Dr Sackey is one of those people that is truly hard to
describe with words; certainly none of the words I know will do her justice.
One needs to experience her genuine smile and brilliant gaze to truly
understand how sincere and passionate she is about connecting with students.
The funny thing is she seemed just as impressed with us and marveled at the
varying experiences and passions that had attracted each member of our group to
Urban medicine.
As she talked about her time training Ghanian physicians
to care for HIV positive patients, I
couldn't help but feel a great wave of inspiration. She is a living example of
how I hope to incorporate service into my medical career. She managed to
channel her zeal for service into a successful career as a physician-educator.
She talked about how even as a high school student she never dreamed of having
the kind of impact she has had on Ghanian health care system.
What truly stood out to me was that even as she talked
about the amazing work she was doing back home, her devotion to her students
always seemed to shine through.
Probably the most fun part of our entire discussion was
talking to her about her time as a DMS student. As we presented our gift to
her(a Smith society water bottle), we launched into an explanation of who the 3
societies were named after, but quickly realized that she was more than
familiar with who they were as she launched into heartfelt stories of Dr
Mosenthal and Tenney and the amazing service they did for Dartmouth "these
are true giants," she said.
I have a feeling that ten years from now I will look back
on this moment as a pivotal inspirational moment in my career. Meeting with Dr
Sackey has served as a strong reminder of why I made the decision to join the
ranks of this wonderful profession. A
"true giant" herself.
No comments:
Post a Comment