Success and Failure

It has been SO long since I have blogged. I knew I would be busy in medical school, but boy am I! My plan is to update this blog a lot over the next few days, to catch up with all that has happened over the last (almost) two months. So, I am going to start with the academics...

After my last blog post, I was just beginning my medical school classes and was just about to take my first round of exams...So, I guess I will start there. My first exam was Physiology...I am happy to state that I actually got a 100%. Thats right...100% on my first medical school exam. I was stoked, to say the least. The next week, I had my second exam: Biochemistry. My score: 95%! I felt invincible. I was obviously studying a lot, but I was so happy to see that my hard work was paying off. In undergrad, I often felt like my studies went un-noticed and, because of the curve, could not do well no matter how hard I worked. Here, I at least felt like my hard work was being recognized. Then, on the Monday of my fourth week of classes, I had my very first Anatomy Exam. Since I had done so well on the first two exams, I was expecting that this exam would go similarly. However, I was in for a surprise....I failed. Thats right, I failed. It was the first time I had ever failed in my life. I was crushed. I did not know what happened. I felt like that was the end of my medical career. I thought I would have to go speak to academic advisors and that they would make me extend into the class of 2016 or that I would be put on academic probation.  I obviously overreacted. In reality, I only needed to get 142 points. I got 141. So, I didn't fail that badly and, in retrospect, I think this may have been a blessing. It kicked me into the motivation that I needed. I have since developed the necessary drive and skills to succeed in my classes. I have continued to do well in my physiology class and have successfully passed (and did quite well) in my first class (Biochemistry)!! I have also since figured out that Anatomy needs to be the largest focus of my studies. Since this realization,  I have done quite well on my last few anatomy exams (last one = 93%) and now have quite a cushion for the rest of the semester. :)

When I first wanted to write a blog about medical school, I wasn't planning on including academics...especially not my specific grade points, but now that I am in school, I realize the importance of the struggles that I have faced. I know that I can not be perfect in school, but I work really hard and am very proud of myself for how well I am doing. If there are any current or future medical school students reading my blog, I hope that sharing my first failure provides a sort of  hope that just because sometimes you don't succeed academically, you can work through it and do well in the end!

As for now, I am officially half way through my first semester and absolutely loving it! I may study 15 hours a day, but I really enjoy what I am studying and have the best class-mates in the world. I know that I would not be nearly as happy with life right now if it wasn't for them and am so incredibly happy that I chose Michigan State for my medical school!