Med school recap, week 4: URRRRRGGGHHHH!!!!

1. Studying is hard. And you're never done. You take an exam, and then WHAMMO! Time to get back to studying. *whimper*
2. My brain feels kinda old and shrively and like I can't squish another thing in. SO, it has decided to start flinging out stuff that it doesn't want any more. I have no control over what it flings. It's mostly people's names or important facts like where I put my keys.
3. Sometimes life happens, and you have to decide if you can live with letting someone else handle the stuff that you're used to doing. Like when your kid gets seriously hurt in a football game, and surgery is in order. Am I going to let his Dad handle the whole shebang? Doubt it.
4. I want to say I can't wait til Immunology is finished, but then I see Microbiology and Genetics looming to take its place, so I'm just trying to be grateful where I am for now.
5. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I am reminded that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. And where I want to be. Sometimes you work REALLY REALLY hard to accomplish a goal, which turns out to be a giant plateful of even more work than you could ever imagine. But I'm having a blast. With the exception of some tiny details that I can't seem to hang onto, it's really really interesting.
6. Yes, I'm studying for that immunology exam coming up tomorrow. But I've been going solid for a while, and my brain has the hiccups. I'm taking a break. ;)
Cya next week!

Medical School Weekly Recap: Week 3

1. Immunology>biochem. At least as far as grades are concerned. I've passed all three exams so far, and that's all I have to say about that.
2. I'm feeling less like an impostor that snuck in the back door, but mostly because I have this cool card with my picture on it that I have to swipe to get in.
3. If you leave that card in the car, you can't get in. And even if you hit muscle failure on the first time up the stairs because you're late to meet with your advisor, you still have to race back to your car to get the card and drag yourself back up that giant staircase. Because they won't let you in. Even if you make puppy dog eyes at maintenance. Meanies.
4. Hillari at the reception desk is seriously super sweet. And perky. I love her to pieces after I've had my coffee.
5. I still feel like I'm juggling madly to keep everything in order. But I have lots of help and support all around me. So now there's guilt.
6. HB is a saint. Seriously. He listens to me whine and moan about the very thing he's working his tail off to help me get through without smacking me down once. Although he does fall asleep while I'm telling him about the finer nuances of smoker's lung. Somebody give him a medal.

Medical School Weekly Recap 2

Week 2 med school recap:
1. First test was pretty great. If they are all like this, I can deal. Now that I've said that, I'm sure I will pay for it on Monday with our next exam.
2. You shouldn't buy textbooks when your brain isn't working correctly. I bought two of the same book.
3. Some of the best conversations are had in the library while sharing sour gummy worms with a fellow student. Part two of this is sometimes the right person is put in your path to say just the right thing that makes you feel better. Daniel has perfect timing. Even if he sets off the alarm.
4. Time management is hard. But I'm getting better.
5. I think I'm going to be OK.

Medical School Weekly Recap Numero Uno

So here's my first recap on my first week of medical school:
1. Seats are important. Like I-will-cut-you important. Get there early and mark your territory. Unless you're me and don't give a crap. Then you can just sit in the same seat for the whole week and then decide on the last day that you like the back row best.
2. Instructors are interesting. Sometimes they forget to hit record before the lecture (a LOT), they tend to run over time, and mine are all-around pretty darn awesome.
3. Five minutes between one-hour lectures is not enough time to take a pee break. But you try anyway.
4. The lecture halls are pretty darn cold. You can combat this by running the stairs to the very top floor so you don't have to wait in line for the bathroom. This accomplishes the dual purpose of getting to pee more quickly, AND bringing your body temperature up so you aren't mistaken for a cadaver by lunch time.
5. I've gotten spoiled on just three subjects. Next week they start adding them until we have seven. I just thought I had no time this week!
6. This is absolutely exactly where I'm supposed to be. I love my school, my fellow classmates, the faculty, and staff at VCOM-Auburn. Several times a day, I have to bite the inside of my cheek so I don't start crying at how grateful I am to be here. This technique has recently been replaced by thinking about student loan debt and how much studying I need to do.

If you made it this far, just know I'm having a blast, and I'm feeling the burn. Oh, and thank you thank you thank you thank you Dr. Glenn Stokes for your awesome instruction in all things Cell Bio, Physiology, and Histology. You've made this week far less painful than it could have been. I hope you feel all the gratefulness I send in your direction every single day.