it back. Remember to close the gate to the yard otherwise a cow will come in and eat your plants. The reality of any given day must include the distinct possibility of a power outage.

For now untill next time--

Shannon

Weeks 4 - 7

Initially, it was my intention to write once a week. Then life happened and I got caught up in the routine. Since my last post I have had three exams, a volcano on a nearby island had a partial dome collapse, Sarah and I explored the capital city, and I hiked to the boiling lake.

Academically speaking my life is stuck in drive. In the last four weeks I’ve had one written test and two lab practicals, one in histology and one in gross anatomy. I am now gearing up for the second major written exam of the semester which is a week from today. In the months leading up to this adventure I was craving mental stimulation. I got my wish. Every day is full of material and new things to think about. I am officially half way through my first semester here! Each day seems slightly shorter than the day before.

Friday, February 12^th I woke up covered in a thin layer of what I thought was dust from the construction zone across the street. I walked to campus where I sat for my histology lab practical. Periodically throughout the examination I noticed things floating in front of the projector and it was after that I realized a volcano in Montserrat had a partial dome collapse.

In the midst of all the school work, Sarah and I have tried to take some time to appreciate Dominica. We took the bus to Roseau, the capital of Dominica, and walked around enjoying the pre-Carnival festivities. Carnival is a two day, island wide celebration of the feast of Calypso. We also hiked to the boiling lake last Saturday. It took us three hours and twenty-one minutes to complete the challenging climb up to the lake and I think I can definitively say that neither of us will be making a repeat visit.

That is my life for now. I’ll leave you with a few arbitrary thoughts: Last week, I noticed wings sticking out of my keyboard and immediately bought a can of compressed air and removed all of the dust, ash, and bugs. I have learned that unshielded electrical appliances when, in close proximity to my laptop, have the ability to take control of my curser making it nearly impossible to get anything done. As a direct result of this ‘lesson’ I would not be surprised if I one day develop a brain tumor.

Until then-

Shannon

Weeks 2 and 3

I think that I am finally, to some degree, acclimating to life here on the island. Things that just three weeks ago would have seemed completely outrageous, like walking a cow down the main street while wielding a machete, are now just a part of the experience. Sarah and I have tried a number of the local restaurants and shopped at each of the three main stores in town. As with everywhere each establishment has its pros and cons and chances are if you talk to any group of people you will get mixed reviews about all of them. There are a few things that still really freak me out, for example eggs are not refrigerated here and if you buy them at the market they come in a bag—like a goldfish

Since my last post I have got to tour several amazing parts of Dominica. We hiked to Syndicate Falls and through the nature park there. I went on a tour of the Indian River which is the river in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean. I have spent several hours snorkeling on the reef just of shore from campus. Most recently I went river tubing in the pouring rain. As we got off the bus they handed each of us a helmet and a life jacket—I knew right then that it was going to be a great day.

Classes here have commenced and I now have to agree with the number of people that warned me that learning in medical school is sort of like trying to get a drink from a fire hose. It’s a tremendous amount of material but if you can handle it, you will be quenched. As for me, I am loving it! The intense mental stimulation combined with the community of like-minded humans is really great. I joined two of the many campus clubs: the wilderness medical association and what I call the blood group. I don’t know if the blood group has an official name or not but Dominica doesn’t have a blood bank so if you need a transfusion you also must provide a donor. The provision of donors not always being an option the hospital calls the university with a blood type and if yours matches, you are notified and if able transported to the hospital to give your blood to save a specific life. I think it’s awesome.

Outside of the classroom I am constantly learning about practical things like how to keep the ants out of your food and what to do if your preventative efforts fail. I have overcome the anxiety associated with removing millipedes and hundreds of flying ants from my apartment and have come to love the geckos on the wall for all of the bugs that they eat. I am still getting used to all of the cows, sheep, goats, and chickens that just roam free around town and still jump when one such creature stirs in the bushes along the path I am walking down.

Here are a few random notes from the last two weeks. I am experiencing severe volleyball withdrawal because it has now officially been over a month since I have played. The one pan in my kitchen is a frying pan without a handle and I am afraid to use my oven because the thought of lighting it by hand with my little matches conjures metal images of my face being blown off. Finally, I now no longer eat olives of any kind because to me they now taste like the smell of the gross anatomy lab--death.

Until next week,

Shannon

Week 1 of Island Life

I arrived at the Melville Hall Airport on December 30th just before 4:00 pm. As I climbed the stairs down to the tarmac I was engulfed by a blanket of humidity! It was 80 degrees and at least 80% humidity. I checked in with a Ross representative, went through immigration and got the second stamp in my passport. Baggage claim is just behind the immigration officers. The sliding metal door was wheeled open and the bags brought over. Empty handed, I watched as all of the bags were claimed and the door was shut. Now with both of my bags missing, myself and a few of my peers waited outside in hopes that our luggage would arrive on the next plane. Two hours later I had claimed one bag and filed a missing luggage report.

The last of us boarded the vans that shuttled us to campus and we began the hour drive along the coast and through the rainforest. The sounds of the rainforest at night are like nothing I had ever experienced before- the closest thing I can think of is the sound effects played at Disneyland. Once to campus, we got our bags, made our one phone call, and were taken to our apartments. I was pleasantly surprised by my little studio apartment despite the fact that it wasn't the building that was in the picture on the housing database.

Getting to campus early allowed for some time to unpack, settle in, and explore the area a little bit. One of the first necessary tasks was to buy electricity and figure out how to add the purchased units to my pay as you go meter. This turned out to be relatively easy although completely foreign. Then groceries which was straight-forward enough and choosing a laundry service. The locals here are extremely friendly and they all assure you that their service is the best of its kind.

Thankfully, I am not trying to figure all this out on my own. We are the largest incoming class in the history of Ross University and all 500 of us are in the same boat. I met Sarah on the plane from Huston to San Juan and we instantly bonded in a way that might only be possible if you just picked up and left everything you ever knew in life to go to a remote destination.

Other then that there have been a few minor things that have taken some getting used to like turning on electrical outlets as well as the hot water heater. Checking the availability of any and all menu items at any eating establishment. Remembering bug spray (lots of it!) so as not to end up with several hundred mosquito bites. Ensuring that the appliance you are plugging in is actually 220 volt because if it's not, and I am speaking from experience now, you blow the circuit and spend the rest of the night in the dark.

That's it for now, more to come soon :)