Sarah Giles
ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR
- 10/20/2013
From tropical medicine to MSF: a fantastic read
Last winter, while completing my Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in London, I met some pretty amazing people, including Damien Brown. - 10/3/2013
‘Not all those who wander are lost’
A couple of years ago, I wrote a blog (why I’m not ready to work for MSF) where I discussed how I had the desire to work for MSF but knew that I didn’t yet have the right skill set or enough life experience. This spring, after completing my Diploma in Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and temporarily relocating to my third continent in as many years, I took the plunge and filed out my application. - 9/22/2013
Medical career paths are hardly straight and narrow
Ten years ago, as a fairly useless medical student with only two years of school under my belt, I spent three months volunteering with a doctor in a small town in the Northwest Territories. Prior to this not-for-credit experience, I had been convinced that I wanted to be a neurologist. I had an undergraduate degree in neuroscience, had spent three summers doing neuro research, and it seemed like the logical next career step for me. The summer of 2003 showed me that there was an amazing career out there that I had never even considered: remote family medicine. - 9/2/2013
How I keep the call gods happy
I’ve never considered myself a superstitious person. I don’t believe that small rituals can change future events—unless it’s related to call. - 8/11/2013
Goodbye Gramma
Last week, my 90 year-old grandmother, Gwladys Mair Giles, died (yes, the spelling is correct; my grandmother’s first language was Welsh). She was my sole surviving grandparent; I was named after her. I realize that I am extremely lucky to have had her in my life for 35 years when many of my friends never knew their grandparents. I feel especially blessed to have had her for so long knowing that she barely knew her own mother—my great-grandmother died during childbirth with twins in the 1920s (all three died). - 7/28/2013
Five overused and infuriating words I read every day
I recently read Dr. John Ross’s opinion piece in a Halifax newspaper. In the article, he comments on many lives touched by motor vehicle collisions and the very few words journalists use to describe accidents, “Three more dead on N.S. highway.” - 7/9/2013
A not-so-gentle reminder of the repercussions of head injuries
My pet peeve is litter. While out for a stroll in the N.W.T., I stooped to collect some discarded pop cans and WHACK! I smashed my head on a pipe. I didn't think much of it until later, when the headache, nausea and dizziness set in. Obviously, I had a concussion. - 6/17/2013
A harder side of locum life
Until this month, I didn't realize how spoiled I'm become living the locum life. - 5/28/2013
Packing up my stress and heading north
Right now I feel like a giant ball of stress. I’m moving across the country, starting a new job, and heading back to school for a week. This should be old hat for me, but I still find it challenging to deal with change.
