Red October

Flu Shots!

The second years warned us that October would be a crazy month, and I don't think I realized it until this week.  The first week, we had Quiz #5 and our second anatomy practical in the same week.  Next up, biochem final on Monday, then we have Quiz #6 the next Tuesday, which covers three weeks worth of material instead of two.  And personally, I have my anatomy oral presentation the week after Quiz #6.  This month has absolutely no breaks whatsoever, and it's getting exhausting!  On the other hand, I can't believe that Block one is over half way done!  I have learned so much in such a short time.  But I guess that is what med school is all about!  I have loved every step of the way so far... I can't wait to see what else is in store for me.

I am feeling relatively okay with the upcoming biochem final.  Luckily, I only need less than 50% on it to pass the class (there are no grades at UCD).  That has not helped with motivating me to study, but at least I am not stressed out.  To be honest, I'm not really feeling very stressed about school anymore, just a little tired.  I'm still getting the hang of having tests so often.  And going from a 10 week quarter system to a 4.5 month block has been an adjustment in itself.  If I was still in undergrad, I would already be done with the quarter!

The one downside of "Red October" has been that I have sort of been putting off exercising and eating healthy.  Being busy is no excuse not to exercise, I know.  I am working on it!  Tomorrow I am getting back into it.  I especially love zumba... it's so fun you forget you are exercising.  As far as not eating healthy anymore, I don't really know what happened between the beginning of school and now.  I am less stressed than I was then, so that isn't it.  I am definitely an emotional eater though (*gasp* my secret is out!) but I am still learning what triggers it.  I noticed that I tend to want to "console" myself with comfort food after a long, exhausting, draining day.  Or when I am feeling restless/bored with studying.  I was doing so well a few months ago, and the only thing that has really changed is that I am just worn out now.  I am often behind on sleep and I have been in much need of a real, true, non-studying break.  Well, I am aware of it now, and I am making an effort to not eat when I'm not truly physically hungry.  Also, I am going to go back to not buying any sort of junk food.  It's so much easier not to eat crap when it's not waiting for you in the fridge.

Enough about my issues (haha, bet you didn't think I was gonna get all self-analytical on you, did you?)... I have achieved some more medical school milestones!  On Monday, I gave my first real female pelvic exam.  I actually did a pretty good job (verified by our preceptor).  Yes, I did have the advantage of going last, but at least I learned from everyone's mistakes - unlike one person in my group haha.  I thought the procedure was pretty cool (in a non-creepy way) and I am looking forward to seeing more ob/gyn related stuff!  I also shadowed a doctor in family practice/OB this week, which was an inspiring experience.  Although we mostly saw family practice patients, I thoroughly enjoyed my day following her around.  The whole time I just kept thinking, "I can't wait to be a doctor".

Okay, I know this has been a long post, but one more funny story: so in a doctoring lecture, we were learning about examining ears.  The physician needed a volunteer and no one wanted to do it, so I volunteered and showed the whole class my tympanosclerosis!  It looked just like the slides the doctor showed us right before!

I lied... ONE last thing.  Our friend Eric dropped off pumpkins for all of us on our porch to wish us luck on the final! So nice! :)

Food For Thought

I came across this quote from a physician involved with Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health today.  This physician is an abortion provider.  Pretty insightful, I thought.

"It's not my role to judge the patients.  I'm not God.  My patients have rights.  My patients have feelings.  My patients have needs, and I listen to them.  We live in a world where we don't have a fail-proof method of birth control.  We don't have a school system that allows us to teach young children where babies come from.  We don't have a police system that prevents rape and incest.  We don't have a scientific community that can guarantee every woman, when she's pregnant, that the fetus is normal.  As long as we live in this imperfect society, women have to have the right to be able to terminate a pregnancy.  If we could guarantee every woman that she's only pregnant when she wants to be, we wouldn't have to have abortions any more."      Robert Tamis, MD

Clinic - Take 3

Yesterday, we had our second anatomy practical.  It wasn't too bad, I accidentally mistook the anus for a vagina, but hey, it happens to the best of us!  A bunch of us dressed like uteri in honor of studying the pelvis.  Yep, dressing like uteri, that's what med school is all about!

Last night, we all went to a fundraiser for MEDICOS Nicaragua (Fall Ball).  Basically, it was a high school dance for med students, but fun nonetheless!

(haha Jade and I did a prom pose)

I almost bailed out on going to clinic this morning since I knew last night would be a late one, but I decided to go anyway (since this is one of very few free weekends).  I am SO glad I decided to go!  I absolutely LOVED Paul Hom Asian Clinic (my favorite so far).  The patients were amazing, the students were so nice, and the doctors were really fun to work with!  Today was a musculoskeletal day, so we had an orthopedist doctor there and a physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor.  They were so awesome to talk to!  Today was really cool because I really enjoyed dealing with musculoskeletal problems.  I wasn't really considering going into ortho, and to be honest, I had never even heard of PM&R, but I am a little interested in both now.  It excites me to be interested in more things than just OB/Gyn.  I wanna keep some options open, ya know?  And to top off a great day at clinic, I even got to learn how to draw blood on an MS2!  I'm not gonna lie, I was really scared.  After that whole fainting incident, I have been scared that I am a big wuss deep down, but I did it!  And I got it right the first time!  I guess I am not a total failure :P  I would definitely consider this another "medical school milestone".

I have been feeling a teeny bit homesick, so I am going to Apple Hill on Sunday with my family!  Can't wait to go, I haven't been in YEARS!

Med School Milestones

So I haven't blogged in a while, probably because there hasn't been anything TOO interesting going on lately.  Last week, we had a pretty invasive lab with our cadaver, where we had to completely detach his right leg.  Usually I don't really get grossed out by our cadaver (besides his funky smell), but this day was a little much for me.  First, I cut his penis right in half, which made even us girls cringe.  Then, a fellow member of my group did most of the hacking and sawing of the pelvic and spinal bones to detach the leg.  It was pretty gross in that for some reason it was just hard for me to "detach" myself from the fact that we were HACKING through a human body.  It reminded me of Dexter or something.  Oh well, it wasn't too bad, and at least by the time we got to him, he couldn't feel anything!

This morning, we learned to give a female pelvic exam on a plastic vagina simulator.  I know this may sound weird, but I was excited to give it a try (since this may be where I end up eventually).  It was pretty cool!  I think we get to do the real thing in the next couple of weeks sometime.  I am looking forward to next week when we learn phlebotomy in Doctoring class and we all get to stick each other with needles! (no sarcasm, I am actually excited)

I'm definitely starting to stress about school a lot less.  Still working on finding my balance where I can not over stress about studying, but still pass my classes ;)