Gynecology Clinical Week 11

God was good to me today.

4 patients.

All young black women.

All shocked that I was going to be their provider.

All excited. Happy. Grateful.

All reminding me of why I went into midwifery.

All taking so long to talk...to get out everything that they hadn't been saying to their health care providers (I asked). Testing me...waiting to see if I lived up to who they thought I'd be based on that initial recognition. I am who I am, so I lived up to their expectations just fine. Really, it's easy - you only have to listen, know what they're talking about, tell the truth, and help them make a decision based on whatever options are available between the two of you.

I can do that.

Over and over again, all day, I can do that.

In keeping with the purpose of this blog, I wanted to say this: If you think it matters, you're right. If you're doing it because you think it will make a difference for those in your community - however you define that - you're right. The BS of playing the grad school game, the invisibility, the isolation of being one of a few in the profession at this level...it's all worth it for this moment.

Tomorrow I'll talk about the patients as "cases" because I think they're good examples for learning. But know that I don't think of these women as cases; they are my purpose for midwifing.