Conner McDaniel

It’s Saturday, and possibly the hardest week of first year is over. Depending on who you talk to, perhaps the hardest week of medical school is over. I didn’t do as well as I had hoped to, but I did well enough. I’m relieved that it’s over. My physiology and histology courses have now ended, so this module I’m only taking three classes: anatomy, microbiology, and biochemistry. In addition to those there are some ethics and human behavior classes sprinkled in. First year is divided into eight modules, five of which we’ve completed. Each module is somewhere between 4-6 weeks give or take. After this module biochemistry and anatomy will end, but we’ll pick up neurology. It feels like we’re getting close to finishing first year, but there’s still a long way to go. The summer won’t exactly be a break either with the research I’m doing, but I’m excited about it.

Today I got to take a tour of Haven for Hope, a homeless transformation center here in San Antonio. It’s the biggest facility of its kind in the United States and possibly the world. Imagine a small, private university that’s solely comprised of and devoted to the homeless. About 80 different organizations, including the city of San Antonio, pitch in together to make it work by offering various services such as detoxification, security, food, clothes, job training, GED classes, parenting classes, financial classes, child care, spiritual wellfare, dental work, medical care, alcholics anonymous, narcotics anonymous, mental health, social work, and more that we didn’t even get to hear about. I’m sure they don’t do everything right, but it’s obvious that some great good has been done there. They have a lot of success stories and hundreds of graduates that are now holding steady jobs. I was impressed.

I plan on working with a student group from my school to do some public health education work for the homeless population, so one of the steps towards that was doing this tour. Next Thursday I’ll get some further training and will hopefully find more ways to get involved. I’ve been wanting to plug in to some community service but was having a hard time finding something I felt passionate enough about to warrant not studying. I look at studying as part of how I’m dedicating myself and my life to God, as I plan on using the knowledge I gain here for Him.

My sister announced today that she’s pregnant. I’ve known for a while, but she was keeping it a secret since they were trying to adopt and were working on how to go about the paper work and details of it all. I’m exciting for another niece or nephew. You can read more about that here.

I’m looking forward to continued learning and opportunities this semester. I hope to continue growing as a physician and in my walk with the Lord. He continues to guide and bless me even when I don’t deserve it. I put my faith in Him. The more I learn the less I feel like I know, and often I find myself confused about a lot of things. But I lean towards God and do not forget the ways He’s worked in my life and continues to. He dotes on the faithful. I hope this finds you all in good health and that you feel God’s presence among you. Please pray for me if the thought arises. God bless you always.