by Andrew Park ’18
If you were to ask any member of the Geisel Class of 2018 why they chose to come here over the other medical schools to which they were accepted, the theme of having a closely knit and supportive community ranks on the top of the list. And during our first term at Geisel, Dartmouth has demonstrated how true this is.
I cannot think of another time when I felt more supported by the school than over this past Thanksgiving Break. The passing of fellow classmate, Kelsie Gleason, shook the entire school. Even those who had never met Kelsie, myself included, felt a great sense of loss. It truly felt as though there was a loss in our family. The way people responded to the tragic news reminded me how much we all care for one another, and reminded me of how valuable we all have become in each other’s lives.
The outpouring of support and love from fellow classmates and faculty members – from the Dean, the President of the College, and a good number of the medical school faculty – was touching, to say the least. It is unfortunate that such great loss had to pass to remind us of what we have at Geisel. The silver lining? Perhaps that we become that much closer as a community sooner rather than later.
This post is a formal-thank you to the Dartmouth community and to the Geisel School of Medicine. Medical school was never meant to be easy, and being from California, Hanover can sometimes (especially now) seem a suboptimal place to live. But I would not trade this Community that we have at Dartmouth for anything. There is something special here in the Upper Valley, and for that, we thank you.
Note: This story was originally posted on the Geisel Med Blog. To read more stories about student experiences at Geisel, click here.
