Surgery
I have not been able to post updates as my temporary apartment does not have an internet connection. For the last two weeks I have been back in California at what I believe is one of the most beautiful locations in the US if not the world. The hospital is nestled in the green hills, minutes away from the beach, and it's been in the 60s to 70s. I am not looking forward to the end of this month.
I love the surgery program as well--everyone is really nice, and I feel like I'm home again in a way I haven't felt out of state. It's small, but I'm starting to think that's more of a strength than a weakness. Unfortunately, I did not get an interview here, so unless I figure out a way to get the program director to rank me, I won't be coming back next year. Which would be fine as God has clearly already ordained the best place for me to match into, but I wouldn't complain if it was here (not that I would if it's not).
I read a book last week called "God's Harvard", a book written about Patrick Henry College (a university founded by Michael Harris several years ago that is attended primarily by former homeschoolers) by a liberal journalist from NY. She spent a year and a half interviewing students and faculty, attending classes, and shadowing the students. The book is very biased, but I was actually surprised that it wasn't as biased as I would have expected. She definitely focuses heavily, and I'm sure disproportionately on internal strife, but it's clear throughout the book that she's not sure what to make of the students.
She details the principles of the school (that focus on serving God) fairly accurately, but never really overcomes her surprise that the teenagers who attend the school actually want to dress modestly, court rather than date, put families before careers, etc. Throughout the book she searches for chinks in the students' armor, and does her best to convince herself that they are brainwashed by their parents or just stupid. She is unable to convince herself however, as most of the students are academically successful, many came in with perfect SAT scores, and they are stunningly good at getting jobs and internships in Washington. She'd like to mock them but can't as they are too smart and would like to hate them but can't as they are too kind. She's left with a strange mix of grudging admiration and fear.
Even after finishing, I'm not totally sure what her purpose was in writing the book, and I'm sure it wasn't much of a seller (I accidentally found it on the bargain table at B&N), but it was a fascinating read.
I love the surgery program as well--everyone is really nice, and I feel like I'm home again in a way I haven't felt out of state. It's small, but I'm starting to think that's more of a strength than a weakness. Unfortunately, I did not get an interview here, so unless I figure out a way to get the program director to rank me, I won't be coming back next year. Which would be fine as God has clearly already ordained the best place for me to match into, but I wouldn't complain if it was here (not that I would if it's not).
I read a book last week called "God's Harvard", a book written about Patrick Henry College (a university founded by Michael Harris several years ago that is attended primarily by former homeschoolers) by a liberal journalist from NY. She spent a year and a half interviewing students and faculty, attending classes, and shadowing the students. The book is very biased, but I was actually surprised that it wasn't as biased as I would have expected. She definitely focuses heavily, and I'm sure disproportionately on internal strife, but it's clear throughout the book that she's not sure what to make of the students.
She details the principles of the school (that focus on serving God) fairly accurately, but never really overcomes her surprise that the teenagers who attend the school actually want to dress modestly, court rather than date, put families before careers, etc. Throughout the book she searches for chinks in the students' armor, and does her best to convince herself that they are brainwashed by their parents or just stupid. She is unable to convince herself however, as most of the students are academically successful, many came in with perfect SAT scores, and they are stunningly good at getting jobs and internships in Washington. She'd like to mock them but can't as they are too smart and would like to hate them but can't as they are too kind. She's left with a strange mix of grudging admiration and fear.
Even after finishing, I'm not totally sure what her purpose was in writing the book, and I'm sure it wasn't much of a seller (I accidentally found it on the bargain table at B&N), but it was a fascinating read.
posted by Chris Emlyn at 5:06 PM
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