COM Outlook Summer/Fall 2020

46 | DR. KIRAN C. PATEL COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE A common lament I hear among medical students is that we wished there were more time to spend with our loved ones. As a result, the moments where we can guiltlessly get away—physically, but especially mentally— to spend time with family and friends are precious. COVID-19 has caused a number of untoward effects on medical students across the country, although each story is no doubt different. Rather than drably list the negative effects, however, I want to describe the unexpected ways the pandemic has turned out to be a blessing to me and my family. I became engaged and got married during my first year. Immediately afterward, it seemed that school also ramped up, so our schedules were often completely opposite. Later, during my third year, my wife and I welcomed a baby girl to our family. I was busy with rotations during the day, but our schedules lined up a little better. But my wife and I each experienced the same sleepless nights with the baby. Once COVID-19 caused my third-year rotations to be canceled, my wife and I made the decision to pack up our things, leave Florida, and travel across the country to be closer to family. Along the way, we made visits to my parents and grandparents and introduced them to our new baby girl. We feel fortunate for those opportunities, for had we stayed in Florida, I don’t know when our daughter would have been able to meet her great-grandparents. We are now surrounded by family nearby, and there is no end to helping hands eager to assist with the baby. Although my days are primarily filled with studying, there is a different sense of calm. Things feel like they move at a more pleasant pace. There is spare time after each day’s studies to visit with family and spend with my wife and daughter. Despite the ravages of COVID-19 in general, my family and I have chosen to focus on the new positives. There is still plenty of uncertainty ahead for me and my medical peers, but the unexpected respite has given us the opportunity to spend time as a family and put back into perspective what we are working for—and what is most important. Grant Myres is a third-year KPCOM student. BY GRANT MYRES From Rotations to Road Trip with a Baby NEWDAD Grant Myres