lifeofkhan

[lifeofkhan]

It shook up Trout to realize that even he could bring evil into the world - in the form of bad ideas...Trout became a fanatic on the importance of ideas as causes and cures for diseases.

Breakfast of Champions, Kurt Vonnegut

[lifeofkhan]

I have no culture, no humane harmony in my brains. I can't live without culture anymore.

Breakfast of Champions, Kurt Vonnegut

[lifeofkhan]

“My name is Suleyman. My mother is a writer, my father is a teacher, and my sisters always fight each other. One day I found a toy on the street. I picked it up. It exploded. I don't remember what happened after that, because it was the end.”

The Breadwinner, Deborah Ellis

[lifeofkhan]

New Delhi, India [Day 1]

The unapologetic innocence of childhood. I too feel like laying on the floor after traveling half way across the world. A reminder to pursue the things you want with disregard for the judgement of those around us. Good for you little dude.

[lifeofkhan]

"The most memorable books from our childhoods are those that make us feel less alone, convince us that our own foibles and quirks are both as individual as a fingerprint and as universal as an open hand."

A Wrinkle in Time

[lifeofkhan]

If anyone had told me I would get to spend a month in Thailand during medical school, I wouldn't have believed them. Leaving Thailand feels surreal. I can't believe I won't get to to wake up tomorrow, walk down the street, and order a steaming bowl of Jok. Or get lost trying to find my way around KKU. Or meet up with the many students, residents, and faculty who helped make KKU feel like home. I'm beyond thankful for all the unforgettable memories.

My elective month at KKU has given me a new appreciation for the power of non verbal communication in a medical setting. Being unable to communicate verbally forces you to focus on body language that we often miss during patient interactions. The subtle cues that signal discomfort, pain, and even fear. The sigh of relief and smile of appreciation. You realize that human emotions transcend language.

Nothing can do justice to the sights, culture, and people I've had the opportunity to work and experience with in Thailand, but hopefully this video gives a glimpse into the reasons why I'm looking forward to returning to KKU one day.

ขอบคุณค่ะ

[lifeofkhan]

1st Interview

Made an attending tearful during my first interview for general surgery... Something like this would happen to me, of course. No less on my first interview.

[lifeofkhan]

dear jc

dear jc,  Yesterday I watched as they called time of death for a 27 y/o. Yesterday I witnessed a mother trying to make sense of never seeing her son’s smiling face.  Yesterday I saw a baby girl, clutched desperately against her mother’s chest, who will never know the love her father had for her.  And I stood speechless. With no explanations to offer.   sincerely, mk.oct.17.2017

[lifeofkhan]

a dear ___ series. day 1.

dear mk,

Here’s my first attempt at blog letter-writing. There’s so many firsts.

I don’t know if I’m doing this right, since it was your idea. I don’t even know if the title is how you wanted it. I had a feeling though that you wouldn’t care, so I didn’t call you at 0700 to confirm.

sincerely, 

jc.oct.15.2017

[lifeofkhan]

Title: Student in State of Perpetual Angst Here we have a 4th year med student in his natural environment. Phone in hand, jumping at every sound his phone makes. Heart rate soaring as he opens his email. The anticipation building. Sweat trickling down his scalp. And at the height of his excitement, the email opens to show nothing more than a confirmation of his application being received. Such is life.

[lifeofkhan]

When you realize you’ve made the right decision. Now to finish ERAS.

[lifeofkhan]

A continuation of my one second of the day project. Filmed one second almost everyday from my 23rd - 24th birthday. To think I've completed an entire year of clinical rotations and am one week away from submitting residency applications is slightly unfathomable. This video puts my year, no my life, into perspective and reminds me to appreciate every day for what it brings. The world, one day becomes a habit and no inquiries about why things are pass through our minds. The wonderment brought upon by witnessing a beautiful sunrise, the awe of being alive, has worn down to little more than habit for some people. Life goes on. We get old. The world passes those who forget to stop for a moment and indulge in its beauty. Thank you again to family, friends, and food for helping me through medical school and this thing we call life. Here's to another year of spontaneity. Music creds to Zayde Wolf for "Live Live" and Ed Sheeran for "Castle on the Hill."

[lifeofkhan]

Beware of the Disgruntled M.D.

earning a degree is not easy

practicing medicine, all the more

still the piles and piles of learning are

exciting

to the academic, the scientist, the doctor at heart

but there are those disgruntled

by the work of the profession they chose

and their patients, i pity

no one can serve two masters,

including your M.D.

jc.sept.06.2017

[lifeofkhan]

Everything is finite, yet infinite simultaneously.

[lifeofkhan]

Thankful for friends who listen to my existential life crises, as ridiculous as they may be. If there's one thing I'm not ready for before graduation, it's leaving behind this amazing support system.

[lifeofkhan]

You can't ever reach perfection, but you can believe in an asymptote toward which you are ceaselessly striving.

When Breath Becomes Air, Paul Kalanithi

[lifeofkhan]

How little do doctors understand the hells through which we put patients.

When Breath Becomes Air, Paul Kalanithi