In Class Writing - Culture Shock

Dressed in blue cotton scrubs and brand new tennis shoes, I felt as if I had stepped into an inferno. I looked down to my right, there were big, brown double doors, and down to my right, a long hallway, filled with different doors which led to different rooms and a large, circular desk at the end. Seeing that the large circular desk seemed more promising, I heavily and nervously walked that way. With each step I took, I swore that the desks appeared to be farther away. The nasty, bright shining lights of the hallway were like lights in the movie "The Shining", just totally creepy and peering down on me. Sweat beating down my brow, I nervously would wipe it away as I got closer to the woman and man sitting behind the desk, peering at me, watching me, making their impressions of me, their new intern. 

My first day working in the burn unit was quite a culture shock for me. It's not really your average idea of a culture shock, but it definitely was. Not only is about a 103 degrees in there at all times because of the patients needing warmth for survival, but working in a hospital is a whole brand new experience. My senior year I was given the privilege (after many interview processes) to join an internship program where you interned in six different sections of a hospital. Since I was very intrigued by the burn unit and reconstructive surgery at this point in time, I was very excited to go. It wasn't very creepy or anything, but like my description, that's how everything felt at first. Going into a brand new place, not knowing what to expect, the nervousness you feel with sweat dripping down your face.. are all feelings that I without a doubt felt at first. I am still utterly at dismay and so thankful and gracious for the Burn Unit, not only for letting me shadow there but their amazing work and all the things that they can do. Working in a hospital let me know that's exactly what I want to do and that even though it was quite the shocker at first, I knew it was where I was destined to be.