美國 羅奕蘭

從學習中得歡喜

大家好！我是羅奕蘭，剛畢業於明尼蘇達州大學，目前正在申請醫學院。在申請的這段時間，同時擔任一個全職工作，當醫生的助理，做「醫學抄寫員」。感恩美雲老師給我這個機會，沒有她的支持和幫助，我不可能來這裡當志工。也感恩雪玉師姊，幫我在這靜思堂找到了觀摩學習的平台。申請美國醫學院就讀，不僅要在入學考試中取得高分，還要證明自己正在回饋社區，並對醫療保健充滿熱忱和興趣。由於這是美國醫學生選拔標準，因此我參與了很多不同的課外活動，例如在美國的醫院和食物銀行擔任志工以及擔任解剖課助理。

暑假和媽媽一起來台灣，來線上讀書會見證到慈濟人無私的大愛，聽許多講師的分享，拓寬了我對國際志工、教育和醫療保健的視野。有別於參與美國的天主教慈善機構，我發現慈濟特別強調環境保護的堅持。我認為素食主義與環保主義的結合是佛教文化所特有的精神，這是美國組織所不熟悉的。我很欣賞慈濟對孩子的支持，尤其是那些選擇攻讀醫學學位的學生們。在美國醫院和靜思堂的志工服務中，我看到人們對於他人的健康和福祉的關心，還有許多美善、關懷、愛，令人感到非常溫暖，這是我追求醫學之路的目標。

參加高雄線上讀書會聆聽溫馨的故事，許多話題都非常感人，激勵我成為一個更好的人。

Elaine Lo           

Learning from Global Volunteering

Hello everyone! My name is Elaine, I am a recent college graduate from Minnesota, currently applying to medical school and working as a medical scribe in the US. I want to thank Tr. Mei Yun for this opportunity. Without her support and help I would not be able to come here and volunteer. I also want to thank Sister Xue Yu for her support and helping me find a place to observe and learn at this Jing Shi Tang. As a pre-medical student in the US, it is important not only to score high on the entrance tests and do well in school, but also prove that you are giving back to the community and have compassion and interest in healthcare. Since that is such an important part of the criteria for medical student selection in the US, I am involved in many different extracurricular activities such as volunteering in a hospital and food bank in the US as well as working as an anatomy class assistant.

Coming to Taiwan with my mother over the summer and getting to experience the activity and charity that Tzu Chi people participate in really broadened my perspective on international volunteerism, education, and healthcare. One major difference between the Christian charities that I was involved with and the Tzu Chi way is the emphasis on environmental sustainability. The combination of vegetarianism and environmentalism is something that is unique to Buddhist culture, and it is something that is unfamiliar to US organizations. I also admire the support that Tzu Chi people give to children, especially highlighting those that choose to pursue a degree in medicine. In both the US organizations and this Jing Shi Tang, I can see that members are very invested in the health and wellbeing of others. That is something that I want to carry with me as I pursue my own personal growth. 

I would really like to thank everyone for this opportunity. Thank you for allowing me to attend this international book club every week and listen to heartwarming stories. Many of these topics are very moving and motivate me to become a better person.