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"The Golden Tongue Depressor"
 The Neuroscience and Behavior module was a tough one, and although that generally goes without saying for the academic side of things, it was the social and human aspect for me.
We spend a lot of time focusing on the diseases, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, but the time I really look the most forward to is patient facing.
A woman came to speak with us today, and she was so powerful. A former teacher, diagnosed with Parkinson's, she felt a strong drive to show my entire class what it means to be an effective clinician in her eyes, and what it is like to have Parkinson's.
She was so strong, so resilient and so positive and upbeat in the face of her disease, with a room of wide eyed medical students watching her and analyzing her actions.
As we walked out of the room, she wanted us to all know that we would become great clinicians one day, and to remember that it is all about the patient, even when the disease can not be cured at the time. She handed each of us a golden painted tongue depressor, an award and keepsake to cherish forever.
This memory I will keep, and be ever grateful for, as it serves as a reminder about resilience in the face of adversity, for myself as a patient and as a provider when caring for my patients. I will always be there, accompanying my patients however best I can, remembering the Golden Tongue Depressor.
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