Interference by Congenital Disorders of the Newborn

Today is Friday and I just spent the last 45 minutes laying on my bed with my laptop on my incredibly shrinking tummy (weight loss is still going well) watching the new episode of Grey's. Isn't that weird....considering the episode was LAST NIGHT!!! That's right......in my haste to fly through a subject that I have little interest in (see title above), I totally forgot that Grey's started at 9pm. And......I MISSED IT!!!! I can't feel too bad because Layne, my Grey's buddy, also forgot....although she didn't forget to remind me that we both forgot this morning at 7:30am while I was eating breakfast. I was so disappointed and desperate to find the episode that instead of having my usual morning breakfast over ESPN highlights, I preceded to search websites as far away as Japan looking for the episode. I did find it (thank you sidereel.com) and downloaded it....and as mentioned, just finished watching it. It was worth the scramble!!!

So today I spent most of the wonderful Grenadian day heavily involved in pooh.....i mean, in Gastrointestinal Pathology. I covered lots of info....I only hope that I can remember it all. I did break for about an hour to listen to a Micro lecture that I skipped yesterday and I heard an amazing thing. Baby rabbits can become "aerosolized". What??? I had to rewind to listen again because I apparently missed something. So, here is the story:

The prof was taking about the bacteria Francisiella tularensis, which by the way is on the CDC's Category A list for Biological Warfare/ Terrorism Agents. He mentions a colleague in New Jersey who was mowing his lawn one day in the early spring and apparently ran over a rabbit nest full of baby rabbits. Now, some of them made it but a few were "aerosolyzed" (his words not mine). Why is this important??? Because the above virus is found in wild animals like squirrels, deer, beavers, and rabbits. It is usually transmitted by ticks and when that happens you get an ulcer form of the disease with little chance of death. But, this bacteria can also infect humans by inhalation and when that happens, you get a pneumonia form that equates with almost certain death. So, because the mower made aerosolyzed bunnies, this prof had the unfortunate pleasure of breathing in the bunny/bacteria particles. In less than a week, his cough, difficulty breathing, fever, and chills progressed to a sitting on deaths doorstep disease. The doctors had no idea what this man was suffering from. What Doctor would ever think of taking a history and physical for an incredibly sick patient and ask "So, have you mowed over any cute baby bunnies lately???" Of course, once all of the "usual suspects" for pneumonia were ruled out, and more cultures were done the doctors eventually found the bacteria, were able to treat the man and he lived. The morale of the story.....well, from my point of view, even the most obscure, rarely seen/suspected disease in humans can pop up at any time in a patient....from your point of view, don't mow over bunnies!!

Everyone have a great night!!!! :)

Too much to type....

Okay, I have alot on my mind to say before I head off to bed. Hopefully, I can get it all out. Will start with studying.......BLAH!!! Too much studying. By earlier today I couldn't look at another packet, let alone finish GI (which I still need to finish). But, I'm retaining information, and that is all I need to do well on the test which is in 8 DAYS!!!!!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to have a nice break. Daniel had a friend come in to visit from Missouri. She recently graduated from school and is moving to Rhode Island for residency. So, we all (meaning Layne, Alison, Kaushik, Daniel, his friend, Gia, Amy, and Noah) went out to dinner at BB's crabshack in St. George's. I got the BB crab which is a crab and cheese sauce mix inside a crab shell. It was awesome (of course I had it before so I knew what to expect). I also ordered something new.....pumpkin fritters....basically seasoned and deep fried pumpkin........ fantastically AWESOME!! Although, since I have been eating healthy my ass (i mean rectum :) was not particularly happy with me this morning!!

I don't know if I have mentioned but I have been eating extremely well and working out since January. I made a commitment to this...plus I set a personal goal for weight loss on January 26th. I'm not going to say anything yet about how much I have lost. I'm going to wait until I reach my goal weight....so stay tuned for that update!!

So, every sunday morning Layne and I head off to campus to do laundry and workout. We get there about 7am, and are there until 8:30am. Its nice because so few people are using the washers and dryers at that time, so we are able to quickly get our stuff done plus get in a nice workout. I run on campus on these days, so because of this I normally don't eat breakfast until after my workout. Today was particularly hot. There are several steep hills I run up and I almost didn't make one. I started to get very lightheaded (my brain hates lack of food + heat + hills). But, I forced myself to keep going and felt better a few minutes later. I'm just waiting for the day when my brain says "NO MORE" and I face plant on the pavement after passing out....and then my fat fluffy behind rolls back down the hill (look out below!!!!).

Today was the IEA (honor society) mock practical and I signed up to work. Basically we set up cadaver stations for the 1st termers to practice on. It is similar to their practical final except for we ask them to fill in the blank to the questions while on the real test they get multiple choice. Today went well....I was there for about an hour. Anything I can do to help my fellow student doctor :):)

Almost forgot to mention....yesterday was Derby Day!!!!! I had to watch it on ESPN when I came home from dinner. Congrats to Big Brown.....wow that horse is fast. Will he become the 1st triple crown winner in 30 years???? Preakness is coming up in 2 weeks, so we will soon get closer to that answer. In sad news though, farewell wishes go out to 8 Belles. You ran a hell of a race against the boys....and 2nd place is great.....too bad it ended poorly.

Well, I have to start my concept map for tomorrow. What is a concept map you say??? Well....here is one:



Every week for extra credit in Pathology we can pick a topic from the previous week and do a concept map. Last week I did the above on restrictive lung diseases. Tonight, I'm doing the Stomach. Here I come H. Pylori!! Everyone have a great night!!!

May 1st

Today, I had the pleasure of having no classes because its a national holiday in Grenada!! Don't ask me for what, I really have no idea. So, instead of sitting in lecture or lab, I spent all day going over Pulmonary Pathology. Tomorrow, I have decided to skip lecture and spend the morning with my friend Cardio Path. Why am I skipping lecture....because the Prof is just not informative. His lecture slides lack that one thing that we count on from our profs....the knowledge on HOW the disease process is occuring. I am well aware that the gastro-intestinal track is fairly large and complex, and there is a lot of material to cover in a short week. Instead of having 1 or 2 slides per disease with no useful information, how about concentrating on the important diseases and give us details (I want details!!) and then tell us to read on our own for the rest. Well, the objectives pretty much say not everything can be covered....that is fine.....but again, cover the important things well with "need to know to be a successful Dr" information. Maybe its because the prof is visiting from Yale and he is confusing us with his students back in Conn. Maybe he believes we are genetically bred individuals who have mastered the ability to telepathically siphon the years of knowledge and important material gained out of his brain and download it into our own......POOF....I now know Crohn's disease....what's next?

So, tonight was episode #2 of Grey's Anatomy. Once again, it was awesome. I really like the writing on that show.....what I don't like is how they protray the "surgery residents". Come on, like the surgery resident would be telling an HIV patient she is pregnant.....NO!!! That would be an ER resident, or an internal medicine resident, or an Ob/Gyn resident. But, I understand that they need to make some drama somewhere, i just wish it was in the OR.

My week has been fairly uneventful. Study, study, study....that is what I do. Especially since we have a tests starting May 13th. I plan on reviewing for both Pathology and Microbiology (especially since I haven't even looked at this subject for weeks) over the entire weekend. And maybe sneaking in a movie on Saturday night :) Well see how the reviewing goes. Everyone have a good night!!!

License and registration.....

What is worse than being pulled over by a police officer in New York?? Being pulled over in Grenada....okay, so I wasn't REALLY pulled over. It was a check point, but to really see it from my point of view, let me entertain you with the whole story:

So on Saturday, I was coming back around 8:30am from working out on campus when up ahead was a check point. Of course I'm screwed....why?? Because I haven't renewed my license this semester. I came back in January and thought, I'm a good driver and I'll never get pulled over, so why bother giving Grenada 30EC every 3 months for some stupid piece of paper. So, of course now, on an early Saturday morning, I'm pooping my pants thinking about what I'm going to say to the police. I opened the glove compartment box to find my insurance paper and to my surprise Alison's (my roomates) license. For a brief moment I was saved...until I saw that it had expired 5 days earlier.....CRAP!! So, I slowly pulled forward to where the nice Police officer was standing and she says "We are checking for licenses, registrations, and insurance." So, I hand her the insurance paper....registrations are on the windshield and mine was current...and then I say, "Here is my license (which remember, was actually Alison's), but I just noticed its expired....I have been so busy these last few weeks with this term. I am really sorry....and I promise I will go this week to renew it." Now, you need to picture me saying that not with conviction or any amount of confidence behind me, but more in a "I promise Mom I was only going to have 1 cookie before dinner and I thought you were in the other room when I opened the package and now you have caught me and I'm really sorry" type of voice. Anyway, she handed my paperwork back and said "Okay, make sure you get it done this week....you can go". YES!!!! I made it!!! I lived to tell my roommates and the rest of the world my tale!!!

Well, true to my word, during lunch today I went to the Grenada Police Station in Grand Anse....

And, I got my licensed renewed......

And now, I am legal....until I get back in August where I will have to pay another 30EC..... maybe!!

Everyone have a great night!!! And don't forget....Episode #2 of Grey's on Thursday night. I can't wait!!!!

Hi vet building.....

So, tonight I am studying in the new vet building. Well, not SO new....it opened at the beginning of this year. Whats nice about it is its very quiet. Not many students know about this secret spot.....or, they know and just choose not to come. Either way, its great for me. Why you ask am I not at home on a saturday night pounding out path....well, every once in a while Dr. Groom's (bar on the beach nearby) hosts a local party....and everyone shows up. The music is SO LOUD, the base beat shakes the walls of our apartment. So, instead of siting in my dining room in my pajamas complaining.....i decided to come here to get work done. The only downfall will be trying to get home. There is only one road in and out....its very narrow....and on party nights people like to just stop their cars, get out and walk. Of course, they just leave theirs cars in the road because there is no place to pull over. So I get the pleasure and joy of trying to maneuver the car through the chaos. Wish me luck!!

What to talk about??? How about thursday night.....best night of my life.....why?? Because Grey's is back!!!!! I can't begin to tell you how exciting it is to look forward to something in Grenada. And I won't, because it would take all night.....just trust me.....anyway, Layne and I drove to school and sat in front of the TV at the student lounge and had the stupidest grins on our faces for an entire hour. Of course, all good things must come to an end....but then there is next Thursday!!!!!! I'm so overjoyed, i can't control myself right now!! And here is a spoiler...Addison's back!!!!

I'm getting comments from some that are asking "who exactly are your roomates??" Good question......so, sit back and relax as you watch my roommates in action!!!

Yes, my roommates are funny!! But they are also all around great. It has been a joy to live with them this term....and I think because of them, I'm not such a Grenada hater (I'll have to fill you in on this at a later time....no time now....sorry). Anyway, I love them!!! And I am also very grateful to have them around.

Well, time to get back to reviewing. I'm finishing up Cardio path now....then it's on to red blood cell disorders. Tomorrow, I get to start my slides for GI which we start on Monday. And.....in 2 weeks....we have tests!!!! I know I'll do fine in pathology.....don't even get me started with Micro though. Everyone have a great night.

Sometimes......

I love being in grenada....






Everyone have a great night!!

EXTRA EXTRA read all about it....monkey traps human!!!

Today, in microbiology class, I was reminded of one of my favorite things....listening to the insane stories, non sense words, and just plain funny comments that come out of our professors' mouths. So, in tonights blog, I am going to re-count some of these classics that occurred in this semester.

While doing infectious pathology, our professor, female bush (there is a male bush also...they are married) says something close to the following: Toxic shock syndrome toxin is found in toxic shock syndrome. Toxic shock syndrome happens when you use intra vaginal tampons. Excuse me....INTRA vaginal tampons....I guess being a woman I assumed ALL tampons were supposed to go INTO the vagina, so having that descriptive word seemed funny. Maybe there are EXTRA vaginal tampons....or INTER vaginal tampons (if you have a rectal-vaginal fistula).

Another pathology NOT so funny.....while doing environmental pathology, our professor, while trying to explain the effects of radiation on the body says: Hiroshima was an accident. Really....so the Enola Gay just happened to be flying over Japan during WWII with an H bomb on board for what??? a sight seeing mission??? when whoops....the pilot hit the wrong button....sorry Japan....I will say that I do have a friend here from Japan who is in my path group and she did not take kindly to that comment. And, it was said twice during the lecture.

How about microbiology.....we recently finished up gastrointestinal infections with Dr. Ro** (sorry, can't use her real name). She is a really great professor. But on to the point, at the end of last friday's lecture she says: "I know how you feel about alot of the lecturers here, but i can honestly say and you can honestly now tell people back at home that you have heard a lecturer talk about absolute crap for a whole week and it actually means something".

But the cake of all cakes comes from today's microbiology lecture. Our visiting professor, who was gracing us with his knowledge on central nervous infections was talking about the Simian B virus. This is a virus that is found in monkeys, yet can be transferred to humans who work closely with these animals. And how does this process occur?? Well, monkeys lay traps for humans!!! Thats right....they gather in the dark corners of their cages in research laboratories plotting and planning on how to get those evil, devilish humans. At least this is the story we were told today. I've never been in a monkey testing laboratory, so maybe its true!!

Well, I have to get back to lung pathology. Need to finish my slide on saddle embolism. I hope you all have a great night. :)

The weekend is here to save me......

I never imagined I would say this but, I am so happy the weekend is here so I can study!!! Most people say thanks for the weekend so they can relax....but not me.....not this term, and especially not after this week!!! This is the first week in 4th term that I have felt completely overwhelmed. Up to this point, I have handled the work.....the first test....everything. But not this week.

In pathology we were learning about hematopoeisis which includes disorder of red blood cells and white blood cells. There was alot of information as usual. Unfortunately, I did not have the time that I had hoped to prestudy and review before both class and lab. And because of that, for the first time, I felt lab was a complete waste of time. I wasn't learning the material. Our tutor would throw out numbers to us that I franticly wrote down yet had no clue what it meant. He would ask questions that were good for remembering and learning, except I felt I didn't even know the material yet and therefore could not answer anything. On top of this, we were given a new assignment on Tuesday called a CPC that was due on Thursday. Basically its a clinical case that we need to write up and then present to our group. The case was very long and detailed, and instead of my original plan of studying on Wednesday night, I spent over 3 hours doing this assignment. So I felt more behind yesterday than I have ever felt in medical school before.

On top of Path, we had clinical skills all week where we learned head and neck exams, eyes, ear, and throat exams, and all of the anatomy and clinical stuff related to those structures. Our first quiz is on monday and I honestly feel like I have no time this weekend to learn the material. I am not so worried about the actual exams, but knowing the questions and patient presentations requires me to read the clinical book. NO TIME!!!

I also have to find some time to squeeze in Micro study on the GI tract organsims that we learned this week. AHHHHH!!!

With all of this I am still hopeful. This morning I put a good plan into place for myself regarding this weekend. Hopefully by Sunday night I will learn everything I need to know. Of course, we start Lung path, clinical skills exams for cardiovascular and central nervous system organisms in Micro all on Monday. A big thank you to whoever devised the weekend!!!!!

April 10th??? Already....what happened to March

Wow, time is flying!!! I just realized last night what day it was....I thought I was still in March. I have come to find this term to be not only the busiest in terms of work (path, micro, and now clinical skills with there numerous labs), but it is also the most likely to be awarded "Groundhogs Day". Why? Because I have the same schedule almost everyday, Monday-Friday. I get up at 6 am, I pre-read for that days classes, I have class from 9-12pm (sometimes I have 8am class but I have been skipping clinical skills on the basis of its boring factor), then I head to the library to study. On mondays and wednesdays I have clinical skills lab from 1-3pm. On tues. and thurs. I have that same time frame to study. Monday - thurs. its Pathology lab form 3-5pm. Friday I have Microbiology lab from 3-5pm (and every other friday its Patient interviewing from 1-3....thanks clinical skills!!!). After my hectic day, I always give my brain a rest and abuse my body...i mean work out....for about an hour. Then I eat dinner, and by 7:30 I'm back to studying, doing Path slides, and more studying until 11 pm, when I go to bed and do it all over again the next day. The weekends have a slightly different schedule....but I will save that description for another day.


So, last week was test week. I got my grades back. A "B" in micro and an "A" in Path. I was very happy with the Path grade....really pissy with Micro. The questions were not in the least bit representative of what we should know as Dr's. I felt with some questions I was taking a reading/vocab test. Others I felt weren't even covered and therefore, I needed to use my best "which one sounds more micro" guessing abilities. I still have a shot to get an A in micro....I just have to really work hard for the last test. Path, I am extremely happy with. I only hope I can do as well on the remaining tests (2 more to go).



So, on saturday, I decided to take the entire day and treat myself at a resort here in Grenada called La Source. I went with my roomates, Layne and Alison, Layne's sister Danielle, and Kaushik. It was awesome!!! We paid for a day pass from 9am-6pm that included breakfast, lunch, snacks, and unlimited alchohol. Not to mention use of their pools, water activities, golfing and tennis courts. It was so nice. They also have a full spa there, but I decided against any treatments as I was trying to conserve money. But, I did learn how to play cricket from the staff there. I'm not saying I was any good at it, but I tried!!! Here are some pics....please excuse the fluff...i'm trying hard to lose it!!!








Before any of you email me to say "is this what i'm doing in medical school", you should note that this was ONE DAY of relaxation and fun since January 14th. So, I don't want to here it!!!

Alright....i have lots of Cardiovascular Path to study. Need to catch up since next week we start a new topic....hematopoeitic system!!! Sounds like loads of fun. Have a great night everyone!!

April 1st!!!

I know, I know...i'm horrible at this whole blogging thing. But I have a wonderful excuse this semester. I'm taking Pathology and the workload is kicking my ASS!!! I had my first test yesterday. Four weeks of material about inflammation, regeneration and repair, infarction, hemorrhage, shock, neoplasms, molecular stuff (still not sure what this is), environmental path., immuno path, infectious diseases, and a bunch of slides on pathologies made for one fun 3 hour test. I'm confident I did very well. I didn't ace it....but I did well.

So besides being locked in my room for the last 2 weeks studying like a fiend, what have I been doing??? Well, in the beginning of March I was inducted into IEA, which is the honor society here at SGU. I had a really nice dinner at the University Club, and I got a nice little certificate....and all because I have a GPA higher than 3.5 (yes, i'm nerdy).

That is Issac and Me with our wonderful certs (we are both a little tipsy in this pic). So then, on Easter Monday, which is a holiday here in Grenada....why I don't know, but we have off from school.....Alison, Layne, and myself decided to go horseback riding. It was a great experience...here are some pics:

So, I was riding the horse named Princess who just happened to be pregnant....great combo for me!! Overall, the scenery was fantastic and we only payed for an hour but ended up being on the horses longer. Oh, forgot to mention that in order to get to the horse trail, we had to take this incredibly long and bumpy dirt road.....no pavement....just dirt....i felt like I was in the wild west back in the late 1800's....you know, California gold rush style!!!!

Well, now its time to concentrate on Micro which is friday. I will definitely try to post more pics and stories this weekend!!! Have a great week!!!

Path starts tomorrow!!

I have come to realize that I really suck at this whole blogging thing. It probably has to do with the fact that i write in my journal almost every night....and by the time I am done with that, I don't feel like writing here.....but since tomorrow starts Path, tonight is a great time to get everyone caught up on my activities....

Feb. 15th: We had Kaushik's engagement party at our house. We had alot of fun...and many people showed up. Alison, Layne, Daniel, Steph, and myself all made appetizers. They came out really, really good!!

Feb. 22nd: After our last behavioral science exam, we went to dinner at Patrick's. Its a restaurant near St. George's in this guys house. The food was okay. It was definitely an experience that you do once and never again!!! After, we all came back and played drunk pictionary. Ask me about the videos sometime...i would love to show you!!!

Feb. 22th: As stated above.....had my last Behavorial science exam. I ended up with a B in the class. Overall, I could have done better (maybe even an A), but in the grand scheme of things does an A in this class really matter??? I'm not so convinced. I would rather have an A in a 13 credit course like Pathology, than in a 5 credit course made up of stats, epidemiology, psych, ethics, and jurisprudence. Although that last class was really fun (all about how not to get sued by your patient). Great tips!!!





Feb. 25th: started Micro class. So far, its mostly review for me....although I took micro almost 10 years ago. Its slowly coming back though. I spent most of my time this week watching movies and TV. That is all about to change very, very soon.





Layne's dad came and visited from the 23rd until the 27th. We had alot of fun. Went to the beach....went on a snorkeling trip to flamingo bay and the underwater park. Made me realize that there is alot i want to do before I leave the island. I'm thinking of coming back really early next term to do some of those things...and possibly staying a week later to finish up my excursions around the island!!



On Feb. 28th, I did the emergency medicine club IV insertion clinic. And....I GOT ONE!!!!! YES!!! Finally I successfully inserted an IV....although we had no bags to hook up so blood was dribbling out of the IV caths onto the floor. I was really psyched about it. Sej was really kind to let me poke her. Thanks Sej!!!



Went to the AMSA health fair on March 1st in St. Patrick. I had alot of fun. I only did breast exams the whole time because I went with WIM. The ride there was sickening. I felt like I was going to be sick, but once i was off the bus, i felt much better. The ride home went more smoothly. Total time on the bus was 1 hr. OUCH!!



Tomorrow starts PATH!!! Its going to be alot of work....but alot of fun too....i'm hoping to learn alot. Especially since I have felt like I have been on vacation the last 6 weeks. Its time to get down to business....hopefully, i can post more soon!!!!

Christmas Eve

So its 11:30 pm on christmas eve and I'm waiting patiently to go to bed. I have been busy all day helping my mom make christmas cookies (i got to frost the sugar cookies). Now I must find a way to cover and protect them all from the dreaded dog and cat hair flying throughout the air. Its a really tough job but I know I can do it!!!

I have decided to take a few needed days off from anything medically related, although I did tell my mom today that one particular batch of cookies looked eerily similiar to a teratoma without the hair (one sugar cookie snowman had engulphed another in the baking process). I do have alot to review and I plan on starting Thursday with some Biochem since I struggled the most with those questions on the BSCE.

What is the BSCE you say?? Its a comprehensive test at the end of year 1 that tests your knowledge of embryo, anatomy, biochem, histology, parasitology, genetics, neurology, physiology and immunology. Of course I did well on the questions pertaining to this semester's classes, but embryo and biochem did give me some trouble. So, that is where my time will be spent in the next 3 weeks before I return to the "rock".

Merry Christmas everyone!!! Have a happy holiday!

I'm sick of San Juan

So its 1:50 am and i'm in San Juan awaiting my flight to JFK which leaves at 3:30 am. I have been here in San Juan since 2 pm. The following is a synopsis of my day:

4:30 am I awoke and Alison and I headed to the airport. There were so many students there at 5 am. I managed to get through the line fairly quickly. My flight was supposed to take off at 7:10 am, but was delayed about 30 minutes.

My connecting flight was in St. Vincent and we landed shortly after 8 am. I never want to set foot in this airport again. I thought grenada was bad, this place takes the top prize for the rudest, unfriendly, rip offs I have ever seen. Customs was that only decent part (they were very helpful and super friendly) but after that it was all down hill. We had to get our bags and haul them to the check in counter (note: there is NO bag transfer with Liat airlines: they claim it helps keep costs down). We (myself and about 20 other students) are asked to fill out all this dumb paperwork. One looked like a xeroxed copy of a 5th grade art project. The bottom portion had three lines that said: connecting airline, flight number, location. So we all put down Liat, 384, San Juan. Of course, we get yelled at by the ticket counter peeps because stupid us, we should have known they meant our flight from San Juan (and not from st. vincent). They then proceed to hand check all of our baggage; all checked and all carry on. It took forever. Finally we are able to proceed to the gate but we first have to pass by the "do not pass go until you pay the leave the island fee". We were specifically told by customs and the airline workers that because we were connecting we did not have to pay the 40 EC. But convincing the sinister looking woman behind the counter of that was practically impossible. We eventually managed not to pay which was a good thing because I had no money on me and they don't take credit cards. So, once again, Liat was late by about an hour but we finally took off and landed in San Juan around 1:00 pm.

Flying Liat into San Juan is funny because the planes are so small that they park in a loading area near the concourse. We then have to walk around all of the baggage trucks, fuel vehicles, and other airport hazzards to a set of stairs. Two flights later, plus a long walk down a dark hallway, and we are in the airport and at customs. But then the real drama began, why you ask? Because the airline was supposed to give us declaration sheets to enter the country, but Liat was all out. So they told us to go to customs and they would give us some. But customs was not playing that game. They said we needed to get the paperwork from the airline. So we sat for almost 30 minutes while they tried to sort it all out. Finally someone comes with some sheets, but there were only 12 and over 30 of us. The scramble for the sheets was hysterical. Men and women, young and old were grappling and jostling for them. I just stood back because I could not believe the absolute chaos. When it was all said and done, there was still almost 15 of us that did not have any sheets. So the guy went back to get more, and when he returns 10 minutes later, he only has spanish versions. Now, I did take 5 years of spanish and I did well with the what is your name, where do you live questions. But I started to stumble with question 9-13 when instead of one word or sentence, it was an entire paragraph. So we had to find someone to translate. And the women who helped us from customs was very, very nice. She went over it line by line.

So, through customs I went....got my baggage, and now its about 2:30, so I head to Jet Blue to see when I can check-in and they say midnight. Which totally sucks, because now i have to stay in the outer concourse area with limited restaurant choices and no comfy chairs. I basically sprawled out on the floor, watched movies and Will and Grace....i had subway for dinner (with a chocoalte chip cookie) and I also had a coffee which was horrendous, made worse by the fact that I could see the starbucks inside the checkpoint (i desperately wanted starbucks!!!)

Now I'm sitting and patiently waiting for my flight at 3:30 am. Of course nothing is open inside the concourse anymore (not even starbucks). But the vending machines still work!!!! So in about 4 hours, I will be at JFK to await my next flight to rochester NY, and all of the wonderful snow we have gotten. Did I mention that i'm already freezing here in San Juan (i'm wearing shorts, sleep pajamas, track pants, a t-shirt, a long sleeve shirt, and a sweat shirt). I'm also strongly considering getting a McDonald's breakfast sandwich. I know it will rip through my stomach, but i haven't had it in so long and i want one....and that is all that matters!!!

Almost outta here....

So it's sunday afternoon, and i'm very, very close to leaving. I should be in San Juan at this time tomorrow (YAY!!!).

This semester went well for me. I was a little scared of physio towards the end. The pulmonary section was a joke. Our prof was from UC San Diego who also worked at NASA. I'm sure in his head he knew the stuff but his ability to teach it to medical students with no Ph.D training was horrendous. Unfortunately, he never really explained anything. He would back up what he was explaining by saying "See, the graph shows this." I quickly realized that pulmonists love graphs, and probably spend hours dreaming up new ways to make graphs. I have never seen one in my life with 3 labeled sides and no title but there it was in class waiting for our interpretation. The book that the prof kept refering to was written by a well known physiologist who also didn't explain anything (and also had alot of graphs). So i spent a large part the time using two crappy references to try to understand a very, very difficult topic.

The physio test went well until question 50....that is when for the next 24 questions I struggled with trying to use my limited pulmonary knowledge to answer 10th order questions that just didn't make sense. I felt overall that i had the main concepts down in terms of what happens, I just had a hard time applying multiple ones to the questions. But, I made sure that i knew renal and endocrine really well and that definitely helped me on this test. In the end, I got a B and that was exactly what I wanted.

Neuro went extremely well. No real complaints from the test. As always the questions were fair. But i did feel the test was a little too general in asking about our knowledge which is funny since alot of people thought this was a hard test. I was surprised that we spent time on subjects like Alzheimers and there were no questions on the test. I got an A so i'm really happy about that.

I also took the BSCE (basic skills comp exam) and it went okay. I realized I need to do some major review in embryo and a little more in biochem, but the anatomy portion was good. I will get my grade back on that exam late next week.

Overall, I did well this term. All A's and B's. Next term will be a huge challenge with 13 credit path and micro on top of that. But I'm ready and looking forward to it.

Results are in.......

I passed Immuno with an A!

Which leads me to a more serious discussion that haunts medical students across the globe: what to do/say when you do really well a test, and your friends either don't, or do not get the grade they were hoping for? Its nice to be excited and pumped up, but hard to share that excitement with friends who are not feeling the same. It happens every semester, every class, and trust me, it happens to me too (case in point, physiology this term where I thought I rocked the test to find out I got a 79). One friend in particular studied her ass off and I'm serious when I say she knew more details then I did; we spent all Sunday studying and I saw her knowledge first hand. She also had an A going into the final, but missed keeping it by 2 questions.

So here is the ultimate bitch about SGU: they give letter grades. Most US medical schools are pass/fail, but SGU needs to show residency programs a grade for not only competitive purposes, but to prove the value of their graduates. And because of this, we get bit by the "one miss monster"; missing a grade by one point. Happened to me in both genetics and parasitology. Answering one more question right would have given me an A, instead......89 for both classes which is a B. And not a B+ mind you....their are no pluses here....so the person who barely studyied and may not know as much as me who got an 80 will receive the same grade (sucks i know).

This is partly why I have adapted the following policy: A's and B's are fine in medical school. I really could care less about my grade as long as it stays at least a B. I find this is much more useful because it throws alot of pressure out the window. I'm not spending time doing crazy math to deduce my chances of keeping or obtaining an A....i'm just learning.

And that brings me to a close as I have to study for physio.....a class that I need at least a B in!!!

Immuno is done!!

It has been such a hectic and crazy few days of studying for Immuno that I forgot to post about thanksgiving....so lets start there:

Thanksgiving went really, really well (considering I had a whole "I don't want to partcipate moment"). Yes, I had a temper tantrum about Thanksgiving for the following reasons:
1. We had class
2. I had studying to do
3. Could not watch football
4. Wanted to really watch football

Anyway, Layne convinced me that we needed to do it. Actually, she said " I want to do it!!! And YOU ARE DOING IT!!!" So, I relented and called my mom up for her recipe for yams, apples, and marshmallows. The dinner started at 8pm. Everyone brought a dish and the food was phenomenal. I ate so much!! It was also nice to share a nice dinner with so many wonderful people. So, thanks to Layne I had a great night with Alison, Kaushik, Danielle, Isaac, Toby, Candice, Liz, Aubrey, Steph, Matt, Kate, Chelsea, and of course Miss wonderful herself, LAYNE!!! Of course, leftovers the next day after class was great too!!

Okay, so flash forward to the weekend and I spent all saturday and sunday cramming....er...studying for immuno. The concepts and the class would be fantastic if it was taught better. I am positive the prof knows her stuff, she just can't teach well at all. Self study has been my new motto and so far it was worked wonderfully for me. By last night (sunday), I really felt there is no way I could fail this class. Keeping my A from midterm I was not so sure of, but failing would not happen.

The test today was okay. Lots of clinical questions, which I love. However, some of the questions were so long winded I had to keep re-reading to find out what the question was asking. After 70 questions, and almost 2 hours I wanted to shoot myself. I'm hoping that with the bonus questions (5 of them, and I nailed them all), that I at least got a 90. We will see sometime later when the grades are posted. I'm just happy that Immuno is over, and I can concentrate on important medical concepts like neuro and physio!!! :)

FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER!!

So, as I was taking a break from studying the wonderful world of the female reproductive system, which by the way, makes me hate my menstrual cycle even more; I stumbled upon a foxnews.com editorial on FSM. And I was like, what is FSM??? So I clicked on this website:

http://www.venganza.org/

And laughed my fluffy ass off!!! I was mesmerized, and then I wondered to myself: how do I join. I mean, being an atheist and all its so damn easy for me to switch my church affiliations anytime I want.

Actually, what really made me laugh was the reason this was on foxnews.com in the first place. I guess some church leaders and people studying theology, who will be gathering for a conference in San Diego soon, are taking this too seriously. They are having talks and discussions on the flying spaghetti monster. What?? Maybe they didn't get the message that this whole thing was a joke of sorts; well, not really a joke, but a cleverly made argument against teaching some dumb creationist theory in the Kansas school system. I shouldn't say the theory itself is dumb...no, what's dumb is having it in the public school system. That is dumb. If you want to teach it, build your own church/school and or teach it in Sunday school.

Anyway, so these three theology majors are presenting papers and arguments on the Flying Spaghetti Monster. From what I read, the one paper tries to decipher if the FSM is really a religion because in some theologist's eyes, to be called a "religion" means only to have a group of people or community of people believing in a higher being of sorts. Too funny!

And why would I be joining this "religion"?? For the mechandise of course!!! Everything is so awesome. Who else's religion can sport cool t-shirts with the saying "I was touched by his noodly appendage". The fact that they offer covers for you Ipod is so with the times. I mean, if the Catholics offered Ipod covers picturing Jesus at the last supper maybe I would convert. :)

Alright, enough fun. Back to estrogen and progesterone. Have a good night!!

It's Friday!!!!!

Here it is, another Friday in Grenada where the rest of my day looks like this:
GHrH, Somatostatin, GH, IGFs, Ghrelin, TRH, TSH, T3, T4, Dopamine, Prolactin, Oxytocin, Vasopressin (also know as ADH), CRH, ACTH, Aldosterone, Angiotensin II, Cortisol, Epinephrine, Norepinephrine, Insulin, Glucagon, PTH, Calcitrol, and Calcitonin!!!

For those of you who are not in medical school, all of the above equates to the wonderful Endocrine system!!! Each of the above has stimulator, a mechanism of action, a target organ, an effect, and lots of disorders when they go wrong!! I love medical school!!!

So besides physio, I also have been hard at work at Neuro. This weeks lectures included the Hypothalamus, Sexual differences of the brain, emotions, consciousness. And lets not forget Immuno where we are learning about hypersensitivity and the joys of asthma, anaphylactic reaction, and urticaria (fancy medical term for hives).

So my week has been pretty darn busy. Which is why I think I have been so exhausted lately. Case in point, wednesday....I woke up around 7am, did some work all morning, went to physio small group, came home around 2:30pm, slept until 6:30pm, ate dinner, studied until 9:30pm, and passed out at 10:30pm where I preceded to sleep until 8am the next morning (and still felt tired when i woke up!!). I'm definitely feeling more of a physical exhaustion and not mental. I did hurt my back about 2 weeks ago and I'm starting to think that this is wearing on me. Hopefully, my tiredness will diminsh as I get closer to exams.

Which reminds me....only 5 more weeks left!!!! I am so excited. Second term is almost finished (seems so surreal) and soon I will be home enjoying the comforts of the USA!! Plus all the christmas cookies I want!!

Have a great weekend. Of course, I will be spending most of it studying, but maybe I'll try to sneak out to enjoy the nice weather (90 degrees today). :)

Where the hell have I been.....

I know....march 29th since my last post.....what the f***??? But i really have a great excuse, are you ready??? From March 29th until May 11th I was busily studying to pass all of my first term courses. You will be happy to know that I did, the breakdown as follows: Histology - A, Biochem - A, Anatomy - B. So from May 12th until August 1st, I was busy working a full-time job at Spot coffee (the promoted me to shift manager, mostly because they had no one left) and trying desperately to get everything in that i wanted to do....like travel, see family and friends, and enjoy the longest summer break I will ever have for the rest of my life!!!! Okay, so from August 2nd until today on October 19th, I have been so incredibly busy with term 2 that my brain just couldn't seem to find the password for this account; today I remembered it!!!! So, i'm back to blog and hopefully it will be for a much longer time.....I have so much to tell, so lets get on with it....

First term: To start I should say that I was a little crazy with my study habits last term. I decided to concentrate on biochem, my nemesis, which worked out great. However, I could have totally gotten an A in anatomy if i put just a little more time in. I'm extremely happy with my grades, I just know I could have gotten that A.

Start of second term: HORRENDOUS!!! Why?? Because you spend 12 weeks at home in the comfort, freedom, and convenience of the united states only to come back to Grenada and realize that this sucks!!! Last term was not that bad and I'm thinking its because its new. New island, new people, new classes, and all of this combines to strip your senses of how crappy this island can be. Don't get me wrong, I love the weather, I love the classes and the school, but there is just something about the idea of being able to jump in your car and make a taco bell run at 1 am when you are up studying your butt off. Nothing like that here; everything closes at 9 or 10 pm (except on the weekends but then only the bars are open). So it took me quite a while to get out of my "i hate it here and i want to go back home right now" attitude, to studying for classes. Result: I got a B in both parasitology and genetics, the first two classes we had. I could have easily gotten 2 A's, but oh well. Then, after those classes, we moved right into Neuroscience and Physiology. For 2 weeks we had this awful class called CPM (don't get me started on this crappy class - in fact, I will tell you all about it soon because it was crazy), and after that Immunology started. Wow!! LOTS OF CLASSES!!

So, today I just finished my midterm week. Here is the short version: Physio did not go as well as I had thought (still passed but.....); Immuno was a cramfest the day before the exam (complement, cytokines, phagocytes oh my); Neuro went really well for me today considering I have put alot of my time into this class thinking it is very, very, VERY relevant for my future career.

And now, I am just chilling out for tonight and the weekend. I'm thinking about watching some Grey's Anatomy or maybe Friends and doing nothing that requires any information storage in my cortex. Have a great night!!!

11:12 pm

As the title of this post will tell you, it's late!! I'm currently sitting in the library trying to force feed my brain information on the leg and foot. My brain does not like the taste and insits on trying to force it back out!!! So far, I have been successful with keeping some of the information in.....but I'm hoping with a good night sleep I will remember more tomorrow.

So what have I been doing for the last few weeks.....study!!! Actually, the material has not been overwhelming which is a nice break, especially after midterms. But next week is when the fun begins!! 4 weeks of head and neck!!! I've already looked ahead at the mountains of information that is patiently waiting to fry my nerve endings!!! I hear it is the toughest part of Anatomy and I'm just hoping I have the endurance to get through it. I have come to realize that medical school is not about how smart you are......it's all about stamina. We have 5 weeks left in the semester, and I have already begun to see some people faltering. More and more people are missing classes and labs. All I keep telling myself is 5 MORE WEEKS!!!!

Biochem was horrendous a few weeks ago. We did almost 2 weeks of DNA replication, RNA transcription and translation. Yes I know it is important for genetic disease, but most of the things we covered I learned in biology 101 in undergrad. The lack of interest on my part in this particular subject definitely decreases my studying habits in Biochem for those 2 weeks. The only positive was more study time for Anatomy.

Histology is another story completely. I've come to realize that I understand more by self studying then I do with going to class. I think it has to do with sitting in a lecture hall seeing the same slides over and over, with the same explanations over and over. Instead of going to class, I spend that time reviewing the lecture presentation while skimming the corresponding chapter for more information. I then spend 30 minutes looking at slides, making comparisons/differences tables. This has definitely increased my understanding of histo as well as my ability to recognize tissue types.

Alright, enough about Anatomy, Histo, and Biochem....2 days ago I put down my deposit for my apartment next term. Here is a brief overview of the situation: School has housing lottery, I enter housing lottery, I lose, I along w/half the school spend the next day walking all over near campus for housing, I find housing, the girl that is supposed to be my roommate changes her mind, my friends get housing at really nice apartment complex, I get back home and find roommate at 10:30 pm, I get up next morning at 7 am, we bang on apartment managers door until he lets us in, we manage to snag THE LAST APARTMENT at 8:45 am!!!! Overally the experience was hectic, but the apartment is really nice, and brand new. I actually wish I could move in NOW!! Living on campus in a dorm has become really annoying...I'll blog about that experience at another time.

Well, I'm going to walk back to my dorm now for some much needed sleep. Have a good night!!