COM Outlook Summer/Fall 2020

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | 27 First-Person Perspectives W hen I was a kid, I thought orthope- dic surgery would be a great job. I played a ton of sports and ended up at the orthopedic physician’s office numerous times. As I grew older, however, I realized I didn’t have the skill set to be a surgeon—mainly because I cannot stand in one place indefinitely without fidgeting. I lack the dexterity for meticulous surgery, so I determined the life of an ortho- pedic surgeon was not for me. However, I had mixed emotions about not completing my ortho- pedic surgery rotation when it was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in March. Initially, it was nice to have free time and get a break from the endless medical school treadmill. I hadn’t had an extended break from school in years, and now I did. So, what should I do? I decided to begin studying for my Level 2/Step 2 exams, but I was also able to relax by taking study breaks and catching up on my favorite television shows, exercis- ing, and even having time to see my loved ones regularly. This bliss- ful feeling only lasted for a few days. Suddenly, my roommate told me he wasn’t feeling well. After reading about the symp- toms of COVID-19, I convinced myself I had it. My roommate got sick first with a fever and general weakness. I caught what he had, and even though my symptoms were mild and lasted about two weeks, I knew I had it. Is it true? I may never know. One of the biggest adjustments I had to make about self-isolating was not seeing my family. My mother, father, and two brothers live in South Florida. I was unable to attend my niece’s second birthday party, both of my grandmothers’ birthdays, and other family gatherings. I miss going out to dinner, going to movies, and even grocery shopping. Now, I order food via home-delivery services. Now that the calendar has gone from April to May, I am ready to go back to my old life. I need to complete my third-year clinical rotations, apply for my fourth-year rotations, and take Level 2/Step 2 written and oral examinations. I need to get letters of recommen- dations, worry about my CV not being competitive with my peer group, and fantasize about where to begin residency in summer 2021. This stress is what has been missing since COVID-19 disrupted my life. Somehow, I miss it. Bryan Slootsky is a third-year KPCOM student. BY BRYAN SLOOTSKY Missing My “Old Life” MED STUDENT Bryan Slootsky I need to complete my third- year clinical rotations, apply for my fourth-year rotations, and take Level 2/Step 2 written and oral examinations.