Summer is here! Happy to be in the times of sunlight, warm weather, and exploring the city. In today's blog I wanted to share how I am spending my summer and share some of my thoughts and updates.
The days of "summer break" are behind me, my program in medical school had two weeks of summer break my first year and one week this year. So what am I up to this summer? I am on my surgery rotation of my clinical year! This is my seventh out of the seven core rotations I complete as a second year student. I am so proud to have reached my final rotation and -whew- what a journey this has been. To recap, I have finished rotations in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, OBGYN, Radiology, Neurology, and Pyschiatry. And I am blessed that I have passed each one - God is good!
I take a photo or video at the start of each rotation - and I've been sharing those on my Instagram. For this final rotation I had to go big, I had this vision of my blonde braids in front of the HMS sign and just showcasing my Black girl magic as I enter this final rotation. So I beat my face, grabbed my tripod, and took these photos.
Black girl. Blonde Braids. Bold and Bright.
There is something so special about a Black girl rocking a blonde look. And you know what - imma love it and eat it up every. single. time. This summer is the summer of the blonde braids.
I knew I wanted to go into this rotation with this look because it is a bold and beautiful look - showcasing on the outside how I feel on the inside.
About the Braids
I was in Maryland for my one week summer break. This was a great time for me to relax - actually rest for once - and spend time with my family and best friends. I also used this opportuntiy to get my hair done, because braiding in Boson does not seem to be giving. You know that moment when you see a sister with bomb braids and ask her where she got her hair done. It seems that every time I ask sis got them done outside of Boston. If you have any suggestions for Boston braiders let a girl know!
I went to Nadine's braiding salon in Bowie, MD. They have a walk in 24 hour braiding service with hair included, simply walk in, say the style you want, and I was out within 6 hours with these waist length small box-braids.
Now they did a great job at Nadine's - but nothing beats Debbie, the braider I go to in Saint Martin. If you've seen the braids I get back home they are small small....micro!! She does them so neatly, so lightweight, and half the price that I paid in Maryland. (I've truly been spoiled with having my hair done in Saint Martin).
I absolutely love how the braids turned out.
Representation has always and will always matter
One of my favorite moments from my first week of surgery came while rounding on our patients at 6 in the morning. Now if you don't know what surgery rounds are like, they are when we see the patients we are caring for in the morning, however we do so very efficiently and it occurs early in the morning. This allows the surgeons to get to the OR and do the operations for the day, which typically starts at 7:30am for the first case.
We entered the room of one of our patients - she was a Black woman. As my senior resident introduced the team, she smiled at me. "Thank you" she said to the resident, then turning to me "thanks to all of you".
The interactions I have with my Black patients are often a small moment but that contains so much. I've had interactions like this several times, sometimes a patient 1-1 thanking me for being in medicine. "We need more of us to be doctors."
Our team starts to zoom out the room to the next patient when she says, "excuse me dear I just have to say I love the hair!"
We shared a brief encounter, discussing my braids and laughing as I made a quick joke. I smiled, wishing her smooth recovery and that our team would provide the best care we could.
I've shared often how I face the reality of only about 2% of physicians in the U.S are Black women. For me it shows up as often times being the only Black woman - often the only Black person - on the teams I work on. And as I enter the end of my clinical year, trust me that I have worked with maaaany teams of doctors.
So when I have a moment like this - even a super brief one on the quick based surgical rounds at 6 in the morning - it is meaningful to both patient and for me. And for the moment we keked over Black hair, it was a moment for the patient to not think about the physical pain she was in, and a moment to feel connected with someone on her surgical team.
And those moments matter.
This is what a future surgeon looks like
How am I feeling about surgery?
Honestly, when I started medical school I was so intimidating by surgery. I just never envisioned myself as a surgeon. When it was time for our schedules to be released I was hoping and praying that I would not be starting on surgery because I was so scared. Thankfully, my wish was true and I was slotted to do the surgery rotation last - and I'm really grateful for that because I am entering this surgical rotation not scared at all but excited.
Over the past months, I have been challenged, supported, stretched, mentored, and poured into in the clinical space. I have met hundreds of patients, reviewed hundreds of cases, and have had some of the most amazing residents and attendings teach me. I want to highlight though, how much I have learned from the patients I have had the privilege of helping care for. As I've grown my clinical skills and heard from patients how much they appreciated me as part of their care team, it has helped affirm confidence in my space in medicine. This is now the best time for me to be entering the surgical rotation, and I'm so ready to take it on!
This has made me also step back and wonder why I was intimidated by surgery in the first place....why did I not think I could be a surgeon? Why did I think I couldn't be enough.
Representation absolutely plays a role. And stereotypes about what a surgeon looks like, how they act, that their whole life is surgery...you know what I mean.
And here I am, a young Black woman, first in her family to become a physician, who loves to dress up, lean into her feminine side, who loves makeup and dancing to soca and afrobeats.
As I've been in the clinical space, I've met incredible doctors who don't fit that stereotype. My first ever time in the OR was earlier this year in my OBGYN rotation - and it was a Black male physician who was AMAZING. As I spent time in the OR in my OBGYN rotation, I was in absolute awe of the surgeries, appreciating the art of the procedures, happy to be providing a service to a patient that would address an issue or solve a medical problem they have been experiencing. I realized I visualized myself in that role and felt this sense of belonging in the OR and urge to improve my skills. It was an incredibly reaffirming experience for me.
I no longer think I can't be a surgeon. I know I can be one - an excellent one - and will continue to follow God's path for me and see where in medicine I end up.
I have approached each rotation this year with the same perspective: fully embracing the speciality. I'll be embracing this surgical rotation as if I will be a surgeon in the future and hope to get the most out of it and improve my skills while learning how to care for surgical patients. Since this is my last rotation, I'm also hoping to challenge myself and prepare for 3rd year by increasing responsibilities. I'm excited for all I will learn in these next 12 weeks.
Here is a look at my surgical rotation schedule:
3 weeks of Trauma Surgery
1 week of Breast Surgery
2 weeks of Anesthesia
1 week of Surgical Invasive Care Unit
2 weeks of Transplant Surgery
3 weeks of Vascular Surgery
I will continue to do my best each day and fulfill the promise I made to myself ten years ago when I left St. Martin - to never forget where I came from and make my island proud. I will continue to show up in the hospital and clinic as my full self - and for this summer that means showing up with my blonde box braids, smile on my face, and scrubbing into surgical cases where I am improving my skills and learning more each day..
Thank you for following me along on this journey! I am planning my 3rd year of medical school, registered for my Step 1 exam, and it's exciting to see how God's plan for me is being revealed. I am so honored and grateful to be on this journey - it's not easy but it is worth it.
Here's to an amazing summer in the OR.
xoxo,
Kye
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