By Ted Hodges
Since returning from Haiti in February, my life has been very similar to the way it was before my six months in Milot, but somehow it is completely different. I am sure that many of the other volunteers can relate to this feeling. When I returned home, I still had the same family and friends, and I still went to the same places, but now I carry a little piece of Milot with me wherever I go. After returning from Haiti, I have a much greater appreciation for the world that exists outside of my daily activities. I am reminded on a daily basis of the stark contrast that is Haiti—the Haitian people, so bright and inspiring, surrounded by the darkness of the crushing poverty in which they live. I know that my experiences in Milot will be important in shaping the rest of my life.
I returned from Haiti to North Carolina on Monday, February 12, 2012. One week later, I received a piece of great news. I found out that I had been accepted in medical school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, my alma mater. It was quite a treat to receive this news so soon after returning from Milot. As I write this article, I am about to begin my first semester as part of the UNC School of Medicine Class of 2016. In the intervening period since I was accepted at UNC, I lived at home with my parents and worked at my college job selling men’s clothing in my hometown of Washington, North Carolina.
I really enjoyed these past few months as they provided me with a good opportunity to relax before undertaking the rigors of medical school. At the end of June, my best friend and I were able to take a week-long trip to the Pacific Northwest to visit some friends who recently moved there. We had a great time exploring, hiking, and mountain biking around Seattle, Bellingham, and Vancouver, British Columbia. At the beginning of August, I moved into a new house in Chapel Hill with two friends whom I knew from undergrad who are also starting medical school. I am excited to begin this next chapter of my life and start down the path to becoming a physician.
The opportunity to live in Milot and work for CRUDEM and Hôpital Sacré Coeur was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and I will always be grateful to everyone who made my experience in Haiti so special. I had the unique opportunity to work closely with and learn from brilliant physicians, both Haitian and American. My time working at HSC provided me with valuable clinical experience that most students lack when coming into medical school. I was able to gain so much by watching surgeries and learning about infectious and tropical diseases. My experiences in Milot have provided me with a unique perspective that many of my peers in medical school will lack.
Working in Haiti taught me the importance of thinking critically and working flexibly while practicing medicine. Already, my professors in medical school have stressed the importance of the physical exam during our clinical skills course. I realize this importance because I saw how much doctors in Milot could ascertain using just their clinical skills when other diagnostic tests were not available. I witnessed firsthand that quality medical care can be provided in an environment where resources are extremely limited. Seeing physicians do so much with so little was truly inspiring to me, so I will always be cognizant of the luxury that is practicing medicine in an American hospital. I would like to extend a tremendous “thank you” to all of the people who I met during my stay at CRUDEM. I hope that our paths will cross again in the future, either in Haiti, or the United States, or somewhere else on the globe. You are all wonderful people who are doing great things for the people of Haiti.
