In my graduate program, we're required (every week) to write these reports (or write-ups) for each of our various clinical placements. I have, for quite some time, labored under the delusion that I am tolerable writer. In fact, when questioned, I would probably say that writing is the most effortless part of academia.
However, my literary pride took quite a beating this semester. Every report has been revised, marked up, torn to shreds, while my report writing has been generally labelled "incompetent." It's quite demoralizing to spend 4 1/2 intense hours on three pages of written material only to have your supervisor bleed red pen all over it. (The worst is when they say, "Well, I guess you tried. I'll finish it.")
In these reports, wording is EVERYTHING. There are some supervisors who don't like it when you start sentences with clauses. There are others who get upset if you DON'T start sentences with clauses. Some don't like the use of the conjunction "but." Others have decided that their pet peeve is the phrase "due to." Often the red is whipped out on sentences that aren't wrong- they just aren't ordered the way the supervisor would have. I get jumpy around vocabulary and spend twenty minutes on the sentence "Mrs. B. is a 61 year old woman presenting with dysphagia." (Now, do I say "presenting with", "diagnosed with", "having", or just "with"?)
The other day, praying while walking across campus, I started doing the same thing. I was "clinic editing" my prayers to God- trying to cover any loop-holes, use the vocabulary that I thought he wanted to hear, trying to avoid any errors that could get my prayer "red-penned" and misinterpreted.
That is not my God! He knows the thoughts and intentions of my heart. He hears the prayers that are wordless cries for help, panicked screams for deliverance, bubbling silent joy. He doesn't need me to only use "delight" instead of "joy," "happiness," or "exhuberance"! He knows the thoughts that feeble language is trying to put forth. And it is so gracious of him to attend to my needs and desires even when my words fail.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer. (I Peter 3:12)
1 comment:
I think that dysphagia is a clinical sign, as compared the actual diagnosis, so I would say, a 61 year old woman presented with dysphagia.
You can tell your anal teachers that a vet tech said so. ;) Like an apple trying to tell and orange how to be round.
Whatever. I've been telling some of my other grad/med school buddies that it isn't about making the A honor roll anymore - so long as you are learning and remembering for your career. :)
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