The World At My Fingertips

[1]


It is 9 o’clock AM on a beautiful, sunny day in May. The hospital is bustling and doctors and nurses hurry through the hallways. Over the intercom, a voice says “Paging Dr. France, please come to the pediatric ward.” I make my way to the place I spend about 10 hours a day. Some of the children are in the playroom while others are still lying in bed watching morning cartoons. I have been called to check on an eight-year-old boy suffering from Leukemia. I walk into the room and a smile appears on his face, despite the incredible amount of discomfort he is experiencing. I proceed to visit with him, chatting about the new stuffed animal his family brought him and the high score he made playing Nintendo the night before. We then move on to discuss his pain and soreness.

And so begins a day in the life of a Pediatric Oncologist, a life that will someday be mine. [2] (This is a picture drawn by a little girl for her pediatric oncologist who helped her battle cancer.)

If someone is looking to help others, one of the many fields to enter is the medical field. “There’s no place special we have to be in order to help out” [3] on a day-to-day basis; opportunity to serve others seem to jump out at in nearly every facet of our life. I have taken advantage of many of these opportunities to help, from visiting the nursing homes to working with special needs children to being a staff member at leadership camps. Having worked with a wide-range of people, I have come to the conclusion that I would like to spend my life helping these children, particularly those diagnosed with cancer.

The next question is “where do I begin?”

Having decided on the medical field many years ago, I began the process of becoming a doctor at a young age by focusing on my schoolwork and exploring my college options. When I was in middle school, I thought I would attend the University of Michigan, go to medical school in Michigan or California and proceed on to become a doctor. [4] Senior year came along and my acceptance letter into Plan II Honors showed up at my doorstep. Unfortunately, scholarships that would help my parents pay the $42000 it would cost for me to attend Michigan did not. [5] To be honest, I had not planned on being accepted into Plan II; I thought it was a liberal arts program that only wanted liberal arts students, not science majors. After visiting the campus and attending a World Literature class, I chose to attend the University of Texas at Austin, basically the best school in the world.

I am often asked the question, “What do you do with a Plan II degree?” I have wondered this myself many times. Won’t I be more prepared for medical school if I major in something like biology or chemistry? Why would medical schools care if I took philosophy and Middle Eastern history? Well, as I have come to learn, there are many advantages to being in Plan II for pre-med students.

First, medical schools are looking for well-rounded students who have been educated in areas other than science. Often times, liberal arts degrees incorporate the humanities and social sciences, important courses that cover more of the social issues that are present today. [6] (The calmness and serenity of the stream is rarely seen in modern day medicine.) A recent concern in the health professions is the lack of compassion in the, with many doctors focusing solely on the cure rather than the relationships formed with the patients. Taking courses that focus on human relations and personal interactions can prove to be very valuable in the medical field. Many feel that “to truly help people suffer less, we need to combine our knowledge and medical skills with a compassionate attitude that helps the patient relax and have confidence in their care” [7].

Second, as a part of the Plan II Honors program, I am automatically set apart from many of the typical medical school applicants with a degree in human biology or biochemistry. The Associate Dean of the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio is my dad’s colleague and a family friend. He has spoken with my father many times about the attractiveness of a Plan II major on a medical school application. He has said that the intensity of Plan II classes and the course variety prepares students for the challenges that they will come across in med school, as well as shows determination and a strong work ethic. Since making it into Plan II and taking these classes, I have begun to understand why it is such a highly esteemed program, and I am extremely grateful to be a part of it.

Subjecting myself to and surviving an intense program is simply the beginning of my plans to become a doctor and making a difference. There are many steppingstones on the way to accomplishing my goals. From here on out, it is a matter of “getting my ducks in order” and being actively engaged in the community, particularly the health community.

As I was sitting here trying to decide on what my next step in the process is, I realized that everything I am doing is preparing me in one way or another for medical school, a medical profession, and my overall goal of helping those in need. This summer, I am going to be an Orientation Advisor and a Camp Texas counselor. One may ask, “How in the world does this have anything to do with being a pediatric oncologist?” From a surface view, it may seem as though they are completely independent of each other, however if you look deeper, there is a connection that will prove to be very valuable. A huge part of being a doctor is working with different kinds of patients suffering from various ailments, many with over-concerned and anxious friends and family members, making them extremely hard to communicate with. As an Orientation Advisor and counselor, I will be interacting with people from all over the country and perhaps the world, teaching me how to communicate successfully with others who may be entirely different from me. I am certain that in these positions I will be responsible for students who are difficult to get along with. At the time, it will be extremely frustrating, as it has been in the past when I’ve been put into similar situations, however in the end, it is simply another learning experience that will better prepare me for the real world of doctor-patient relationships.

Another way to get involved in the health community was presented to me while writing this paper, ironically, by a friend who is an active member of student government, SG. I have spoken with him multiple times about my desire to become involved in SG and so when he found out that a position on the Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) was open, he advised I get my application in quickly, suggesting I would be a very good person for this position. [8] (I am hoping to become a part of the judicial section of the school.) As a member of SHAC, I would have the opportunity of working with the president of University Health Services, as well as other prominent members of the health community. This would be a prime position for me to form connections as well as learn more about health services and begin making a difference in policies and programs offered to the student body.

Being actively engaged and having experience in the actual medical field is also a critical part of the learning and preparation process. The doctor who performed a surgery on my legs over Christmas break has offered to have me shadow him during routine patient visits as well as stand in on orthopedic surgeries throughout the summer on my days off from being an Orientation Advisor. This will be an exciting and interesting introduction to surgery and will give me a first hand glimpse at doctor-patient relationships. Beginning next fall or spring, depending on time commitments for school, I will volunteer at local hospitals, assisting in any way I can and hopefully having a chance to volunteer in the pediatric ward.

I think it is important to be involved in activities other than those connected with medicine, so I am going to continue to participate in extracurricular activities and organizations, such as ABSOLUTE TEXXAS, that focus on community service, UT spirit and social events.

I believe many doctors and physicians underestimate the impact their attitude has on the patient and the recovery process. Often times, patients believe they “cannot rise out of [their] bed till the physician enables [them], nay [they] cannot tell that [they are] able to rise till he tell [them] so. [They] do nothing, [they] know nothing of [themselves]” [9]. As a pediatric oncologist, I will be dealing with patients who are seriously ill and “their physical situation may be amplified by a lot of anguish and fear. They develop a great deal of hope that the doctor will be able to help them, but the hope is countered by the fear that nothing can be done, that perhaps the situation is hopeless” [10]. I will serve as a source of support for their patients and reveal the light at the end of the tunnel that shows that recovery is possible.


[11] (The trek to become a doctor will be well worth it in the end.)

The journey to become a pediatric oncologist, or any doctor for that matter, is a long and challenging one full of obstacles and hardship. It is a path scattered with stones, rocks, and boulders. Many begin and stumble, forcing them to take another path. I know that “somewhere deep within many of us is a vision of how helping would flow from trust in ourselves and in others” [12]. I am lucky enough to have the support of my friends and family and the belief in myself to push through and do what I so strongly desire to do: make a difference. I recently came upon a journal I had when I was in first grade. As many journals have, the first page was an “About Me” page, allowing me to name my favorite color, best friends, favorite hobbies, etc. The last item on the page read the following: “When I grow up I want to…” As a first grader, with dreams as big as the sky, I had written in “help other.” And to this day, if someone were to ask me what I want to do when I grow up, I would simply respond, “help others.”

Word Count w/o quotes: 1615
Word Count w/ quotes: 1761

[1] Luelu University of Technology, http://www.ltu.se/polopoly_fs/1.5705!ee7b8afa.jpg, (accessed March 28, 2008)

[2] Gift of Life, http://www.giftoflife.org/photos/Artwork.jpg (accessed March 28, 2008)

[3] Ram Dass and Paul Gorman, How Can I Help? (California: Whatever Publishing, Inc., 1981), 236.

[4] Far Horizons, http://far-horizons.biz/catalog/images/37823.jpg (accessed March 28, 2008)

[5] Tribal Finance, http://www.tribalfinance.org/images/Michigan%20Logos/Split-M-Maize-bar.gif (accessed March 28, 2008)

[6] Heartfelt Medicine http://www.heartfeltmedicine.com/images/website_pic_light_rays.jpg (accessed March 28, 2008)

[7] Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, Medicine and Compassion (Massachusetts: Wisdom Publications, Inc., 2006), 171.

[8] Student Government http://www2.umaine.edu/StudentGovernment/Student%20Government%20Files/home.h9.jpg (accessed March 28, 2008)

[9] Oliver Sacks, A Leg to Stand On (New York: Touchstone, 1993), 21.

[10] Ram Dass and Paul Gorman, How Can I Help? (California: Whatever Publishing, Inc., 1981), 31.

[11] Picasa Web, http://images.google.com/imgres?
imgurl=http://lh3.google.com/_wJT82EBJElw/RrB2F3QGYuI/AAAAAAAAANU/QK5sS489GQ/s800/P1060809.JPG&imgrefurl=http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/5-aGmRN2y0XoARQHzqGj6w&h=800&w=600&sz=149&hl=en&start=4&um=1&tbnid=Sgui-l_vjVg7VM:&tbnh=143&tbnw=107&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddifficult%2Bpath%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

[12] Ram Dass and Paul Gorman, How Can I Help? (California: Whatever Publishing, Inc., 1981), 182.

Heart Wide Open

[1] (These are just a few of the many children in need. I want to be their miracle.)

Priest: We gather here today as a celebration of the life of Logan K France. On today, March 14, 2089, we say goodbye to a woman who has impacted the lives of many in ways one could never imagine. Let us not mourn her passing, but rather rejoice in name, singing and sharing her stories and the stories of her loved ones.

(Callahan, an older gentleman, approaches the podium, wobbling as he wipes his tear soaked eyes, cane in hand.)

[2] (My funeral will be brightly lit and shining, sharing my light with all who can see) Callahan: Please forgive the tears. This is quite a tough time for me. It’s hard to believe a week and a half ago at this time, we were sitting on the porch drinking coffee and working on the daily crossword puzzle. And now she’s gone. I met Logan the summer before I began my freshman year at the University of Texas at Austin. She was a counselor at Camp Texas, a leadership camp for incoming freshman that allows them to meet their peers and professors prior to attending school. Logan was the one jumping up on stage, dancing around, hopping from table to table to meet different students. When she spoke to me, the butterflies in my stomach flew wildly; her energy and excitement for life was contagious, running through my veins and into every part of my body. And the rest is history. We married on June 6, 2016 and spent a remarkable 73 years together. I could never have asked for a better wife, career orientated woman, mother, or friend. She did it all. As I was reflecting over my time spent with Logan and the development of each of us, individually and as a couple, I noticed a great change in myself from the time before I met her to now; With Logan, I learned how to care. I learned that visiting a nursing home every couple of weeks meant an incredible amount to the residents. I learned that reading a book to an orphan brightened their day more than anything. I learned handing out Valentine’s Day cards to the children in the cancer ward at the local hospital was not only uplifting for the children, but uplifting for me as well. Logan never ceased to give herself to others, children in particular. [3] (I will be that Grandma that every little kid wants them to read to.) The impact she made on this world is immeasurable. Before her passing, we went on a long stroll through our neighborhood, discussing how much each house had changed since we first moved in 33 years before. As we walked, she told me something about everything family that lived there—not the gossipy stuff. She talked about their careers, the children, what the children had grown up to do. She discussed the different pets that came in and out of different households. Throughout our time living there, she had taken the time to get to know nearly every family within a three-block radius of our home. I am proud to have spent my life with this woman and believe whole-heartedly that her love and care was true.

(Callahan returns to his seat and the service continues. Logan’s daughter speaks of her mother’s devotion to her family and forming positive relationships with her children. A woman in her thirties speaks of her battle with cancer as a teenager and her time spent under in Logan’s care. She describes the friendship that developed between the two that surpassed the doctor-patient relationship, built on trust and genuine compassion. And finally, a 12-year-old boy recalls year after year of Logan’s visits to his orphanage to read books to his the children and tell remarkable tales. At the end of the service, the entire group rises to sing “Smile” by Bobby Caldwell.)

In composing the day of my funeral in my mind, I thought of all of the things I would want to be said of me—how I chose to live my life, the relationships I formed with others, and the lives that I impacted. I constructed my life as one filled with love, compassion, and giving. Through this contemplation and creation of my future life as well as my experiences thus far, I have recognized what is truly important to me: the desire to help children, particularly those who are put into tough situations in the home or suffer from a debilitating illness.

I believe my family and friends became aware of my passion prior to my own recognition of it. In 8th grade, (I was Zach's PAL in high school. He dealt with ADD and a learning disability.) I began working with the special needs children at my school, going during my advisory period or lunch to visit with them, play games, and keep them company. One of the children was wheelchair bound and frequently had seizures, leaving him unable to participate in many of our activities. Another was mentally retarded yet one of the happiest people I have ever met, laughing tremendously during our games and clapping his hands with such excitement one often wished they could be that excited about anything.

When I became a lifeguard the summer before sophomore year, I was chosen by my boss and the camp director to be the private instructor for the special needs children during swim lessons. One of the little girls I worked with was named Catherine, but she went by “Khaki.” As a down syndrome child, she was in touch with the world enough to understand what was going on, but lacking the social discipline to be in a group setting fulltime. Swim lessons became her outlet, allowing her to float freely in the water, soaking in the sun, pretending to be a hairdresser and play with my hair underwater—creating the biggest knots I’ve ever seen—and working on her swimming skills. I came to know Khaki’s family, meeting up with them at the Buddy Walk—a walk for down syndrome—and even attending Khaki’s 8th birthday party. It was incredible to see her develop, socially and mentally, through interactions, and I truly loved being involved in it.

Another little boy I worked with, Aaron, had what I consider to be a much more debilitating and difficult disease to live with. Aaron suffered from Prader Willi Syndrome (PWS), a disease in which the body never feels full and cannot control the urge to eat. Those with PWS often times have to have their food rationed, locked in cabinets, and closely monitored to avoid gaining extreme amounts of weight. [4] (This is a picture of the typical Prader Willi Syndrome adult.) They tend to have learning and/or social disabilities, mental retardation, and oddly or underdeveloped bodies and features. Aaron displayed all of these symptoms. He had a quirky intelligence, being able to remember minor details such as the exact make, model and color of my car; socially, however, he was rather inept. During camp, he would lash out at the counselors if it was time to leave the pool or if someone got food and he didn’t but “when your brakes are not working, crashing a car is not your fault” [5]. Aaron’s breaks regarding food and behavior were not working, and would never fully work; but but those that knew and loved him understood that and made adjustments to accommodate him. Aaron and I formed a friendship that many of the other counselors and lifeguards envied. I always loved seeing him slowly make his way out to the pool, a huge smile on his face, hands shaking at his sides with excitement as he yells “Hi Yogan” (he could not pronounce the “L”). I got to know Aaron’s family, and became his one-on-one counselor-figure during his Sunday school classes since he could not sit through the entire class uninterrupted. I must say, I often times enjoyed working with Aaron and the other special needs children more than I enjoyed the normal camp setting.

As a Teen Ambassador for tobacco prevention, I have had opportunities to travel to various camps and conferences focusing on tobacco, drug and alcohol prevention to developing leadership skills and becoming a youth advocate. At a camp I staffed in 2006, I worked with a group of five boys, all on probation for things varying from possession of cocaine at school to attempting to sell to an officer to stealing cars. During the few days of camp, our group became incredibly close; the boys opened up to me about their previous struggles and suggested that they wanted to change for the better. Many had broken families, and “the strongest family factor that predicts offending is usually criminal or antisocial parents. Other quite strong and replicable family factors that predict offending are large family size, poor parental supervision, parental conflict, and disrupted families.” [6] As part of the camp, the boys developed an action plan to reduce underage drinking in their community, a problem they felt was more prevalent than many. (This is me with my group of boys at the end of camp.) After extensive brainstorming and collaborating, they boys developed a remarkable plan to present to elementary aged students about the dangers of not only alcohol use but poor decision making in general, sharing personal stories of hard times. As the boys presented their idea to rest of the camp, I could see the pride illuminating from them. “Unfortunately, it often takes the worst of situations to bring out the best in human nature. Most of the time, we are so preoccupied with our own interests we fail to draw on our deep and powerful reserves of courage and compassion for others.” [7] It was through seeing the struggles these boys endured that the empathy in me shone through and highlighted my true passion: to help children in need.

“One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade.” [8] My parents have planted my tree and my children will stand in its shade. I would like to plant the seed in other children and watch the tree grow and blossom into a beautiful piece of art, of history, of meaning, that no one would dare cut down. It is believed that “nurturing a child’s will sustains his enthusiasm for life, loving, learning, and growing” [9], and I feel this is particularly important in children suffering from illnesses or unfortunate personal situations. [10] (This small tree will grow to provide shade for all who need it.) Throughout my life, on whatever path I may take, I will share my enthusiasm for life and genuine concern for these children to inspire them to make it through whatever tough times they may be facing.

Word Count: 1649

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[2] Presentation Helper http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.presentationhelper.co.uk/Images/farewelleulogy.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.presentationhelper.co.uk/funeral_farewell_poem.htm&h=200&w=234&sz=5&hl=en&start=2&um=1&tbnid=Uk0QHMElAwmBfM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=109&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dfuneral%2Bspeech%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den-us%26sa%3DG (accessed February 19, 2008).

[3] Jupiter Images, http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/85/92/23469285.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.jupiterimages.com/itemDetail.aspx%3FitemID%3D23469285&h=250&w=177&sz=21&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=zJDtDKQsrXIp0M:&tbnh=111&tbnw=79&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dold%2Blady%2Breading%2Bto%2Bchildren%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den-us%26sa%3DG (accessed February 19, 2008).

[4] The Scottish Government, http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Img/54357/0009794.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/06/09105814&h=184&w=200&sz=6&hl=en&start=21&um=1&tbnid=Cgq6tguylCEuLM:&tbnh=96&tbnw=104&prev=/images%3Fq%3DPrader%2BWilli%2Bsyndrome%26start%3D20%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den-us%26sa%3DN (accessed February 19, 2008).

[5] John Gray, Children are from Heaven (New York: Mars Productions, 1999), 223.

[6] Farrington Welsh, Saving Children from a Life of Crime (New York: Oxford University Press, 2007), 4.

[7] Seamus Carey, The Whole Child: Restoring Wonder to the Art of Parenting (Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers, 2003), 100.

[8] Children Quotes, http://www.wisdomquotes.com/cat_children.html (accessed February 19, 2008).

[9] John Gray, Children are from Heaven (New York: Mars Productions, 1999), 289.

[10] Picasa Web, http://picasaweb.google.com/samueloverington/LonelyTree/photo#5057144196734551682 (accessed February 19, 2008).