Written by William Lynn Weaver, MD
I recently accepted the position of Senior Associate Dean of Ross University School of Medicine (Ross) in Dominica, a position that required my wife and I to move to the island from land-locked Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Our first impressions are that we have moved to paradise. Wow! The island is more beautiful than we remembered from our first visit. The sunrise and sunset views from our new home are breathtaking. We get to see Mother Nature strut her stuff every day and the welcome from the Ross community could not have been warmer.
In my first week on campus I had the opportunity to meet with the student government, and as is common when I am around intelligent, committed young people, I feel better about the future of our world. I was doubly impressed that in the midst of exams they were discussing how to make things better for their classmates, current and future.
The faculty meeting was another pleasant experience, being my first opportunity to meet the faculty as a whole, and I was very impressed by their commitment to our students. I know that they are a truly an exceptional group, as is the evidenced by kudos given for honors received and publications authored. I was also truly moved by the program of thanks for the anatomy department cadavers that I attended, which included students and faculty. The faculty members represent all areas of the globe and I eagerly look forward to collaborating with them as we soon celebrate two major events, the first day of classes and the White Coat Ceremony.
After three days on island I decided I cannot take not driving, so I got a temporary Dominica driver’s license and took to the road. To say it has been an experience would be an understatement! It will take a while before I am comfortable with driving on the left.
I thought I was prepared for mountainous and hilly terrain since I was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, at the base of the Great Smokey Mountains. They got their name from the Native Americans who thought the clouds gave the appearance of smoke. The clouds surrounding the mountains of Dominica make the Smokies look like a small campfire in comparison. I have already learned that when the mountain is “white” I had better get the umbrella.
Overall it has been a great start. I will add to this blog as the adventure continues.
William Lynn Weaver, MD, FACS, is Senior Associate Dean for RUSM’s Dominica campus.