Looking Ahead
Here we are, on the cusp of fall semester 2020. It’s hard to believe that our campus has ever
been as quiet, as deserted, as it has been over the past 5 months, but then
again, it would have been hard to imagine living through a pandemic. Until now.
I hope you’ve had a good summer, that you’ve stayed healthy, well and
busy enough. I wanted to take a few
minutes to welcome you back, however that may be. Even ‘back to school’ has a different feel
this year. Every college campus across
the country is different this year.
I wanted to fill you in on what’s been happening in my world
too. I’ve been busier than ever. In the hospital, we are seeing plenty of sick
patients, and not all of them have COVID-19, yet it’s become routine to answer
screening questions on arrival in the lobby, to have my temperature taken and to
wear a mask & goggles while seeing patients. Just about every meeting I have is via
Zoom…or some other version of a video platform.
And teaching has been a mix of in person sessions and Zoom
meetings. This year the Emory School of
Medicine welcomed nearly 140 new M-1s from incredibly diverse backgrounds, all
eager to get started learning both the art and the science of medicine. And I welcomed another small group of M-1s in
the Osler Society. Teaching clinical
skills via Zoom is interesting, to say the least, but there’s still a sense of
connection and there actually seem to be some advantages as well.
In Pre-Health Advising, we are ready to get back into some sort
of a new routine. We look forward to not
only meeting some of you and seeing many of you again, but also to rolling some
programming that gets you prepared as you look toward your goals of becoming a
healthcare professional. It’s a
challenging time in our world’s history, and yet we must look forward. I’m a morning person, and I love being out on
a bike ride to watch the sunrise. Below
is a glimpse of what I saw on a recent morning ride. I challenge all of you to get up, to get to
work, to stay woke, to be active. And
keep looking ahead toward the morning sun.
Set goals, and reach for them. Know
that there might be set backs, but keep getting up. Ask for help, and also give some help. We are in this together, and that’s how we
will get through it.
Welcome back. We have
missed you. And now it’s time to get to
work!
Dr. B
