Block II

It has been a while, so I thought I would update. Block 2 is going well so far. We have had our first round of tests and I got to go home for Thanksgiving! YAY! It was great to be home and see family, even though I did have to study some while I was there.

Unfortunately, we are pretty much teaching ourselves pathology, which i think is a very important course, and I would like to have a professor for that instead of a bunch of 20+ page printouts each week.

Anyway, like I said, classes are going well so far this block in just a few weeks we have Christmas Break!!!! We have a week of testing before break, which is nice because it means we do not have to study for an exam while we are home.

After Christmas, it is just three more weeks of class, a week of exams, and the end of Block 2.

I think I am going to go to Chicago for break to visit my cousins, and enjoy the Windy City. It will be a nice change of pace.

In the meantime, during my free time that is, I am studying Spanish with Rosetta Stone. I decided it would be good for me to learn since I plan on going on mission trips with the school to Central America, spending one of my rotations in Honduras, and just working in America in most hospitals means that you are going to run into a lot of people who speak Spanish and not English.

Hopefully, this will make me comfortable with the language and be worthwhile.

Well, it is time to get back to Pharmacology and Pathology....I cannot wait for Christmas!

White Coat and Commissioning

Well, last Sunday I received my first White Coat at a wonderful White Coat Ceremony. I was so glad that my family (mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law, and grandmother) were all able to come celebrate this milestone with me.

We had a great speaker, Dr. Anderson, give the key note address. He was very inspiring, and we even received an autographed copy of his book after the ceremony.

Not only did we get a White Coat and Dr. Anderson's book, but we also received engraved stethoscopes and a "Humanism in Medicine" pin. It was definitely and exciting day, full of gifts and inspiration to continue on this pathway.

In addition to the White Coat Ceremony, everything finally came through for the Navy Scholarship, so I am driving to Raleigh, NC tomorrow to get commissioned. I am very excited to be able to serve my country in this way, and look forward to the opportunities that come with the experiences I am sure to have in the Navy.

Most likely, I will be spending my summer in Rhode Island in Officer Training, which is going to be an experience in and of itself (one I probably need to prepare for, physically, ahead of time).

(Pictures of both to come soon.)

Week Three

It has been a long week. I have been studying non-stop since Friday, Aug 28. My first medical school test is tomorrow and I have been trying to prepare for that and catch up with studying from the previous two weeks of school. Even though I probably should have been studying some more, I drove down to Wilmington for my family reunion this weekend. It was great to be able to see everyone, even though it was only for a few hours (with a round trip 12 hours driving time).

Saturday night, my parents and I stayed at a house of some family friends who were out of town at their own family reunion. I did get a little bit of studying done, and my mom helped me come up with some songs to memorize the CYP 450 inhibitors, inducers, and some other Red Flag drugs. The songs are to the tunes of London Bridge, Gilligan's Island, and Green Acres, respectively.

I drove back to Blacksburg Sunday night and memorized the songs on the way back. So at least it was a productive drive!

This evening, after I finished studying, I took a walk along Plantation Road and took pictures of all the animals in “my backyard.” I love living next to all these animals and seeing the horses and sheep every time I leave and return to my apartment. It makes me happy early in the morning or when I have had a bad day to pass the sheep and say hello. Here are a few pictures that I took along my walk.

This sheep walked over from the middle of the field and came to pose for me. When I was done, I thanked her, she baaaed and walked away again. :)

Well, tomorrow is my first test and it is 7 hours long. We have approximately 50 minutes per section with a 10 min break in between each. It is on the computer and we have a white board for any notes that we may need to take. In these respects, it is supposed to be very similar to boards. We will be having these tests every two weeks from now on. It is supposed to prepare us for boards by building endurance or something like that.

Well, hopefully I have done enough to prepare for this first exam. I am nervous, but ready. I will be very happy at 3 pm tomorrow afternoon because the first exam will be over.