Dogs & Medicine
Right before the pandemic began (December 2019) my sister and I decided to get a dog. Did we think it through? No. Did we do any research? Not really. My sister asked me one day if I wanted a dog and I said yes, lets do it. Right after the semester ended we got a shihpoo at 8 weeks weighing 3.4 lbs and named her Bella. We thought this was an original name until we googled the most common dog names. Now, if any of you have African parents, you may wonder how my family took us bringing home a dog without making them aware of this. Well, my dad was living in Ghana at the time and so that was easy. My mom was not so happy about the situation. When she saw Bella she said, “It’s either me or the dog”. Luckily she has come to love Bella so much and this hasn’t been a big issue.
Since then I have mostly taken responsibility of Bella in terms of her daily living. It was really hard having a dog at first. Potty training and taking walks when all I wanted to do was sleep was difficult but I learned to adjust. My school and work schedule has made it easy to have a dog but with medical school, I am not so sure. I have heard the first two years are manageable but it gets really hard during rotations to have a dog. You may have to rely on dog day cares, dog walkers, and other people to take care of your dog. It has also made consider where I want to go to school. Would a large city and small apartment be too much for my dog? Should I live right next to campus so I can make quick trips home? Does my curriculum allow for flexibility with time and the ability to learn at home if I needed to? Though the decision on where I attend medical school will be mostly on my preferences (see my post on factors I’m considering when choosing a medical school HERE) I definitely will have to think about how it’ll affect my dog when the time comes.
Bella is fun to play with and has lots of energy. However, when mostly indoors she can be found sleeping in a number of awkward positions. She sometimes sits by me while I’m studying and goes straight to sleep. She can be a barker and has a complex of a large dog even though she’s small. She loves people but not other dogs as much. She is potty trained but has her accidents from time to time. All in all, she seems manageable but I won’t know until I start school.
It seems based on research that having a dog in medical school is definitely an investment of time and money, two things that may seem scarce. I also believe that the benefits outweigh the sacrifices. It has been absolutely amazing to come home and see my dog so excited to see me. When I have had a rough day, I know that Bella will turn it around. I know medical school will be stressful and it would be great to have a cheerleader with me everyday. I also tend to be the person who says yes to a lot of amazing opportunities. I have found that having a dog has allowed me to curb that and only partake in important things and prioritizing what I need to get done.
Once I start medical school, I hope to post about pro’s and cons of having a dog. If anyone wants to offer any tips and advice, I’d love to hear it.
