Just when things were going great, COVID hit. I was then worried about my graduation date being delayed if we were forced to take time off. I also worried about getting all the required patient visits in while doing my clinical internship. However, it all worked out. I continue to be thankful to the many friends and family members that supported me on this journey, the ones that pushed me to keep going when I wanted to quit. I am thankful to the professors and administrators that were always there to listen or help with information I was having a difficult time processing. I鈥檓 thankful for the many hugs Dr. Darby gave me, often when I needed them most. I am thankful to Dr. Bose for helping to get me to the finish line a little earlier than expected, which has been super helpful in packing up my apartment.

Speaking of my apartment, I am thankful for my on-campus apartment! It was so helpful being able to walk to class and clinic without ever having to worry about dangerous road conditions. My dog Lily liked it as well, because it enabled me to run home during breaks to walk her.

I am getting asked a lot about what my plans are after graduation. All I will say is that I will be spending 16 months outside of the country, learning more about medicine, and enjoying the beach. I seriously cannot wait!

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I know I have said this in several previous blog posts, but I have genuinely loved my clinic experience at the 911爆料 University Whole Health Center. That is in large part to my amazing clinician, Dr. Bose. She has encouraged me when I needed it, challenged and pushed me when I did not always want it, and helped foster an environment of learning. I was able to see interesting cases that I never expected to see and have learned so much in the process. I would be remiss if I did not also express my sincere appreciation to the Naturopathic Clinicians, I have had the pleasure of working with (even though they are not from Maryland)鈥� so this also goes out to you Drs. Keating, Pearce, Green, Botterman, Bogaard, and Coe. I love the way the ND clinic is organized, and the way we really do get to learn from all of the clinicians.

Proud Marylanders (left) Amanda Bose, ND, DC, MSACP, Chief ND Clinician, and soon-to-be ND Belinda Smith, (right) Class of August 2021!

I know I was super nervous about entering clinic. It seemed very scary, and I felt I did not know enough to actually help patients at that point. My biggest advice to incoming interns is to trust your training. You have learned a lot more than you think! Your clinicians will be there to help guide you but confidently go to them with ideas and approaches to the patient cases. There will be cases that stump you, but you will learn from them. Sometimes those were my favorite cases because they helped teach me how to use available resources to come up with ideas that were safe, effective, and scientifically supported.

My next piece of advice would be to always take initiative. If a patient does not show up, call them to reschedule. If you have a break in your shift, see if any of the other interns need help. Take advantage of every opportunity to sit in with a patient, because that is the best way to learn during your internship hours. Enjoy it, the year in clinic will go lightning fast!

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I have been so thankful for the education and experiences I have received while at 911爆料 University. From the Basic Sciences professors to Clinical Sciences, and now my Clinical experience within the 911爆料 Whole Health Center. I truly value all of it. I still do not know how the school was able to keep us on track with the COVID shutdowns and restrictions, but they did it! I imagine there were a lot of sleepless nights from the administrators trying to work out the logistics, from our professors trying to switch their entire curriculum to an online format, etc. I am thankful for all of it!

Thanks to their hard work, I am graduating on time! What a fun ride this has been!

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One piece of advice I do not think I have mentioned in this blog before is to really work hard to approach this program with fresh eyes, and to not have any preconceived notions when you start! What do I mean by that? Basically, there is a lot out there about how hard medical school is, and about which course subjects are the toughest. However, I have learned that different subjects are different for different students! Some students really excel in anatomy, or biochemistry, etc.

When I started this program, I was absolutely terrified of the biochemistry courses, but they ended up being some of my favorites. I also surprisingly loved the microbiology classes, and learning about the different viruses, and bacteria! By keeping an open mind, I was able to excel in those courses.

The flip side of that is also true. I was expecting to love anatomy, and I did! However, I also really struggled with the memorization of all the details we need to know. Some of those anatomy courses were the most difficult for me! My point is this: make sure you approach each class for what it is: an opportunity to learn as much as you can to better assist your future patients.

At the end of the day, that is what matters. Enjoy it, fall in love with the material you are learning. I found it helpful to always ask myself, 鈥淗ow could I explain what I just learned, to a future patient one day?鈥� It helped me to process the information and try to think about how it could be applied clinically. While this is more difficult in some of the basic science courses, remember that the science of Naturopathic Medicine is rooted in the basic sciences–literally, everything relates back to the basic sciences!

Over the weekend I went home to take some graduation photos with my family since our in-person graduation was cancelled due to COVID. Here is a fun photo with all nine of my nieces and nephews (including my newest 4-week old nephew who I was able to meet for the first time)!

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1. Save an old pair of shoes that are still comfortable but need to be thrown out. You can wear them in anatomy lab and throw them out after you are done with those courses!
2. Get a 4-month dry erase calendar. It is perfect for tracking your entire trimesters worth of important dates, exams, assignments, etc.
3. Take full advantage of the services offered at the clinic! It is a great way to see what your program/specialty offer, but also what the other programs offer. There are lots of things the interns in the clinic can help with as they relate to your journey through the program such as sleep, stress management, focus, anxiety, etc.
4. The best place to study when the weather is nice is definitely at one of the tables near Lake Janse! If you sit at one near the library or the student center, you can access the campus wifi! During the winter, I enjoy sitting in the quiet section of the library which overlooks Lake Janse. It is beautiful when everything is covered in snow!
5. Always be prepared to dress in layers. The classrooms can be hot in the winter, but cold in the summer. While that always feels nice when you first enter them from outside, you quickly need to change the number of layers you are wearing to sit comfortably in a classroom all day during lecture.
6. Be sure to carry a refillable water bottle with you. Campus has a lot of water bottle filling stations. It is very important to stay hydrated.

One last thing I will add really is not a life hack, but just a friendly reminder: Take advantage of every learning opportunity you are presented with! Some of them will seem awkward, such as your first few weeks in the anatomy cadaver lab, or when you are doing the male and female sensitive exams. Take it all in, know that those are the experiences you will remember, and they are also the experiences that will make you a better physician come graduation day.

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1) To help with both of those concerns, I decided to enroll in a post-baccalaureate program at the University of Maryland. Had I known back then that I would end up here, I likely would have done that coursework at 911爆料, so that I would have been able to get a head start at learning anatomy inside the cadaver lab.

2) I would also highly recommend a campus visit! I was in a car accident the day before I was scheduled to do my campus visit and had to reschedule. I almost cancelled entirely because it was very difficult to work out with my schedule at the time, however I am so glad I decided to make it work! Some of the other students I met that day are still some of my dearest friends in this program. It is a great way to meet some upper classmen, as well as other students that may be entering the program at the same time as you.

3) My last piece of advice is that if you have any hesitation about going on this adventure, simply take the leap! It will be a wild ride, but you will not regret it! You may have to make some major sacrifices to make it happen, and even those will be worth it in the end.

Speaking of sacrifices, I had a new nephew born over the weekend. I will not get to meet him until August when I graduate, which makes me sad. But like I said, it will be worth it in the end!

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Over the weekend, I spent approximately 8 hours each day sitting outside studying and reading research articles. I know, it sounds lame, but it was glorious! If you had told me that is what I would be doing for 鈥渇un鈥� over a weekend when I first started this program, I would have called you crazy! But over the last 3.5 years, I have fallen in love with learning about the latest research and treatment modalities available to the patients I am treating. It is awesome!

I was able to take a few days off last week to visit some family. I spent 2 days in Alabama, and 3 days in Maryland. While in Alabama, Lily (my dog) had her first boat ride. I did not think she would like it, but she did great!

In Maryland, I got to see all 8 of my nieces and nephews. I have a 9^th on the way, but I won鈥檛 get to meet him until after graduation in August.

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The coolest part about the garden project is getting to learn from other students, and faculty members. Dr. Lorinda Sorensen teaches a number of courses, including some of the Botanical Medicine courses. Seeing her at work in the provides an unparalleled learning experience.

This opportunity also provides students with an opportunity to obtain CCLs, also known as Co-curricular Learning credit. We need 10 to graduate, and sometimes they are difficult to fit into our busy schedules. Being able to get some of that credit without leaving campus is awesome!

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While my primary numbers are done, I can assure you, I am far from done seeing patients and learning as much as I can from each of them! So, if you want to come sees me in clinic, make an appointment to visit Intern Smith on Dr. Bose鈥檚 shift.

In addition to finishing those numbers, I have also continued my seminars and external learning in the field of Functional Neurology which has been really fun, exciting, and challenging. I have also begun the trademark process for my future clinic which is making the fact that I graduate in a little over four months feel very real.

This past weekend was a seminar on Neuro Physiology and Embryology. It was great! Most of the material I had learned in school, but it was the first two trimesters of my education, so it was a helpful refresher. I wore a sweatshirt that my sister-in-law added my logo to for the seminar and it made me feel super special. The seminar was a livestream, but we did not have cameras or anything on, but it still made me feel good!

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Clinic is still going very well. I should be done with my numbers in the next couple of weeks, which is excitingly awesome, and terrifying all at the same time! I still have approximately five months before I graduate and still have my total hours that I need to complete, but I have worked very hard to recruit as many patients as possible to finish my patient visits early. Due to the pandemic, I was very worried about being able to get enough people to come into the clinic for care. It has been pretty easy! I think when we are able to explain the services we offer, most people realize they could benefit!

I鈥檓 again super thankful for Dr. Bose for creating an atmosphere that has really helped push me. I have learned so much from this experience and look forward to continuing to learn as much as I possibly can over the next five months. The learning never stops!

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