Pathetic Blog

I know...I know...I missed last week and I'm about to pull off another weekend of not writing anything. I hope you can understand.

This week's schedule:
Monday - Micro Anatomy Practical & Gross Anatomy Practical
Tuesday - Mini III Reproductive & Integument Systems
Wednesday - Clinical Competencies & Skills Block Exam

That's a mouthful. As you can tell, I've been busy and about to get busier. In a way, you're lucky that I'm not writing a well thought out blog because if I did, it would mainly consist of me telling you how much I have been studying, which is no fun. Anyway, pray for me and enjoy your week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0GFRcFm-aY

Last Stretch

Finally, we are in the last stretch as Second Semesters. We survived (well, maybe not all of us...at least most of us...ok, most importantly I survived) what was supposedly the most difficult test that us medical students will take at Ross. After we took the Renal & Digestive System exam (Mini II) on Tuesday afternoon, we were so graciously given the night off from studying, only to have to start the last block the very next day. But taking the rest of that day and night off was just what my mind needed. I was so sick and tired of taking tests and studying that I decided to what? Partake in trivia night at DeChamps! That night I was able to enjoy a few refreshing beverages and hang out with friends for a little while, but had to quickly get back in the swing of things the next day for the start of the Reproductive & Integument module.

That's right. You heard me. We get to spend 2 and a 1/2 weeks studying one of the most uncomfortable topics concerning the human body. Splendid. But if there is one thing that I have learned so far...med school is not med school until you see your first mangled penis. Yea, I just said that too. You know that feeling when you see someone else hurt a part of their body, for example they break an arm, and then your own arm starts to hurt? Yep, I have been having that feeling a lot lately.

I guess I would be lying if I didn't say that I have been counting down the days until I go back to Florida. We are less than a month away from finishing Second Semester with only Mini III, a Micro Anatomy exam, a Gross Anatomy exam, a CCSB exam, and our Semester II Final standing in our way. Oh gosh, just writing that made me realize how much there is left! That equates to a lot of hours studying.

This upcoming week starts off quickly with lab tomorrow ("Male & Female External Genitalia"), 2 sessions of SGL, a Beginner's Suture Lab (put on by Surgery Club), and the usual...lectures everyday. It should provide for an eventful week. Anyway, that's all I have for today...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC_q9KPczAg

Another Big Test

Once again, a big test is upon us (I know, I say that every time). Mini II is on Tuesday (117 questions over the span of 2 hours and 30 mins). Heck, I've watched movies longer than that...it should be no problem. Anyway, it will test us on our knowledge of both the Digestive and Renal Systems. 

Despite the upcoming test, this week has been pretty uneventful. Oh, I guess we got a day off on Tuesday as Tropical Storm Chantal moved past us. Let me say this...it couldn't have been over-hyped any more. A little rain and some mild wind. That's all. But it was still able to manage to cause problems to Ross' communication systems and faculty email, which might not seem like a big deal, but it correlates to a lot of miscommunication between everyone on the island. However, most of those problems have been resolved and now we have carried on with our regular schedules.

Sorry to keep it short, but I gotta get back to studying. 

Can anyone guess the male actor in the following music video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqmFxgEGKH0

Disaster Averted...For Now

I'm not sure if everyone is familiar with the theory of "Basic Needs", but it states that there are three main things that every person must have in order to survive. Food. Shelter. Clothing. That's it. And throughout the last two weeks, I thought I was going to lose out on one of them. Shelter? No. There haven't been any hurricanes down here yet, so thus far I still have my shelter. Clothing? Once again, no. I have plenty of clothing and multiple options for laundromats to keep my clothing clean, so that's not it. What does that leave us? Food. As most of you probably know, I am an avid fan of the Subway on campus. It's just a little taste of home and for the price, it's a pretty filling meal. I typically eat dinner there 6 out of 7 nights of the week. But over the last couple of weeks, I started to notice a trend. First it was the chocolate milk. They had it one night and the next night it was gone. Then went the chocolate chip cookies. Ooooh boy, you don't want to mess with my chocolate chip cookie cravings. When those began to disappear, I started to get a little peeved. So peeved, in fact, that I began to use the word peeved. Then it was tomatoes...followed by green peppers. You see where this is going. Then last Thursday, when I went to Subway for dinner, they were out of cookies, chocolate milk, bread, tomatoes, green peppers, yes I said bread, and the toaster for pizzas was broken. At that moment, I told myself that I had had enough and I walked out. A trusty establishment whose sole purpose is to serve delicious and nutritious subs to people couldn't even throw together a decent meal. Sad day.

So, I told myself that I would not go back there for a while. I couldn't face the disappointment of walking in there to find half the ingredients available to make a sandwich and still get charged full price. But then my prayers were answered! For some reason I was walking by the other day, probably because I was having Subway withdrawals, and I saw the cookie container stocked full of double chocolate, oatmeal raisin, macadamia nut, and chocolate chip cookies. Jackpot! All the ingredients to make every sub on the menu were available and I was back in business. So it was a quick scare...and that's all. Apparently, sometimes the shipment of supplies from the US can be a tad late, but it will eventually get there. And when it does, what a glorious day that is! Subway...eat fresh!

UPDATE: As I sit here writing this blog, a friend sends me a picture of the path of Tropical Storm Chantal, which appears to be heading straight towards Dominica. Now my Theory of Basic Needs seems very appropriate. Hopefully, it will provide some blog material this next week. And rain. We are in desperate need for rain (THIS COULDN'T BE ANY MORE SARCASTIC).

Big week coming up. Three and a half days of classes and one lab with a long weekend ahead of me, which will be spent studying for Mini II on the following Monday. Thanks for reading.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLHso6hLHFA

The Swirling Vortex

Sometimes you have things to say...and then sometimes you don't. This is the latter. This past week has been absolutely tortuous with all of the lecture "crap" that Ross has thrown at us (pun intended...we are studying the digestive tract). But in all seriousness, it has been really fast-paced and difficult material in addition to all of the outside-of-lecture activities that we have had to participate in.

One thing that has become really apparent to me over the past week is how mature all of us students, myself included, have become. What I am about to say is probably not at all what you think I am about to say. And let me preface this by saying that this might get awkward. Typically, the digestive system is something that most people like to keep private. It is usually a very uncomfortable topic for people to talk about. Heck, it took me the longest time to even surrender to the idea that girls poop! You know what convinced me on the topic? The informative novel entitled, "Everybody Poops". A great read and available in every Barnes & Noble kid's section. But here in medical school...anything goes. Studying both what goes in and comes out of the digestive system is equally important, and can actually reveal so much about a patient's symptoms/condition. One of the best diagnostic tools that we learned about this week that ANYBODY can use is something called The Bristol Stool Scale. Yep, you guessed it. It's a classification system for poop. And you may never admit it to anyone else, but we all "look", so you might as well rate it. Here's the scale. Enjoy!!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_stool_scale

Haha! Funny thing is...anyone that actually looks at it...will probably use it. But this is exactly what I'm talking about when it comes to maturity. If you were to show the Bristol Stool Scale in any undergraduate classroom in America, you would hear nothing but laughter, horrific screams, and yes...maybe even some poop jokes. But here at med school...surprisingly, we all look at it like something that will be useful in our later medical practice...and I hope that's something you can appreciate about doctors. When they say that doctors have pretty much seen everything...I can believe it. I've seen more naked "whatevers" and bloody "thingamabobs" in the last six months than you can possibly imagine. But it's all in the pursuit of learning and knowledge. So I guess my message is just that each and everyone of our states of health is very personal and sometimes embarrassing. But that's why you should choose a doctor that makes you feel comfortable (because they have already become sensitized to pretty much everything) and is worthy of your trust. Sometimes it is those really embarrassing or socially awkward symptoms (example:. Chronic Type 7 on the Bristol Stool Scale...you see what I did there...now you have to look at the scale) that could quite possibly save a person's life...so tell your doctors everything. Don't leave things out! They (and hopefully soon to be ME) are only there to help you. Happy early 4th of July everyone!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUtnwcv-quE

Working For The Weekend

I'm back and after a long...long week, I know I've got things to share, so sit down, buckle up, and enjoy the ride! We have now finished our First Block of Semester 2. Of course, we had to go through a Gross Anatomy Practical (last Monday) and our first Mini (last Wednesday) to get to this point, but here we are just chugging along. And if you're wondering, my bladder did not explode during the Mini. But, after a 3 hr and 41 min test, let's just say there was a line outside the bathroom. Typically, I drink about 20 ounces of water right when I wake up every morning, but on test day, I just can't do it. Too bad I had to learn from experience to figure that one out.

Well, enough about my bodily functions. After our two big tests, we started Block 2 on Thursday, Gastrointestinal/Renal Systems. From what I hear, this block should be pretty difficult. But we only had two days of lectures (that means less material than normal to go over on the weekend), so that provided a relaxing weekend. Hey, we ARE in medical school, but we need a break every once in a while! Originally I had planned to go on a hike with some friends. ROSS has a club called "The Excursion Club" that organizes and goes on adventures every weekend, so I had signed up for "The Seven Waterfalls" hike. Apparently, it is a pretty difficult hike that includes climbing over rocks and boulders, ascending/descending a mountain, crossing a few rivers, and yep...you guessed it, seeing seven waterfalls. You're so smart! It sounded like a lot of fun...but it didn't happen. The weather in Dominica during this time of year is very unpredictable. It will be clear blue skies out and then in an instant it will be pouring rain. Because of the heavy rains, the rivers up in the mountains become very dangerous and the mountain becomes difficult to climb. About midweek, I got an email saying that the excursion had been called off. Sadly, two locals died earlier this past week up in the mountains because they were swept away by a river. So yea...we decided not to go. Yes, it would be really cool to see some of the natural side of this island (instead of the inside of a classroom) at some point, but it wasn't worth risking my life. I'll just have to go next time when the conditions are better. So what was a disappointing cancelled-hike-day turned into a beautiful beach day! Not a bad tradeoff. Here are a few pictures I've taken lately:

Could you spot the crab in the first picture? Or the pelican in the last? The one great thing about living in Portsmouth is...you can never mess up a sunset picture. Well, that's pretty much all I got for you, since the beginning of the week was mostly spent studying for tests. This next week is a full slate of lectures and one lab, Supracolic Viscera. Should be fun.

P.S. Shout out to my Godson Charlie for learning how to crawl and stand during the last few weeks, while also enjoying his first time swinging and swimming! Way to go!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n5G0qFBsHM

The Big Week

Happy Father's Day!!! Too bad I'm not back in Florida "letting" my Dad beat me in golf today, but instead I've been stuck in a classroom studying all day long. No joke. All day. Regardless, I hope it was a good one. It's going to be a long week. For starters, Gross Anatomy Practical tomorrow on everything in the Head & Neck. And then the big kahuna...Mini 1 on Wednesday covering the first six weeks of classes: Neuro & Endocrine. 176 questions. 3 hours and 41 mins. Good luck bladder.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ec0XKhAHR5I