School and life update. It's been a while...
It's been a while since I posted anything on LJ. 2008 has been dramatically, traumatically busy for me. WAY too busy for my taste. Most of it has revolved around school, but there's been some major upheaval in my personal life as well. Most of my what's been going on is posted below, but really, you can save yourself a read and take away the bottom line: I hate neurology and I've been busy. TAH DAH, you've read my entire post ;)
===========Written while procrastinating on Monday================
So in school, we've been studying Neurology since we started back from winter break. You know what I like about medical school? Everything but Neurology. Neurology and I are not friends. In fact, we're downright hostile with each other, and I'm considering a pre-emptive strike if it continues it's covert Stress Enrichment Program. I get it, I get it, Neurology is really important--the body can't function without the head unless you are a chicken--but it's just so... so CONFUSING. Nothing is intuitive! Everything is all interconnected and self-modulating and all these fiber tracts and dendrites and neurotransmitters are so, well, confusing! My parents will testify, nothing has caused me so much grief in all my education as trying to understand the inner workings of vision and visual processing on the day before my first neuro exam.
We've been having exams every two weeks in this course. Each exam has been progressively weirder and harder. And each time I take an exam I am completely taken by surprise by the fact that I passed the test. If I study hard, I feel like I've done poorly after the exam and then get a good grade; if I feel unprepared, I leave the exam feeling great, and do the same. I cannot emphasize just how much like voodoo my test results are. I don't know what to expect, based on how I feel going into the exam, or how I feel coming out of it. So I crammed with fervor for my exam today and spent all...well almost all...my waking moments thinking about hypothalamic nuclei and anxiety disorders. I felt moderately well prepared for my exam today, all things considered, and again am leaving it feeling like I've been hit by a small vehicle (say, at least 2 wheels with electronic parts). So maybe that means I did well. But I'll tell ya, this class is GIVING me an anxiety disorder...
Oh, and remember how I lost my phone in a snowbank in January? Well, I got a cool new phone, but it caused me mortification during my exam today. I have largely ignored the features (such as a pedometer and mp3 player) in my phone that aren't strictly related to calling people. So today, I turned my phone onto "silent" before my exam and left it in my purse. About 20 minutes into the exam, I hear something that sounds a lot like its alarm clock... yet no alarm was set to go off at 9:21 in the morning. So I jump to dig it out of my purse and then it changes tones to this jazzy little number that set my whole class to laughing. And I couldn't figure out how to turn the darn thing off, because it was some music feature I'd never explored. Oh, oh, my cheeks were burning and I felt so embarassed! However, several students thanked me later for the "musical interlude" and laughing break.
Now, while all of this academic neurology nonsense has been going on, the rest of my life has been quite busy, too. I went snowboarding for the first time in years, which is where my old phone went AWOL; I'm going again on Saturday and taking an "intermediate lesson" so pray for me. When I went snowboarding in Bend with my boyfriend, two friends, and my brother, I slowed them all up because i was starting as a newbie on a snowboard and spent my time on the bunny slopes. However, I think my repeated yelps of "aaaaaaah! no!! no!! too fast! TOO FAST!" whenever I would go over 5mph were amusing to my more skilled companions. I fell more on that snowboard than I think I did while learning to walk, and in a few short days I get to go through it all again, but at higher speeds and actual inclines. So, pray for me... that I don't break something.
I got sick for a solid week last month, the worst illness I've had since I started school and had to cancel life and mostly vegetate in bed or drink DayQuil by the gallon (oh, can't they make it taste any better?!). Unfortunately, this illness occured right as I also moved across town to a neato place on Belmont with Jamie. You should all take note: Please direct my fan mail, winning lottery tickets, and delivered chocolates&flowers to 3340 SE Morrison St Apt 387, Portland OR 97214 from now on. You can keep sending bills, hate mail and magazine offers to my old address, of course. Anyway, it sucked having a fever while trying to load things into my truck and drive them to storage or my new place; fortunately, I had a lot of help (THANK YOU JAMIE AND KAT) so I survived. I've been unpacking and organizing and living out of boxes for quite some time, but the new place is finally looking homey.
So I guess I'm saying that I just now feel like I can stop and catch my breath for a minute, because I've been running to keep up ever since 2008 started! Breathe, Melissa, breathe!
OH, OH, OH, and I just scheduled my board exam, the USMLE Step 1. June 11, 2008. ATTENTION WORLD: Nothing is allowed to go wrong on or a few days before June 11, 2008. I will officially pitch a fit if something untoward happens to me before the most important day of my life ever. (I don't feel like I'm exaggerating THAT much...) Put that day in your prayers, because I'm going to need all the help that I can get.
That gives me a week and a half of vacation before I start my 3rd year rotations, where I'll be in clinic all day (and I do mean ALL day--for the surgery rotation, I start at 4:30 AM and come home between 6-8 PM). 3rd year is going to be rough, I've front loaded my schedule so that my hardest rotations are in the fall and winter. But I get to start with my rural rotation (widely regarded as the best rotation) and I hope to be in Bend so that I can see my baby nephew who is on his way next month (YEAY!). So I'm quite excited to get started.
Did I mention I have another exam tomorrow?
======Now it's Wednesday, I am officially NOT procrastinating. much.======
My second exam came and went. I did well in my GOSCE skills practical. My station was interviewing an adolescent with chronic respiratory symptoms and tactfully kicking his mother out of the room while I interview him on touchy subjects. I think I did well; although I was nervous and scattered, my group members complimented me on my "manner" with the patient. The written exam for my Clinical Skills course was surprisingly straight forward, but still unnecessarily nit picky and evil. Now it's Wednesday. Glorious wednesday. No exam for 2 1/2 weeks. I don't feel behind. I have time to clean and sleep and exercise and maintain my sanity! HOORAY! I even have time to flip through that book I've been "reading" since, oh I don't know last Christmas, and see if I can make it through another 10 pages or so before I begin the next cycle of studymania.
Also, today is my mother's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! Even if you don't know my mom, you should and wish her happy birthday. She's great.
PS: I passed my test on Monday (I just checked my score) with nearly the same flabbergasting and unpredictable result as my others, so I haven't earned myself a ticket out of OHSU yet. I'll keep you posted, though. :)
PPS: I just got my preceptorship assignment for next term. I'm working with a colorectal surgeon on Thursday afternoons. THIS should be interesting. . .
===========Written while procrastinating on Monday================
So in school, we've been studying Neurology since we started back from winter break. You know what I like about medical school? Everything but Neurology. Neurology and I are not friends. In fact, we're downright hostile with each other, and I'm considering a pre-emptive strike if it continues it's covert Stress Enrichment Program. I get it, I get it, Neurology is really important--the body can't function without the head unless you are a chicken--but it's just so... so CONFUSING. Nothing is intuitive! Everything is all interconnected and self-modulating and all these fiber tracts and dendrites and neurotransmitters are so, well, confusing! My parents will testify, nothing has caused me so much grief in all my education as trying to understand the inner workings of vision and visual processing on the day before my first neuro exam.
We've been having exams every two weeks in this course. Each exam has been progressively weirder and harder. And each time I take an exam I am completely taken by surprise by the fact that I passed the test. If I study hard, I feel like I've done poorly after the exam and then get a good grade; if I feel unprepared, I leave the exam feeling great, and do the same. I cannot emphasize just how much like voodoo my test results are. I don't know what to expect, based on how I feel going into the exam, or how I feel coming out of it. So I crammed with fervor for my exam today and spent all...well almost all...my waking moments thinking about hypothalamic nuclei and anxiety disorders. I felt moderately well prepared for my exam today, all things considered, and again am leaving it feeling like I've been hit by a small vehicle (say, at least 2 wheels with electronic parts). So maybe that means I did well. But I'll tell ya, this class is GIVING me an anxiety disorder...
Oh, and remember how I lost my phone in a snowbank in January? Well, I got a cool new phone, but it caused me mortification during my exam today. I have largely ignored the features (such as a pedometer and mp3 player) in my phone that aren't strictly related to calling people. So today, I turned my phone onto "silent" before my exam and left it in my purse. About 20 minutes into the exam, I hear something that sounds a lot like its alarm clock... yet no alarm was set to go off at 9:21 in the morning. So I jump to dig it out of my purse and then it changes tones to this jazzy little number that set my whole class to laughing. And I couldn't figure out how to turn the darn thing off, because it was some music feature I'd never explored. Oh, oh, my cheeks were burning and I felt so embarassed! However, several students thanked me later for the "musical interlude" and laughing break.
Now, while all of this academic neurology nonsense has been going on, the rest of my life has been quite busy, too. I went snowboarding for the first time in years, which is where my old phone went AWOL; I'm going again on Saturday and taking an "intermediate lesson" so pray for me. When I went snowboarding in Bend with my boyfriend, two friends, and my brother, I slowed them all up because i was starting as a newbie on a snowboard and spent my time on the bunny slopes. However, I think my repeated yelps of "aaaaaaah! no!! no!! too fast! TOO FAST!" whenever I would go over 5mph were amusing to my more skilled companions. I fell more on that snowboard than I think I did while learning to walk, and in a few short days I get to go through it all again, but at higher speeds and actual inclines. So, pray for me... that I don't break something.
I got sick for a solid week last month, the worst illness I've had since I started school and had to cancel life and mostly vegetate in bed or drink DayQuil by the gallon (oh, can't they make it taste any better?!). Unfortunately, this illness occured right as I also moved across town to a neato place on Belmont with Jamie. You should all take note: Please direct my fan mail, winning lottery tickets, and delivered chocolates&flowers to 3340 SE Morrison St Apt 387, Portland OR 97214 from now on. You can keep sending bills, hate mail and magazine offers to my old address, of course. Anyway, it sucked having a fever while trying to load things into my truck and drive them to storage or my new place; fortunately, I had a lot of help (THANK YOU JAMIE AND KAT) so I survived. I've been unpacking and organizing and living out of boxes for quite some time, but the new place is finally looking homey.
So I guess I'm saying that I just now feel like I can stop and catch my breath for a minute, because I've been running to keep up ever since 2008 started! Breathe, Melissa, breathe!
OH, OH, OH, and I just scheduled my board exam, the USMLE Step 1. June 11, 2008. ATTENTION WORLD: Nothing is allowed to go wrong on or a few days before June 11, 2008. I will officially pitch a fit if something untoward happens to me before the most important day of my life ever. (I don't feel like I'm exaggerating THAT much...) Put that day in your prayers, because I'm going to need all the help that I can get.
That gives me a week and a half of vacation before I start my 3rd year rotations, where I'll be in clinic all day (and I do mean ALL day--for the surgery rotation, I start at 4:30 AM and come home between 6-8 PM). 3rd year is going to be rough, I've front loaded my schedule so that my hardest rotations are in the fall and winter. But I get to start with my rural rotation (widely regarded as the best rotation) and I hope to be in Bend so that I can see my baby nephew who is on his way next month (YEAY!). So I'm quite excited to get started.
Did I mention I have another exam tomorrow?
======Now it's Wednesday, I am officially NOT procrastinating. much.======
My second exam came and went. I did well in my GOSCE skills practical. My station was interviewing an adolescent with chronic respiratory symptoms and tactfully kicking his mother out of the room while I interview him on touchy subjects. I think I did well; although I was nervous and scattered, my group members complimented me on my "manner" with the patient. The written exam for my Clinical Skills course was surprisingly straight forward, but still unnecessarily nit picky and evil. Now it's Wednesday. Glorious wednesday. No exam for 2 1/2 weeks. I don't feel behind. I have time to clean and sleep and exercise and maintain my sanity! HOORAY! I even have time to flip through that book I've been "reading" since, oh I don't know last Christmas, and see if I can make it through another 10 pages or so before I begin the next cycle of studymania.
Also, today is my mother's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! Even if you don't know my mom, you should and wish her happy birthday. She's great.
PS: I passed my test on Monday (I just checked my score) with nearly the same flabbergasting and unpredictable result as my others, so I haven't earned myself a ticket out of OHSU yet. I'll keep you posted, though. :)
PPS: I just got my preceptorship assignment for next term. I'm working with a colorectal surgeon on Thursday afternoons. THIS should be interesting. . .