Giving thanks
Four UF medical students share how they practice gratitude along the path to becoming physicians
November 18, 2020 – Pulling up a chair to the dinner table and reuniting with extended family and friends over heaps of roasted turkey and mashed potatoes may not be deemed a safe choice amid social distancing measures this Thanksgiving, but that doesn’t mean UF College of Medicine students aren’t reflecting on what makes them most thankful this November.
Doctor Gator asked four UF medical students – one from each class – what gratitude means to them and how receiving scholarships to attend the UF College of Medicine has taught them the power of paying it forward:
Chloe De Crecy, recipient of the Leon Gibbs, M.D., Scholarship Fund
and a fourth-year medical student
“Practicing gratitude is at the heart of compassionate care in many ways. Being reminded of our blessings allows us to diminish our focus on inconveniences and redirect it toward how we can best help our patients. I am grateful to those who donate to scholarships at the UF College of Medicine not only because they help students financially, but also because it demonstrates the strong sense of family at the UF College of Medicine. It’s humbling that donors wish to invest in future UF-trained doctors, and it motivates me to make them proud.”
– Chloe De Crecy, recipient of the Leon Gibbs, M.D., Scholarship Fund and a fourth-year medical student
Jonathan Arias, recipient of the Lawrence M. Goodman Scholarship
and a third-year medical student, at the annual White Coat Ceremony in 2018.
Photo by Jesse S. Jones
“I believe that being compassionate should not only be a qualifier that others use to describe you, but a lifestyle that transcends health care and is engraved in every aspect of your life. Displaying genuine gratitude is a great way to start to build this intrinsic quality that is undoubtedly beneficial for our patients. I am extremely privileged to be part of a community that is so willing to donate scholarships for medical training. I will forever be in debt to the UF College of Medicine community and only hope to be a model member of the community.”
– Jonathan Arias, recipient of the Lawrence M. Goodman Scholarship and a third-year medical student
Esther Duqueney, recipient of the Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Godron Scholarship and the Florida Medical Opportunity Scholarship and a second-year medical student
Photo by Jesse S. Jones
“As a child, my mom used to make my siblings and I share one thing we were grateful for each week. At the time, I didn’t think much of it, but looking back, I can clearly grasp how vital practicing gratitude has been in my life. I remember having weeks when everything seemed to be going wrong and I felt like I had absolutely nothing to be grateful for. In fact, I was mistaken – there was always something to be grateful for. Practicing medicine is not easy. There will be great days and victories for our patients, but there will also be difficult days for us and our patients. I believe that actively practicing gratitude in the midst of all these moments is what creates a caring and considerate provider. Gratitude can help us to be more optimistic, resilient and positive.”
– Esther Duqueney, recipient of the Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Godron Scholarship and the Florida Medical Opportunity Scholarship and a second-year medical student
Michael Mathelier, recipient of the Kenneth Leathers Scholarship
and a first-year medical student
“I still recall this as if it were yesterday – I was working as a scribe in the emergency department when I received the call that would change my life forever. I had been accepted to the UF College of Medicine. After several years of introspection and one possible midlife crisis, there was finally a semblance of light at the end of the tunnel. I was one step closer to becoming a physician. There are still several steps ahead, but it is certainly empowering to know that there are benefactors who support my crusade by donating to scholarships at the UF College of Medicine. Words cannot nearly express the extent of my gratitude.”
– Michael Mathelier, recipient of the Kenneth Leathers Scholarship and a first-year medical student
