"Lessons to pass on" by rising MSIH second year student Wentiirim Annankra

One week more!!! Yes!! My joy knows no bounds that in approximately a week, I will be taking my last exam in my first year of medical school. This young lady is so grateful for this entire year. I am grateful for all the lessons I have learnt personally and academically that have made me a little bit wiser than I was when I first came in. so thankful.
So, a few lessons we can pass on to the incoming first years?
  1. Get to know your classmates. Hang out with each other and learn about everyone’s uniqueness. Also, as you get to know each other, learn not to hold a grudge for too long. Someone steps on your toe? It happens, 😊 just let them know with gentleness and honor and forgive. On the other hand, if someone tells you that you stepped on their toe, humbly apologize and move on. This seems like common sense, but you will see that once a while you’ll need a reminder.
  2. Invest in your Hebrew and go on adventures in the hospital and in all of Israel. Shadow doctors, get to know patients and staff around the hospital even with your broken Hebrew. Get involved in your community, find a community to belong to no matter how long it takes. Go on hikes, camping trips whenever you can.
  3. Enjoy your medical studies – the way some things are done here may meet your expectations, sometimes it may not. Don’t worry, enjoy every minute of it 😉and appreciate the little things.
  4. If you can, get a cat. I never thought I would, but my roommate did, and he is such a fun cat. As one of our good friends wouldl say, “he is a cheap source of mental health care.” However, be careful, you may not find the same amazing cat we did. Here he is …
  5. When things seem to be overwhelming, take a deep breath …. It is well. If after taking a deep breath, things are still overwhelming, don’t hesitate to reach out to your mentors or seniors. We all here at MSIH really love to help each other.

So I guess we will be seeing you sometime in mid-August … until then, all the best prepping for medical school. Here is a beautifully and creatively crafted welcome message on the white board from the “no more first years – almost second years “ to the incoming class of 2021!!!!

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