New White Coat

Dan and I are definitely going to a rural hospital. The water is not drinkable out of the tap, the hospital has backup generators for the many times that the electricity goes out and our nearest grocery store will be two hours away. However, this is nothing compared to some of the hardships that some of the other Post Residents in my class will be facing.  We will at least have electricity (spotty though it may be), we will also have access to hot showers, we won't be the only ones from our country on our team and we aren't bringing young children and toddlers who want to crawl on the ground and put everything in their mouths - I stand in awe of what some of the others in our class are setting out to do.  We will have it easy compared to them.  Yet, many of them have been to these countries and hospitals before.  They know what they are getting into, they know what sacrifices they are making and they pursue this new life with joy.  Wow.  A new level of crazy? Maybe. I think, however, it is more of a deep rooted dedication toward loving the Lord and loving the people they are going to serve. I admire them for this and I hope that we will be able to stay in touch as God leads us all on similar, yet different journeys.

Last night at dinner the SP staff handed out a gift to all of the physicians. They had gotten us all personally embroidered white coats.  I nearly cried.  Long white coats are an almost universal symbol of a physician.  This will become a daily part of my uniform as I trek to the hospital.  Almost every medical school has a "white coat ceremony" when the new medical students start their classes.  It is a ceremony that is not insignificant and is often attended by the student's families.  It is a way of recognizing the journey you are about to embark on and the often life changing challenge of medical school and residency that lies ahead. The symbol of the white coat is significant, not only as a symbol of occupation to the outside world, but also a type mutual understanding between those that wear them of the battles they have gone through.  Medical school and residency are definitely their own unique battle fields.

At Kapsowar, it is important to the staff that the physicians wear their coats.  I had one left over from residency that is definitely showing some wear and it also has my maiden name still printed on the front.  This is now my first white coat with my new name as well as the logo of Samaritan's Purse.  What a symbol of a new chapter of life! What an honor to serve in this way!

Our Post Residency Class of Physicians