It's been a while since have last blogged. Since then, the school year has ended, a number of my closest friends have graduated, two have married, I have moved into a new apartment (for the summer) and I have started a summer CPE placement. The apartment is great. I am able to have a fully functioning kitchen, unlike when I was living in the dorms. I also have air conditioning which s phenomenal most days, but when I have had a bad day at work coming home to an air conditioned apartment just makes it all so much better. My roommate is the same person I will be living with, in a different apartment, during my senior year. It is working out great thus far.
My home presbytery requires everyone under care to complete a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education. The majority of people complete this in your average medical hospital. On average you end up having t pay about $750 for the CPE credit and then have to figure out how to live for the summer without an income. This was not a feasible endeavor for me. There are too many bills to be paid and a matter of eating during the summer. So I found one of the very few placements that pay you. I was one I had a little bit of experience with, and one that one of my roommates from last summer had done. So this summer, instead of serving as a chaplain intern at a medical hospital I am interning at a state psychiatric hospital.
Yesterday I finished up my second week at the hospital. My supervisors are amazing and my group of fellow interns are amazing. I drive a carpool of 4 interns and most afternoons our ride home is very quite because we are processing everything we have seen and heard and experienced that day.I particularly love learning about the clinical side of psychiatric care. I am able to read patient's charts and learn about their diagnoses and their past. I am becoming very familiar with the different forms of Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder. I work on the treatment mall where I am able to interact with a variety of different patients. Some a scary, and it is important not to show fear, some seem completely harmless, and some you would think are staff instead of a patient.
In the past two weeks I have lots of interesting conversations with patients about religious things, like purgatory and reincarnation, as well as about their life in the hospital, and a vast array of other topics I would not think we would talk about. I have helped a patient pray to Saint Michael and recited the Hail Mary. I have discussed Hindu practices with another patient. I have been hit on by patients and solicited for sex. And that was all just this week. Interesting things happen when you're a chaplain intern at a psychiatric hospital, but I am loving every minute of it.
Showing posts with label chaplain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chaplain. Show all posts
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Saturday, February 5, 2011
United States Army
Om nom nom, nom nom nom
Filling up on the chocolate and bad for you foods tonight and tomorrow. After tomorrow's super bowl extravaganza I am completely changing my lifestyle. No junk food, cutting down the soda, limiting sugar intake, counting calories, working out every day...you get the picture.
In addition to wanting to look better (yes I can be vain) I have other reasons for the change. I have decided that I want to join the Army. The United States Army has the Chaplain Candidate Program and I think it sounds good. You train to be an Army Chaplain throughout seminary during summers and winters, they help pay for seminary and you are a reserve chaplain for two years after seminary.
Many different people have been pointing me towards this. My Pastor did this with the Navy when she was in seminary. When my grandmother died we had a get together at a cousin's house. One of my father's cousins was telling me about what the Navy has to offer and how I should consider joining as a chaplain. David's uncle is a Colonel in the Army and his aunt is a Lt. Colonel. They are career military and seem to have benefited from it. I am not saying that I plan on being career military, but the benefits of becoming a chaplain candidate is great. Tuition, housing allowance, and health are just a few benefits. There is also the serving my country and working with soldiers.
I have been considering it for some time. When I was in Cameroon during break and had the experience with the dying woman it solidified my desire. I want to be there for families while their loved ones are deployed, I want to be there for soldiers when they come back from war, and while it frightens me part of me wants to be with deployed soldiers.
Right now I cannot pass the physical aspect of the entrance requirements. That is one of the biggest reasons for the wanting to change my lifestyle. I want to lower my BMI, I want to become physically fit, I want to be able to meet the requirements to becoming a Unites States Army Chaplain Candidate. I have not told many people yet, the general reaction at first has been laughter. Apparently the liberal who is against war cannot also desire to serve her country and help our soldiers. I was against us invading Iraq, but I am 100% in support of our troops. So yes, the super liberal wants to join the army and I am going to change my entire lifestyle, starting Monday morning, to do so.
Filling up on the chocolate and bad for you foods tonight and tomorrow. After tomorrow's super bowl extravaganza I am completely changing my lifestyle. No junk food, cutting down the soda, limiting sugar intake, counting calories, working out every day...you get the picture.
In addition to wanting to look better (yes I can be vain) I have other reasons for the change. I have decided that I want to join the Army. The United States Army has the Chaplain Candidate Program and I think it sounds good. You train to be an Army Chaplain throughout seminary during summers and winters, they help pay for seminary and you are a reserve chaplain for two years after seminary.
Many different people have been pointing me towards this. My Pastor did this with the Navy when she was in seminary. When my grandmother died we had a get together at a cousin's house. One of my father's cousins was telling me about what the Navy has to offer and how I should consider joining as a chaplain. David's uncle is a Colonel in the Army and his aunt is a Lt. Colonel. They are career military and seem to have benefited from it. I am not saying that I plan on being career military, but the benefits of becoming a chaplain candidate is great. Tuition, housing allowance, and health are just a few benefits. There is also the serving my country and working with soldiers.
I have been considering it for some time. When I was in Cameroon during break and had the experience with the dying woman it solidified my desire. I want to be there for families while their loved ones are deployed, I want to be there for soldiers when they come back from war, and while it frightens me part of me wants to be with deployed soldiers.
Right now I cannot pass the physical aspect of the entrance requirements. That is one of the biggest reasons for the wanting to change my lifestyle. I want to lower my BMI, I want to become physically fit, I want to be able to meet the requirements to becoming a Unites States Army Chaplain Candidate. I have not told many people yet, the general reaction at first has been laughter. Apparently the liberal who is against war cannot also desire to serve her country and help our soldiers. I was against us invading Iraq, but I am 100% in support of our troops. So yes, the super liberal wants to join the army and I am going to change my entire lifestyle, starting Monday morning, to do so.
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