COM Outlook Summer/Fall 2020

44 | DR. KIRAN C. PATEL COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE J ust a reminder that when Shakespeare was quarantined because of the plague, he wrote King Lear .” Statements like these have been dotted across social media plat- forms ever since the national stay-at-home orders were an- nounced. What these accounts invite is a resounding pang of self-deficiency—a lurching feeling that we could always be doing more, or doing better. There is some relevancy to this mindset. Undoubtedly, there is more free time. We are forced to confine in our homes, devoid of social distractions that would otherwise be encountered. But how are we expected to unplug? There is no more coming back from the library after a long day of studying, plopping onto the sofa, and watch- ing mindless Netflix. The week blends into the weekend, and along with it, so does our inherent sense of normalcy. Due to the global pandemic, a serious hole has been gnawed into the very fabric of our capitalistic systems. Our circadian rhythm of ceil-blue scrubs has been halted, and perhaps along with it, a sense of identity has disintegrated. Furthermore, there is an increas- ingly dichotomous attitude toward how social distancing should be approached. On one hand, there is a pressure to overperform. It’s the time to bolster grades and bejewel résumés. On the other hand, a homogenous view of “self-care” has become increasingly prevalent. Making banana bread and TikTok videos have evolved into becoming routine cultural norms. Additionally, as medical students, there are Canvas notifications that fester across our screens every morning and a slew of hours of material that begs to be learned. Ironically, we are all at our most vulnerable states while the world is ablaze. So, where do we go from here? This is a time to dismantle our deleterious mindsets to continually strive to do more and be everything. It is a time to realize our mental health is more than a 15-minute yoga video. It is a dire self-conserva- tion that begs to be had. It is a time to demarcate your worldly desires from the aspirations that will fundamentally mold you into a thriving version of yourself. As future physicians, we have a lifetime of grind that awaits. Rather than succumb to the ennui of trudging through our uploaded lectures, we must reconnect with our passion for medicine. Utilize the era of social distancing to answer King Lear’s eternal question: “Who is it who can tell me who I am?” Somya Kaul is a first-year KPCOM student. “ BY SOMYA KAUL Working Through an Identity Crisis PHILOSOPHER Somya Kaul Utilize the era of social distancing to answer King Lear’s eternal question: “Who is it who can tell me who I am?”