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BCMS ALLIANCE

Staying lenges. It all began in the month of March when many of us, including myself, were on va-
2020 is a year that we will never forget! It’s a year that has been filled with so many chal-

Connected cation and enjoying Spring Break, when news of the COVID-19 virus and the possible
lockdowns began. Kids began virtual learning, more adults started working from home,
During the shelves in the grocery stores were increasingly bare, we had to start wearing masks, and
we began social distancing, staying 6 feet apart.
The reality was that no one really knew what to expect long term. We were all whisked
into a new way of living and we had to adapt quickly. There was so much uncertainty and
the Pandemic our days of connecting with other people were now via Zoom sessions. Physician families
were extra nervous with what was to follow: days of worry-on-end, wondering if the physi-
By Nichole Eckmann, cian in the household would get infected and come home and infect the rest of the family.
2021 BCMS Alliance President How serious was this? Was the entire family at risk? There were so many questions and
not many answers. This was when the members of the Bexar County Medical Society Al-
liance really banded together and were there for one another. We shared our fears, our
tears and our worries and just asked for guidance from one another to make it through
this difficult time. We all realized how important it was to stay connected even if it was
via Zoom sessions. It was a blessing to know that each and every one of our members RE-
ALLY understood what we were feeling.
We eventually realized that the best way to deal with the uncertainty and worry was
to continue to do what we do best: reaching out to the community and giving back. We
continued to meet and create ideas for reaching out to our members and our community
while setting an example of masking and social distancing. This will likely continue into
much of 2021, but 2020 has shown us that if we stay connected, we can get through this!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the medical life is one of a kind; one that you don’t
understand unless you are living it. Luckily the BCMS Alliance and its members DO get
it and we are excited to conquer the unknown TOGETHER!

Nichole Eckmann is the 2021 President of the BCMS Alliance.

10 SAN ANTONIO MEDICINE • January 2021