Fun and Fitness: It's Childsplay

Over the last while I've had chances to do supervision at several schools. Something I soon noticed was how much fun younger students have playing, and how the rate of play drops off as the students get older. Kindergarten and primary students love their breaks. They are little bundles of energy buzzing about playing tag, sliding on the bunny hills or hanging all over the climbing frames. Intermediate students are more reserved, tending to hang around in small groups. Tag and some games are still in evidence, but the pace slows. Go to a middle or secondary school and the pace drops to a snailspace. Students are indoors, plugged into cell phones or ipods and cell phones and, at best, are walking around the campus at a leisurely pace.

So where does the fun and energy go? Partly its the way schools are structured. Middle and secondary schools are designed to maximize classroom instruction time. Breaks are short and are used for transitions between classes rather than for real energy release. Students are encouraged to "grow up", "act their age" and govern themselves in a controlled manner. Too cool for school, older students are conditioned to be increasingly sedentary - just like adults.

Maybe we've got it all wrong! Rather than working to calm students down and take the play out of breaks, we should be finding ways to keep students moving and involved in unstructured play longer. The benefits of active play are certainly recognized and promoted in preschool and primary children. In Australia government actively promotes the benefits of active play citing  improved communication and social skills, better understanding of social rules, friendships, a sense of 'give and take', increased patience and perseverance and understanding of others and better teamwork and a sense of belonging. If these skills are worth developing in our youngest students, surely we should be promoting them with older students too?

Kidshealth.org describes both the benefits of keeping all students active and suggests some reasons why older students stop being active. Increased self awareness, feelings of self doubt and a lack of adult role models are all cited as obstacles to older students staying active. What can be done? The role model piece should be a no brainer. Educators and parents can provide positive role models, staying active themselves and putting some fun and a sense of play back into daily interactions. 

Some principals are masters. Roaming their playgrounds they brim with energy. Cracking a joke here, passing out a friendly greeting or words of encouragement there, they actively engage students. They keep a sense of order for sure, but also nurture a positive sense of reinforcement and approval for active play. Such principals are active themselves as coaches for teams or participants in lifelong individual activities like badminton or long distance running. By getting out themselves they show all students that its ok to be active and involved. Not only that, they are reaping the benefits of being active themselves. More than one has told me that getting out with the students helps keep them feeling younger themselves! So when it comes to fun and fitness let's take our cues from our youngest students and get out there and get active!

How to Help a College Freshman Adjust to Their New Life

When you first start out preparing yourself for college life you think everything is going to be as easy as can be. You are headed for the adult world and you are more than ready. No more curfews, no more parents questioning everything you do. You are free! When you do need that parent support, or funding, you just need to pick up the phone and home. How can anything about this be bad?

Most college freshman think that going away to school is just going to be one big party after another. The only worry is about who is going to attend and where you are going to have it. If you are the parent of a soon to be college freshman you have probably seen this attitude that comes with the journey they are about to embark upon and if you are the student then you probably are just worried about how to finance your back to school fun-fund.

When the freshman first arrives at college they are excited and find that stopping what they are doing to call home every now and then can be a real hassle. Then about a month or so into it they realize that they are being to miss home, and miss the security that their parents have provided for them their whole life. These freshmen now call home more often and find themselves wanting to go back to their rooms so that they can make these phone calls. They call home about issues with their schedule, a class that is too hard or maybe a roommate that they are unable to get alone with. The co-dependent parents will tell their children what to do and even encourage them to come back home, where as other parents will encourage their college freshman to work through the issues they are having and try to prepare them for the adult world. These parents let their child know that they are always there to listen and help out, but life is never as simple as one thinks and you have to work at things.

One of the biggest issues that college freshman have to address is finding balance. Some will successfully balance their time to include plenty of time for school, work, and friends and others will go to one extreme or the other. While it may seem desirable to become engrossed in one's studies in the long run this can actually be detrimental to the student as well, because it will cause burnout which can send a student packing just as quickly as one that is partying too much.

Most students, however, will be able to find the balance they need by the time they come home for Thanksgiving. For the few that so not, they end up taking the rest of the year off and then registering at a local or community college close to home so that they are able to get the structure they require. Either way, in a few years, your college freshman will be entering the adult world- Whether they like it or not!

What I am Learning about God from my Dog

I know this must sound like a crazy blog title, but I do think that there is a little messenger from God living in my house, sitting on my lap and waiting to lick my face.  I have never been very devout, and I know you will not be shocked to also learn that I am not much of a theologian.  Thomas Aquinas and Saint Augustine are names with which I am familiar, but certainly not because I have ever read their writings.   That being said, I do, however, believe that people are put in our paths for a reason.  I personally believe that there is a higher authority with a plan, rather than a mere coincidence or "luck" when person is in front of us at the right time with something to support us or guide us.  Now I am starting to suspect that God uses all of His creation for His messages.

One of His messengers lives in my house.  She is a whopping 15 pound cockapoo that found her way into our home at a time when we emphatically said that we were not getting a dog.  But Maggy needed a home, so now she is a member of our family.

Maggy is an endless ball of energy and love.  She makes us laugh and keeps the whole family aware of her omnipresent need for love and attention.  If you are seated, she is in your lap.  If you are lying down, she is on top of you or cuddled up next to you.  She tucks each child into bed at night.  Curling up on their beds for prayers and goodnight hugs and kisses.  At the first twitch which suggests that you are waking up in the morning, she climbs on your chest waiting to eagerly help you greet the new day.

Yeah, yeah.  Sweet, cute, you get it.  What does that have to do with God?  Well, frankly I had never even considered a connection until one morning we were having a family prayer with tired, grumpy children.  It dawned on me that we should try to be more "puppy-like" in our actions and attitudes.  Let's try and treat each day as a gift.  Be excited that each morning we get to spend another day with each other.  The dog sure thought that it was reason enough for zealous celebration and tail wagging.  Hmm, maybe there is something to this thought.

Try and have a religious philosophical discussion with young children.  Sometimes they don't have enough of a frame of reference to "get" the concept you are trying to convey.  So what does one do, look for an analogy to something that they can "get."  So here comes our dog again.  She was certainly more than eager to volunteer her enthusiastic self for any discussion, so long as there was a lap that needed warming and some serious belly rubbing to be had.

So what could God want us to learn from the devotion of a (to be perfectly honest here) not-so-very-bright dog?

Here it is in a nutshell:
1.  Each day is a gift to be celebrated with joy and enthusiasm.  If you see the ones you love show them just how much you love them.  If your dog loves you this much, just think how much God loves you.
2.  God wants you to remember His love for you all the time and He wants to share that love with you.  Think about how your dog will start vigorously wagging its tail in joy when you even start to look in its direction.  Dogs will nudge you to remind you to continue petting them or to not forget that they are there ever-faithfully by your side.
3.  Quote from above, "ever-faithfully by your side."  Don't think that needs much of an explanation.
4.  Your dog is always happy to see you, whether you have been out of sight for less than a minute to get the mail, away all day or been gone for a week on vacation.  The bliss at your return is pure ecstasy, regardless of how long you were away.  God is filled with joy whenever we turn to Him, wether we be the prodigal son, the Pope or somewhere in between.
5.  Your dog wants to be the first thing you think of and show love to you the moment you wake up.  Your dog wants to be the last thing you think of as you drift off to sleep petting them.  They want you to shower them with love for every waking moment in between.  I think that if God decided to ignore our free will for a moment and kicked us in the butt to get our attention, that is exactly what He would want.  Nudge, nudge, LOVE ME COMPLETELY.  God is much more subtle, however, wanting us to voluntarily come to Him (so that's why He uses the furry reminders).
6.  Your dog doesn't want fancy toys or beds, just the simple pleasure of your company.  God isn't impressed by our putting on airs.  He just wants our devotion and love.
7.  Your dog is willing to forgive your bad moods, temper tantrums and bad days.  Your dog is waiting with love for you to get over yourself.  Your dog is willing to help you do so.  Thank goodness The Big Guy is willing to do the same for us or we would be in deep, deep doggy doo doo.
8.  Your dog knows when you are hurt and grieving and wants to help you.  Dogs will lick your boo boos.  They will lick the tears from your face.  They will lay their heads beside you with deep mournful eyes when you are distraught.  They will comfort you in the best way they know how.  God wants to do the same if we will let Him.  Luckily he is not actually trying to lick our faces though, that would be quite an experience!
9.  This may be particular to my dog rather than all dogs.  Maggy greets everyone who comes to our home with ardent joy and love.  She has never yet met a person that didn't cause her to literally jump for joy.  God welcomes all, sinner and saint alike.  I find that to be a particularly lucky break for me personally, because there is no way I would fall into the "saint" group.
10.  A dog is ever on the alert, ready to jump up at a moment's notice to come be with us.  We need only to call.  God is just waiting for us to ask...  I don't think God would be too partial to a whistle though, I guess that's why we have prayer.

Thank goodness God's love is not like a cat.  We would never have a chance.  If so, God would barely tolerate our existence, ignore us unless it was convenient for Him.  God wouldn't even need us to feed Him.  So if God was like a cat, we would definitely be in deep, deep doo doo.

Active Body for An Active Mind

My home community has started a 12 Weeks to Wellness fitness challenge. A local radio station has partnered with the city to get folks moving. The goal is to have people sign up in teams and then have those teams post their activities and steps to an interactive website. Each team member has a target of at least 60,000 steps a week.  There are prizes up for grabs, but the real prize will be improved levels of fitness for everyone involved.

I've entered a team. Myself and two other administrators have signed on to form Team Waddler. Our team emblem is a chubby penguin. Those who know me, know the significance of the penguin avatar, but it also has to do with nicknames acquired by administrators who have run with me over the years. We've taken on a wildlife motif. I am the Waddler. My team mates are the Puffin and the Bear. Together we are a thundering herd.

There are many benefits to being active. There's the obvious ones related to physical size and appearance. Exercise is a good way to control weight, build strength and feel better. There are also intellectual benefits. Commitment to a consistent fitness regime has been shown to lessen anxiety and lift depression. It can set a positive mood to each day, raise self esteem and improve one's chances of getting a restful sleep. Happier, healthier, smarter people through exercise! Who'd have thunk it!

There will always be lots of reasons to put off exercising. The world is a busy place, and face it, we all have things that need to be done each day and can lay claim to our time. But if exercise can make us all more fit, smarter an more pleasant to be around - it has to be worth the effort.

So take up the challenge! I guarantee time spent on fitness is never wasted. Even if you don't have a local fitness challenge to join, I encourage you to get out and get active. It might be hard work at first but if you stick to it, you WILL feel better for the effort. Who knows it might even make you smarter!

Make an Impact With an International Development Degree or Journalism Degree

There are many ways of going about finding a career that can give you opportunities to make a difference in the world and travel in the process. You may pursue an international development degree and have a part in the economic development in countries all around the world. You can also look into a journalism degree and be the first to report on the happenings all around the world. In either case, you want to have the right preparations and connections to get you closer to the career you want.

When you decide to pursue an international development degree, you want to make sure you have the right courses in your area. You not only need a theoretical foundation in which to understand international development and other disciplines related to it. You need to find a program that gives you the opportunity to perform analytical research, cross-cultural learning and directed studies. You can also find out if the program offers you a well-rounded understanding of concepts in international development studies, management skills, research skills and supplementary disciplines.

In addition to these theoretical foundations, it is also very important to have practical knowledge and the chance to work in the field before obtaining your degree. You should work with professors who have experience in the field and can give you a good idea of what to expect. They should also help you with the connections you need to establish yourself as an expert in your discipline whether you want to work directly with those in the developing countries or indirectly with international development funding and executing organizations.

You can also have an impact in a different way if you pursue a journalism degree. In journalism, you need to make sure you get the tools you need for effective communication through all forms of media, including the constantly evolving forms of social media that have changed the way people receive their news and information. Your program should teach you how to bring together audio, text and video once you have learned the important skills of interviewing, reporting and researching through traditional means.

While you are learning the fundamentals of journalism and the ways to incorporate social media into your work, you should also have the opportunity to work with the latest state of the art equipment to prepare yourself for what you will encounter on the job. You may not realize the importance of theory within the discipline, but you do need to acquire the theoretical and historical knowledge in journalism to help you understand your place in the field and society.

Both an international development degree and a journalism degree can offer you the opportunity to make a difference to others although in very different fashions. When making a decision, you must consider what kind of an impact you would like to have and how you feel most comfortable going about it. In either case, you just may find the chance to see the world while having a positive impact on others.

Dealing With Disappointment

How do your students deal with disappointment or failure? Hopefully better than some sports fans. Sunday I watched the New York Giants defeat the New England Patriots in the Superbowl. Not really a fan of either team, I enjoyed the game as a close hard fought contest, watching two teams duel it out down to the final play. Perhaps even more interesting  however, has been the response of some Patriots fans to the defeat. As reported by ESPN their disappointment has reached ridiculous levels. Some have turned on their team, condemning their coach, their quarterback and several of their star players as losers and choke artists; this despite the fact that the team had enjoyed a superb 13 - 3 record and provided its fans with hundreds of thrilling hilites over the course of the season.

Vancouver Canuck fans underwent a similar wave of emotion last spring when their team narrowly missed winning the Stanley Cup. Forgetting all accomplishments of the previous eight months, fans spewed forth venom blaming the team's stars and coaching staff for choking when they felt it mattered most.  It wasn't good enough to have posted outstanding results over a long period of time. When it came to the crunch, winning that last game was all that truly mattered.

We often see sports as a metaphor for life. If this is true, what do such reactions say about the way children are prepared to deal with disappointments or their own failures? One British school is attempting to teach students to deal with adversity by offering a week long workshop in failure. Failure Week at Top Girls School To Build Resilience describes a program that has students explore their feelings and fears around failure in a way that allows them to cope with and learn from personal set backs.


When education systems over emphasize the need for high grades and top test results, they may generate students ill equipped to deal with tough times. Rather than learning to face their fears, or learn from their failures, students can disengage, quit, or, like disenchanted sports fans, turn on the system, blaming it for failing to deliver their hoped for level of success. Setting realistic expectations and equipping students to deal with, and learn from, disappointments should be a goal for all educators! Resilient and resourceful citizens who can deal with life's challenges make the world a better place! As for disenchanted sports fans - get over it!  It's only a game! (and there's always next year!)

HHS Creating a Right To Contraception, Sterilization and Abortifacients

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is implementing regulations which are attempting to provide health care for everyone.  To quote my daughter, "That's nice, isn't it?"  As with everything in life, the Devil is in the Details.

On January 20th, HHS Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius announced that as part of the "Preventive Services" rule, all health insurance plans would be required to cover sterilizations and FDA-approved contraceptives without co-pay.  FDA-approved contraceptives includes abortifacients.  The rule goes into effect on August 1st for individuals, employers and insurers.  Catholic institutions were given an extra year to adapt to this regulation.  It will take effect for Catholic institutions on August 1, 2013.

"That's nice, isn't it?"  Catholic institutions get extra time to adapt. Uhh, not so much.

For those not familiar with Catholic teaching on the subject matter, here is a brief synopsis.  In 1968, Pope Paul VI issued an encyclical letter called Humanae Vitae (which translated from Latin means "Human Life").  This was not a new "take" on the Church's position, but rather a reemphasis of the Church's teaching that it is always intrinsically wrong to use contraception to prevent the creation of new life.  This is a position that was historically shared by all Christian religions until the 1930s (investigate the Anglican Church's Lambeth Conference to learn about the shift to permit contraception).  The Catholic Church has never swayed in its opposition to contraception, sterilization and abortion based on Scripture, Apostolic Teachings and the Magisterium.

So to say that the Catholic Church is a bit irked would be a serious understatement.

Atlanta Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory called HHS's decision a "direct attack on our religious freedom and our 1st Amendment rights."

In so ruling, the Administration has cast aside the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics our Nation�s first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty.  Andas a result, unless the rule is overturned, we Catholics will be compelled either to violate our consciences, or to drop health coverage for our employees (and suffer the penalties for doing so).  The Administration�s sole concession was to give our institutions one year to comply.

Since this is a controversy, you know there are catchy YouTube videos.  So I have included an interesting one for you to watch.

Oh, so then this is just a "Catholic thing."  Uhh, not so much.

What about the United States Constitution? Specifically, that pesky 1st Amendment?

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion; or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;"

Free exercise of religion is kind of a central tenet upon which our country was found. Seems to me that everyone should be getting pretty upset about this, not just Catholics.

The National Association of Evangelicals stated:

�Freedom of conscience is a sacred gift from God, not a grant from the state,� said Galen Carey, NAE Vice President for Government Relations. �No government has the right to compel its citizens to violate their conscience.  The HHS rules trample on our most cherished freedoms and set a dangerous precedent.� 

Orthodox Christians are also opposed:

"We, the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops, call upon HHS Secretary Sebelius and the Obama Administration to rescind this unjust ruling and to respect the religious freedom guaranteed all Americans by the First Amendment."

Jewish Orthodox groups are also opposed:

"Most troubling, is the Administration�s underlying rationale for its decision, which appears to be a view that if a religious entity is not insular, but engaged with broader society, it loses its �religious� character and liberties.  Many faiths firmly believe in being open to and engaged with broader society and fellow citizens of other faiths.  The Administration�s ruling makes the price of such an outward approach the violation of an organization�s religious principles.  This is deeply disappointing.  The Orthodox Union will support legislation in Congress to reverse this policy."

I do believe that the Obama administration has really stirred up a hornets nest.  Since this is an election year, I predict a whole lot of back-peddling and doublespeak.  Things should get really interesting.

When I first heard of this decision, a quote kept coming to my mind (which is often attributed to Edmund Burke, even though he may not have actually said it)...

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men to do nothing."

Hence I am writing this blog.  I have included link after link so that you might read up yourself and reach your own conclusions about what you feel is right.  I have avoided drafting a constitutional free exercise argument because the case law gets quite complicated.  As a lawyer, even I find it a bit tedious and dull.  If your eyes glaze over, you won't be able to even read any longer.  However, I do want to give you a list of key Supreme Court free exercise cases, in case you want to plow through them yourself.

They are:

Reynolds v. Unitted States, 98 U.S. 145 (1879)

United States v. Ballard, 322 U.S. 78 (1944)

Sherbert v. Verner, 374 U.S. 398 (1963)

Yoder v. Wisconsin, 406 U.S. 205 (1972)

Goldman v. Weinberger, 475 U.S. 503 (1986)

Lyng v. Northwest Cemetery Prot. Ass�n, 485 U.S. 439 (1988)

Employment Div. of Oregon v. Smith, 494 U.S. 872 (1990)

Church of the Lukumbi Babalu Aye v. Hialeah, 508 U.S. 520 (1993)

City of Boerne v. Flores, 521 U.S. 507 (1997)

Of particular note, the City of Boerne v. Flores, 521 U.S. 507 (1997) declared the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) was unconstitutional as it applied to state and local governments.  The RFRA was passed by Congress in direct response to the court's ruling in the Employment Div. of Oregon v. Smith, 494 U.S. 872 (1990) case.

Please take the time to get informed on these issues, especially in light of a looming election.  In 1784 Edmund Burke said, "The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion."

Let us all have no delusions!  Investigate for yourselves.

Lets Talk - Bell Acts in Support of Mental Health

February 8th marks the second annual Bell Let�s Talk Day. Recognizing that talking about mental health can help break down the stigma attached to it, the Lets Talk campaign encourages people to �start the conversation� about mental health with friends, family and co-workers. For every text message and long distance call made by Bell customers, Bell will contribute 5 cents to programs dedicated to mental health.

You might recognize Bell's Let�s Talk spokesperson, six-time Olympian Clara Hughes. Hughes brings her reputation as a successful Olympic medalist and own personal experience with depression to the effort to help grow the dialogue on mental health. Her distinctive smile and personal courage put a recognizable face on the campaign

Last year, more than 66 million texts and calls were made on Bell Let�s Talk Day resulting in $3.3 million dollars donated to mental health initiatives across the country. This generosity is a strong indication that Canadians care about mental health and want to be part of the national conversation. With everyone's help, this conversation can be taken to a whole new level. The first Let�s Talk day managed to rally more phone traffic than the 2010 Olympics moment when Sidney Crosby scored his famous game-winning goal, the previous Bell volume record. Now, in its its second year, the campaign hopes to be bigger than ever.

 

Bell's five-year initiative aims to get people across the country talking about mental health, to create awareness and raise money to fund programs. Bell is donating 5� to mental health for every text and long distance call made by Bell customers February 8. Not with Bell? Then hop on Twitter; every re-tweeted message about the campaign also contributes 5� to the cause.

Mental health issues affect us all. This year lend your support to Bell's Lets Talk About it campaign. Your support can make a huge difference. Its as easy as picking up your phone!

The Power Of Penguins

As a district administrator, I often don't get to visit classrooms as often as I'd like. Recently, however I've been getting several requests from principals and primary teachers to come visit classrooms. The secret behind my new found popularity - penguins! For the past three years my wife and I have journeyed deep into the southern hemisphere to find penguins in their native habitat; first to the Antarctic south of Argentina then to the sub-antarctic islands of New Zealand and this year to the windswept Falkland Islands.  The eco-tourist companies running each tour made certain participants took only pictures and left very few footprints. As a result, I now have well over 2000 pictures of nine different species of penguins.

What I hadn't counted on is the popularity of penguins. The penguin unit is already a favourite with Kindergarten and primary classes. There's just something about the stubby little flightless bipedal birds that makes kids smile. Whether its their sharp black and white attire, their awkward gait on land, their apparent fearlessness and curious natures, or their fluid grace in the water, nearly everyone holds penguins in some regard. Penguin resources abound on the net. Teachers Corner and Penguin Science are just two of many amazing and rich web resources available.

Popular culture embraces penguins too. Movies like "Happy Feet", its sequel "Happy Feet 2", documentaries like "March of the Penguins" or the BBC's Lonely Planet,  are all good box office. As far back as Disney's "Mary Poppins" or as recently as the "Penguins of Madagascar" animated penguins continue to amuse. The venerable "Mr. Popper's Penguins" (now a live action motion picture), first published in 1938, is still being read by and to students.

So when teachers heard there might be a live "penguin person" in district, the requests started coming. My teaching experience is mostly in  secondary English, so facing groups of up to 40 kindergarten students was a bit unnerving. What if I bored them? What if my pictures didn't interest them? Its a bit of a risk as Assistant Superintendent if you put yourself out there and then flop! 


The good news - I think my presentations are going OK. I'm still getting requests. And the kindergarten kids are great. I've refined my lessons based on the feedback the students (and their teachers) give me. Rather than just show pictures and talk, now we learn to walk like penguins, we've made and enjoyed penguin cookies and we've explored "action research" on such probing questions as "do penguins have knees?" and "could polar bears and penguins ever meet?" Students do penguin art and consider penguin adaptations to snow ice and water. Most of all, we've had fun while learning. When I go back to schools after speaking on penguins students may not remember my name, but they do remember I'm "the penguin man" and they are excited to tell me what else they've learned. Their teachers do a great job before, and after my visit.


So I say, "more power to the penguins!". Any animal that can get me out of the office and sharing with students must have special powers. I'm already looking forward to going south again so I'll have new information to share in the future. Normally, I used to find business attire a bit restrictive but now, I look forward donning my black and white "penguin suit". (I just wish I wasn't quite so well shaped to play the part!).

Caribbean Medical Schools - Advantages and Disadvantages

When considering whether one of the many Caribbean Medical Schools is right for you it's important to do thorough research and get as much information as possible so you can make an informed choice. There is no doubt that the Caribbean is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. If you decide to go to school in the Caribbean you'll be immersing yourself in that beauty while getting a world-class medical education.

Here are a few things you should consider when starting down the path to gather that information and making your choice:

ADVANTAGES

1. Cost

It is usually significantly less expensive to attend a Caribbean school. Even the top universities are a fraction of most top U.S. schools. An important note is the fact that there will be extra costs associated with studying abroad, such as travel expenses and travel student health insurance. However, even with those added expenses the total cost of education is far cheaper.

2. Rolling admissions

Some Caribbean medical schools have rolling admissions. What that means is that the window for applying to a given school can be very wide, often with 3 periods each year. This can make the application process far less stressful and allow more time to make sure everything you need is in order before submitting your application.

3. High USMLE pass rates

The top Caribbean medical schools have USMLE first-time pass rates that are at or above the U.S. average. High USMLE pass rates are a strong indicator that the programs offered by Caribbean schools are top level and that your education and advancement is taken seriously.

4. Admission Opportunities

Even with the best scores getting into medical school can sometimes be impossible. The number of applicants to U.S. schools is always far greater than the number of open slots. Caribbean medical schools give people opportunities to go to medical school that they might not otherwise have.

5. Clinical Rotation Opportunities

The first two years will be at the overseas campuses for all Caribbean medical schools, but the clinical rotations for the top schools are in the U.S. This offers a huge advantage to students in that they can benefit from the higher acceptance rates to get into the Caribbean universities while still being able to learn from the doctors at U.S. hospitals during their clinical rotations.

DISADVANTAGES

1. Wide range of quality

Not all Caribbean medical schools are the same, to say the least. The folks who run the schools know that there is high competition among prospective students to find a school to attend. At the top schools this has led to greater competition to elevate their programs and attract the best students. However, It has also meant the opportunity for lesser schools to make their way into the market and take advantage of those who might fall prey. Sticking to one of the best and oldest universities like is a safe decision because they are very well known and highly reputable. If you decide to investigate one of the newer schools be sure you research them especially well.

2. Language barrier

Again, this is something that you won't have to worry about at the top schools, but some Caribbean medical Schools don't use English as their primary teaching language. If you aren't fluent in the spoken language (usually Spanish) you will have a considerable disadvantage and will struggle unnecessarily.

3. Living in a foreign country can be challenging

The beginning of this article highlights the fact that the Caribbean is an incredibly beautiful part of the world. It is still a foreign country though, and its customs and culture are different than what most North Americans are used to. Most people find the differences exciting and fun, but some do find that it adds more stress to the already demanding medical school curriculum.

Deciding which medical schools to attend is a life-changing decision. It's important that you put a lot of time into gathering as much information as you can. Caribbean medical schools offer much to the student who puts forth the effort. Investigate the possibilities and see if a Caribbean medical school might be a perfect fit for you.

Groundhog Day - Insanity, Change and Education!

February 2nd is Groundhog Day. Tradition suggests on this day groundhogs emerge from their dens and, if they see their shadows, they are frightened back into hibernation and there will be six more weeks of winter. Canada's most famous groundhog is Wiarton Willie of Ontario. Turns out the original Willie died in his sleep during the winter of 89 (bet that made for a long winter!) and his replacement Wee Willie, passed away in the 90's. Canada now relies on Willie III for his prognosticating prowess. Its all just fantasy however. Groundhogs don't really care much for their shadows. Their emergence in February has far more to do with being hungry than with any desire to predict the weather.

Groundhog Day is also a 1993 movie starring Bill Murray. Murray plays a cynical weatherman assigned to cover the Groundhog Day story. By fantastic circumstance he ends up doomed to relive the day over and over again, until he accepts his fate and truly changes into a better man. Murray is also linked to a ground dwelling rodent in the film "Caddyshack". He plays a crazed greens keeper who repeatedly tries to rid his golf course of a pesky gopher. In both films, the Murray character experiences the futility of trying to achieve different results with essentially the same approach over and over again.

It was Albert Einstein who said, �The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.� He also said, �We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.�  His comments, made over half a century ago, resonate for education today. The world is changing and education systems are changing too. BC recently released its new Plan for Education. Honoring past accomplishments and citing the relative strength of BC's public school system, the plan points out that to stay strong education needs to adapt and explore new ways of preparing students for a future that is increasingly hard to  predict. The plan seeks public input and illustrates instances where innovative thinking is already being used. 

The plan has its critics. Change is scary, and it comes hard when people are not convinced that the methods of the past shouldn't just be maintained into the future. There is a reluctance from some to accept that the students of today are not just as well served by time tested methods of the past. The problem lies in the fact that today's learners are different. Armed with technology like ipads, cell phones and easy internet access, students are increasingly able to tune out and follow their own interests if school fails to engage them. The challenge is how to combine the strengths of the past with the opportunities and challenges of the future, and keep public education vital to everyone. 

Education cannot stay trapped in a Groundhog day loop with every year rolling out like the one before. Nor can it subscribe to the insanity of always doing things the same but expecting different results. Instead, it needs to innovate and reinvent itself, to find ways to change that honor and preserve the best of what has always worked well, but also engage students of the present and future. Responding to BC's Plan for Education is a good start in that direction.