Life in COVID
Wendy T., M1
The universe really said, “Hmm moving to a new city while trying to make friends and starting MED SCHOOL doesn’t sound stressful enough, why don’t we just throw in a little global pandemic too…”
Coming into medical school, I literally thought I was going to make no friends because a) I’m exceptionally introverted, and b) my introversion has been amplified by COVID about 100x. If you identify with this, I’m here to tell you that you have nothing to worry about — I’ve found people who match my own comfort level with both COVID and socializing, including roommates who will play skribbl.io with me over Zoom while we’re all in our own rooms with our doors closed.
Luckily for our class, the low case rates and vaccination/masking requirements made many things possible at the start of the school year, such as: in-person classes, larger outdoor gatherings, indoor dining, clubbing, gym-ing, museum-ing, etc. Businesses in the area have adapted well and established solid COVID-safety guidelines (for example, clubs have been requiring proof of vaccination, many small businesses have curbside pick-up, and most places require masks).
St. Louis also offers so many fun outdoor activities that even a recluse like me has, on occasion, been tempted to leave the house. My favorite memories with my classmates include floating down a river in two huge rafts, picking apples in the autumn, and playing capture-the-flag during a class field day. Everyone here is incredibly supportive and understanding, which makes pandemic life all the more manageable.
By now, you’ve all experienced how ever-changing the situation is — as I’m writing this, we’re getting hit hard with the omicron wave, and policies are in flux. I feel like admin has been responsive about the situation, promptly moving our in-person classes to online and constantly communicating with us via email.
There are a million other things I could say about Life in COVID, but I’ll just end on this note: You will definitely find your people and your passions here, even in these trying times.