Changes

Since I have finished the classroom portion of my second year things have certainly changed. I have moved into my roommates room (since she has moved out) so now I have my own room. Which is both awesome and weird. I mean, I LOVE my privacy - I could walk around naked if I wanted (but I don't, so you don't have to worry!); at the same time, it is odd. At night, I feel homesick and then I can't fall asleep. It is so odd. Perhaps it is because I am in a different room and it is just change coming through in a weird way. I dunno, but I don't like it.

Everybody seems to have left town now too. Two of my good friends are out of town and my other really close friend has been a hermit at her townhouse while the other girl I sometimes study with has had her Mum in town since the weekend. So, I've been studying all by myself. Except for this evening when an acquaintance (I don't know her well enough to call her a friend) sat with me and studied boards until about 10 o'clock tonight. It was great to have human contact (since I've been cooped up in my room for two days studying and then sitting around all day today studying alone), but man, she was annoying. Every time we talked it seemed like she was saying how fast she learns and how she remembers everything she ever reads. This made me barf in my mouth a little bit. Some people.

Today was the graduation picnic at school. I decided that I would go and 'watch' the picnic whilst studying some drugs and doing some practice questions. It was a pleasant distraction because I could really get some studying done and still see people (man, what an antisocial life med school causes!) I decided that there was enough food for the graduates and their families that I could grab some food too. I had a huge burger, chips, potato salad, fruit, cookies, and a pop. I figure- I am paying enough money to go to school here that I, in some way, shape, or form, have paid for at least a part of that meal. I might as well partake It was great and it stuck with me for a long time too - good brain food!

This picnic really made me think how fast time goes. Today I am sitting on my butt memorizing infection after infection, drug after drug, and have never 'really' seen a real patient in my life and in two years I will be attending that picnic and will become a doctor the next day. That is only two years!!!!! I think that it is amazing how much I will learn in the next two years. How exciting. Also, I will definitely know what I will be when I 'grow-up'. It would be great to fast forward to see what kind of doctor I will end up. Family medicine? OB/GYN? Surgery? Who knows. But, as of now, I have to just get past this next month and pass my darn boards. Which are a bit daunting at the moment since I have so much to get through still. Hopefully it will come together in the end.

Well, sorry for the long post. I had a lot to write about! Good night!!!!!!!!!

- Me

Boards, Boards, Boards

The B-word (Boards) has now officially taken over my life. Scary, but I just want to put my time in and get it over with. Honestly, I want to pass. I would love to be over the national average, but I will just do my best and then see what happens and where my score ends up.

My parents have moved out a bit of my things (ie a SUV load full of my junk) and now I only have 5 weeks before I write my first set of boards, then I have a week to fill in before I get my surgery done here. I had an appointment yesterday which cleared up some logistical details. So, it is a go: July 7th at 10:00 AM. Blah. At least I am getting all fixed up so that my hip is happy for the remainder of my med school and life! :)

Done and Done

I just got back from writing my last test of second year. Thank the Lord it is over!

110+ tests, liters and liters of caffeinated beverages later I am done with the tests for my didactic portion of medical school. Now I just have to pass that little quiz at the end of June, also known as boards. I have heard that it is easy! Ha.

Today I wrote Health Law which was so incredibly boring it literally put me to sleep! I compare studying health law to eating sand. Downright painful. Alas, it is over!!!

Now I am going to sleep for a couple of hours, do one lecture of pathology for board review then call it quits for today. How nice! Also, my parents are coming down this weekend so I am taking that off too. I am so excited to see them since I haven't seen them since Christmas. It will be great!

On another note, I have booked my surgery for a week and two days after I write boards. Which is perfect timing! I am in the process of organizing my medical leave for the beginning of next year and trying to get my lease extended so that I have a place to live after I am supposed to move out. All of these life things going on; at least it seems to be working out so far and things are starting to fall into place.

Yay, I am practically 50% of a doctor. I will say that I am a half doctor when I pass my step I board exam though!

Some Nurses are Angels

Honestly, they really are! Man alive.

Today a group of four medical students (including myself) had to go to the clinic that is attached to our school and, along with the help of a midwife/health-educator and a nurse, learned how to do a breast exam, speculum exam, bimanual exam, and rectal exam on the nurse. I can't get over how wonderful the nurse was to do this for us fumbling medical students.

We watched the midwife do each of the exams and then each of us four students did the exam on the nurse. I am thankful that my first time doing these exams was on somebody who was giving me feedback as to how I was doing and what I could do better to improve my future patients' comfort and ease with getting a breast/pelvic exam. Even though I had a bit (rather a lot) of guidance whilst doing this, I got the cervix right centered in between the speculum bills on my first time! I was pretty pumped since I was the only one who got the cervix centered on the first try.

I thought that it was going to be awkward, but it really wasn't that bad. It was, though, visibly more stressful for the guys in the group. The two of them were pretty nervous, you could tell the way they were talking and the way they 'tried' to play it cool, but these hot-shot guys (which is definitely what they are!...to say the least) was a bit amusing. I guess it helps us girls since we have the same plumbing as the patient!

We learned how to phrase words that will make the patient most at ease and exactly how best to do all parts of the exam. In all honesty, we learned A LOT more, but I suppose that it would not be appropriate to go into too much detail in a post that can be seen on the Internet. Needless to say, it was a very helpful experience and I am so, so grateful for the women that give their time to teach us the best way to do it. Imagine having 5 full pelvic/rectal exams in one afternoon. I don't think I could do that; but blessed are those that can.

Life

I feel that life should stop when one is going through medical school. Well, actually, no, maybe just life 'things' should stop. I've been extremely busy as they throw the last of our diadactic coursework at us, plus I've been dealing with organizing my hip situation. I can't remember the last time I posted, but since then, I've had an arthrogram and met with the surgeon again and both the surgeon and myself have come to the welcomed conclusion that we are going to go ahead and get my hip fixed up right after I write boards at the end of June. I am thrilled that I have a chance to get my hip fixed, and it is going to be through a scope and not a more drastic surgery or two (that was mentioned in previous appointments with this doctor). I have to figure out logistics yet, but I am over-joyed that I have a chance to get better!

Having all of this going on has really taken time away from my studies. I know that taking care of my health is important because I can never be a doctor if I don't have a functional hip, but it still sucks to study less and still have to go and write exam after exam. I now have two exams in two days and am not as prepared as I would have liked. I will post more about my current situation, but I am in the middle of cramming for dermatology. So, off to the books and will post soon with an update on 'life'.

My First Save

A couple of days ago I was at the local hospital completing my Advanced Cardiac Life Support course (which is learning how to run a code) and I actually got to perform my first 'save'. lol

Actually, me and one of the other guys in my group were sitting outside eating our lunch (since we were the cheap ones and brought our lunch instead of buying our lunch) and then I saw his lunch bag fly through the air. It definitely caught my attention. When I looked over to where he was running I saw a very elderly lady (probably in her 90's) and, who I presume was her son, holding her up as she was crumpling to the ground as they were trying to get to the Emergency Department. So, I ran over to them too. The other medical student held up the women as I went and got a wheelchair. We both put her in the chair and he held her up in the chair and I pushed the chair into the hospital. We both noticed that her right side was drooping and we thought - man, she is having a stroke! Funny thing was, that we had just had a lecture on strokes.

The triage nurses came out to help us, took her information, and then we brought her right into the triage room. The poor dear was so upset and confused, I felt bad for her.

When we got into the triage room, the nurses asked if we worked at the hospital (since we were both dressed in scrubs) and I promptly replied that we were eating our lunch outside and that we were medical students doing ACLS....really, we don't know anything!!!!!

The bad thing is that I'll never know what happened to that lady. I do hope that we was alright.