Pumpkin Goodness!

I am taking a quick study break to update on all things pumpkin!

I thought I wrote a post about going to the pumpkin patch, but I just realized that I never did. So... a few weekends ago I went to the pumpkin patch to pick out some pumpkins for pies. I went to the patch, instead of somewhere like Walmart, because I wanted to see what the selection was like and I wanted to take fun picutres. However, the pumpkin patch I went to had very little selection. It was so much smaller than Wesley's. On the other hand, it did have corn mazes and hay rides, etc. I had fun though, and took several pictures.

That evening, I scooped out all of the pumpkin guts and seeds, and cooked and scooped out the meat to prepare for making pumpkin goodies! I also made the seeds that night. It was a very busy evening! :)

(Unfortunately, I forgot to chronical my pumpkin making adventures with photographs.)

A few days later, I made pumpkin pie! Yummy! Jessica came over and make the crust because she said I was not allowed you use a store bought crust. Then we had a study session.

Soon, I plan on making more pie and some yummy pumpkin muffins.

Did I mention, I love all things pumpkin!

Finally

I finally passed a Microbiology exam. I go into the exams every time feeling like I understand the material. I never feel like I know everything, there is too much information to learn everything for 9 exams in one day. However, I do feel like I know enough to at the very least pass. It has been very frustrating, but finally, I have passed my micro exam.

This week is going to be full of studying as next week is a full week of exams. Then, provided I pass all of my courses this block, I get a week long break!!! I cannot wait, and I definitely need this break.

At the end of the break is our White Coat Ceremony, another very exciting moment my medical school career.

Well, for now I need to get back to studying because I am determined to pass all of my courses, and am trying to do much better than passing.



P.S. There are baby sheep, baby cows, and baby horses in the pastures now! I have tried to get pictures, but they keep moving the babies due to problems with the fencing. I tried to go this evening, but it was too dark to get good pictures. Hopefully, I will have new pictures soon!

My First Delivery!

I delivered a baby today! It was an amazing experience. Well, maybe not as miraculous as most I delivered a baby from a computer simulated pregnant woman named Noelle. It was very neat though. Noelle is completely controlled by a computer and many scenarios can be run on her. We, however, just did a normal, uncomplicated birth. You have to guide the baby out, just like in a real birth, the only difference is that there is never a breached birth. The mechanism that pushes out the baby only attaches in one way, so the baby is always in the ideal position. The umbilical cord, however, can be wrapped around the baby's neck, so you have to check for that possiblity.

We learned about various methods of dating the pregnancy and determining fetal position. Noelle's belly does not really allow for palpation of the baby, so we hid the baby under a blanket to practice Leopold's maneuvers. We also learned how to determine how far dialated the mother is and about stages of labor. It was a very good session because there was only about 10 students in the session.

I hope that the simulations become a bigger part of our ciriculum and I think it will later in the year and during next year.

Don't Put All Your Eggs In One Basket

Or don't put all your time into one exam. Because then when you do badly in all the others and find that you did not even do well in the one exam you put tons of time into studying, it is a much worse feeling.

This set of exams went horribly. It looks like I will be sticking around Blacksburg during the week of break for remediation. :.(

Hopefully, that expectation will not come true, but I don't want to make any plans for my week off now.

This week and next, I will be spending a lot of time studying and trying to commit equal time to each topic so that I can do well on the next set of exams.

I promise, I KNOW VIROLOGY!!!! That test was not an accurate measurement of my knowledge. I am not very happy about it. But I know God will use this experience and the experience of this entire Block 1 in some way. I just want to get through it, pass, and get my White Coat....

Week 7

I had a lot of trouble concentrating this week. I was very worried about Micro, and spending most of my time on it instead of spreading time to everything. This weekend, however, has been very productive. Friday night I studied all of the courses that did not have many lectures or I felt would be quick to get throug. Yesterday, Jessica and Sierra came over to study Pharm and Micro. We spent most of the time from 10 AM to 4:30 PM studying Micro (took a break for lunch and later a quick walk down by the pastures). Then we started studying Pharm until about 6:30 PM when Raj came over to study Biochemistry.
This morning, I finished reviewing Ethics and Pharm then I went to church at Blacksburg Christian Fellowship. It was a much needed break and I absolutely loved the service. I just have to see what types of things they have for me to plug into and I might have found my new church home!
When I got home, I had a quick lunch, and finished up Biochemistry. After Biochem, I went for a run/walk down through the pastures again. I love running there! I cannot wait until my endurance builds up in this higher altitude. I am running further every time, but I still have a long way to go to get even where I was over the last few years in Raleigh (which was not far or fast). On my run today I saw some hunger donkey, birds playing leap frog, and some tuckered out sheep. :-) I have reviewed Nutrition again, and I am about to look at Micro one more time. I think I have everything covered, and I am ready to go ace Micro! :)

Hopefully, these exams will all go well!

Week 6

Well, I put a lot more time into studying for the exam this past weekend, and there was improvement in several courses. However, there were still some courses that I did not do very well in, and one in particular that needs vast improvement. I have spent time this week talking to the professors in this course about advice for studying for their course. Hopefully, these techniques will prove successful on the next exam.

The block is half over. It is hard to believe that in a few weeks we will be having our White Coat Ceremony.

This weekend, Morgan came to visit!! :) It was great to have her here, but unfortunately it meant I did not get much studying done, and it would have been a great studying weekend. Oh well, I definitely needed friend time and I was great to spend it with Morgan!

We went to the movies, and to Jefferson National Forest and walked around the pond. We had plans to go to Roanoke, but we never went, it was a nasty, raining weekend, so we decided just to stay in Blacksburg instead. I did show her all of my "backyard" animals! :)

Weeks 4 and 5

Well, last week I found out that I did not do as well as I hoped on several of my first medical school exams. The first round is over, and tomorrow is the second round of exams. I have been studying almost non-stop since I got my grades back, hoping to do much better on these exams. Tomorrow is the Block 1 Pathology Final Exam, and we have five other exams. The good thing is....we are done by noon!!!

This weekend I studied a lot with Brittany. It was really good to have another human being in the room whlie studying. For the most part, we were very productive while together, though we did of course get off on some interesting tangents. Yesterday we went to Jefferson National Forest and studied outside for a little while. It was very nice to get out, and quite relaxing.

Today, I finished going through my notes around 5:15 P.M. and went out for a run through the pastures. I have no idea how far I went, but I turned around when I saw a hawk fly away with a very large mouse....at that point I figured I was too far out in the country for today, though it was absolutely beautiful! I even met Eeyore (or some of his family) while out on my run this evening!

It has been a very relaxing evening. I am glad to have the time to give my brain a rest before the exams tomorrow. I only pray that I have learned enough and do well on the exams.

Thank you Lord, for your beautiful, amazing creations in nature and the intricacies of life. The more I learn and the more I see, the more you become real to me!!

I cannot wait for Thursday, September 24! Morgan is coming to Blacksburg, and we are going to have tons of fun!!! I miss Morgan so much, I cannot wait to see her.