In this era of email and cell phones and text messaging, it is rare to get an actual letter in the mail. I actually only check my mailbox at home about once a week, because it typically only contains bills and catalogs and grocery store ads. This week, however, I got a letter that brought tears to my eyes.

The letter was from Loyola University Chicago, which is where I am enrolled as a graduate student in their Higher Education Program. For the past seven years, I have been working on a Ph.D. in Higher Ed Administration. I thought this letter might be a response to be recent request to extend my time to completion by another year. My "clock" ran out after six years, but since I have been doing the program part-time--and one class per semester--I have had to request additional time to complete my dissertation. This letter was more meaningful than this extension.

"I am pleased to inform you that, given the approval of your dissertation proposal and the completion of all requirements for doctoral candidacy, the Graduate School formally considers you a Ph.D. candidate." When I read it, the past seven years of hard work suddenly hit home, and it brought a tear to my eye. Of course, it also reminded me of the hard work that is still to come, but I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.

As I may have mentioned in previous blogs, my dissertation is entitled: "Female Osteopathic Medical Students: When the Minority Becomes the Majority." When I started this project back in 2004/5, women had just become the majority of matriculants to all osteopathic medical schools. The past two years men have regained the majority but only by a fraction of a percentage. Basically, men and women are enrolling in medical school in equal numbers for the first time in history. My dissertation involves interviewing first- and second-year D.O. students and examining their motivations and expectations about their careers. I hope to be able to analyze what affect this shifting gender makeup of future generations of physicians may have on the profession and its practitioners. If all goes well, I should graduate next May, 2008.

I know many of you may have received a tear-inducing letter or two this spring--or you may still be hoping for one to come this summer. Others may be hoping for one in years to come. While I have embraced the ease and convenience of email and all of life's other immediate communication means, there is still nothing like a letter in the mail to drive home a point and evoke an emotional response. I framed my letter and plan to display it in my office to keep me motivated toward my goal. If this one brought a tear to my eye, I am sure that the letter I get from Loyola next spring will make me weep!

I hope you all enjoyed your Memorial Day Holiday, remembering family members, friends, and even strangers who have served our country.