Happy Medical Monday!

   Happy Medical Monday, y'all!  Last week BF and I drove to LA to take Step 2 CS.  It was actually pretty tough!  You see 12 standardized patients (actors pretending to have things wrong with them) in about 8 hours, which was exhausting.  Props to primary care docs who do it day in and day out, because it takes a lot out of you.  Anyway, I'm pretty sure we passed, especially considering U.S. med students have a 97% pass rate on the first time taking it.  It's nice to have that over with!  

We were lucky enough to visit some friends while in LA!

Gamma Phi friends!

J, my bestie!

This is Ollie

One of my old roommates and UCLA besties!

   Now I just need to sort out my personal statement.  I spent 6 hours working on it yesterday, and now I have my second draft, but it still needs a lot of work.  I'm meeting with some of my OB/Gyn advisors this morning, which I'm nervous about because what's left of my confidence doesn't need to be beaten down anymore, but hopefully they can point me in the right direction. 

Oh No He DIDN'T...

   Today I was sitting with a few of my classmates, and one classmate started to brag about his latest "heroic" act.  He said that he was walking down the street, and saw some man push an obviously pregnant lady, so he automatically assumed there was some sort of domestic dispute going on and decided to take action.  He proceeded to tackle the man and bring him to the ground, holding his hands behind his back, and shouted to the cop across the street.  While I applaud his decision to do something about what he saw, I don't necessarily agree with his approach.  Personally, I think he could have just flagged down the cop in the first place, and allowed the cop (who is trained to handle situations like this) to decide what the best course of action was.  This particular classmate of mine is one of those guys who feels the need to demonstrate masculinity and power at very opportunity possible, probably because he is insecure about himself.

   But I digress from the point of telling this story, which is that just after he finished boasting about how he "just couldn't stand to see such a thing, and just had to do something to protect that lady," immediately joked, "I mean, who knows if that lady deserved it (to be pushed), but the baby didn't deserve it.  That's for sure!"

......................................  

   Just pause for a second and take that in.  Obviously, this tool performed his "heroic" act for the completely wrong reasons.  All he cared about was exerting his power over this other man and looking super rough-and-tough after the fact.  How dare he joke around that maybe this pregnant woman somehow deserved to be pushed by her partner?!

   So, after he said that, my "oh-no-you-DIDN'T" face immediately took form, and I said, "Excuuusee me?!"

   He goes, "Ohh please.... it's a joke."

   "Well, it's not a very funny one.  I don't think that's funny."

   "Oh come on, don't make me roll my eyes at you..."

   "Go ahead... I hope they get stuck up there."

   "Geeze, can't you take a joke?!"

   "Yeah, and obviously I've got 'jokes' too..."

   Anyway, I'm normally a pretty patient person, or at least that's my perception of myself, but I cannot tolerate "jokes" degrading women.  Everyone has their trigger points, and mine is chauvinism.  Nothing else infuriates me like it.  Back in college I had a group of friends who used to make degrading jokes about women ALL THE TIME.  At first, I just ignored it, because I figured maybe I was being too sensitive.  My friends knew very well that these "jokes" upset me, yet they just kept on with them.  Every time I would bring it up, they would dismiss it by saying I was over-reacting.  It got to the point where I would go home and cry after hanging out with those friends, because I would get so upset.  Eventually, I stopped hanging out with those friends, because I realized that there are a lot of people out there who don't feel the need to belittle women with constant jokes.

   Ever since then, I've decided that it's OK to speak up when people make rude jokes that offend me.  And my hope is that by doing this, people will react by either:

A) Not making those jokes anymore (the didn't realize how offensive to women it was, and now they realize)

B) Not making those jokes anymore - around me

C) Not hanging out with me

   Obviously, option A is ideal, but I'm fine with B or C.

A Photo That Makes Me Happy

Today for the 30 Day Challenge, I am sharing a photo that makes me happy

I chose this picture because it reminds me of how happy I felt at graduation.  It was an incredible experience that I will remember forever.  My sister and dad were sitting pretty close to the front of the bleachers, so it was really easy to find them, and all I could do was just keep smiling and waving at them (hence, this picture).  It was also awesome to see how happy they were for me.  :)

I will be taking a short break from the 30 Day Challenge since I am going to be in LA this weekend, but don't worry! I will pick back up when I get back!

My UCLA Chapter in Life Coming to a Close

Today is graduation day.  It's quite overwhelming.  While I am so excited for the next step, I can't help but to dread leaving so much behind here in LA.  I am going to miss everyone so much, but hopefully these friendships will stay strong even with distance as a factor. 

I also wish my mom was here.  I'm sad that she is missing all of this, but she will be back in due time. 

I have learned so much inside and outside the classroom.  I have met so many different, amazing people who have touched my life and that I will never forget.  Goodbye UCLA, it's been an unforgettable four years.

Home is Where the Heart is!

My roomie and I have found a house for next year!  It is a fabulous two bedroom right down the street from the med school, and its so cute! I will post pics as soon as I move in.  The only downside is that the landlord needed to rent it ASAP, so our lease starts May 15th.  That means we have to start paying rent for a month before I can even move in!  Oh well, we really like the place, so it will be worth it in the long run!  I can't wait to start buying furniture and decorating!  And hopefully I will get to bring my cat! (Crossing my fingers that my roomie isn't allergic).  So as soon as I move back after graduation, I can already start moving in and getting things situated, but also living with my parents and spending time with my family before school starts.  At least I will for sure have something to do now! :P  Steph and I want to start a vegetable garden, so I am definitely going to take that time to read up on gardening and maybe start things off! Exciting!!!!!

We are already heading into 7th week here at UCLA... 7th week! Can you believe it?!  This quarter is going by way faster than I ever anticipated!  I have been trying to spend lots of time with all my friends before I leave... I'm really gonna miss everyone!

Tomorrow Howard is taking senior portraits if Juliette and I, so that should be fun! I am excited!

Oh yeah, I almost forgot: I went to Vegas last weekend with 9 Gamma Phi's.  It was a blast!  Here are a few gems from the trip:

HAHAHA Poor Marrin.....

Biochem Lab, it was fun while it lasted, but... oh wait, no it wasn't!

     Today was my last day of Biochem Lab! Thank the heavens!!!! I have been counting down the weeks until this day and it feels so good for it to finally be here.  The class actually wasn't all that bad, I just hate lab classes in general.  I liked my lab partner a lot.  She was really nice and laid back, unlike other freaks in that class.  The one thing that I guess is pretty cool about lab classes is you get to know your classmates a little better, and our class dynamic was pretty funny.
       So our TA was this tiny Vietnamese girl with braces, who was so easy to relate to because she did not take the labs too seriously like most neurotic, control-freak TAs I've had.  Also, we had a guy who liked to do magic tricks for us before class.  And normally, I think that type of stuff is cheesy, but he was actually pretty good, so it was entertaining.  Besides, who does magic tricks in biochem lab?!  The whole idea just makes me laugh.  Then there was this one girl, you know the one.  She was top of her class in high school and expects no less at UCLA, so she must prove to everyone that she is the smartest.  She thinks that she is soooo much better than everyone, and if someone ever doesn't understand anything she scoffs, "how could you not know that?!"  Needless to say, I never talked to her.
    I can't stand people like her.  I mean, can't we all just get along?  There is absolutely no need to put yourself on a pedestal above your classmates.  If other people don't understand something, why don't you share the wealth and explain it to them?  I have never really understood "gunners"*.  Why do you have to be the best of the class?  I feel like as classmates, its a lot more satisfying when you all work together and everyone succeeds instead of just one person.  (Not cheating of course, just helping eachother to succeed by being collaborative and bouncing ideas off of eachother, as opposed to "every man for himself")

*gunner = douche who feels that they are better than everyone else in the class; must outcompete everyone for grades; sets the curve at an impossible score; will not help out any fellow classmates; RUDE

So, it's been a while...

Though it seems like I have been neglectful of this blog, my most recent lack of entries has more been due to the fact that there isn't much to write about, so I have been "saving up" in a sense.

It is the end of 9th week, and finals are upon us.  My first one is biochem on Tuesday, which I haven't even thought about yet... oops!  It shouldn't be too bad though.  I ended up doing really poorly on my Cardiovascular Health midterm, so I kinda have to rock the final to get a decent grade in the class.  I'm a little worried; I don't want to get kicked out of med school before I get in!  I am just going to bust my ass for the final, and hopefully I can pull it off!

Other than that minor setback, things have been going pretty well.  My weight loss plan has been working, and as of today, I have lost 19 pounds since January!  I can notice a difference, but I still don't feel like I have lost that much weight.  I think I don't look that different, but it's definitely an improvement.  While I have been working pretty hard, it has actually been easier than it ever has been for me.  For some reason, this time I am just really motivated to keep going.  I think a lot of the inspiration has come from my Physiology of Nutrition class this quarter, in that it has really opened my eyes to how I needed to change my eating habits just for my future health.  That's probably why this time has been so successful, because instead of temporarily "restricting" myself, I have made a conscious effort to actually change my eating habits.  One of the things we talked about in class was some of the psychological factors behind overeating and what triggers it.  Our professor told us to try and figure out what triggers our urges to binge, so that we can either address the cause, or be prepared to consciously resist.  I have come to the conclusion that one of my triggers is stress over upcoming midterms/finals.  In the past, around these times I tend to eat lots of junk food as a sort of consolation to dealing with the stress and negativity of studying for tests.  But this habit is not healthy, and obviously took its toll on me in that I gained about 25 pounds in college.  Now, when I get the urge to binge on copious amounts of delicious junk food, I just remind myself why I am feeling that way, and continue to eat normally.  I've been successful so far, but who knows if I can resist in med school.  At least I am excited to hopefully be able to start med school off "fresh".  After all, as a doctor it is important to keep up with your own health.  I wouldn't feel right if I was an overweight MD telling my patients to live a healthy lifestyle that I wasn't even living. 

 I have continued on my ER project, watching episodes here and there when I can squeeze them.  I am now on season 3, but I still have a long way to go.  I think my favorite character is Carter, who starts the series as a third year medical student.  I just really like how the show follows him in his progression from student to doctor, although I have seen some of the later episodes, and I'm not looking forward to all the trouble he gets in later on.  I know tv shows and movies are not indicative of what a doctor's life is really like, but they still get me excited for the future, so I will continue to guiltlessly indulge!

Life Post-Midterms

Last week was just as exhausting as I ever imagined.  By Thursday night, I was definitely ready to let loose, and accomplished this by the usual night at Maloney's.  I'm not gonna lie:  I'm totally over Maloney's, but there really isn't much else to do in Westwood as far as going out is concerned.  Also, I'm not looking forward to getting my midterm grades back... don't think I did very well in biochem or cardiovascular physiology, but at least I aced my nutrition one.

Speaking of nutrition, for our class, we have to go in and get our body compositions measured.  I got mine done this morning, and let's just say it was definitely NOT the way to start out my week.  Turns out, I have a high enough body fat percentage to put me in the obese category.  Yikes, I was expecting it to be bad, but not THAT bad.  J, S and I have been dieting and exercising since the beginning of this quarter in order to slim down for our spring break cabo trip and I have already lost about 9 pounds.  I can't even imagine what my body composition would have said if I hadn't been losing weight for five weeks.  Well, at least the three of us are doing really well, and I am actually really proud of myself for being so disciplined.  I originally wanted to lose about 20 pounds overall, but the nutrition center put my target weight much lower than my original goal, so now I am shooting for about a 30 pound overall loss.  Sounds daunting, but I am already 30% there, right?

And don't worry, we are doing this all the healthy way.  I'm not starving myself by any means.  I'm just eating healthier, cutting the crap out of my diet, and exercising as much as I should have been all along.  I am really excited for our final results and our trip!  And at least I don't have to worry about it falling through since everything is already booked!  This week, the group that is going to Cabo (J and I don't know S's friends yet) is going out to a gay bar in Weho, which I am very excited about. I have always wanted to go to one and it sounds like we will have a fun little group.  Another thing I can check off my "To Do Before I Graduate" list!

This upcoming weekend, some girls and I were planning on going to the Grand Canyon on a road trip, but unfortunately that fell through.  So looks like I am going to have to find something else to keep me busy.  Maybe I can check off a few things on my "To Do Before I Graduate" list! What does this list consist of?  Well, it might be a good idea for me to come up with a solid one haha.

Midterm Season

      It's about that time of the quarter: midterm season, my favorite...  I now have full blown senioritis, which is making it very hard for me to buckle down.  But now that I have so much to lose if I don't do well in my classes, I'm using that as motivation to keep on keepin' on! Had my lab practical for biochem lab last week... wasn't TOO bad.  This week I have all three of my midterms.  I think I'll be okay - I am just gonna have to buckle down.  I'm definitely counting down the weeks until biochem lab is over.  While studying in the dungeon (basement of the sorority I live in) I got distracted by the many books left behind by past Gamma Phi's.  There are so many random things that I want to read down there, but I am forcing myself to focus on my midterms.  They will just have to wait for me!  (I doubt they are going anywhere.)

      Since I last blogged, one of my best friends, J from my pledge class, came to town - which was really exciting because she is studying abroad in China for the whole year.  We decided to spend our limited time together doing something we have always wanted to do: go on a spicy marathon.  Unfortunately, we were pressed for time, so it was more of a spicy sprint, but still fun nonetheless.  Our first stop was at Chichen Itza, a little mexican place by U$C, to try their infamously spicy hot sauce.  It was absolutely delicious, and we both decided to buy a bottle for ourselves.  Next, we went to the Thai restaurant Jitlada, where we ordered the "Chef's Spicy Challenge" to-go.  If you know me, then you know that I love spicy food and I am very accustomed to burning my tastebuds off on a regular basis... but this dish was spicier than anything I have ever laid tongue on!  After the first bite, my entire mouth caught fire and drooled excessively, my eyes cried involuntarily, while my nose ran all over the place.  We split the dish between us, but I wasn't even able to finish my half.  My first defeat by spicy food, but it hurt so good!  I needed two glasses of milk to tolerate the small portion I ate.  Then, for several hours after, my stomach felt like it was burning from the inside out from the acidity.  It was amazing... mission accomplished!

     So anyway, Valentine's day weekend is coming up, and a few sorority friends and I have decided to go on a little adventure to explore a place none of us have been: the Grand Canyon!  I love road trips!  We are still working out the logistics, so more to come on that.

     Oh yeah... normally my mom sends me something on V-day, but since she is going to be overseas at war, I took the liberty upon myself to send myself a box of chocolates!  I mean, who says you can't love yourself on V-day?  Don't worry, I'm not THAT into myself... more of an excuse to buy truffles.  I'll definitely be sending something to my sister and dad, since we always celebrate family love on V-day.  Speaking of family love, I really miss my little sister.  And I'm not gonna lie, I am a little excited about living close to my family again.  Especially when my little sis will get her driver's license this summer and be able to come visit my new apartment!

Back At UCLA

I know I promised details of the lovely Christmas trip to the South, but realized after the trip, there really wasn't much exciting about it. It was good to see my mom, and New Orleans was pretty cool, but that's about it!  I guess it wasn't as drastically different as I was expecting.

I'm back at UCLA now in the third week of the quarter.  I'm definitely loving my three day school and work weeks! My classes are awesome, with the exception of biochem lab of course, but even that isn't TOO bad.  I have a new roomie for the rest of the school year and I'm enjoying living with her (but I miss my old one too!).  Sometimes I forget how much I love living in the house... it is so amazing!  There is always someone to hang out with and something going on, which I love.

This morning I woke up to my alarm and the pouring rain, and decided to play hookie from biochem lecture.  After all, it IS podcasted! I guess you could say I'm just living the fabulous life for the rest of the year.  I love it!  The only thing I am getting a little anxious about is finding a roomie and apartment.  I know it's a long way away, but I just don't know how I am supposed to do it because people might not know if they are going to Davis up until June or even July!  Guess I'll try not to think about it and just worry about it later!