The Best Story, by Sara Teichholtz

 “Can I hold the baby all through the review session?”

“Sure.”  “...you'll be here if something goes wrong though, right?”

I've been putting perhaps an inappropriate amount of pressure on myself regarding my retirement blog post. How to best convey how much I adore MSIH? How to share all the things that make this program special? I'd been looking for a good story to share—the best story, in fact, until I saw a TED talk by Brandon Stanton, creator of Humans of New York. In short, he discusses how our interests influence what the media reports. Our news becomes weighted with extremes over representative reporting because we like a good story.

This should have made me realize that as a member of the media (as partaking in Blogger of the Month fully entails), I should be focusing on writing the best representation of medical school rather than actively seeking out the best story about medical school. Instead, it inspired me to copy Humans of New York and create: Humans of MSIH!

It turns out that being the HONY guy is really hard work. I thought it would be super easy: iPhone camera and I would snap some photos, hear some great quotations, and make a great post. Plus, I could [and definitely did] cheat because I got to bug people for a week to give me a good quote. It turns out my HONY technique (“smile and now give me a Humans of MSIH quote!”) just produced a lot of deer-in-the-headlights looks and speechless peers. The best quotes were those that I wasn't looking for, that just came in the spur of the moment. In the end, I'm not sure if I learned from Brandon Stanton's lesson or proved it wrong, because in this case, the moments I wasn't looking for made the best stories.

With that, here is Humans of MSIH:

“Tell me something happy!”

“Uh...”

“Your sister just got engaged!”

“My sister just got engaged!”

Today in microfashion.*

“I just broke people's hearts by telling them who won the playoff game.”

“Do I have hat hair? I wore my winter hat here.”

“A beard like this doesn't just grow overnight. It's much easier than that. It grows over-night and over-day. It's just a matter of laziness.”

“I could really use a nap.”

“What advice would you give to a very large group of people?”

“Follow your heart!”

 What did you learn today in epidemiology?”

“Stay away from maps.”

“Maps?”

“I said RATS.”

 Today in [anatomy] fashion.

“What was the best part of your day?”

“I found this balloon.”

“What advice would you give to a very large group of people?”

“How you feel is shaped more by how you respond to the challenges in your life.”

“Wow. That's really insightful. Can you just like, look really pensive for a sec?”

“Can I be part of the talent show?”

“Sure. And if you don't have a talent, you could always carve a decorative swan from an apple on stage.”

Pause.

“That's going to be my quote, isn't it?”

 "Can I take a picture of you for our school blog?”

“Why?”

“You're famous! We all see you every day. You're the best part of the morning!”

“I know.”

--as we were walking away---

“Have a WONderful DAY!”

In the words of our favorite security guard, have a wonderful day!

*Credit to Katie for creating (and photographing) this incredible masterpiece, to Judson for modeling it, and to Nathan for allowing me to post it.  - blogger of the month, Sara Teichholtz

My New Normal, by Sara Teichholtz

As a transfer, a question I get asked a lot is how my two medical school experiences have differed.  In a recent e-mail to a friend, I responded that my life is both exactly the same as and entirely different from last year. Medical school, for the most part, has a lot of elements that are universal. I'm still studying all the time out of the same textbooks to learn the same material. (That aspect of my life may never change, Goljan). At the same time, the past six months have completely redefined my idea of normal life outside of school. Tiny errands like shopping for groceries or mailing a package are now epic adventurous and provide daily opportunities for exhilarating victory or humbling defeat. They also provide a great source of bonding—there is no truer connection than that between those who have experienced the checkout line at SuperSal. In short, I wouldn't trade any of it for the world.

Here are some examples of our new normal:

1.                  Sunday is Monday. The week here is shifted due to Shabbat, so Friday and Saturday are off while Sunday begins the work week. We can no longer have a case of the Mondays because Monday is already Tuesday.

2.                  Every Saturday is Christmas, except for Christmas.  Israel shuts down on Shabbat entirely—there's no public transit and most shops are closed. The closest thing that resembles Shabbat in America is Christmas day. Which itself is just like a normal day here.

3.                  The cats. While Florida had a roach problem, Beer Sheva has a cat problem. As far as infestations go, I would argue that ours is definitely cuter than most. Where else can you take a picture like this at a hospital?

[Insert cat ear picture] Spot the cat!

4.                  Kosher laws. Most restaurants and many homes here keep Kosher. Now that I'm used to this, it's a complete novelty to come across bacon or meat and milk together. I will admit that there is a marshmallow shaped hole in my heart.

5.                  The diet. I've gone from worshipping greens to believing that salad base is nothing but cucumber and tomato. My problem is no longer finding somewhere with dried ginger but having to choose between all the places that sell dried ginger.  Falafel has replaced hamburgers as fast food, and I am already mourning the day that I must leave this land of fresh pita and challah.

6.                  The lingo. A year ago, I would not have been able to understand a sentence such as, “Yalla chaverim, oolai we will brave the balagan at the Karnaf to get toastim.” In the same vein, I'm now very comfortable with not understanding a lot of what is being said around me, except if the discussion involves a chest x ray or appendicitis. Whenever we hear English being spoken, it makes our heads turn.

7.                  The math. Living in a country with a new time zone, a new currency, and a new system of measurement means doing a bit of math--automatically dividing shekels by 3.5, subtracting 7 for EST, and multiplying the temperature by 9/5 and adding 32 giving up completely trying to understand Celsius.

With that, I'm back to the experience that will never change: studying!  - blogger of the month Sara Teichholtz

Beer Sheva: Winter Survival Guide, by Sara Teichholtz

When first learning about Beer Sheva, all I knew was that it was in the desert. When people discuss desert living, the heat and dryness are generally emphasized because that's pretty much what “desert climate” implies. What is under emphasized, at least to those of us who have spent time living in South Florida, is the desert winter.  A few weeks ago, we got hit with a cold snap so cold that we came across a bit of ice on the street in the old city.

For the most part, the winter here may resemble summer in some places, but when combined with architecture designed to keep things cool in the sweltering summers, it's been feeling a little chilly as of late.

So, breaking the trend of summer survival guide posts, I'll be sharing some tips about how to survive the brutal Beer Sheva Winter.


1. Learn how to dress properly.
Exhibit A: My roommate is from Winnipeg, so I've been picking up some of the Canadian tips on how to survive in -40 temperatures. Here, Hannah demonstrates how Canadian teen fashion circa 2004 can keep your lower extremities safe from the chill of tile floors.

Exhibit B: Zach is from Minnesota, so he knows how to prepare for chilly study sessions.

2. Hot beverages. Seen here is everyone's best friend, the kum-kum (yes, that's Hebrew for “electric kettle”). Perfect for providing a steady supply of hot beverages for long study sessions.

3. In the same vein: bake! Making cookies both heats up the apartment and warms the soul.

4. The space heater, as seen below.  I cannot officially recommend sitting as close to the space heater as I do, but even if you don't make yourself a human fire hazard, the space heater will warm a room quite nicely. Here, Hannah is actually demonstrating several warming tips in one: fuzzy socks, hot tea, AND questionably close proximity to the space heater.

5. When all else fails, remember that soon it will be 100 degrees again.

Stay warm.
--Sara