Meet Chris Abdo, Class of 2021
Medical Student, UA COM-P
Describe your morning – what time do you get up, what do you do first, next and what is for breakfast?
I recently started my SICU rotation, so my schedule has changed and is spent primary at BUMCP; but during my months of isolation as COVID remodeled academic curriculum and the world, I would get up at 6 AM, first check my e-mails for any major news from my school or the world and then review a handful of random flash card concepts in medicine. For breakfast, I toast one slice of wheat bread and cover it in Nutella and raspberries.
What happens next? What do you do for lunch?
After breakfast, I start on my day. Usually that involves finishing my flashcards for the day over the next few hours; however, somedays I'll go back and forth between completing a portion of my cards and completing a small step to any projects I may be working on. For lunch, my mother, sister and I enjoy exploring nearby restaurants offering take-out with themes depending on the day from Hamburger Monday, Taco Tuesday and Wing Wednesdays to whatever other else one of us can think of. Several Mondays into this system, my sister has decided the perfect hamburger is from The Stand in Arcadia.
What do you do for dinner?
For dinner, my little brother and father get home from their respective jobs in medicine and we all try to eat together if everyone's hectic schedules allow. My dad recently turned vegan so I work with my mom and sister to try and put together something that everyone can enjoy.
How do you end the day and what time do you go to bed?
I end the day going back and forth between questions sets and continuing to touch up projects. I am a firm believer in sleeping when tired and waking up naturally which for me is a 7-hour sleep cycle, so I'll try to sleep by 11PM.
What art are you doing and when do you do it?
Art for me has always been learning new forms and incorporating it into others. Right now, I have my hands in wood finishing, epoxy-resin pouring, concrete casting and prop-building. Photography and film were the first art form I fell in love with and so that is always present in the background. Any project I work on, I'll try and capture it through my camera lens to capture the process and hopefully provide insight into others who want to learn from whatever I may be working on. Though I spend the majority of the day studying, I'll take periodic breaks to slowly chip away at any one of these projects.
What are you reading?
During quarantine, I was enrolled in a palliative care course where one of the assigned books was Being Mortal. I've rediscovered my Atul Gawande collection and am reading through Better.
What are you streaming?
I've always been resistant to keeping up with television shows after the anxiety and trauma that Breaking Bad left with its cliffhangers. But I've slowly started to reintegrate by watching the new DC show Harley Quinn.
How are you feeling?
I've always identified as an introvert at heart, so the COVID quarantine allowed me to recharge, take my time relearning various medical concepts, focus on myself and projects I've had planned for months.
What’s the first thing you’re going to do when the quarantine ends?
I'm doing it! I'm working towards completing my degree in medicine and spending as much time in whatever surgery setting I can find, right now that's the SICU.