Radio Silence

  It's always during the most busy, action-packed times that I don't find time to blog.  I haven't blogged for over a month, and let me tell you, this last month has been the biggest whirlwind I've ever experienced.  So many life-changing things have happened in the past month (don't worry - all good things), and I haven't blogged about a single one of them.  Unfortunately, the whirlwind continues... and I won't really have time to sit down and give the next few posts the proper time they deserve until next week.  But, for now I will update anyone who cares that: Yes! BF and I matched together! :D YAY! And we're really excited about where we matched.  And things are amazing right now... just extremely busy!

   Look out for some posts next week.  I'm gonna cover a LOT, because a lot has happened.  Hold on to your panties, y'all!

Wait, So November Already Happened?

   I can't believe today is December 1st.  That means that I somehow got through my crazy month of juggling EM shifts with back-to-back-to-back interviews.  That also means that I only have two more blocks of 4th year left.  TWO MORE BLOCKS.  Right now, I'm on a long-awaited 2 blocks of "vacation", after which I only have 1 month of anatomy didactics, and then I finish my year off with 1 month of Family Planning.  Actually, I originally planned these two months of "vacation" to accommodate interviews, however, I somehow ended up doing most of my interviews in November during my EM rotation.  I don't know how I managed to do it, because for the entire month, I was either working, traveling or interviewing.  I think I survived last month with the help of some of my dear friends: hypomania, melatonin and caffeine.  I only have 3 interviews left, which are very spread out over the next two months, but I'm holding out hope for more last minute interview invitations.  I mean, it's not like I'm doing anything anyway.

   Well, that's not true.  I actually am working on my research during this time, but I still have a lot of free time.  And damn, it sure feels good.  I've been catching up on my previously ever-lengthening To-Do List, binge-watching tv, re-reading the Harry Potter series... You know, all the awesome things that regular people do.

   Interview season has been crazy.  People said that it actually ends up being kinda fun, and they were right!  Once I stopped worrying so much about getting enough interview invitations to have enough places to rank in order to match (try saying that all in one breath!), I really started to enjoy the process.  It's been fun and exciting traveling to new places, meeting new people, exploring other programs and what they're all about.  And the interviews are much different than medical school interviews.  This time around, I often get the feeling that they are recruiting me.  Also, for those of you who were ever in a sorority, the whole residency interview/match process is so similar to sorority recruitment/rush that it's quite scary.  I never would have thought all the things I learned during sorority recruitment would come in handy later, but they really have.

   I'm sure I'll start blogging more now that I have more free time.  I'd also really like to re-vamp my blog layout and design before starting residency, but I am somewhat computer illiterate, so if anyone knows any good websites or tools to use, please share! :)

View from one of my Philly hotels

Chicago O'Hare

BF and I managed to get a couple of interviews together.  Here we are at Dunkin Donuts.  Don't judge.

This is how I relax before an interview  hahaha

This is also how I relax before/after an interview

I've gotten very accustomed to changing into/out-of my suit in bathrooms

Happy Medical Monday!

   Hello everyone! Happy Medical Monday! Head on over to Your Doctor's Wife for the blog hop. 

 Hope everyone is doing well.  I'm still waiting for interviews for residency programs... *sigh* Not much else new going on with me. 

Anyway, the other day I realized that I won't be scrubbing in to the OR until March, and I won't be touching any patients until next month (I'm on Radiology now), sooooo naturally I took this chance to get my nails done!  

   

Dear Right Side of Brain, Please Wake Up

   One of the unfortunate consequences of going into a super left-sided-brain profession, is that if you don't make an effort to nurture the right side of your brain, it atrophies*.  I can make a ton of excuses about lack of time, lack of energy, blah blah blah.  But the truth of the matter is that I have done a piss-poor job of paying attention to my right brain.

   I wasn't always this asymmetric.  Back in high school I was extremely creative and working on projects ALL THE TIME.  I used to sew, paint, collage, draw, dance, you-name-it!  College rolled around, and I sorta lost my creative juices in the midst of studying and doin' what college kids do.  Flash forward to med school where I briefly went through a photography phase, taking a ton of pictures of everything and everyone.  But once I started studying for boards, I turned off the right side of my brain in order to buckle down, and I recently realized that I may have forgotten to turn it back on...

   There have been times in med school when that poor half-a-brain tries to take a breath of air to come back to life. For example:

• my various attempts at pretty nails
• our genital bake-off
• when I tried to pretend I was an interior designer
• when I made these cute uteri magnets

   I have no excuses to continue neglecting my creative side now, and anyway, my head feels lop-sided.  So I am gonna turn on my creative juice faucet, just let it go and see what happens.  First on the agenda: I really wanna start journaling again.  I've done this from time to time in the past, and I'll keep up with it for months, but then I'll just get bored of it.  Also, I love blogging and all, but there are a lot of things that I don't feel comfortable writing on here for anyone in the public to see.  I like to use my blog more as a memoir of this crazy journey called med school - something that people can read, and either learn from or something they can relate to.  My goal is not to air all my dirty laundry.  

   Another reason I'd like to make artsy projects is because it really makes me happy.  I'm feeling so tired and burned out, and I just wanna feel like a fun, happy-go-lucky person again.  The happier you are, the more confident you are.  Besides, I could really use a confidence boost before I try to sell myself to residency programs during interviews.  

 *This is most likely not true; I'm just exaggerating. Though if anyone knows of any studies exploring this topic, I'd love to hear about it...        Oh great, now I'm using the left side of my brain AGAIN

Happy Medical Monday!

   Hey there! Happy Medical Monday!  If you haven't had a chance yet, make sure you head on over to Your Doctor's Wife for the monthly blog-hop!

   It still hasn't hit me yet.  I finished my Gyn Oncology Sub-I on Friday, and I still can't help but feeling like there is something I'm supposed to be doing.  Overall, it was an insanely busy month, but an awesome month nonetheless.  I actually ended up working way harder and for more hours than I did on SICU! My favorite part: the patients.  I had the privilege of helping take care of some of the most interesting, inspirational women I've met.  Hopefully I'll get a chance to blog in more detail about some of my favorite experiences now that I'm starting a super relaxed month-long elective, Emergency Medicine Ultrasound.  My requirements for this month are to work a total of 16 hours per week... which is what I was working in one day on Gyn Onc.  

   It hasn't quite hit me yet, but I'm officially done with all of my "hard" stuff for this year.  I finished my two hard Sub-I's, SICU and Gyn Onc.  I finished Step 2CK, Step 2CS.  I have asked all my letter of rec writers, and they've said yes.  I'm still working on my personal statement, but I already have a solid draft and a more clear direction about where I'm heading with it now.  So I'm basically just tying up all the loose ends on my residency application (and actually entering it in ERAS).  

   But the one major thing looming over my head that I've had to put on hold for a few months while things have been crazy, is my research project I'm working on for my senior project.  I'm way behind. :(

Also, I recently read an article saying that someone at UCSF was doing the exact same study, so that kinds sucks.  But at least I can have more information heading into my project, I suppose.  

   Well, it's nice to human again after putting everything in my life on hold for a few months.  And I mean everything.  I'm back, y'all!!! :)

Puppy was mad that we left him alone so long...

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. 

And On To The Next One...

   I can't believe I made it through a month of SICU relatively unscathed.  It was actually enjoyable.  Yep, that's right.  I said it.  Enjoyable.  I think my second go at trauma surgery was far more bearable for several reasons.  One, I was working with a lot of really nice people.  I got lucky on this one.  Two, for some reason, everyone seems to treat you differently as a fourth year medical student.  It seems like they have more respect for you.  I don't know why, I mean, I'm the same person I was a few months ago.  Third, I got to see a lot of really interesting, sick patients and scrub in on some pretty amazing surgeries.  And I got to learn more about operating in general which will apply to OBGyn later, like learning the names of instruments, etc.  Lastly, and probably most importantly, I have a much thicker skin now as a fourth year medical student.  I am so much less sensitive to critical comments and take things a lot less personal than I used to.  Originally, I almost didn't pick SICU as a rotation, because I was scared and I knew it was gonna be tough.  I'm really glad I pushed myself though, because it was nice to prove to myself that I could do it.  And the hours were rough, but I made it.

   Now I am on a two week "vacation".  Well, really this first week I am taking Step 2 CS in LA, so that's not vacation.  But other than that, we'll be visiting friends in LA and going on our annual beach camping trip in Oregon, which I'm really looking forward to.  I'm really looking forward to getting Step 2 CS over with.  And unfortunately, it still needs a lot of work, but I actually have my first draft of my personal statement.  It's actually been a lot harder to write than I was expecting.  For some reason, I'm just really having trouble articulating my thoughts, and I am having trouble structuring it, which I need to do in order to base my entire writing process on.  So needless to say, I've been pretty busy lately.  But at least I've been productive.

   I've been pretty annoyed at myself ever since I got my Step 2 CK score back.  I didn't score nearly as high as I was expecting, and I don't know why.  It's not like I didn't feel comfortable going into it.  And I scored about 20 points higher on my practice test than on the actual one, so that was pretty disappointing.  Oh well, there's nothing I can do about it now.  But I'm having trouble letting go.

   The good news is that after my next rotation (Gyn Onc), I don't have all that much to worry about besides residency applications and interviews.  By then, I'll have taken all of my boards exams, finished my personal statement, asked for letters of recommendation, and will have finished all of my most important rotations.  Man, is it really already July?!

*  *  *

BF (as I'm typing this post prior to publishing it), "Oh, are you blogging?"

Me: "Yep!"

BF: "What are you blogging about? Your personal statement?"

Me: "YES... but also about other stuff."

BF: "Like Step 2?"

Me: "YES ... what else?"

BF:  "Finishing your first Acting Internship"

Me:  "Wtf, how do you know?! Do you even read my blog?"

BF: "No, but I read your mind..."

I Better Watch It

   I keep getting random people telling me that they read my blog - people like classmates, acquaintances, etc.  First off, this surprises me.  I have the link to my blog on my facebook, but it's kinda buried, and you won't really see it unless you're looking for it.  Also, I don't post links directing people to my blog on facebook or anything.  The second reason this surprises me, is because I guess I assume my blog is boring, and who would want to read it?  I mean, I write it because it's cathartic, and I like being connected with the medical blog community, but I guess it's kinda cool that people are actually interested in my thoughts.

   But I think the one thing that I'm realizing is that I need to be careful.  I decided a while back to make my blog anonymous, so that if you don't already know me, you can't easily figure out who I am, but if you do know me, you'll know everything about me.  Does that make sense? Haha clear as mud.  But yeah, I've been careful not to name any names, and make stories about patients loosely based on reality so that no one's personal information is compromised.  But now I'm beginning to worry that I might not be quite secretive enough.  It's a fine balance, because I want to get things off my chest, however, I don't want my rants to fall into the wrong hands and get me into trouble.  I suppose I'll just continue to write as though anyone could potentially be reading this blog, though that may cause me to leave out some of the good stuff ;)

Medical Mondays Blog Hop!

   Hey everyone!  Welcome! It's that time again - time to explore more medical-related blogs.  Head on over to Your Doctor's Wife to check out all the bloggers that linked up!

   So the other day, I was working with an attending in primary care, and like many attendings do, he asked me, "So, have you decided what you don't wanna go into?"  I have never heard it asked that way before, and I thought it was an odd twist on the typical, "What specialty are you interested in?" that most attendings/residents ask us malleable med students.  If you are new to my blog, then you probably don't know: I am super gung-ho about OB/Gyn.  So when he asked me that question, I politely answered, "Well, I guess (I don't want to go into) anything other than OB/Gyn."  Then he went on to scoff about how "self-assured" of me it was to say that.  Dude, you asked!

   That set the tone for the rest of the conversation.  We happened to be working with a lot of geriatric patients that day, so he goes on to talk about one of his colleagues, and how old she was when she had her baby, so maybe I'll work with geriatric patients at times.  I felt bad for one of the female residents who then awkwardly admits, "Oh, I'm 39 and I'd still like to have a child." He then proceeded to go off on some awkward mommy-issue-rooted rant about how women shouldn't have children any later than 40: because then "they don't get to spend any time with their kids or grandkids because they die too soon." He talked about how his mom died when he was 29, so "she missed out on my life and meeting her grandkids."  Then he boasted about how his wife had their youngest child when she was 37 because of this very issue.  

   I think it's really easy to determine how women should or should not raise families when you are a man, because you totally know what you're talking about, and you totally know from experience.  What particularly pissed me off was the fact that he shut down that poor female resident with his stupid rant.  If he would have taken time to actually listen to her, he would have realized that she has been married for many years, has been busy pursuing a career in medicine, so in attempt to be responsible has been waiting, and finally is ready to have kids.  He would have heard that she actually has been trying to get pregnant for a few years now, but it doesn't happen overnight.  

   I've gotten to the point this year where I'm tired of getting walked all over every day as a med student, and then getting graded on how well you lie on the floor after being walked on.  So I decided to say something to this attending, because he was out of line.  I said, "You know, unfortunately these days, if you want to pursue a challenging career, especially one in medicine, many women choose to put that part of their life on hold, and end up having to have children later."  It wasn't a profound statement by any means, but he looked sort of dumbfounded, and then realized his audience - and shut up.  

Is It Weird To Celebrate A Bloggiversary?

   I'm about a week late, but three years ago I started this blog the day I got accepted to med school.  I figured it would be a good way of documenting my experiences, so that I could look back when I'm older and say, "Ha! What the heck was I doing with my life?!" When I started it, I wasn't really sure if I would actually keep up with it, but I've surprised myself with how loyal I've been to it - and I even have 39 followers now!  I mean, that sorta makes me famous, right?!  Jk - 39 followers in the blogging world ain't no thang.
   But it has been a lot of fun.  And I really love this little medical blogger community.  It's so nice to read about others' experiences, and to be constantly reminded that I'm not alone in this crazy world of medicine.  The last few months, I've been in a sort of slump, but with this holiday break, I'm already starting to feel better and refreshed.

   As far as my attempts at getting some feel-good therapy in the psychologists' chair, I still haven't been able to make an appointment because my lady is so booked.  I'm not annoyed about it though, because I'm not anywhere near crisis-mode, and these others who are meeting her might need her attention more immediately.  We were finally able to hammer down a time to meet when I get back from the holiday break, so that'll do just fine.  I'm already feeling way less down-in-the-dumps since break started, but I think it will be good to just touch bases and make sure I'm taking care of my mental well-being for the rest of the third year clerkships.

   Anyway, back to the blogging topic.  I'm definitely happy with what I've been getting out of blogging so far, but someday I'd really love to write a book.  A book about what?  Well, something non-fiction, of course, but who knows.  Maybe about my journey in medicine?  Maybe about my future career as an OB/Gyn?  Maybe about some other experience yet to be had?  I'll figure it out :P

   I hope everyone has a lovely and safe Christmas, New Years, and whatever other holidays you and your family celebrate!

Medical Mondays Blog Hop

   Hi everyone!  If you're new to my blog, hello!  I am a third year medical student who love cats, mac and cheese, and women's health!  Thanks for stopping by and be sure to stop by Your Doctor's Wife for the Medical Mondays Blog Hop to find a bunch of other awesome medical-related blogs!

One Lovely Blog Award

   I can't believe I got my very first blog award!  And the One Lovely Blog Award is from one of my favorite bloggers, C, from Med School And The Rest Of It, whose blog I've been reading since I started med school.  Thanks, C! I love your blog!

   There are a ton of wonderful blogs out there, many of which have already gotten this award, so I'd like to pass along the award to:

• Amanda @ Charming Wholesomeness: A brilliant, hilarious grad student in genetics who writes about feminism, good books, and cracks me up all the time.  
• Laura @ Stethoscopes And Stories: A very insightful new third year med student who is going through all the same struggles as me.
• Tanya @ Hemobloggin: A spunky fourth year med student who is going through the journey of applying for residency and giving me a glimpse of what lies ahead.

   Be sure to check out these other great blogs!  And thanks again, C!

Blog Star: Hi I'm MS3

   Hi I'm MS3.  Welcome to my blog!  I am a third year medical student at a California school, and am currently on my psychiatry outpatient clerkship.  I grew up in Sacramento, went to UCLA for undergraduate, and I started blogging in December 2009 when I was accepted into medical school as a way to keep track of my journey in the field of medicine.  I'm interested in pursuing OB/Gyn (or possibly Anesthesia), but I'm definitely keeping an open mind.  If you are interested in knowing what life is like balancing medical school and sanity, then you'll like my blog.  Some of my favorite things to talk about are:

• Med school tales
• Sharing my amateur photography
• Adventures with my friends (who are mostly medical students) in what little free time we have
• My cat, Zoey (aka Baby Z)

          

   A little bit about me: I am a cat-lover/feminist/macaroni and cheese connoisseur.  I love cooking, dancing, singing, and blogging! Thanks for stopping by!
                    
Love,
MS3

This Won't Hurt A Bit

   Ever since I got the "save the date" way back in July, I have been extremely excited for one of my favorite bloggers (and author of This Won't Hurt A Bit), Dr. Michelle Au, to visit my school.  She gave two separate talks, both having to do with work-life balance in medicine, and the different expectations that are put on physicians (and trainees) by society, tradition, and ourselves.  One of my favorite things she said was, "To train humanistic doctors, you have to treat them like humans."  I feel lucky that my med school seems to share the same thought.   

   My roommate (who is also a fan) wasn't able to go, so I brought her copy of This Won't Hurt A Bit for Michelle Au to sign.  Sadly, I do not own the book, so instead, I decided to make a (somewhat creepy, I admit) bookmark for her to sign.  Hey, what could I do?! I am a fan, and I knew this would be my only opportunity to meet her, so I had to be creative... She didn't seem to be too weirded out, so that's a plus!

   One of the things she mentioned about in her talks was the importance of finding mentorship, especially for women in medicine, who are sometimes faced with obstacles that men in medicine don't necessarily face.  Though I have met a lot of really inspirational women in medicine in my journey so far, I haven't really gotten the privilege to get to know of any of them on a really personal level - which brings me to why I love Michelle Au's blog and book so much.  I feel like they really give me insight into what life outside of the hospital is like for a female physician, which I otherwise wouldn't know all that much about.  Though I only met her for a brief moment today, her honesty and candor in her writing make me feel like I know her on a more personal level, and I can say that she is definitely someone I look up to in medicine.  I absolutely love the fact that even though she is a physician, not only does she still blog, but she even wrote a book!  I would have never even considered being able to do something like that as a physician, but now I have actually made it a goal of mine to write a book sometime in my life.  

   On a more personal level, I was always unsure about whether I could ever see myself having children.  I'll admit, I used to have a really narrow idea in my mind of what being a mother would be like, and in my mind, it just didn't fit my idea of what kind of woman I wanted to be.  But after reading This Won't Hurt A Bit, I feel like Michelle Au painted a really good picture of what type of mom I could see myself being.  So, you can see why I am a fan.

Hello 2012, I've Been Expecting You

I'm about a week late, but Block 5 has already started out busy, so it took me a while to finish this post.  Before I talk about my goals for 2012, I wanted to look back and see how I did on my goals for 2011.

Last year's resolutions revisited:

1. "Do some serious soul-searching/spiritual discovery": I honestly did give some thought to this throughout the year, but I interestingly ended up in the very same spot I started out.  Which is okay with me, it just means that now I am more sure about how I feel!
2. "Lose weight/maintain a healthy lifestyle": I definitely accomplished my goal of getting back to my normal weight after the holidays last year.  As far as eating healthy and exercising on a regular basis, I tend to go through phases.  At times I eat ridiculously healthy and at one point was training for a half marathon, and then there are other times where I gorge myself and don't work out for over a month.  I think overall, the two phases end up canceling each other out so that my overall lifestyle is about mostly healthy. Also, I have been able to keep off all of the weight I lost in 2010, so I'm really happy about that.
3. "Put more effort into establishing and maintaining relationships":  Friendship-wise, I think I lived up to this goal as good as I could have imagined.  I feel like I've really strengthened a lot of my friendships here in med school, and I've learned to appreciate all my friends for all the different qualities they have to offer.  I've also really enjoyed the cooking/dining out adventures I've had with my friends this year, and I can't wait to have more.  What can I say, we just LOVE food!  I've tried to keep in contact with my UCLA and high school friends as best I can, but this is still a work in progress for me.
4. "Take pictures whenever possible": Along with my diet/exercise goal, I went through phases with this one too.  I think I managed to take a lot of great pictures in 2011, and can't wait to take more in 2012.  I will just have to find more opportunities to take them!
5. "Cook some delicious stuff": I more than exceeded at this goal.  2011 was FULL of cooking adventures with my sister or with my friends.  I grew an appreciation for the Food Network.  I also discovered my FAVORITE cook book store in San Francisco: Omnivore Books.  Towards the end of the year, I stopped cooking as much due to lack of time and excess laziness, but I got a professional mixer for Christmas, so I've been re-inspired to cook again!

New resolutions for 2012:

1. Continue a healthy lifestyle:  I would like to continue to eat FAIRLY healthy.  I also would like to get back into an exercise routine, especially with boards studying coming up, I don't want to just be sitting for 12 hours per day for three months.
2. Gun it up for boards (in non-malicious way):  Since all of our classes are graded Pass/No Pass, I've made the conscious decision to spend less time trying to "get an A" in my classes, and more time keeping my life balanced with friends, relaxation, etc.  After an extremely encouraging meeting with one of the school's student advisors, I am feeling energized and ready to work my ass off for boards.  OB/Gyn doesn't require a ridiculously high boards score, but I would really like to have options when I apply to residency programs. I'm feeling like I can get a really good score if I put in the time.
3. Maintain a balanced, happy life with boards studying (and later with clinical rotations).
4. Blog more: about whatever! Towards the end of 2011, I sort of dropped the ball on blogging.  I got really busy, and also felt like I didn't have much to say.  

So here's to another amazing year!  2012 is going to be a year of hard work, and hopefully worthwhile rewards.  

It's Interesting What Brings People To My Blog

You may know this already if you have your own blog, but on Blogspot, you can see statistics about who visits your blog, etc.  You can see what websites/URLs refer people to your blog, as well as what search terms ultimately lead them to it.  One search term that has always lead people to my blog is "university falls" or "georgetown falls".  These are a set of natural waterfalls pretty close to Sacramento that are easy to hike to, and you can safely slide down them into pools of water, which is really fun.  They are a well-kept secret, though, and most people only know about them by word-of-mouth - which is why I think a lot of people end up at one of my old posts about them when they try to google it.  

Recently, a new search term has been leading people to my blog.  And when I first saw it, I was quite confused.  Apparently, a few people per day are lead to my blog when they search "stepped in dog shit".  At first I had no idea why this would lead anyone to a blog about being a medical student, but then I tried google-image-searching it, this came up:

Picture of my sister cleaning dog shit off her shoes from a long time ago

Random!

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!