a brief taste of normalcy

Less than 2 weeks until the big day. I know my blog has been filled with all of this boring medical studying stuff. I apologize for that, but....... that's my entire world at the current moment. Scarily each and everyday I feel more of my brain slipping away - that is the normal part of my brain that remembers everyday stuff - like what day of the week it is. I often check my phone 2-3 times a day to make sure I know. Otherwise it's just in terms of what I need to accomplish for the day. Repro tomorrow. Today I took a 4 hour practice exam! it was long and my brain is tired. I'm not really sure how I'm going to survive an 8 hour exam! Guess I'll figure it out. But tonight is my 1/2 day off a week. Yes! Going to Mel's for lasagna and a movie (27 dresses) - to be semi-normal even if only for a few hours. I love it!

Random fact for you:
Newborn babies are given Vitamin K when they are born, because they don't have bacteria in their stomachs to make it. So all that bacteria in your gut is important for more than you know... Vitamin K is important in making clotting factors.

freak show

Where I spend the majority of my day!


Ok, I've thought about posting about the weirdness that has come to commence in the library. My new address should be 2nd floor of the George T. Harrell Library, 1st row 4th cubicle on the right, if you come in the main entrance, left if you come in the back way when the library is closed.

My row is one of the busier rows on the second floor or at least it has to be one of the weirder ones. You see when you spend nearly 10 hours a day in the same place surrounded by the same people there's a comfort level that develops that probably shouldn't. I could tell you the schedules of just about everyone in my row - when to expect them in the morning, when they will take their breaks, when they will return - I tend to leave before they do, so I can't tell you when they go home to sleep. They could tell you the same about me. Anyways - on with the freak show.

I am not using names for 2 reasons - 1. in case someone from school reads this (and if you do you should be able to figure out who some of these people are) and 2. in case my nosy neighbor behind me peeks over my shoulder to read while I write about him - it will be less obvious if his name is not present.

To my left we have "coughy McGee" as Melanie likes to call him - who has a coughing issue. He coughs loud enough that the 1st floor of the library can hear him. It's not his fault though (apparently he has some type of persistent cough). He actually doesn't usually bother me too much - I'm pretty good and tuning that stuff out and he seems to have disappeared for the past few days.

Next to him is one of the normal kids in my row. I thought he was smart because he brought a chair cushion from home to sit on to make his chair more comfortable (not as smart as me - who stole a different more comfortable chair). Regardless, he still has weird tendencies - he brought slippers to the library. They live under his desk. Not pictured below - but you can see he is very organized with lots of figures taped up.

Across from him you have little Miss Messy. She accumulates diet pepsi cans, water bottles, starbucks coffee cups, etc on her desk. Do realize that the garbage can is a few yards away - if that. I don't know how you can work in a dump. Her stuff tends to fly all over the aisle and the new addition as I look over now appears to be a gallon jug of ice tea! - this has overflown into her 2nd cubby next to the first one. See below - please note I included the gallon of ice tea!

Directly behind me is probably the most interesting character in my row. When you think nerdy, socially awkward medical student, this is the image that would pop into your head. Everything on his desk is perfectly arranged. He collects books for fun. Everyday is a new adventure with this one. He has a Napoleon complex or war generals or something - because he likes history books and I've seen stapled packets on his desk of generals - like little biographies or something. He talks to himself. Not always quietly either, I might add. There tends to be an occasional - "YES!" when he gets a hard question right. Or the new one is "dumbass" when he misses one. I unfortunately miss half of the excitement that happens. Mel fills me in, she sits to his left. In addition to the random outbursts - arm movements are included with the occasional pushing back of the chair & standing up in triumph!?
He snacks on croutons. I thought that's what was in a bag in his backpack the other day, looked like cubes of bread and I thought they crunched when he ate them, but I couldn't be 100% sure.
Well, Mel and I confirmed this morning before he arrived - yup their croutons and he just finished them off a few minutes ago - definitely crunch. - below his normal looking cubby


Are you ready for more?.... I have yet to witness what I am about to tell you, but Mel has witnessed it nearly daily for the past week or more. (Thank goodness my back is to him) He takes off his shoe, looks inside of it (examining it for I'm not sure what) and then he takes his pen and scrapes the inside of his shoe. Scrape, scrape, scrape. Not sure what he is getting off. Weird - yes, and when you think it can't get worse - it does....He smells the pen. Then onto the next shoe. We can't make this stuff up if we tried.

This is what finally pushed me over the edge and made me write about this - today I heard the sound of someone clipping their nails. I couldn't tell the direction it was coming from and I wasn't 100% sure I was hearing things correctly. Well, when Mel went to leave there were nail clippers on the cubby a few down from me and some pieces of nail left. Uhhh.... clip your nails at home or.... do it in the bathroom? Not at your desk!

Now I can't say that I'm perfectly normal either. For my blog I have become that girl who takes pictures in the library! Well, actually I took them in the morning before everyone else arrived -so no one actually saw me take all of these pictures. But Priscilla (my nerd) - she keeps me company and Rich visits my desk at night and places her in different positions doing different things (another post for another day) - so I guess I'm the weird girl who sits at her desk with a stuffed animal? Hey... it could be worse!
my desk!

tomorrow

I know I promised some of you a blog post today & I told you to keep your eye out. Well, it's not going to make it today. Tomorrow - I promise it will be my morning break to post it. I've already started and I did some background work on it this morning. I think it should be worth the wait!

:)

another sunrise - can't help it when I'm up so early - just a quick stop and shoot

something else to keep you busy

Below is a link to another blog Mel and I found the other day while searching for images of Kaposi's sarcoma. We wanted to know what it looked like. Found this instead, which is much cuter than the real thing. Everything I've read about all the bugs thus far is accurate - so you go enjoy yourself and learn something in the process.
I like that for Herpes Simplex type 2 (more often associated w/ genital herpes - the little bug has panties on its head)!

Off to studying the Gastrointestinal tract today!

http://adoptamicrobe.blogspot.com/

coolest thing I learned all year

A while ago (beginning of Jan) Nava asked me to tell her something cool I learned in medical school. What I tried to explain to her via email has ended up to the coolest thing I learned all year. Below I have pasted my best explanation, which may be confusing to a certain extent, but I tried - so I impart to you the coolest thing I have learned in the past two years.



Ok, something cool I learned medically - well just about every block there is something new and interesting. I dont' know how well I will explain this via email, but I will do my best.
So the idea is that - if you have more solutes (salt, protein, glucose, etc) - in your blood than in your interstitial space (the space between your cells outside of your blood vessels) then water will flow from the interstitial space into your blood vessels until the concentration is even between the 2 sides (blood and interstitial space) and vica versa
so if you have very dilute blood (very little protein, glucose, salt, etc) then fluid will flow out of the blood vessels into the interstitial space

this is why they say a high sodium diet leads to hypertension, is because the high salt content in the blood vessels causes fluid from the interstitial space to flow into your vessels, which increases blood volume and thus blood pressure.

that isn't the cool part. So the cool part is that if you are dehydrated or have a low blood volume - then fluid from your body will flow into your blood vessels - in order to try and maintain adequate blood volume, blood pressure, and perfusion
well it would be really bad if your brain lost a lot of it's fluid, because it wouldn't function properly so in order t to keep fluid in your brain and that region (so your brain doesn't dry up like a raisin) your brain produces these idogenic osmoles in response to dehydration or losing of body fluid. These osmoles act like the other solutes (salt, glucose, protein etc) - in order to keep fluid from leaving the brain and going into the blood stream.

I hope that makes some sense.
But i just thought it was really really cool that your brain just makes these protein things to keep your brain safe.

the road

The road ahead - can't see what's beyond that hill. That's life, never knowing what lays beyond that next bend or hill. There's only one way to find out and that's to just keep on walking.
Right now I'm focused on one thing and one thing only - just to make it to the top of that little hill. One more hurdle and a whole new world will open up to me. The world of clinic and patients and being a 3rd year - at the very bottom of the clinical ladder. I'm looking forward to late nights and hours upon hours on my feet and being pimped on rounds. But I will be able to look back and say I survived the first 2 years and that leaves me with only 2 more to go. I can't wait to be beyond this next little hurdle. Only 3 more weeks. 3 weeks from today and I take that very big, very important test that has consumed by life for the past 4.5 weeks. Cross my fingers and hope that I pass.

I can't look beyond today, I become overwhelmed with the amount of work that I still need to accomplish. One day at a time, stick to my schedule as best as possible and hope that I get it right the first time. Baby steps, just keep placing one foot in front of the other and eventually I'll make it - let's just hope I don't stumble along the way.

smiles, rainbows, and sunshine

Today is a good day - woke up with the sun shining or at least by the time I left my house the sun was out and shining and there was a rainbow. Not a huge one that took up the entire sky, just a small one - enough to brighten my day.

Thank you! I received a few more cards, etc in the mail yesterday wishing me luck and encouragement. It is much appreciated on my end. I can feel your support and know that I have an amazing set of parents, a wonderful family, and true friends holding me up through all of this. I apologize if I've been more distant, out of touch, or out of my mind when you talk to me. My brain is usually fried by the end of the day and being able to carry on a normal conversation is often out of the question. I think of all of you often and miss you much.

I was sent this link from a friend the other day - it reminded him of me - I think it's cute and it'll make you smile.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wZHmsVRshwU

of course you can never just watch one you tube video - so here's another by the same people that I like too.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=eQgBfrI_w00&feature=related

Below are a few pictures from Bull Frog Valley Park. It's a park right up the street from school. I took a walk there yesterday while listening to Goljan. He's a pathologist that used to teach a USMLE review course. I have a bootleg copy of his lectures which I listen to - just one more way to try and get all of this info stuck in my brain.

Speaks for itself

Sally sent me a letter. It pretty much says it all!

:)

chugging along

So.... what have I accomplished since I last wrote. Well, I finished studying biochemistry, microbiology, immunology, and have just started hematology today - which I will finish tomorrow. What fun?! I've had some time to relax - a little. Slowly learning more and more and hoping that when new stuff enters my brain that the old stuff doesn't leak out.

Last night, one of my friends Camila (a 3rd year) got married. It was a great break for everyone. I must say that we all had a blast - dancing and singing our little hearts out. I woke up this morning thinking that I might be getting sick, because my throat hurt - but now I think it's more from singing last night than from getting sick.





Myself, Sam, and Mel









The boys - all smiling for once!




I received an interesting package from my grandmother the other day. Below is the picture - find the weird item - there's more than one. Thank you Gma - Love you!

Good morning

Sunrise from yesterday or the day before. I'm greeted each morning with the sunrise.
This morning I took a little trip down memory lane - unexpectedly.
The grocery store next to my place is open 24 hours a day. I rented a movie and watched it on my 1/2 day off from the store and went to return it this morning at 6am. I walk into the store and was taken back to my childhood. Suddenly I felt like I was standing in Sani Food (the grocery store my parents owned). The lights were on, but dimmed. The bakery was cooking - the smell of fresh baked donuts. I can see perfectly, the donut case at Sani-food when you first walk into the store. I can't even remember the last time I had a donut, but as a kid and in high school I ate them probably more than I should have. I'd stand there and debate about which one to get - knowing full well it's always the same. A chocolate bar.
Then back to office at the store where I would eat my donut, drink my chocolate milk and either pretend to work or play tetris. Ahhh....I miss being a kid.

Lucky me

Happy Mother's Day!

Mom - Thank you for being a wonderful mother and so much more - a confidant and a friend.
I love you and miss you every single day.

Study Camp

Ok, so while talking to my parents last night - I mentioned my really wanting to go home. I also told them that I wanted to wait it out a week and see how I felt after that. Maybe, I just have to get into the groove - sort of like summer camp. When I was younger and I went away for camp - I hated it the first week or so. I wrote home and told them how much I missed them and wanted to be home. We'll when they came to pick me up, let's just say I was crying because I didn't want to leave. Now, I'm not implying that I will be begging for more studying by the end of this - I think not. But I have decided to try and be more optimistic. And I have decided that studying for the boards is like camp.
Why you ask?
Well,
1. I have a wake up call - Reveille, if you will (5 am)

2. Bedtime (10pm) (except tonight since it's Friday - I stayed up a little later & I get to sleep in tomorrow - a little)

3. Comfy clothes - no one cares what you look like at camp. And while studying for the Boards - it doesn't matter either. The rest of society may not agree, but my fellow med students understand. My personal goal is to not wear jeans for a month - sweat pants, gym shorts, maybe an occasional skirt, but only if it's comfortable.

4. I don't have to do my hair. Hop out of the shower --> into a pony tail. I'm sort of excited to see how long my hair is after all of this - assuming it doesn't fall out from the stress.

5. Schedule, schedule, schedule - everyday is accounted for. Breaks, work out, etc - just like at camp.

6. My own little world. Camp is it's own separate reality. Trust me the library and the medical school campus are their own separate reality.

So there you go - I've got a month of study camp!


<-- my study buddy
He sits at my desk and keeps me company :)

day 2 down

Just trucking through. That's how I feel and it's only day 2! I get to slowly cross off the chapters as I read them and then a slash a huge X through the day when it's complete - it makes me feel somewhat accomplished. Doesn't mean I learned the material, nor that I actually had a real conversation with anyone today, but that's my life for the next month or so. I'm working on getting used to it, but it's going to be rough - I can tell already.

Let's see one of the highlights of my last 2 days was that I found avocados for $0.50 a piece. Homemade guacamole! Yummy. See below.

Ready, Set, Go

Today is my official start for USMLE Board's studying. Yesterday was a half day of studying. The USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Exam) Step 1 - I will be taking on June 12th. This is a major test (8 hrs) in my becoming a doctor. Not only do I have to pass it to be able to practice someday, but it also plays a role in the competitiveness of my application to residency - which includes specialty selection as well as location (ahem...me wanting to go back to Cali). There' s a lot on the line for this exam. #1 - Pass, #2 if possible do well. I know - seems pretty obvious.


So for the next 4 weeks or so - I will be trying to relearn the first 2 years of medical school!

Arsenal of information to cram into my head by June 12th?









Check



Schedule that will help me accomplish this madness?










Check: This week - attack Biochem




Snacks: to sustain me in these marathon days?











Check...Thank you Aunt Ed (much appreciated)




Study Buddy who is crazy enough to do this to & hopefully we won't be sick of one another when all is said and done.












Check!









And last, but not least...Study Break material.











Thank you Andy for this hilarious book - that will hopefully help to keep me sane or at least keep me from becoming more crazy.



Wish me luck! Back to the books!
Time to learn about Fatty Acids!

Home and randomness

Sometimes there are just those days where I miss home. Where all I want is to be in my own house on the couch watching tv with the dogs, or playing games with the family, going out with my high school buddies, etc. I was just home a few months ago, 2 to be exact. So it really hasn't been that long. I think it's knowing that a lot of people are getting ready to head out for summer - But new adult Jen will be stuck here - putting in more hours studying than a full time job!
The California sun still calls my name. 2 more years and hopefully I can make my return to the west coast. and the Mexican food - I miss the Mexican food
Above: this is our favorite taco wagon just down the street from home


Today was my last day of classes for 2nd year! I can't believe.

Random thought that just popped into my head. So I had a doctor's appt me today. No worries - everything is fine - just the yearly tune up. As a medical student, I sit there paying close attention to what the doctor does. Is he doing everything we've been taught? Does he skip something I think should be done? Does he ask all the right questions? Did he leave something out? I wonder if the doctor realizes that I'm paying meticulous attention. He sits there mindlessly making small talk, going through the exam and I mindlessly answer while analyzing his every move.
In a way I feel sorry for these doctors that have to deal with us medical students. One for the reason mentioned above - we are paying close attention and in theory know what is supposed to be done and two because learning about all these diseases scare us. I'm sure with each block, some student rolls into the office with some obscure complaint about whatever we are learning - chock full of biochemical information that the doctor has long since forgotten, because it's not clinically relevant.
That's it - off to study tonight. Test on Monday.