Project Blog #6

 One of the coolest things about being a part of this project is meeting all of the different patients. With their consent, I get to listen in on the conversations Dr. Schroeder, Melissa, and the occasional resident have with the patients. Dr. Schroeder sees around 20-23 patients a day, which is a lot. However, a lot of these people are really lovely, so I have enjoyed chatting with them. Patients will ask me what high school I go to, where I am going to college, and will then connect those answers to their own lives. I have learned that a lot of people either have direct connections to Hawken like their kids going/went there or friends. Many also have connections with Boston and BU and it is always fun to hear their stories. With that, I get to make connections with complete strangers, which is really cool. It is also sweet when the older patients come in and want to chat and socialize with the doctors. The connections Dr. Schroeder has with her patients is nice to see and also be a part of myself despite still being in high school. 

Other connections I get to make are the ones with the other doctors and the ladies at the front desk in the offices that Dr. Schroeder works in. The surgeons always ask me about where I go to school and if I am interested in medicine which is always followed by the sarcastic "don't do it!" Sometimes I can't tell if they're being honest or funny. The ladies at the front desk are always fun to talk to as well. The other day was one of their birthdays, so I was tasked with going out to get cupcakes and we had a mini cupcake party.

These types of connections, as well as helping others, is what makes me want to become a doctor one day.