1

To be perfectly h onest, I'm not sure. It was born out of a desire to play with prettypictures of food, and h as since becom e a sort of experim ent involving colors and wordsand reflective m usings.

I've always loved food and believed in its im portance and h ealing powers. Tastesand sm ells evoke m em ories, sooth e th e soul, and relieve weariness. Th e righ t m eal or drinkcan expedite bonding between new friends, spice up a first date, ease th e sorrows ofdisappointm ent, and m ake staying up all nigh t to write a paper m uch m ore bearable.

So, I figured it would be fun integrate som eth ing th at is near and dear to m e, withsom e of m y th ough ts related to course m aterial and discussions. One of th e biggesttake-h om e points for m e h as definitely been th e im portance of taking care of oneselfth rough out th e process of becom ing a doctor -- and beyond. Th is of course includes th eph ysical sense, wh ere food plays a m aj or role, but also extends into th e m ental andem otional realm s. After all, trying to take care of som eone else before you've got yourselffigured out j ust seem s im possible and irresponsible.

As well, I th ink I've concluded th at taking care of yourself doesn't necessarily m eanth at perfect balance can ever actually be ach ieved. Instead, wh at m atters m ost is effortand m indset -- and allowing room for risks, m istakes, and guilty pleasures.

M cDonald's cam e to m ind because of its relationsh ip with efficiency, and appealedto m e as a th em e because I could integrate som eth ing com m only perceived as lowbrowwith one of th e m ost prestigious of professions. ( I sh am elessly stole ph otograph s andnutritional inform ation from th eir website, but am a student with no intention to profit, so Ibelieve th is is in com pliance with th eir copyrigh t policy.)

Using som e popular m enu item s, I h ope to tell th e story of one ordinarilyextraordinary wom an wh o experiences life as a patient, a doctor, a daugh ter, and a m oth er.From early ch ildh ood to old age, th e struggles and q uestions sh e faces will be personifiedby th e particular food item of ch oice. Th ese m etaph orical snapsh ots relate broadly tosom e of m y opinions about m aj or course th em es, but are also h igh ly specfic on anarrative, h um an level. After all, you are wh at you eat!

I h ope th is com pilation is both entertaining and th ough t-provoking. If it also m akesyou h ungry, th en m y work is done. Enj oy! :)

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In th e old days, th ere would be h ot griddle,batter m ade from scratch ,

and fresh syrup from a m aple tree

Mom serving Sunday brunchth e entire fam ily gath ered 'round

talking and laugh ing and being silly

Now, in place of an apron and oven m ittsare a Blackberry and stylish pencil skirt

Th is is wh at th e little girl sees

I com e fresh off th e gas-guzzling m inivanencased in unrom antic styrofoam

th e h andiwork of a sullen teen trainee

So th e presentation is lackingand th e taste rath er subpar

but don't be so q uick to denounce m e

Th e loving sm ile and m aternal touchare one and th e sam e

Th is is wh at th e little girl sees

Hom em ade or not,h otcakes are h otcakes

it is th e warm th th at is key

Ch ange is constant,Efficiency is elusive.I can't be everyth ing

But I can be th e best I can be.

Moth er adds a syrup sm ileyand th e little girl sees

yes sh e loves m e

5

I am th e box of possibility

//

I look differentI am different

I am still th e sam e

//

I am a sym bolI am a troph y

I epitom ize norm alcy

I am containedI am inaccesible

I am oh -so-covetable

I am unh ealth yI am a bad decision

I am so trivial, really.

I am h er dreamI am th e oth er kidsI am th e oth er kids'

//

Little th ings m atter to little people( and to big people, too! )

Sh e watch es Toy StorySh e wants m y toy

Sh e wants to write h er own story

And all th e tubes and beeping m onitorscan't keep h er from running away

from th e trays filled with Bland and Blander

Even if j ust for a secondbefore returning to resting position

sh e wants m e

Th e box of possibility

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If noth ing else, th is m uch is certain:I m yself am com posed of contradictions and curiosity.

How did I becom e a ch ocolate sundae,and not a sim ple vanilla cone or a m essy Oreo McFlurry?

W h y are we separated by th ese lines and plastic walls,wh en we are all j ust frozen dairy treats at h eart?

And h ow did sh e ch oose to order m e, j ust m e,wh en vanilla and strawberry sundaes are both oh -so-delicious too?

Am I worth th is price exactly, not m ore or less?Is sh e sure of h er decision? W ill sh e regret it?

Such a difficult ch oice to m ake, based on j ust pictures.Or h earsay, ads, a m ere wh im , even?

Not m uch tim e, and no real ch ance of return.Definitely not an ideal situation.

Still, sh e m akes up h er m indto em brace th e unknown.

After putting in due tim ewaiting out th e long line

unperturbed by th e rowdy noontim e crowdssh e approach es th e register at last

Putting it on creditsigning on th e dotted line...

( laying it all on th e line)

Th e deed is done.Sh e advances.

W ill sh e be able to h andle th e sh ockfrom th e rude clash of ice cream with h ot fudge?

W ill I burn h er, will I freeze h er,will I swirl h er into confusion?

I wait.I am h opeful.

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Mirror m irror on th e wallwh o's th e fairest of th em all?

Lettuce see wh at we h ave h ere:I've been ch icken th at girl out,

and ch eese-us crouton, sh e looks fine!W ell-rounded like a ch erry tom ato

topped off with a sm ile and a dash of ranch .

It all com es from eating salad, I tell you.

At first, th ey com e to m e for j ust looks.To lose weigh t, to keep up,

to reach th ose glossy m agazine goals.

Noth ing wrong with th at,ligh ten th e load

lessen th e burden.Green is th e new black, after all.

And with th e tim e sh e savesand th e energy sh e gains

th at's fuel to sh ape up h er resum e too.

So don't h ide beh ind greasy donuts and leftoversSh ow th e world your crisp new salad

Own it. W ork it.

Plus, true beauty goes beyond th at --Stop tossing and turning

wh en you find th e righ t saladyou won't h ave to pick out th e olives

or sh ove th e celery underneath your plate.

Th ere m igh t occasionally be a stray bit of ch eddaram ong your beloved Parm esan,

But all th e zany ingredients and zesty flavorswill m ix and m atch into unexpected h arm ony

A beautiful baseSide dish or m ain course

Starter or standalone

Th e ch oice is yours.

1 1

Nearly two decades ago, I was first introduced to th e classic five paragraph essay. Th is

trusty tem plate h as served m y owner well, from elem entary sch ool book reports to h igh sch ool

research essays to th e occasional last-m inute college paper. However, I never im agined th at

sh e would still be in sch ool after all th ese years, and need to call upon m y trusty sidekick and I.

Sh e h as always worked h ard, but m edical sch ool is proving to be especially ch allenging.

In such tim es of need, I feel proud to rise to th e occasion. Not only am I a tasty side dish

and a fill ing snack, I am th e perfect finger food for all th ose tim es wh en stam ina alone is not

enough . Rath er th an being forced to interrupt productivity to deal with th e inconveniences of

cutlery and com plex two-h anded eating m otions, sh e can sim ply place m e at h er side, in m y

portable, iconic package, and refuel wh ile working.

To im prove custom er experiences, I am available in different sh apes and sizes to suit

every need, but m y crispy golden goodness rem ains unch anged regardless of form at. But do

you feel guilt at th e th ough t of so m uch grease? To th is I can only respond: desperate tim es

call for desperate m easures. More im portantly, indulging a bit h ere sim ply m eans cutting

som eth ing else out elsewh ere. Th e best th ings in life are worth figh ting for, and worth

sacrificing for!

After all, I am not claim ing to be a m aj or food group or even a daily staple. I realize m y

role as a treat and a guilty pleasure. I am not to be consum ed in excess, but enj oyed in

m oderation. So good for you, because it's bad for you. And such indulgences som etim es

necessary, despite knowing better and generally h aving good goals -- j ust like th ose late

nigh ts th at I often find m yself fueling.

In conclusion, I truly believe th ere is a lesson to be learned h ere. Don't envy th e early

risers with th eir h ash browns and scram bled eggs. Don't th ink about th e fancy steak dinners

with finely scalloped potatoes. Focus on th e task at h and, with your goals in m ind, and be

th ankful th at you h ave yum m y fries to m unch on.

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Th e clock strikes twelve,m arking th e beginning of a long nigh t

th e first of m any.

I h ave enorm ous responsibilityrelied upon for clear j udgm ent

and superh um an stam ina

1:00Sh e is alone

Left to h er own devicesA rush of power, q uickly replaced by crippling fear

2:00A doublesh ot of caffeine

cascades into m ounting doubt.Differential diagnosis? Dam m it.

3:00A stolen nap

over before it even beganA second j olt

of sudden understanding

4:00Drop by drop

like th e sweat of an Olym pic ath leteSh e builds endurance

5:00Th e odds are im proving

I bear witness to beautiful transform ationTh ere is no end in sigh t but

sh e can see th e ligh t.

6:00Dawn.

I am drained.Sh e is too.

7:00Refill .

Rech arge.Resum e.

1 5

If it looks like a duckand q uacks like a duck...

[ not just a sandwich ]

From afar, th ere are striking sim ilaritiesvertically stacked circular layers

food staples in ch eese and m eatwrapped up in one easily portable package

[ not yet a burger ]

But upon closer inspection,th e curvature of th e ends betrays a dirty secret

th ese are English Muffins, not sesam e wh eat buns!and th at m eat is no beef patty, but a sausage im poster

[ not just a sandwich ]

Most bizarrely:wh at is th at egg! ?

broken down and beatenreform ed under h igh h eat

[ not yet a burger ]

It certainly adds som eth ingA ch aracteristic m orning fresh ness

Som eth ing invigorating

[ not just a sandwich ]

Earnest in its sim plicityNot as glam orous as lettuce

Or as acidic as tom atoYou'll get th e calories, m iss out som e fiber

[ not yet a burger ]

Breach th e activation barrierTh e first step is rate-lim iting

CatalyticCatastroph ic

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Let m e tell you a little secret.

I am widely known as th e biggest, baddest burger around.Piled h igh and stuffed full with h earty goodness

A m inor feat of balance and ingenious engineering

Layer upon layerof collective knowledge

and com m unity traditions

Did it take years to m ake m e?Does it take effort to keep it all togeth er?

Does th e world look different from h igh er up?

Yes and no.

I don't feel all th at different from m y h um ble ch eeseburger daysA bit wearier and a tad less self-deprecating, perh aps

But every day I walk a fine linebetween confidence and com petency

Th e lettuce still needs to be ruffled j ust soTh e m eat grilled to exacting specifications

And h eaven h elp th e one wh o grabs th e wrong ch eese

I can tell.

Really, th ough , it's still about feeding th e fam ilyProviding a reliable m eal wh en th ings get busy

Filling a need; solving a problemA treat for a h ungry son

A relief for a fasting patient

An incredulous expressionon a young ch ild's face

Pure j oyGratitude

Open wideSay "Aah h "

Sm ile!

1 9

A good life, fond m em oriesBegan with a blur of

Caram el apples and cotton candyDancing to Disney songsEleph ants at th e zoo andFollowing th e butterflies

Good tim es never to be forgottenHelped tide over th e darker days

I was a ch ildh ood favoriteJuice could never com pare

Kool-Aid a distant th ird

Lazy sum m ers becam e busierMore th ings to do, m ore people to m eet

New York, Nepal, and everyth ing in betweenOpened a world of possibility

Prem ed, from potential to positive -- so m anyQuestions with no answers

"Run with it! " th ey saidSo sh e did th e best sh e could

Taugh t and was taugh t, h ealed and was h ealedUntil th e very end, now, with

Vanity interrupted, independence interrupted

W orked with a h eart - th e kind inX-rays, and th e one th at reach es

Zen

//

A return to th e startBeautifully blended and

Cold, Cream y,Deliciously dream y.

Easy drinking: th eFinal straw:

Goodbye ( you say)Hello ( I say)