Community Building at TCOM

I've been fighting all year against the reality that I am in an "institution of higher learning." Like a typical human, I resist change, especially change from something familiar (thus completely comfortable even in its hang-ups and challenges) to something radically new. With eagerness, I've tried to see and work within this new life as if it were not all that different from the old life, and quite frankly, I've fallen flat on my face in that attempt.

Unlike urban centers, medical school is not a place of losers in eyes of the world. It is a place filled to the brim with acheivement, privelege, discipline, expectation, and financial promise. The ethical and moral issues on the table here are sexy and cutting edge (stem cell research, new technologies, medical law, etc). Typical struggles of the 'typical' student (ie: no kids, not concurrently working on a second degree, live near campus) consist of how am I going to fit yoga, a thirty minute run, and a quick meeting at the coffee shop with other officers of a campus club in with 2 hours of lecture and 6 hours of assigned reading material.

Thus, to participate in the challenges of life in this community will look altogether different from participating in the transformation of a community in the 'real world.' I've finally given myself the grace to admit this. TCOM students don't need a homeless clinic or a group to meet on how to end the violence on our streets. Though these are important issues for neighboring communities, they are merely on the periphery of our current daily struggles. We cannot ignore that these exist, but we must act locally, and our locale is predominantly the classroom.

Here are a few ideas about what our community needs to experience success, enrichment, and growth:
-tutors and teaching assistants for incoming first year students
-folks who will compassionately listen to the personal struggle of others even when they've still got 100 pages to tackle
-appreciation, advocacy, and engagement with the members of staff who largely go unnoticed (custodians, administrative assistants, proctors)
-passion for issues that will be glaring us in the face when we graduate (global health initiatives, healthcare access disparities, transformation of the medical insurance system, patient advocacy, ethical practices, etc).

So, there is where my efforts will be directed in the coming year as far as community (*read: kingdom) building is concerned. It has been exhausting trying to contrive opportunities to serve those that 'really need it,' (*read: oppressed, poor, sick people) but just aren't on the radar of my current life situation. I feel as though the past year I've neglected a lot of folks (and opportunities to grow and love well) by constantly looking beyond them, to something more worthy of my time and love, as if they are less worthy of compassion and time because their (**our) struggles seem so trite compared to poverty, racism, and rampant disease. I am still conflicted over some of these admissions, but I'm certain that the peace I feel by surrendering to the perhaps 'petty' needs of the community I'm a part of for the next year is a blessing.