A Gold Star for the hippee project

I got a congrats on my Facebook today and I didn’t know what I was being congratulated for. I had surfaced online for the first time in days. I open my school account and find 10 e-mails. Turns out my presentation for my medicine for the underserved elective was voted the top in the class. I was really surprised.  Happy but mostly surprised I have never been signaled out (beyond giving the now annual love disabled people talk).  Too bad my life is run by multiple choice, give me an essay topic and an excellent editor (XOXO to all of you wonderful grammar nerd friends) and I can ace it. Give me a multiple choice test and I will talk myself out of 25% of the right answers.

My presentation was kind of shaky and rushed and very, very different than the other three. Mine was a narrative with a lot of photographs of children and Eastern European art and scenery. The others were very public health focused, people were cured of malaria, maternal and infant mortality were decreased. There were statistics and evidence based medicine and epi. I had a single slide of stats which were colorful and again bordered by bright eyed beautiful children.  I didn’t cure any diseases this summer, I played Nannie more than developmental pediatrician even.  I was the last presentation of the day. After 45 minutes of public health and EBM, I was anxious and uncomfortable in my semi-sensible looking professional clothling. Who was I fooling? I make a better flower child than a public health officer. peace. love and medicine. woot.

Needless to say I was bewildered when the e-mail came.  I am thrilled, its somewhat meaningless beyond an extra sentence on my CV. But its kind of nice to know that perhaps my class does not think  I am completely bonkers…  or maybe bonkers was easier to stay awake during than sane.
at least I told 100 folks about the plight of my tribe in Romania.