CONTINUED...
Vicki and her family in 1999
I’m not sure who keeps the old NECOM memories alive, but Vicki, and her husband Gerry, have a special place in our hearts. Her kindness to us all made the years in medical school extra special.
I have spent the last 20 years in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula practicing Emergency Medicine, and have had a great run accomplishing many leadership goals and teaching. However, the new culture of EMR's that don't work, and the corporate takeover of medicine and its complexities have become tiresome, and retirement looks mighty welcoming in comparison. I harken back to the simple old days of my first Clinical rotation with GP of the year, Dr. Barnes, in Hiram, Maine or Dr. Ira Stockwell. I also harken back to Hattie's Deli and the fond memories of everyone there. Sadly, I have not kept in touch with my fellow 1982 classmates and often wonder how they are doing and where they practice, their families and what, if any, specialties they have chosen.
Seeing as though we were the first class at NECOM, the founding class of what is now UNE COM, those first four years did not always go smoothly. The responsibility came with some trial and error. I remember we wanted to be like Harvard and implement a note-taking service so we could skip class. After the first day when the class size went from 34 to one, it was stopped. Whose idea was that anyway?
I reflect on Vicki, Hattie’s, and my classmates, and have found a new appreciation for the early years and the true miracle that was the class of 1982 and NECOM. I hope we can all remember what we shared and what we built together. As the College continues to grow and improve, therein lies our legacy.