Since Christmas, I've finished two more modules of my medical school curriculum.
Medicine Across the Lifespan, which was intended to be a transitional and summative module integrating what we have learned so far into actual clinical practice, was actually more of a train wreck. We covered principles pertaining to geriatric, adolescent, and pediatric medicine, and revisited embryology. Sounds great, right? Well, imagine a 50 minute lecture which could have easily been condensed into a 20-30 minute lecture. Now, imagine sitting through 3 variations of the same material in 3 separate lectures given by 3 different professors. Did I mention it was all review-- we had seen it in some other module before?
But wait-- doesn't that mean an easy A, you ask? Actually, not at all. We were tested not on core principles which will carry us through our clinical years, but on detail, minutae, and things requiring rote memorization. So, the exam was surprisingly hard.
And finally, Infectious Disease. Oh, how I have grown to love infectious diseases. About as much as I would like to have anthrax or cholera. At least we were warned that this would be one of the hardest modules of the first 2 years. In 6 short weeks we covered every pathogen known to affect humans (and some that only affect animals, just for fun I guess) and how to treat them. One word: virulence factors. If you know what I mean then a chill just ran down your spine. We had to memorize a bowl of alphabet soup for each pathogen-- components of the given pathogen that actually cause harmful effects in the host that they infect. Protein A, toxin A, alpha toxin, SpeA, OspA, Opa... the list goes on and on and hits almost every letter of the alphabet. It was painful. I finished with my lowest exam grade ever, but I still maintained the overall grade I needed, so I should be thankful that I am not one of the 3-5 each year that fails and must retake the module the following year. We finished with an NBME Microbiology shelf exam, which was refreshingly easier than the course exams. I'm looking forward to seeing how I measure up to other medical students next week when we get our grade for that, which is a standardized exam.
One module to go, called Integration and Consolidation, and then I'm done with the first phase of my training. It's a mix of pharmacology and physiology review, designed to prepare us for the USMLE Step 1 exam. As much as I dislike pharmacology, I'm actually looking forward to it.
After IC, I study intensely for a month for Step 1, which I take on June 1. Then I'm done for 2 glorious weeks until 3rd year orientation brings me back to reality. And then, with clinicals, I begin to dominate the class of 2014. That's the plan at least.
I'm going to need prayers. Lots and lots of prayers.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Part 1: Home/Family Update
Well, here I am again.
Ok, it has been a while since my last post. Yep, you guessed it-- I must be on some sort of break from school. It is spring break!
I've been working hard at the med student and wife-mommy thing, and I seem to have gotten more used to the craziness than I was last semester.
On the home front:
--My middle son is finally using the big boy potty! Hooray! He has known what to do and when to do it for some time now, and after some relentless prodding by my husband he has decided that he's ready to give up diapers. Even better, he also no longer wears pull ups at night! He did not even make it through one full package of pull ups. My daughter used pull ups for at least a few months when she was potty training, so this was a nice surprise.
--My daughter has become quite the big girl. She is starting kindergarten this fall, and she is so ready. She soaks up everything she learns, and she doesn't forget anything (unlike her mommy)! She has her daddy's freakishly accurate long-term memory, which is a good thing! She is getting ready to learn how to ski, which will be fun to watch.
--The baby now is anything but. He's almost 1, and will be walking soon. Now he is cruising all over the place and getting into everything. It makes it hard to multitask sometimes but it is so exciting to see him grow and try to keep up with his siblings. It's going to be a race between him and his brother to see who the family funny guy will be. Both are extremely funny and love to make people laugh.
--My husband continues to me the awesome rock of the family, holding everything together when I get stressed with school. Last week was exam week, and not only did he suggest leftovers one night (leftovers that we were all sick of), but he actually made dinner another night. French toast and bacon, and it was awesome. I'm so grateful that he is plugged into his family 100% everyday, and that he continues to work a job that he does not particularly love so that I can live my dream. How can I even compete with that?
Ok, it has been a while since my last post. Yep, you guessed it-- I must be on some sort of break from school. It is spring break!
I've been working hard at the med student and wife-mommy thing, and I seem to have gotten more used to the craziness than I was last semester.
On the home front:
--My middle son is finally using the big boy potty! Hooray! He has known what to do and when to do it for some time now, and after some relentless prodding by my husband he has decided that he's ready to give up diapers. Even better, he also no longer wears pull ups at night! He did not even make it through one full package of pull ups. My daughter used pull ups for at least a few months when she was potty training, so this was a nice surprise.
--My daughter has become quite the big girl. She is starting kindergarten this fall, and she is so ready. She soaks up everything she learns, and she doesn't forget anything (unlike her mommy)! She has her daddy's freakishly accurate long-term memory, which is a good thing! She is getting ready to learn how to ski, which will be fun to watch.
--The baby now is anything but. He's almost 1, and will be walking soon. Now he is cruising all over the place and getting into everything. It makes it hard to multitask sometimes but it is so exciting to see him grow and try to keep up with his siblings. It's going to be a race between him and his brother to see who the family funny guy will be. Both are extremely funny and love to make people laugh.
--My husband continues to me the awesome rock of the family, holding everything together when I get stressed with school. Last week was exam week, and not only did he suggest leftovers one night (leftovers that we were all sick of), but he actually made dinner another night. French toast and bacon, and it was awesome. I'm so grateful that he is plugged into his family 100% everyday, and that he continues to work a job that he does not particularly love so that I can live my dream. How can I even compete with that?
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
L.
While this blog is primarily for posts about my medical school adventures, my family, and food, I need to take a minute and write about a good friend that I lost last week.
Dear L.,
I know I should not be sad that you were called to be with our Lord last week. But I'm sad that I never got to say goodbye and tell you how much you meant to me. I don't know how you died, or whether you knew you were leaving this world, or whether you were able to say goodbye to your family. But I do know that you passed away having lived a good, full, faithful life. You set a wonderful example for anyone you met. I look to your example and see how to be a good wife, a good mother, a good Christian. You never complained about anything. Your moral compass was always spot-on. You always saw the positive in any situation. You loved everyone, especially your family, and never hesitated to help anyone in need.
I remember the year we met. I was a sophomore and you were a freshman in college. We lived on the same floor of our dorm. You were right across the hall. I had crazy roommates so I spent a lot of time in your room. We went shopping together. We watched basketball together. We partied together. A lot.
We went to the mexican restaurant where you could get served a margarita without being carded. Foolproof, we were told. Just smile and order one and you'll get it. But we were carded. Probably because we looked like we weren't even old enough to drive.
We moved out of the dorms but still found time to be together. I'll never forget our road trip to Yellowstone. You might have been the smallest, but you were the toughest one of all four of us when we hiked. My heart nearly stopped when you calmly pointed out fresh, still warm bear droppings on the trail. One night we played pool in Bozeman, and I remember thinking about how I didn't really like playing pool but it's fun if you're playing with people you love.
I remember when you met "J". You thought he could be "the one". I thought you were crazy. Then I met him and realized that you were right.
We graduated; first me, then you. We became roommates, with real jobs and real responsibility. You were a fantastic roommate. There was never any drama, only friendship. When your bathroom flooded we laughed about it together. You didn't make fun of my cinnamon rolls that did not taste like cinnamon; you gladly ate them (after generously adding your own sprinkle of cinnamon on top). I remember going shopping with you to pick out the perfect puppy. Your dog liked to pull the buttons off my coats, but I liked to take him running and wear him out as payback. When "J" came over, it was never awkward. It never felt like "that boyfriend who is always there". You both were like family to me.
I got married. You were there with me every minute that day as my "personal attendant". I will never forget that. To this day, I wish I would have made you my maid of honor. In retrospect, you deserved that title more than anyone I knew that day.
You got married. I was one of your bridesmaids. I was pregnant but I wasn't ready to tell you yet. Thankfully, I still fit into my dress. I will never forget when we went to get your hair done before the wedding. I wanted to take a nice "after" picture and at the last minute you made a bridezilla face. Typical.
After that, life got in the way of us spending time together, but you remained very special to me. You transformed into something even more wonderful than I could have imagined when your first baby was born. You were meant to be a mother. And a wonderful one you were.
Neither one of us liked to talk on the phone, and the emails slowly dwindled into occasional Facebook posts. I wish we could have had more playdates with the kids. The dinners together were too few and far between. In the last couple of years, I could have made more of an effort to see you. Last year I drove through your town almost every week, but although I always thought of you, I never stopped to see you. Most recently, we were only a short drive away from each other. We were busy, but had I had any idea what was coming, I would have made more time for you.
You taught me so much about life and what it means to truly live with no regrets. As I watch your sons grow into men, I'll see you in them. And they will know the wonderful woman that you were.
Your friend always,
P.
Dear L.,
I know I should not be sad that you were called to be with our Lord last week. But I'm sad that I never got to say goodbye and tell you how much you meant to me. I don't know how you died, or whether you knew you were leaving this world, or whether you were able to say goodbye to your family. But I do know that you passed away having lived a good, full, faithful life. You set a wonderful example for anyone you met. I look to your example and see how to be a good wife, a good mother, a good Christian. You never complained about anything. Your moral compass was always spot-on. You always saw the positive in any situation. You loved everyone, especially your family, and never hesitated to help anyone in need.
I remember the year we met. I was a sophomore and you were a freshman in college. We lived on the same floor of our dorm. You were right across the hall. I had crazy roommates so I spent a lot of time in your room. We went shopping together. We watched basketball together. We partied together. A lot.
We went to the mexican restaurant where you could get served a margarita without being carded. Foolproof, we were told. Just smile and order one and you'll get it. But we were carded. Probably because we looked like we weren't even old enough to drive.
We moved out of the dorms but still found time to be together. I'll never forget our road trip to Yellowstone. You might have been the smallest, but you were the toughest one of all four of us when we hiked. My heart nearly stopped when you calmly pointed out fresh, still warm bear droppings on the trail. One night we played pool in Bozeman, and I remember thinking about how I didn't really like playing pool but it's fun if you're playing with people you love.
I remember when you met "J". You thought he could be "the one". I thought you were crazy. Then I met him and realized that you were right.
We graduated; first me, then you. We became roommates, with real jobs and real responsibility. You were a fantastic roommate. There was never any drama, only friendship. When your bathroom flooded we laughed about it together. You didn't make fun of my cinnamon rolls that did not taste like cinnamon; you gladly ate them (after generously adding your own sprinkle of cinnamon on top). I remember going shopping with you to pick out the perfect puppy. Your dog liked to pull the buttons off my coats, but I liked to take him running and wear him out as payback. When "J" came over, it was never awkward. It never felt like "that boyfriend who is always there". You both were like family to me.
I got married. You were there with me every minute that day as my "personal attendant". I will never forget that. To this day, I wish I would have made you my maid of honor. In retrospect, you deserved that title more than anyone I knew that day.
You got married. I was one of your bridesmaids. I was pregnant but I wasn't ready to tell you yet. Thankfully, I still fit into my dress. I will never forget when we went to get your hair done before the wedding. I wanted to take a nice "after" picture and at the last minute you made a bridezilla face. Typical.
After that, life got in the way of us spending time together, but you remained very special to me. You transformed into something even more wonderful than I could have imagined when your first baby was born. You were meant to be a mother. And a wonderful one you were.
Neither one of us liked to talk on the phone, and the emails slowly dwindled into occasional Facebook posts. I wish we could have had more playdates with the kids. The dinners together were too few and far between. In the last couple of years, I could have made more of an effort to see you. Last year I drove through your town almost every week, but although I always thought of you, I never stopped to see you. Most recently, we were only a short drive away from each other. We were busy, but had I had any idea what was coming, I would have made more time for you.
You taught me so much about life and what it means to truly live with no regrets. As I watch your sons grow into men, I'll see you in them. And they will know the wonderful woman that you were.
Your friend always,
P.
Merry Christmas!
This song pretty much sums up Christmas for me. It's my favorite Christmas song by far. Especially when sung by Josh Groban.
Merry Christmas everyone!
O holy night!
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night
Of the dear Savior's birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear'd and the soul felt His worth
A thrill of hope
The weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks
A new and glorious morn!
Fall on your knees
Oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
Oh night divine, oh night, oh night divine
Chains shall He break
For the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy
In grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us praise His holy name
Christ is the Lord, let ever ever praise Thee
Noël, Noël
Oh night, Oh night divine
Noël, Noël
Oh night, Oh night divine
Noël, Noël
Oh, oh night, oh night divine
Merry Christmas everyone!
O holy night!
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night
Of the dear Savior's birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear'd and the soul felt His worth
A thrill of hope
The weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks
A new and glorious morn!
Fall on your knees
Oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
Oh night divine, oh night, oh night divine
Chains shall He break
For the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy
In grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us praise His holy name
Christ is the Lord, let ever ever praise Thee
Noël, Noël
Oh night, Oh night divine
Noël, Noël
Oh night, Oh night divine
Noël, Noël
Oh, oh night, oh night divine
Update On All Things Med School and Mommy
So, two months later after I posted about posting more often.......
It's December. I just finished my last systems-based module in school, Blood and Lymph (with a personal best grade! Woo hoo!), and began the first of a series of modules designed to help us transition from the didactic to clinical years of our training. The current module, "Medicine Across the Lifespan", tackles the differences in treating special populations such as the elderly and children. While it has been interesting and VERY relevant (did you know the fastest growing demographic in the US is people over the age of 85?), truthfully, it's been really hard to focus. I still feel slightly drained from the last two modules and am feeling the stress and anticipation of Christmas.
I also had a chance to do some shadowing. A previous module, Brain and Behavior, sparked my interest in neurology, so I shadowed one of the neurologists who taught us for a couple of days. It was an amazingly interesting experience, and I have definitely added neurology to my list of specialties I'm interested in.
The kids are excited as ever for Christmas. As we usually do, we managed to do all of their shopping on Black Friday. Although this year we were not out buying toys at 5 am, we did manage to snag some great deals. The crowning glory is a swingset. My husband was originally planning to build one for the kids, but we found a great deal on one so we went ahead and purchased one for them. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces!
The baby is hardly a baby anymore. He's trying so hard to keep up with his big brother and sister. I'm pretty sure he's going to skip crawling altogether and go straight to walking. He's already much bigger than his siblings were at his age (meaning, he's of normal height and weight for his age).
My older son has hit that special point in every boy's life. You know, the one where he wants drums for Christmas. And he will tell every Santa he can find that he needs drums. Santa is definitely not bringing drums this year, so I hope that does not crush his precious little heart. I'm sure the swing set will make him forget all about drums... for now.
My daughter has a better grasp than ever on the true meaning of Christmas. I think for the first year she is realizing that it's not all about presents and that there are plenty of people out there who won't have presents or even food to eat on Christmas. She definitely still wants presents, don't get me wrong. But perhaps when she is a little older we can begin a new tradition of celebrating the birth of Jesus by helping those who need God's love the most rather than solely with gifts.
It's December. I just finished my last systems-based module in school, Blood and Lymph (with a personal best grade! Woo hoo!), and began the first of a series of modules designed to help us transition from the didactic to clinical years of our training. The current module, "Medicine Across the Lifespan", tackles the differences in treating special populations such as the elderly and children. While it has been interesting and VERY relevant (did you know the fastest growing demographic in the US is people over the age of 85?), truthfully, it's been really hard to focus. I still feel slightly drained from the last two modules and am feeling the stress and anticipation of Christmas.
I also had a chance to do some shadowing. A previous module, Brain and Behavior, sparked my interest in neurology, so I shadowed one of the neurologists who taught us for a couple of days. It was an amazingly interesting experience, and I have definitely added neurology to my list of specialties I'm interested in.
The kids are excited as ever for Christmas. As we usually do, we managed to do all of their shopping on Black Friday. Although this year we were not out buying toys at 5 am, we did manage to snag some great deals. The crowning glory is a swingset. My husband was originally planning to build one for the kids, but we found a great deal on one so we went ahead and purchased one for them. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces!
The baby is hardly a baby anymore. He's trying so hard to keep up with his big brother and sister. I'm pretty sure he's going to skip crawling altogether and go straight to walking. He's already much bigger than his siblings were at his age (meaning, he's of normal height and weight for his age).
My older son has hit that special point in every boy's life. You know, the one where he wants drums for Christmas. And he will tell every Santa he can find that he needs drums. Santa is definitely not bringing drums this year, so I hope that does not crush his precious little heart. I'm sure the swing set will make him forget all about drums... for now.
My daughter has a better grasp than ever on the true meaning of Christmas. I think for the first year she is realizing that it's not all about presents and that there are plenty of people out there who won't have presents or even food to eat on Christmas. She definitely still wants presents, don't get me wrong. But perhaps when she is a little older we can begin a new tradition of celebrating the birth of Jesus by helping those who need God's love the most rather than solely with gifts.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
On Marriage and Medical School
While being a mother and a medical student is a whole new level of craziness, successfully balancing marriage and medical school is a feat in itself. Things especially get sticky when the spouse is in his or her own successful and dynamic career, rather than just keeping a job to pay the bills. While we all want to focus on ourselves and our own budding careers, it's hard to stop and remember that your spouse has worked hard to get to where he or she is today and must be given support and opportunity for success, as well as respite after a particularly rough day or week. Not to mention that they are financially supporting you and the rest of the family despite the money pit us med students are digging.
It's pretty easy to butt heads, especially when careers and kids are both thrown in the same mix. Who sacrifices at work/school if the kids are sick and must stay home? The person making the money, or the person in whose future career the money is being invested?
The solution is a lot of sacrifice, adapability, and faith. So far, we have a pretty good system going. Since I'm not on rotations at the hospital yet, my schedule is pretty flexible. Most days I am able to stay home and podcast the day's lectures if something comes up. And the days that I cannot do that, my husband has been able to work from home.
It helps us to take a few minutes whenever possible to reconnect as a couple and talk about anything not school or kid related. The husband and I enjoyed a quiet dinner and glass of wine this evening after the baby went to bed, while the older kids played together quietly in another room. Some days I crave an entire weekend getaway, just him and I in some warm sunny location, alone... but most days this is enough.
It's pretty easy to butt heads, especially when careers and kids are both thrown in the same mix. Who sacrifices at work/school if the kids are sick and must stay home? The person making the money, or the person in whose future career the money is being invested?
The solution is a lot of sacrifice, adapability, and faith. So far, we have a pretty good system going. Since I'm not on rotations at the hospital yet, my schedule is pretty flexible. Most days I am able to stay home and podcast the day's lectures if something comes up. And the days that I cannot do that, my husband has been able to work from home.
It helps us to take a few minutes whenever possible to reconnect as a couple and talk about anything not school or kid related. The husband and I enjoyed a quiet dinner and glass of wine this evening after the baby went to bed, while the older kids played together quietly in another room. Some days I crave an entire weekend getaway, just him and I in some warm sunny location, alone... but most days this is enough.
All Things Neuro
So it has definitely shaped up to be a ridiculously crazy module. Pair that with my new inability to stay up past 9 pm half the week and you get to where I am: lots to learn, with the clock ticking. You know it's bad when you struggle to stay up later than your kids (all under 5; these are not high-school night owls or anything).
My Brain and Behavior final exam is a week and a half away. I've put everything on hold this past week to study anatomy, as we have a head and neck anatomy practical the same week as the exam, worth approximately 1/3 of our grade. Yikes.
My poor kids have been subjected to my endless practicing of parts of the neuro exam or head & neck exam on them. Although they are too ticklish for me to successfully palpate any cervical lymph nodes.
I really like the current module (well, except for the intricate anatomy). I could even realistically see neurology in my future. Sometimes I wish I could just slow things down and actually focus on learning because I want to, rather than learning for the exam and boards. Sometimes I feel as if that is a great injustice of medical education-- not having the luxury to spend more time learning what truly interests you at the moment that it begins to interest you.
I guess that is what residency and fellowship is for.
My Brain and Behavior final exam is a week and a half away. I've put everything on hold this past week to study anatomy, as we have a head and neck anatomy practical the same week as the exam, worth approximately 1/3 of our grade. Yikes.
My poor kids have been subjected to my endless practicing of parts of the neuro exam or head & neck exam on them. Although they are too ticklish for me to successfully palpate any cervical lymph nodes.
I really like the current module (well, except for the intricate anatomy). I could even realistically see neurology in my future. Sometimes I wish I could just slow things down and actually focus on learning because I want to, rather than learning for the exam and boards. Sometimes I feel as if that is a great injustice of medical education-- not having the luxury to spend more time learning what truly interests you at the moment that it begins to interest you.
I guess that is what residency and fellowship is for.
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