Dan "the Man" White

In most interviews, you end up talking about yourself, but I prefer to talk about Dan White. It's name dropping, I know, and it's shameful. But I do it anyway. I was particularly shameless during my interviews at Asheville. A few interviewers remarked about how they would have a tough time this year picking a class because all the candidates were so stellar. This is where I quickly interjected, "Yes! Like my friend Dan White. Have you talked to him yet?? Dan White? Well, yes. Did you know he was a stone mason?!? Like, an actual stone mason, and he has the beard to prove it. Yes, he carved stones. Stones, I tell you! Just look at his man-hands." Followed by, "You should accept me into your program because I know Dan White." That's what I wanted to say, but I refrained, because I think my love for him was already rather conspicuous. Dan and I met during Medicine and Society our first year in med school, and it's been a long courtship every since...

You see, Daniel James (and his partner in crime, Julia Brant - blog post to come about her loveliness later) is one of those people who has done everything. Everything. No, really, I mean everything. I might say, "Hey, do y'all want to go to Olive Garden tonight?" And Dan says, "You know, I used to be a dishwasher at Olive Garden, and let me tell you about the time I walked out on them because..." Or, I might complain about how long it's taking the pizza delivery man to get here, and Dan pipes in, "You know, Robby, when I delivered pizza for Stefano's in Knoxville..." You name it, he's done it. Odd jobs include: sandwich maker, kitchen grunt, dishwasher, cashier at White's Grocery (no relation, but great fun), post-office sorter, barista, pizza delivery man, bartender, physics tutor, and, of course, stone mason. I learned about this last profession on the drive to our Asheville interviews, and that's why I couldn't let it go (but, by the way, it seemed to work - I clinged to Daniel throughout the interviews, and look where I am now... jackpot).

Dan's laundry list of professions doesn't just extend to the weird and interesting. I gravitated immediately to Dan because of his immense perspective. A true out-of-stater and Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of Tennessee - Knoxville, Dan spent from 2005 to 2007 in Can Tho, Vietnam, teaching American Culture and Listening and Speaking English to English majors at Can Tho University as a teaching fellow. But he didn't just teach and travel. He started a non-profit organization called the "Can Tho Youth Empowerment Project" which developed an English and computer curriculum for a local orphanage. Then, he continued this work back in Charlottesville, Virginia (yes, he has been forgiven for living in Cavalier land), as integration coordinator for the International Rescue Committee for refugee assistance. He used his recently acquired language skills to help families new to the United States find employment, access affordable housing and higher education, and attain financial literacy. He continued his work in medical school, creating and developing a health outreach program for refugee families (aided by med students and MPHs), which developed into an Albert Schweitzer Fellowship here at UNC.

The list continues, but let it suffice to say that Dan's done everything. He's a Family Medicine Scholar, which is one of the many reasons he came out here to the Asheville program (hopefully by the end of this medical year, I'll have blogged about all 7 of the other peeps in our class). I was uber-excited when I found out that I would have the opportunity to come out here and badger Dan for at least one more year of medical school. This is because Dan is my ultimate person to bounce "life" ideas off of. Whenever I get cynical or get caught up in some political conundrum, Dan is the man I go to. He has the perspective and patience to deal with me. As someone who's lived in a lot of people's shoes, he can say, "Robby, you're being an idiot," but in a way that makes me feel all warm and tingly inside. He's the type of guy who makes one think about people and problems in a different way, giving the ole noggin' a kick start. He always finds the good in everyone and everything. For me, the best Dan-isms start with, "You know, kind of the way I like to think about this is..." and then I know that I'm about to hear something profound. His wisdom is only exceeded by his modesty. I'm sure I will get a call after he reads this blog saying I was over the top (which although I usually am, is not true today).

As our dinners in Chapel Hill with Dan, Jules, and the other So. Villers became few and far between during Boards study, I felt that my medical education was diminished. Fortunately, we can delve into my ethical quandaries for at least one more year (much to Julia's chagrin). And once we have fully picked apart every aspect of a very serious problem, Dan the man will pepper in a "that's what she said," and we're all back to real world.

Dan the man, aka "the compassionate stone mason," and friend who got me into the Asheville program through flagrant name-dropping.