This experience has been incredibly eye opening and it has given me a new perspective. In my first blog post, which seems like just yesterday, I briefly mentioned how being at the Family Justice Center and playing with the children has made me think more about the whole person. This past week at our group reflection we were asked if our work this summer has made us reconsider our career goals. Coming to New Orleans I wanted to go to medical school and become a doctor, and after my work this plan has not changed, but it has given me a new perspective that I will hopefully use when I become a doctor.
This work has made me think about how the past shapes who we are, but we don’t wear our past or our situation on our foreheads. Often, we don’t know the circumstances that surround a situation. When a brother hits his sister, we don’t think about how frustrated he is that he is cooped up in a small apartment with his four sisters and mother. When a young girl cannot concentrate in class, we might not see that she blames herself for not protecting her mother. I hope that I will be the type of doctor who takes a person’s entire history into consideration, not just their medical history. That I would be able to ask the right questions to better understand the environment and situation my patient is in. I think this experience has made me realize that often I don’t know the whole story and I should take that into consideration. Overall this summer has been amazing. Thank you so much Juan, Ashley, everyone at the Family Justice Center, and all my fellow Duke students for making this summer such a wonderful and enlightening experience