so it is wednesday night, and i have a test on friday morning... i should NOT be blogging. but i am... why? because i'm in a particularly good mood and figure i should document such an occasion.
have i mentioned how utmb is pretty much the perfect school for me? and how i'm so thankful that i did NOT get my way and end up at houston's med school? i totally love the people here. i love only going to class until noon. i love the atmosphere. i'm even kind of in love with galvatraz. i've only been off the island ONE day since school started, and i actually missed it while i was gone.
today was our LAST day of cadaver lab. kinda bittersweet. i do love dissecting. however, after 8 weeks in lab this semester, and 6 weeks in lab this summer, i'm a little bit over smelling like formaldehyde. so while i'll miss it, it will be nice to smell decently. and have more free time. CON: not having an excuse to wear scrubs to class on the daily. and see all the guys in scrubs. yes, i'll admit it. i'm a med student, and i find guys in scrubs to be 10x hotter.
other than that, life is good. i've been cooking a lot, have a trip to houston coming up this weekend, a "fiesta" with my friends on tuesday, and hopefully some beach time!
did i mention that as of friday's exam, i'll be 1/4th of the way through my first year?! that is UNREAL. we are like 10 days away from november. when did THAT happen?
oh and for kicks, i have been suffering from the plague all week. i have no idea what it is, but basically when i try to sleep at night, i wake up every few hours with insane coughing fits. it has been so bad that my abs are sore.
okay i really should go study now so that i DON'T have to write an 'i hate med school' post next week when i find out i failed my final... k bye!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
drowning
it is saturday night here in the galv, and i'm spending the night at home. studying. like i have been all day. the test isn't for 2 weeks, but I AM DROWNING. it is amazing how much we have covered in 2 weeks.... ahhhhhh - do you know how many nerves and tiny muscles are in the head/neck?? about a million. believe it or not, med school is NOT as glamorous as you may think...
last night, there was a fancy white coat dinner put on for the 1st years and utmb faculty. everyone got dressy and enjoyed a few hours away from textbooks!
anyway, i've probably wasted enough time now. back to the grind :X -- already counting down until the 21st!!! hurry up, freedom!
anyway, to catch-up, last weekend i ran home to houston and went to lindsey's first wedding shower! it was really fun getting to see her and finally help out with the wedding!
this week was busy busy. lots of class and studying. you know, the usual.
we did take a study break thursday night and had a dinner party + carved pumpkins!! let me just tell you, nerds take pumpkin carving seriously. we had a drill attachment specifically for hollowing out the pumpkins, a drimmel for more precise carving, and a probe stolen from anatomy lab. yep - it was pretty awesome.
last night, there was a fancy white coat dinner put on for the 1st years and utmb faculty. everyone got dressy and enjoyed a few hours away from textbooks!
anyway, i've probably wasted enough time now. back to the grind :X -- already counting down until the 21st!!! hurry up, freedom!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
week 5
i swear my blog post titles are always in reference to time. but let's be real: med school is all about time. or the lack thereof. or the mismanagement of. or or or... you get my drift...
ANYWAY, test scores are in for round one, and the verdict is: i scored above average! while the psycho, almost 4.0 in undergrad inside of me was slightly put-off by being JUST above average, the logical side of me rememebered that the competition has obviously escalated since my baylor days. my days of easily being in the top of the class are OVER. womp womp. 3, 2, 1: I'm over it. good news is, the only real incentive for being in the very top of the class is if you want a specialty like dermatology or opthamology. yep, nope. so life is good!
so this week has been head and neck week. and unfortunately, that is continuing into next week as well. what is the problem you say? well, there is an unreasonable number of structures/tiny holes/vessels/nerves/details/details/details crammed into a TINY amount of space. and for someone who has never taken a neuro class, i feel like i'm learning a new language! zygomatic, orbicularis oris, pterygoid, depressor anguli oris, epicranial aponeurosis...... yah, you get the point. SO many new vocab words!!!
EVEN WORSE: my small group guilt-tripped me into being their contestant for med school jeopardy. i agreed before thinking i'd have to get up in front of people and attempt to regurgitate all these words that i can't remember let alone pronounce. should be all sorts of amusing.
in other news, headed to houston on friday! for the first time in 5 weeks! yes, i have been on this island for FIVE weeks. we were joking about how med school was like survivor... and how it was even funnier since we are literally ON AN ISLAND.
okay, so my brain stuff isn't going to learn itself. happy hump day!
ANYWAY, test scores are in for round one, and the verdict is: i scored above average! while the psycho, almost 4.0 in undergrad inside of me was slightly put-off by being JUST above average, the logical side of me rememebered that the competition has obviously escalated since my baylor days. my days of easily being in the top of the class are OVER. womp womp. 3, 2, 1: I'm over it. good news is, the only real incentive for being in the very top of the class is if you want a specialty like dermatology or opthamology. yep, nope. so life is good!
so this week has been head and neck week. and unfortunately, that is continuing into next week as well. what is the problem you say? well, there is an unreasonable number of structures/tiny holes/vessels/nerves/details/details/details crammed into a TINY amount of space. and for someone who has never taken a neuro class, i feel like i'm learning a new language! zygomatic, orbicularis oris, pterygoid, depressor anguli oris, epicranial aponeurosis...... yah, you get the point. SO many new vocab words!!!
EVEN WORSE: my small group guilt-tripped me into being their contestant for med school jeopardy. i agreed before thinking i'd have to get up in front of people and attempt to regurgitate all these words that i can't remember let alone pronounce. should be all sorts of amusing.
in other news, headed to houston on friday! for the first time in 5 weeks! yes, i have been on this island for FIVE weeks. we were joking about how med school was like survivor... and how it was even funnier since we are literally ON AN ISLAND.
okay, so my brain stuff isn't going to learn itself. happy hump day!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
freedom!
so i'm enjoying 2 sweet days of freedom after our first midterm! it is so nice to do NOTHING and not feel guilty! today is the first day in an entire month that i haven't had to study - woah. speaking of which, i have survived an entire MONTH! - honestly though, time is flying. i can't even believe it will be october next week! hoorayyy - bring on cooler weather, all things fall, AND what i'm most excited about: THE TOURISTS GOING AWAY!!! - you don't understand how obnoxious they are! guess i should have anticipated that moving to a beach town...
anyway, like i said, we had our first midterm yesterday! we had a 2.5 hour written portion, then a lunch break (i got subway and ate on the beach!), and then a 2 hour lab practical... grades are posted next week: crossing my fingers :) -- overall, i felt okay. the questions are obviously harder than undergrad - they don't test facts; they write clinical questions that you have to apply what you know to try and understand. if that makes any sense...
speaking of trying to apply what i've learned [which seems like a ton for a month!]... i went to walmart today and overheard the cashier talking about going to the doctor for shoulder pain. we had just gone over the shoulder joint and all the associated problems, so i definitely asked her for the details.... she asked me if i was in nursing school: NO!... anyway, apparently another cashier overheard our convo and stopped me and asked me about an ear problem she is having... UM I'VE ONLY BEEN IN SCHOOL FOR A MONTH. she seemed to think that that was adequate schooling to diagnose her and recommend medication. i told her we haven't even studied the ear yet... fail
other updates:
- this week was crazy cakes. everyone was super focused and went into lockdown mode. i spent THIRTY hours by myself in my apartment. embarrassed to admit this, but a lot of talking to myself happened. i didn't realize how psychotic i seem to go without social interaction!
- i also SINGLE-HANDEDLY cut out my cadaver's GI tract this week. tied off the esophagus and rectum and cut that baby out! liver included! i might love anatomy lab.
- went on a night walk on the beach! i was surprised to see how many people were out there swimming and stuff. it was fun!
anyway, off to enjoy more shenanigans before the whirlwind picks up again monday! hope yall have a wonderful weekend!
anyway, like i said, we had our first midterm yesterday! we had a 2.5 hour written portion, then a lunch break (i got subway and ate on the beach!), and then a 2 hour lab practical... grades are posted next week: crossing my fingers :) -- overall, i felt okay. the questions are obviously harder than undergrad - they don't test facts; they write clinical questions that you have to apply what you know to try and understand. if that makes any sense...
speaking of trying to apply what i've learned [which seems like a ton for a month!]... i went to walmart today and overheard the cashier talking about going to the doctor for shoulder pain. we had just gone over the shoulder joint and all the associated problems, so i definitely asked her for the details.... she asked me if i was in nursing school: NO!... anyway, apparently another cashier overheard our convo and stopped me and asked me about an ear problem she is having... UM I'VE ONLY BEEN IN SCHOOL FOR A MONTH. she seemed to think that that was adequate schooling to diagnose her and recommend medication. i told her we haven't even studied the ear yet... fail
other updates:
- this week was crazy cakes. everyone was super focused and went into lockdown mode. i spent THIRTY hours by myself in my apartment. embarrassed to admit this, but a lot of talking to myself happened. i didn't realize how psychotic i seem to go without social interaction!
- i also SINGLE-HANDEDLY cut out my cadaver's GI tract this week. tied off the esophagus and rectum and cut that baby out! liver included! i might love anatomy lab.
- went on a night walk on the beach! i was surprised to see how many people were out there swimming and stuff. it was fun!
anyway, off to enjoy more shenanigans before the whirlwind picks up again monday! hope yall have a wonderful weekend!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
chugging along
today i logged NINE hours of studying. and i still feel way behind. and still overwhelmed by everything i need to learn by friday. BUT i know i'm not the only one!
started the day at the library at 9am - pretty sure i was the first person there: gunning! haha... hung out there until 2pm and then decided i desperately needed OUT!
after studying at home a few more hours, i started going a little crazy. limited human interaction + reading about testicles + realizing it is saturday night = STIR-CRAZY. luckily, my friend katie wanted to go walk along the beach! it was fun wandering along the beach at night - minus the random crabs and birds that were running around! sadly, that was my first time on the beach since i lived in galvy this summer. pathetic considering i only live 1/2 a mile away! but i guess that's med school for you...
anyway, enjoying some downtime before bed... i have a date with cadaver lab at 9am - woooooo.... (ps: did you know cadaver lab is open 24/7?? how creepy would it be to go at 4am?!)
started the day at the library at 9am - pretty sure i was the first person there: gunning! haha... hung out there until 2pm and then decided i desperately needed OUT!
after studying at home a few more hours, i started going a little crazy. limited human interaction + reading about testicles + realizing it is saturday night = STIR-CRAZY. luckily, my friend katie wanted to go walk along the beach! it was fun wandering along the beach at night - minus the random crabs and birds that were running around! sadly, that was my first time on the beach since i lived in galvy this summer. pathetic considering i only live 1/2 a mile away! but i guess that's med school for you...
anyway, enjoying some downtime before bed... i have a date with cadaver lab at 9am - woooooo.... (ps: did you know cadaver lab is open 24/7?? how creepy would it be to go at 4am?!)
Friday, September 16, 2011
3 weeks down!
i survived another week :) - in college, you celebrate semesters... in med school, i celebrate weeks :)
we are now officially one week away from our first test: the anatomy midterm! i can't tell you how excited i am about next friday night and NOT feeling like i should be studying 24/7!!!
on the plus side, i was sitting in the library this week, and i thought, "wow. i think i might actually like medical school" - i'll probably retract that statement soon, but for now, we are only studying anatomy, and i love it! please tell me what is cooler than studying yourself? totally useful, applicable info. and i love anatomy lab. if you asked me before school started, i would've guessed i'd be one of the kids that stood back and watched. FALSE. i want to dissect the entire 2 hours straight. SO FUN. i'm so weird... did i mention that i woke up one day last week with really sore shoulders and realized it was because i had the most intense day of dissecting the day before? yep, embarrassing.
and so that i remember this embarrassing story, we were in lab today talking about plastic surgery. one kid said he would hate to do boob jobs the rest of his life. another kid mentioned that plastic surgeons can specialize in other areas, like focusing on the hand. naturally i blurt out, "I'd rather do boob jobs than hand jobs!" -- WOW. 5 seconds later and i was TOMATO red, and my entire group was dying laughing. note to self: think things THROUGH your head before you talk.
also embarrassing, i definitely woke up at 4 am one day this week really tense and focused. i couldn't figure out what was going on... and then i realized that i was studying my anatomy atlas IN MY DREAM - wow. nerrrrrd.
hmm, what else... oh yah! i started running again! i ran a 5k in march, but i slacked off running after that. now that it is cooling off and i have a track outside my apartment, i'm starting back up! i'm halfway through couch-2-5k (same program i used last time), and i'm feeling good! i think running is a good outlet to have :)
anyway, going into crazy study mode for the next 6 days - eeeek.
we are now officially one week away from our first test: the anatomy midterm! i can't tell you how excited i am about next friday night and NOT feeling like i should be studying 24/7!!!
on the plus side, i was sitting in the library this week, and i thought, "wow. i think i might actually like medical school" - i'll probably retract that statement soon, but for now, we are only studying anatomy, and i love it! please tell me what is cooler than studying yourself? totally useful, applicable info. and i love anatomy lab. if you asked me before school started, i would've guessed i'd be one of the kids that stood back and watched. FALSE. i want to dissect the entire 2 hours straight. SO FUN. i'm so weird... did i mention that i woke up one day last week with really sore shoulders and realized it was because i had the most intense day of dissecting the day before? yep, embarrassing.
and so that i remember this embarrassing story, we were in lab today talking about plastic surgery. one kid said he would hate to do boob jobs the rest of his life. another kid mentioned that plastic surgeons can specialize in other areas, like focusing on the hand. naturally i blurt out, "I'd rather do boob jobs than hand jobs!" -- WOW. 5 seconds later and i was TOMATO red, and my entire group was dying laughing. note to self: think things THROUGH your head before you talk.
also embarrassing, i definitely woke up at 4 am one day this week really tense and focused. i couldn't figure out what was going on... and then i realized that i was studying my anatomy atlas IN MY DREAM - wow. nerrrrrd.
hmm, what else... oh yah! i started running again! i ran a 5k in march, but i slacked off running after that. now that it is cooling off and i have a track outside my apartment, i'm starting back up! i'm halfway through couch-2-5k (same program i used last time), and i'm feeling good! i think running is a good outlet to have :)
anyway, going into crazy study mode for the next 6 days - eeeek.
Friday, September 9, 2011
staying afloat
survived week 2: hallelujah! talk about the longest 4 day week EVER! - i thought having a day off would make the week fly, but somehow i was wrong!
so thankful that UTMB only has half-days of class. i can't imagine going to school 9-5 like some of my friends! at the same time, i've found that extra time = extra procrastinating ;)... nap? walmart? kardashians? baking? -- it's all happened this week.
this week's wrapup isn't too exciting...
- anatomy continues... this week we tore apart the back and brachial plexus
- my allergies are in full swing. didn't realize this before moving here, but apparently galvy has massive amounts of allergens. lovellyyy. i need a frequent shopper card at walgreens.....
- held a study group at my apt last night! is it sad that is the first "get together" i've had at my place?
- first test is in TWO weeks. aka: everyone is starting to panic! i'm not freaking out yet because a lot of the material we covered this summer. so luckily, most of this is a review, but i'm sure the adrenaline will start pumping soon!
- decided to bring running back into my life! cooler mornings = super motivational! it's also pretty convenient that the track is a 5 second walk from my apartment :) -- it is hard to get up at 6am, but once i'm up, it's all good! watching sunrise is nice too! -- hoping to run along the beach soon :)
- speaking of the beach, i live HALF a mile away. and i NEVER see the beach. sad day.
hope everyone has a lovely weekend! i'm planning on studying, r&r, running, and cooking :)
so thankful that UTMB only has half-days of class. i can't imagine going to school 9-5 like some of my friends! at the same time, i've found that extra time = extra procrastinating ;)... nap? walmart? kardashians? baking? -- it's all happened this week.
this week's wrapup isn't too exciting...
- anatomy continues... this week we tore apart the back and brachial plexus
- my allergies are in full swing. didn't realize this before moving here, but apparently galvy has massive amounts of allergens. lovellyyy. i need a frequent shopper card at walgreens.....
- held a study group at my apt last night! is it sad that is the first "get together" i've had at my place?
- first test is in TWO weeks. aka: everyone is starting to panic! i'm not freaking out yet because a lot of the material we covered this summer. so luckily, most of this is a review, but i'm sure the adrenaline will start pumping soon!
- decided to bring running back into my life! cooler mornings = super motivational! it's also pretty convenient that the track is a 5 second walk from my apartment :) -- it is hard to get up at 6am, but once i'm up, it's all good! watching sunrise is nice too! -- hoping to run along the beach soon :)
- speaking of the beach, i live HALF a mile away. and i NEVER see the beach. sad day.
hope everyone has a lovely weekend! i'm planning on studying, r&r, running, and cooking :)
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