COM Outlook Spring 2020

34 | DR. KIRAN C. PATEL COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE STUDENT PERSPECTIVES Getting Through the Grind BY JOSEPH MILLS Medical school is a tough, grind- ing process that tests your level of determination and commit- ment if you are not mentally and physically prepared. When I was an incoming first- year Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine (KPCOM) student in 2018, I made my way through the midsummer humidity of South Florida and opened the door to my new apartment. As I did so, I knew I was also opening the door to uncharted territory, with many sleepless nights ahead. However, I’m not only referring to that grinding process mentioned previously. I’m also referring to the baby my pregnant wife Cassidy had been carrying the previous four months. Clearly, I had more to worry about than grades and board exams when I arrived at the col- lege. I had just uprooted my family from a lifelong home in the west- ern United States, and we were now establishing a new home— one that would soon serve as our first child’s first home. It didn’t take long to get com- fortable with the everyday routine. School was a lot of work, and finding an OB/GYN for Cassidy was harder than expected, but we found the way and made it work through good communication. The inaugural semester was a blur as I balanced my biochemistry and anatomy exams with the tests performed at the OB/GYN’s office. Finals week was tough. I worked hard to focus, studying whenever I could, while also helping Cassidy prepare for our new addition. Finally, the big day came. On December 17, 2018, Lincoln Joseph Mills was born. There is no greater feeling than becoming a dad. My white coat ceremony—a day I had dreamt about since I was 12 years old—paled in comparison to the feeling of witnessing my baby boy open his eyes to take in the world around him for the very first time. I was blessed to have a few weeks off during the Christmas break, and I spent every moment of it with my wife and precious baby. Sadly, all good things end. I started school again and was tasked with discover- ing how to balance studying with caring for my family. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for my perception STUDENT Perspectives Balance and Blessings