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!)
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