Sushi rolls still there
Six-hundred dollars on food
And Ubers well spent
Hello, my name is William Wang, and I am one of the fellows for the Medical Exchange and Discovery Program this year. I am a rising sophomore at Stanford University and am interested in biology and computer science. This last week was incredibly interesting, chocked full with meeting amazing people and exploring insightful perspectives, cultures, and experiences. It has set high expectations for the rest of the program, but I am sure the next few weeks will surpass them.
After getting accepted, I initially thought that I did not deserve a part in managing this program. I am at least two years younger than the other fellows, and my only relevant experience is being a Californian EMT. During the training week, a former fellow described how his participants stayed up until four in the morning, how much time he put into this program, and how little — in fact, no — time or sleep he had for himself. Needless to say, during those hours waiting at the airport, I was nervous. However, as handfuls of students arrived, and conversations began, cold nervousness defrosted. Conversations started, taking small first steps, like learning how to say “My name is William Wang” in Japanese, or talking about humorous pictures submitted by participants.
As the week progressed and students gave their presentations, I got to know the students better, such as Hiroki’s love and talent for dancing to EDM music, Shu’s art of cooking and drawing, Winston’s university’s interesting shape and amazing Line sticker choices, Okuto’s name origin and passion for making music, Tomoki’s experiences in Ghana and degree in physical education, Maika’s college experience at Amherst, and Chisato’s first place speech on artificial intelligence. Their presentations were both reassuring and startling. Their experiences are so similar to mine, yet their presentations were so aesthetically pleasing. Their animations so sleek. Their lives so impressive. How could people around my age give such stunning presentations and live such interesting lives? As the program continues, I hope to learn more about all of the participants — and hopefully glean some presentation skills.
Before this program started, we created a beautiful list of things to show American and Stanford culture to the participants: the burrito and chimerical offspring the sushirrito, the languid Stanford suburban sprawl and baptism by eating at Lakeside Dining, the classic fountain hopping, and trips to San Francisco. Of course, there are also serious things, like America’s college system, the Strut Clinic, the Anatomy Simulation Lab, and design thinking activities. I am thrilled that the participants enjoy (and dislike) the same things as us: the long walking, the combination foods, the view, the fountains, and always helpful busses.
At Dr. Pompeii’s presentation, I was amazed by the thoughtfulness and detail of participants’ questions. Though their English skills may not be at native speakers’ level, they are the best from their countries, striving to become the best doctors around the world. Through simple language, they can express such complex points and bring up aspects of current issues that I have never thought of before. Their insights about American healthcare strategies and how they would fare in their countries are thoughtful and perspicuous. Their enthusiasm and perspective are both refreshing and insightful. I hope that through this program we can learn from each other and cherish this time together.
Staying up ‘til 4,
Friend of all of the students,
Achieving too much.
Most friendly of all.
Ambition second to none.
Ten pounds in three weeks.
