Hmmm...what has happened in my life in the past three weeks?
Reflecting upon it, I feel like a lot has happened, although much of it is rooted in med school routine. In clinical skills, I now know how to do a basic neurological exam, the cranial nerve exam, and the head, eyes, ears, nose, and throat (i.e. head & neck) exam. For many of the sessions in the past few weeks, we have practiced on each other, rather than standardized patients, which means that the classes are much more low key (no professional dress required) and the preceptors are more forgiving of mistakes or the instances where our memory of a 20-point checklist falters a bit. :-)
Last Friday, we learned the musculoskeletal exam and we were given instructions to wear 'loose clothing.' I took full advantage of that statement and chose to wear pajama bottoms to school on Friday. I was definitely the only med student to choose such attire (most chose athletic clothing) and I received a range of interesting looks and remarks as a result. Ah well, I loved the chance (perhaps the only one I will get in medical school) to wear such comfy clothing. I'll just have to get used to scrubs as the new pj's.
Everything is going pretty well overall. Alex likes his new job, which is great. Now, between the two of us, we are busy until about 8pm most nights during the week. So, most of our time together on weekdays is spent vegging out, either by watching Scrubs, Top Chef, or Grimm.
The end of the quarter is fast approaching and I am in a great deal of denial about how much I have to study/review before I take on 6 final exams in mid-March (yowza!). Next quarter will be a welcome shift (fewer class hours and a block, 'organ-based' curriculum). Tick-tock, tick-tock.
Alex and I have made several trips up to Tahoe (with friends) over the past few weeks. One time actually included a good round of skiing (despite there being minimal snow in the mountains) and last weekend we got a little snowshoeing in. This upcoming weekend, I finally have a chance to be in the area for the most part, which is a welcome change of pace.
Planning for the outdoor orientation trip this summer is well underway. With that and my involvement in student committees for the wellness initiative at the medical school, I am certainly keeping myself busy, busy, busy. Oh, and I have taken on a commitment to help lead the Women's Clinic at one of the community free clinics run by Stanford students. That commitment will begin next month and carry through the next year.
On a different note, the weather has been gorgeous. The northwest girl in me still fights just how warm it is on any given February day here (stubbornly wearing a vest or fleece when it is in the mid-60s). Today is one of those days. As I write this, I am sitting on the fourth floor balcony of the med school, enjoying the view and the warm breeze after having overheated over lunch at on outdoor cafe nearby. At least there is shade here. It feels like May to me, certainly not a bad thing, but it takes a little to get used to.
I am still very happy to be here, but I continually wish I was closer (geographically) to the people that ground me most. I am establishing good friendships here, but they have known me for only a few months. Up until my move to Stanford, I have had the privilege of being in close proximity to those that know me in a deeper way. Those connections provide a sense of comfort that I miss. I am fortunate and grateful to have Alex here, but it is still a little hard to imagine the roller coaster I will be riding for the next 3+ years. So, I keep strengthening current friendships, going for long runs (most recently, I joined a CrossFit gym), baking/cooking, and finding other ways to keep me grounded, sane, and well overall.
Sending lots of love to family and friends!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
To the brainstem and beyond!
Wowee, winter quarter has almost swallowed me whole. Not really, but the material we are learning now makes me roll my eyes in a this-stuff-is-so-crazy-i-just-can't-believe-it kind of way, not a oh-not-this-again kind of way. Immunology is a whole new version of alphabet soup - everything comes in acronyms. Neurobiology involves so many very specific, intricate structures and their specific, intricate functions that I find myself being baffled by the fact that scientists have figured this much out.
Generally, the topics we are covering now are very interesting, despite feeling a bit overwhelmed by the quantity of information. I do feel more settled in my study habits now than I did last quarter. Part of that stems directly from the fact that I just recently looked at my grades from last quarter (a weird, consistent habit of mine) and the grades reflect the quantity and, thankfully, quality of the studying between September and December. I felt like I had never studied that much before and it paid off! Phew! Now, I just need to keep reminding myself of that, especially as I approach finals in March.
The pace of life has sped up a bit. More class time, more meetings, and more activities. We only have anatomy once a week now, which breaks up the week, but makes me miss dissecting. Instead of anatomy on Thursday afternoons, we have neurobiology lab (lecture followed by small group sessions with nervous system specimens). Our Monday and Friday afternoons have turned into a bit of a doctor-to-be's playground. It is during those periods of time that we get to practice the physical exam. We covered cardio, pulmonary, and abdomen in the first few weeks and this past Monday we did part of the neurological exam. Instead of working with standardized patients, we practiced on each other to test for pain sensation, coordination, reflexes, etc. It was actually a lot of fun! I love our clinical skills class! It serves as a reminder that we really are being trained to be clinicians and, hopefully, healers too.
Besides class, I have been gearing up the planning efforts for the outdoor orientation trip that a classmate and I are leading this summer and I have been working on arranging my summer research. That and the time I spend as a member of the wellness committee has added to the overall density of my schedule.
Two weekends ago, my friend Larissa came to visit me and then we celebrated my friend Megan's birthday (I made chocolate ganache cupcakes, go figure). Alex had a 24 hour bout with food poisoning (the culprit was likely some expired deli ham), but recovered in time to go to his aunt and uncle's house in Walnut Creek and watch the SF 49ers lose the championship game. The day after the game, Alex started a new job as a sales sourcer for Box.net. He is working full-time in Palo Alto and he loves the work environment. It is a really big and very good change for him.
This last weekend, Alex's mom, Kim, came into town to help celebrate Alex's grandma's 85th birthday. Kim arrived Friday night and Saturday morning we drove over to Half Moon Bay (on the coast, west of Redwood City) to join in the festivities. There was a great turn out, the weather was gorgeous, we ate good food, and even went on a beach walk with the whole family.
Saturday night, Alex had his brew team over to bottle their last batch of beer (an oatmeal stout) and brew another (an Irish Red). Kim and I made dinner, hung out, watched TV, and relaxed while Alex and two of my classmates (Liana and Nicko) concocted their beer in the kitchen. The next day was half about touring the Stanford campus and half about studying. I introduced Kim to the magic of Stanford and then I immersed myself in it by isolating myself (along with Liana) in one of the student union buildings in the heart of campus.
This week so far has been fairly low-key (relatively speaking). I was even able to take some of today to run errands, which is certainly a rarity. The weather has been quite beautiful. Mostly sunny days, and warm enough that my Chaco sandals have reemerged from my closet. The evenings still have a bit of a chill to them, but one look at the trees around Stanford campus and you can tell that nature thinks that spring is on its way. :-)
What lies ahead? I am going to Pacific Grove with Alex this Saturday to enjoy a crab feast with his other aunt and uncle that live down there (rough, I know). Sunday, I am spending all day in the women's specialty clinic at Arbor Free Clinic. I am excited to actually get in there and work with some patients! Besides those things, my objective is to study-study-study, since I have a midterm next week for the compilation course that includes pharmacology and microbiology.
Ever onward - (i.e. now it's time for me to watch some Scrubs and then hit the hay!)
Generally, the topics we are covering now are very interesting, despite feeling a bit overwhelmed by the quantity of information. I do feel more settled in my study habits now than I did last quarter. Part of that stems directly from the fact that I just recently looked at my grades from last quarter (a weird, consistent habit of mine) and the grades reflect the quantity and, thankfully, quality of the studying between September and December. I felt like I had never studied that much before and it paid off! Phew! Now, I just need to keep reminding myself of that, especially as I approach finals in March.
The pace of life has sped up a bit. More class time, more meetings, and more activities. We only have anatomy once a week now, which breaks up the week, but makes me miss dissecting. Instead of anatomy on Thursday afternoons, we have neurobiology lab (lecture followed by small group sessions with nervous system specimens). Our Monday and Friday afternoons have turned into a bit of a doctor-to-be's playground. It is during those periods of time that we get to practice the physical exam. We covered cardio, pulmonary, and abdomen in the first few weeks and this past Monday we did part of the neurological exam. Instead of working with standardized patients, we practiced on each other to test for pain sensation, coordination, reflexes, etc. It was actually a lot of fun! I love our clinical skills class! It serves as a reminder that we really are being trained to be clinicians and, hopefully, healers too.
Besides class, I have been gearing up the planning efforts for the outdoor orientation trip that a classmate and I are leading this summer and I have been working on arranging my summer research. That and the time I spend as a member of the wellness committee has added to the overall density of my schedule.
Two weekends ago, my friend Larissa came to visit me and then we celebrated my friend Megan's birthday (I made chocolate ganache cupcakes, go figure). Alex had a 24 hour bout with food poisoning (the culprit was likely some expired deli ham), but recovered in time to go to his aunt and uncle's house in Walnut Creek and watch the SF 49ers lose the championship game. The day after the game, Alex started a new job as a sales sourcer for Box.net. He is working full-time in Palo Alto and he loves the work environment. It is a really big and very good change for him.
This last weekend, Alex's mom, Kim, came into town to help celebrate Alex's grandma's 85th birthday. Kim arrived Friday night and Saturday morning we drove over to Half Moon Bay (on the coast, west of Redwood City) to join in the festivities. There was a great turn out, the weather was gorgeous, we ate good food, and even went on a beach walk with the whole family.
Saturday night, Alex had his brew team over to bottle their last batch of beer (an oatmeal stout) and brew another (an Irish Red). Kim and I made dinner, hung out, watched TV, and relaxed while Alex and two of my classmates (Liana and Nicko) concocted their beer in the kitchen. The next day was half about touring the Stanford campus and half about studying. I introduced Kim to the magic of Stanford and then I immersed myself in it by isolating myself (along with Liana) in one of the student union buildings in the heart of campus.
This week so far has been fairly low-key (relatively speaking). I was even able to take some of today to run errands, which is certainly a rarity. The weather has been quite beautiful. Mostly sunny days, and warm enough that my Chaco sandals have reemerged from my closet. The evenings still have a bit of a chill to them, but one look at the trees around Stanford campus and you can tell that nature thinks that spring is on its way. :-)
What lies ahead? I am going to Pacific Grove with Alex this Saturday to enjoy a crab feast with his other aunt and uncle that live down there (rough, I know). Sunday, I am spending all day in the women's specialty clinic at Arbor Free Clinic. I am excited to actually get in there and work with some patients! Besides those things, my objective is to study-study-study, since I have a midterm next week for the compilation course that includes pharmacology and microbiology.
Ever onward - (i.e. now it's time for me to watch some Scrubs and then hit the hay!)
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