So I never actually told you guys how/why I somehow got all the way up here in Boston. So rewind a few years ago. There was a Macedonian student who went to TLU as a biology major and an athletic trainer (how she did both, I don't know). She did research and grew very close to our beloved microbiology genius, Dr. Robert Jonas. Then she graduated, went to medical school, and became an attending rehabilitation physician at Harvard Medical School.
She lives on the 4th floor in an adorable little condo type thing with its own balcony (which she and her family has turned into an her and vegitable garden - it's simply amazing). We ended up going to the park to meet one of her little son's friends (I think he is 4 years old). He and I played tennis together and it was the most precious thing in the world. He has to be one of the cutest things I have ever seen! He speaks English, Macedonian, and even a little bit of Spanish -- pretty sure that I am in love. Afterwards, we went back to her place and she fed me dinner (all organic food) and wine. If this bottle of wine doesn't make you love her even more, then you are insane.
Now fast forward to a few months ago. This same doctor decided to come back to her alma mater and give a biology seminar on a Wednesday (which are normally on Fridays). Since I had decided to start my senior seminar early, I was required to be there - otherwise I would have been at soccer practice instead. Her seminar was a little different than the usual ones we were given. She was more relaxed, less-formal, and more human honestly. What made the presentation even more unique was that it was over her journey. She gave us a little insight into how she got to where she is now. It was a very comforting presentation. She spoke about her family, her fancy for extreme sports - some type of scuba diving, the not-so-traveled paths she took, the times she was rejected, the times she got yelled at by her attendings, the times she stood up to her attendings, and most importantly how she coped with everything - meditation. At the end of her talk, she briefly mentioned research and then put up a slide with her contact info on it and I snapped a quick picture and ran out of the room and to the last 15 minutes of soccer practice.
I had been trying to figure out what I was going to be doing during the summer. I definitely needed to somehow make some money. I came across a few jobs - an internship at a local doctor's office, chemistry research, biology research, (and a maybe chemistry job at a local water company if I was really desparate) but I hadn't committed to anything yet. 2 days after her presentation, I had class in the morning with Dr. Jonas. For maybe the 3rd time that whole semester I was early to class. Dr. Jonas asked me if I had a summer job yet, and I said no. Then he quickly mentioned something about working with Dr. Nevena at Harvard and turned to start class. It could've been the fact that this was my last class before spring break, but I'm pretty sure it was the word 'Harvard' that completely distracted me from whatever was being taught in class that day. After class, I told him that it was something that I was really interested in and in a matter of hours I had an email from both Dr. Jonas and Dr. Nevena about the possible studies over the summer - Yoga and Neuromodulation interventions for people with Lyme Disease.
It was actually quite funny that Dr. Jonas picked me for this. I have a history of concussions and it seems to be a common thing the professors like to pick on me for. I also showed up late to EVERY singly lab class for Dr. Jonas because I was coming from Yoga. And when I asked him why he had picked me, and thanked him of course, he said that I was the obvious choice for the study.
Anywho, I received an email at about 10:30am on Saturday from Dr. Nev. It was already spring break, but unlike most of my class who was at the beach, I was chillin at home with the rents. The email basically said that she was going to be in Gruene in 30 minutes and she wanted to meet with me to discuss possible plans for the summer. (Gruene is an hour away from my house). So I took a speedy shower, got dressed up in my mother's clothes, and rushed to Gruene to meet with her. I ended up eating at the Gristmill with both her and Dr. Jonas (including a friend of hers, Charla Bailey - study abroad director, and Dr. Jonas' wife). We talked about medical school, research, and Boston. After lunch, we walked outside to say good bye, and she told me that they would love to have me for the summer. She told me to go home and think about if I wanted to accept the position and let her know in a few days. (All I could think about was the fact that I really didn't need to think about it - I was going to go to Boston!) And so in a matter of 30 or so hours, I had finally committed to a job.
And now BAM! Here I am :). During my first week at this internship, Dr. Nev took me on a day to "shadow her life." I thought it was a great idea, getting to not only see what it is like to be a doctor in the job-setting, but what kind of life you have at home. Throughout the day, we went to a few consults and had a working lunch research meeting. The work day was pretty much only from 10-5, with a 2 hour lunch. Then we went to pick up her son and husband (who just so happens to work at this awesome looking building at MIT)
She then took me to Whole Foods and insisted on buying all my groceries for the week (because it was what her mentors did for her). She took me to her house in this adorable little neighborhood. Right across the street they had this free library. We need more of these like everywhere honestly!
Eventually it got pretty late, so she took me home. The day was amazing to say the least. I got a glimpse into everything that I want in life. She is a doctor who truly cares about the wellbeing of each and every one of her patients. She spends so much time with them, just talking about what they love and encouraging them to be positive about their situations. On top of that, she even gets to do research at her own (brand new) Lyme clinic. And after work, she gets to go home and spend time with her adorable, loving family. She gets to play with her son, cook healthy food, hang out with her friends, and be there for her husband. She has everything going for her, and everything that I hope that I can one day have. I have always been a little nervous about having a family as a doctor, but she has shown me just how possible that is. And I have always loved research, and she has shown me that you can do both. She is literally the kind of person, doctor, wife, and mother that I one day want to be.
Needless to say, I have been inspired.
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