COM Outlook Spring 2020

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | 35 of the medical school grind to change for the better. I began to see my peers and professors for what they truly are: family. Everyone was aware of us, especially little Lincoln. This principle was solidified in my mind by a special experience I had one evening during the KPCOM’s anatomy cadaver memorial ceremony. Lincoln, who was a few months old at the time, was generally easy to keep calm as he rested quietly in his car seat. However, as soon as the college’s dean, Elaine Wallace, stood to speak, Lincoln began wailing. I couldn’t have been more embarrassed as I stood up to take him out the door while the dean tried to talk over Lincoln’s cries. Suddenly, anatomy professor Nicholas Lutfi stopped me. He grabbed my arm and told me to sit back down because “babies are babies” and it was “all part of the natural course of life.” Still slightly embarrassed, but beyond grateful, I took my seat next to Cassidy again. When the ceremony ended, we made our way outside, where, to my surprise, stood Dean Wallace, who was searching for me. She was not upset. In fact, it was the exact opposite. She was eager to meet Lincoln to admire him and congratulate us. At Nova South- eastern University, we truly are one big family, and knowing that has helped me get through both the good and difficult times. Another paradigm-shifting experience happened gradually over the course of my second semester. As the struggles of a new semester became overwhelm- ing, I began to hear the phrase “physician burnout,” which is something to be taken seriously. We each need to find some way to combat those feelings. I found that having Lincoln around helped me find joy in the little things. Even on the toughest days, I was privileged to hurry home excitedly to hear Lincoln’s little palms slap the tile as he raced to see me, or to test the Babinski reflex on him for the 50th time. Cassidy and Lincoln make the hardships of school worth it every day. This is not to say there haven’t been rough days. Having to care for a crying baby at 3:00 a.m. before an exam that morning certainly isn’t ideal. In addition, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared that Lincoln was infected with every virus and bacteria mentioned in our micro- biology book at some point over the past year. However, as I write this, our little boy is 13 months old. He has brought more sunshine into our lives than can ever be expressed in words. Although I initially questioned having a child during medical school, I know it is a decision I will never regret. o Joseph Mills is a second-year KPCOM student. Joseph and Cassidy Mills with their newborn son Lincoln “At Nova Southeastern University, we truly are one big family, and knowing that has helped me get through both the good and difficult times.” —JOSEPH MILLS