Navigating the COVID-19 Pandemic: Reflections on Uncertainty, Lockdowns, and Online Learning
Summary:
📚 Studying medicine is a challenging yet rewarding journey. As future healthcare professionals, it is essential to stay motivated and inspired along the way. This article highlights the importance of engagement and motivation for medical students and physicians. It emphasizes the need to foster a growth mindset, balance personal and professional life, and find purpose in our healthcare profession.
💡 Takeaways:
1️⃣ Cultivate a growth mindset: Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth and learning. Believe in your ability to improve and develop your skills throughout your medical journey.
2️⃣ Find balance: Prioritize self-care and mental health. Make time for activities outside of medicine that bring you joy and fulfillment. Balance your personal and professional life to avoid burnout.
3️⃣ Connect with peers and mentors: Surround yourself with a supportive network. Engage with fellow medical students, residents, and experienced physicians who can provide guidance and inspiration.
4️⃣ Explore different specialties: Keep an open mind and explore various medical fields. Discover your passions and interests to find the specialty that aligns with your goals and values.
5️⃣ Seek purpose: Connect with the purpose behind your choice to pursue medicine. Remember the impact that you can make in the lives of patients and communities. Let this purpose fuel your motivation and dedication.
6️⃣ Stay up-to-date: Continuously expand your medical knowledge and stay informed about the latest research and developments in your field. Embrace lifelong learning to provide the best possible care for your patients.
7️⃣ Embrace teamwork: Recognize the importance of collaboration and teamwork in healthcare. Build effective communication and interpersonal skills to work well with colleagues and provide comprehensive patient care.
8️⃣ Reflect on successes and challenges: Regularly reflect on your achievements and challenges to gain insights and learn from your experiences. Celebrate successes and use setbacks as opportunities for growth.
9️⃣ Embrace a positive mindset: Maintain a positive attitude, even in difficult situations. Remember that your mindset can influence your overall well-being and professional growth.
🌟 Remember, your medical journey is an opportunity to have a meaningful impact on the lives of others. Stay engaged, motivated, and inspired to become the best healthcare professional you can be!
COVID-19: My Experience during the Pandemic
Mixed Emotions and Uncertainty
I had experienced mixed emotions during the pandemic, when everything was shut down and there was nowhere to go. I had the feeling that someone was controlling since they would not allow me escape from the situation I was stuck in. This enormous crisis caused a lot of anxiety, uncertainty, and fear. I didn’t know what to do. I was scared about what is going to happen to me next? Was I going to survive? All of my goals were shattered by this pandemic. My goal was to be more active, perhaps by taking a sport. However, none of those actually happened.
Lockdown Experience in India
I was in grade 5 when the pandemic initially began, and we were all at school. In the middle of fifth grade, I spent about a month in India. We left my dad behind due to his job while me, my mother and sister traveled. My dad regularly kept us informed about what was happening in Canada. One day he called us and told us the country had been hit by a virus. The virus eventually reached India. Everyone was placed under a lockdown, preventing us from doing anything—not even stepping outside to see one another. If we had to leave, to the grocery store, police officers would stand nearby. This made me feel like I was in a different world, where there was no one left. We were to be in India for a month, but because of the lockdown, there were no plane tickets. We had to extend our trip for an extra month, and due to that I got to celebrate my 11th birthday in India for the first time too!
Struggles with Online Learning
Another thing that happened during covid was when we all went online. Going online was one of the hardest things in my life. All I had to do was sit there and stare at my screen. Gym was hard to do because my gym teachers would tell me to exercise on the spot I am on. Instead if we were at school and we had the big open space I could have done it more easily. Handing in my assignments online was not the easiest thing either. I had many issues with my computer. Sometimes it wouldn’t start on me or I had problems joining with the link the teachers provided me. If I had a choice I would never choose online again, I think school is much better where I can physically see my friends and my teachers.
Reflections and Hopes for the Future
In conclusion, during the covid time I felt unsafe, hopeless, scared, fear, and anger. After getting covid in December 2020, I would never like covid or any type of pandemic to come in the future, and if anything does come I don’t want it to be that severe that’s it going to kill everyone and send everyone online or put everyone under lockdown.