Well it's that time of the week again and it's raining...like it has been for the past three days. No joke...it's been pouring for a long time. Long enough to prevent the kick-off to our intramural basketball season and keep us indoors studying all weekend long. This past week did bring a lot of new and exciting things, so if this post seems a little all over the place, forgive me. Our lectures throughout the week mainly covered the optical and acoustic systems, so once again we got to learn all about my favorite topic...the eyes.
On Friday, we had another hands-on lab, but this time it was for learning about the eye reflexes. We learned how to check if all of the external muscles of the eye were intact (by doing the follow-the-finger test...it's a lot more complicated than that), testing peripheral vision, looking for strabismus, nystagmus, pupillary light reflex (constriction and dilation), Argyll Robertson's pupil, Marcus Gunn pupil, and finally...we tested visual acuity. If you don't know what any of those are and would like to know, I'm sure Wikipedia and/or Youtube give great explanations...but for those of you that don't, I'll save you the boredom. One interesting thing that I was never aware of is that when you are a doctor, before measuring a patient's visual acuity, the proper thing to do is to make sure that they are comfortable with reading letters. I guess it's something that I always take for granted since I can read, but many people can't read. In those cases, different visual acuity charts exist that replace the letters with shapes or a single letter that faces different directions, ultimately allowing the doctor to get a more accurate result. Just because someone can't read, it doesn't mean that they can't see.
Another interesting thing that I learned this week (amongst hundreds of other things) was about the development of speech and language. So each one of us has an area in the brain called Broca's area, which is located in the inferior frontal gyrus of each cerebral hemisphere. This area is responsible for speech production. What I found so interesting was that this area of the brain matures around the ages 7-10. Prior to the age of 7-10, most of us learned how to speak a native language, whether it was English, Spanish, Chinese, whatever. Broca's area is where the knowledge and ability to speak that native language is stored. Now, every language that you learned after the maturation of Broca's area (after 7-10 years of age), they are stored in an area surrounding it. So, for example, in class we were presented with a case where a gentleman had a stroke in Broca's area. When he recovered, he no longer had the ability to speak his native language, but he could speak German...a language that he learned in his adult life. The funny thing about this is, if there is anything funny about it, was that none of his family members could speak German, so they had to hire a translator in order to understand what he was saying. Wow, the brain can do some complex, yet amazing things!
Before I call it a night, I just want to leave you guys with a video (not my typical music video), but one that has been floating around on the internet for the past week. If you have not seen it already, I hope that you enjoy it and that it provides a little perspective in your life. We have so much to be thankful for...so make sure you let those around you know. Grab a Kleenex.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NjKgV65fpo
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Sunday, May 19, 2013
The Doctor Reflex
Hi everyone! I am happy to say that right now I am enjoying the third day of a four-day weekend (we don't get to celebrate American holidays, but we do get to celebrate Dominican ones like the one on this upcoming Monday). So with a little extra time on my hands, I've been able to master all of the material that we have covered thus far this semester (it's not that impressive because it's only been two weeks) and be able to reflect on this past week's events and share them with you.
Besides the typical schedule of lectures and excessive studying, the last few days did present two unique experiences that I would like to write about: anatomy lab and reflex lab. I guess I'll start with gross anatomy lab. Since we just began a new semester, all of our class was reassigned to new lab groups, so it's always an interesting experience working with new faces and meeting people that you have never talked to before. Not to be cheesy, but's it's good practice for when we will finally become doctors where we will be encountering new patients on a daily basis. With that said, last Tuesday was my first lab session and the dissection was The Orbit. Now, I'm not sure if I have ever shared this before, but one of the specialties that I do have a strong interest in is ophthalmology. I'm not ready to rule everything else out at this point (I'm sure a stronger inclination towards a specialty will be made during Rotations), but it is an area that I have previous work experience in and enjoyed thoroughly. So to do a dissection concerning the eye is like a dream come true. And let me tell you...it did not disappoint! It was honestly one of the best hands-on experiences I have ever had! If you can imagine what the cadavers look like (with the top of the skull and brains removed) with only an empty fossa where the brains used to rest. And what lies beneath the forebrain? The eyeballs...and oh yeah, a little layer of bone called the anterior cranial fossa. So using all of the experience I gained working as truck driver/electrical apprentice/gopher-that-does-everything-anybody-tells-him-to-do, I had to use a chisel and hammer to remove the bones that comprise the roof of the orbit. I've never felt more accomplished in my life. To remove the shards of bone and dissect through layers of fat to reveal the multiple nerves and musculature that function to move the eyeball...was awesome. On top of that, I got to use a saw (yea, like an actual hand-saw) on the other eye socket and remove the bone (basically what was left of the forehead) directly above the eye, so that we could investigate the musculature below the eyeball. Overall, it was a really cool lab, which was made even more exciting by my actual genuine interest in the topic.
On the last day of the week, Thursday, I also had a reflex lab. Now, I have been to the doctor plenty of times and have had my reflexes tested (I am sure you have too) and really didn't think much of it. But eliciting reflexes from a patient is not that easy, especially if you've never practiced it before. So we had our first lab where we learned to test the reflexes of the biceps brachii (biceps), brachioradialis (forearm), patellar ligament (quadriceps), achilles (calves), and a few other things that would sound like gibberish if I wrote them. It was basically a chance for us to learn the proper techniques for eliciting these handful of reflexes on one another (for example, if you are a guy, don't stand directly in front of a patient when eliciting a patellar tendon reflex...if you do, you might want to wear a cup!) and gaining the confidence so that we will be able to do them while under the pressure of an examination. And I guess if you have Podophobia...it was a chance for you to get over that (if you don't know what that means...look it up). These types of labs are always helpful, not only because it forms the foundation for the things that we will be doing routinely later in our career, but it takes us out of the classroom and reminds us why we are here becoming doctors.
Anyway, those were a few of the interesting things that happened over the course of the past week. I'm looking forward to intramural basketball starting next weekend and the chance to take our minds off school for a little bit...even if it is only one hour every weekend. Alright, well that's it...
Oh and here is the weekly song...it's kind of my thing now.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Dominica Diet
First off, Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there that are reading my blog and specifically to MY mother. I love you and I wish I could have been in the US to celebrate this day. But as fate would have it, I am here in Dominica.
Let's just say the first week of this semester went a lot faster than that of last semester. My high hopes that we would start things off slow...were completely, yet not surprisingly, shattered. We are back in the full swing of things almost like we didn't even have a break. But I will admit that the material that we covered this week has been really fascinating...the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). It's not every day that in the middle of a lecture that a teacher pulls out a cadaver brain with the spinal cord still attached (really cool!!!). It also feels quite satisfying to know all of the nerve pathways for touch, vibration, pressure, pain, and temperature for the entire body and how those connect to the brain. This first week of the Neurovascular block has also seemed a lot more relevant/applicable and clinical in comparison to previous material, which makes learning a lot more engaging. For example, one thing we learned about this week was a reflex called the Babinski Sign or Extensor Plantar Response. This is tested by taking a blunt object and pressing it firmly against the heel of an individual's foot, and then tracing the object to the balls of the feet. Now, in individuals above the age of 2 with no neurovascular damage, the typical response would be to curl your toes or plantarflex. However, in infants ( up to 12-18 months), their nerves aren't completely developed yet, so this response does not happen. Instead, they will spread and extend their toes (dorsiflex). This was one of the first things that I have learned here that I could directly apply to my life (I had my sister try it on my 8 month-old nephew and it really worked) and it provides assurance that what they are teaching us here is really true and not a bunch of malarkey. Yea, I used the word malarkey. This is what I was trying to explain in a video:
In addition to the academic side of life, over the past week I've made a more conscientious effort to eat more. If you are a regular on this blog, you would know that I typically eat cereal in the morning, grab a meal at the Shacks for lunch, and have dinner at Subway. So...apparently if you follow that regimen and maintain a pretty active lifestyle over the course of 4 months, you are bound to lose weight. Fifteen pounds to be exact. In order to try and prevent the loss of any more weight, I now eat a banana around 10 o'clock between lectures (they are really good here and only $.50 EC) and a Snickers candy bar in the afternoon. Mmmmm delicious and it reminds me of home. We'll see how it works out for me...I don't want to look like the skeletons we study in anatomy lab...that would be bad.
Have a great week everyone...until next time.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Two Week Hiatus
Well folks, it's been approximately two weeks...two restful weeks might I add, since you last heard from me. If you are a regular follower of this blog, the last time I wrote I probably left you in a little bit of suspense. We did have our end of Semester 1 Final, which was very difficult (166 questions in about 3 and 1/2 hours). That's a long time to take a test...especially if you have to pee right from the start. But I'm here writing, so I obviously got through it and did well enough to pass onto the next semester.
After the final (and I think I can speak for most people), I absolutely checked out. It was relax mode (beach, gym, celebration) and getting ready for a well-deserved break from school (and yes, the island). I took a treacherous taxi ride from Portsmouth to the airport two days later and flew to Barbados in the evening amidst a torrential downpour. I was extremely lucky because I was on one of the last flights to leave Dominica for the following two days due to weather. On the day that I flew out of Dominica, a group of students waited over 14 hours for their plane to arrive and take them home (I would have gone crazy in that tiny airport). By the way, the airport is about the size of one departing gate at an American airport. Once I got to Barbados, I hailed a cab and went to my hotel, Silver Point. I grabbed a late bite to eat, spent the night, and got in a cab at 5:30 in the morning in order to make my next flight. After making a stop in Miami, I took a short 45 minute flight to Orlando....and I was finally home.
Now, I'm not sure at how well I describe the amount of stress and pressure us Ross students are under all the time, but, regardless, it felt amazing for those factors to be nonexistent over break. No schedules, no reading, no tests. Nothing. If you ask anybody now about how their break was, it usually goes something like this, "It was toooo short and I just pretty much relaxed the whole time." And, honestly, that response pretty much sums up my break as well. Golf, Charley's steakhouse, NBA playoffs, home cooked meals, chocolate chip cookies, Ross friends, Argo, relatives, sleeping-in, gym, Pain and Gain, etc. That's it in a nutshell.
After the final (and I think I can speak for most people), I absolutely checked out. It was relax mode (beach, gym, celebration) and getting ready for a well-deserved break from school (and yes, the island). I took a treacherous taxi ride from Portsmouth to the airport two days later and flew to Barbados in the evening amidst a torrential downpour. I was extremely lucky because I was on one of the last flights to leave Dominica for the following two days due to weather. On the day that I flew out of Dominica, a group of students waited over 14 hours for their plane to arrive and take them home (I would have gone crazy in that tiny airport). By the way, the airport is about the size of one departing gate at an American airport. Once I got to Barbados, I hailed a cab and went to my hotel, Silver Point. I grabbed a late bite to eat, spent the night, and got in a cab at 5:30 in the morning in order to make my next flight. After making a stop in Miami, I took a short 45 minute flight to Orlando....and I was finally home.
Now, I'm not sure at how well I describe the amount of stress and pressure us Ross students are under all the time, but, regardless, it felt amazing for those factors to be nonexistent over break. No schedules, no reading, no tests. Nothing. If you ask anybody now about how their break was, it usually goes something like this, "It was toooo short and I just pretty much relaxed the whole time." And, honestly, that response pretty much sums up my break as well. Golf, Charley's steakhouse, NBA playoffs, home cooked meals, chocolate chip cookies, Ross friends, Argo, relatives, sleeping-in, gym, Pain and Gain, etc. That's it in a nutshell.
I flew back to Dominica on May 2nd via San Juan. Sidenote: I was very impressed with JetBlue; they had delicious snacks and free in-flight television. I got back to my room at Portsmouth Beach Hotel very late, so I only had time to unpack, which was a sweaty process (I will explain). Unfortunately, sometime during my break my fan decided to stop working....that was a nice welcome back. As Kramer would say...
But a quick fix (and more importantly $97 EC later), I have a brand new fan keeping me cool. The last three days of being on the island were a lot less stressful than when I first came to the island four months ago. This time around, I have spent tons of time at the beach, gym, restaurants (AND NOT SUBWAY YET!!! Im holding out until tomorrow), and less time freaking out about the upcoming semester. I feel a lot more prepared for this semester, not only because I have all the material things that need here (since I brought more stuff back to Dominica with me that I forgot the first time), but also with my mindset. I am already among the 71% of students from my class to advance to the 2nd semester, which is an accomplishment in itself. But also, I will be able to learn from my mistakes that I made last semester as well as improve on the things that I did well. Tomorrow is my second first day. Block 5: Nervous System/Psychiatrics and Endocrine System. I'm pumped...are you?
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