This semester, our clinical skills class is centered around a set of different experiences with different age groups from a newborn exam to a elderly exam/nursing home visit. The first half of the semester is "pediatrics" focused. Last week, we conducted a newborn physical exam. This week, we have a "young child" experience. The week after that, we do an "adolescent experience." Coming into medical school, Pediatrics was at the top of my list of prospectives specialties. Knowing that most medical students switch what they want to do many times during the course of medical school, I was happy to keep my options open...but boy do I love pediatrics! Out of every lecture we have had during the course of school and every clinical experience we have had so far, I have enjoyed anything with pediatrics so much! I really will be surprised if I don't end up doing peds.
Last weeks newborn exam was my most favorite thing ever! As a group of 5 medical students, we went into the nursery at Sparrow Hospital. We started out with one of the neonatologists going over the different aspects of the newborn exam, then split up and conducted our own exams. I had such an amazing time! Its really exciting that we are actually having real clinical experiences now, interacting with real patients (non-simulated ones) and conducting exams that we will actually be using in our career. I love it. I love peds. I love this semester.
Showing posts with label m1. Show all posts
Showing posts with label m1. Show all posts
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Spring Semester... COMPLETE!
Another semester down! I finished my last final on the May 3rd and have been enjoying my much needed relaxing vacation (more on that later)! This semester went by SO fast! Its kind of crazy. Like I mentioned before, we had at least two (sometimes three) big exams every week during the semester, so they kept us quite busy, to say the least. So far, I have taken 53 medical school exams and a countless number of quizzes. CRAZZZZZZYYYYY.
Even though this semester was much more intense in terms of exams, I am happy to say I had a lot more free time than I did first semester. Instead of spending hours and hours in the anatomy lab in the evenings and weekends, I actually had this time free to study. So, even though we had lots of things to do, we had plenty of time to do them. It was fabulous. I felt much less stressed, managed my time much more easily, and actually performed better! I ended up with above a 90% average in all of my classes! My school is Pass/No Pass, so grades really don't matter at all...but there is a statistic that if you get a 90% in your classes, there is over a 99% first time pass-rate for the USMLE board exam. So, thats promising!
As for now, tomorrow is the first day of our (short) summer semester! Only 7 weeks left until my real summer semester begins. However, even though I still have school, this semester's load seems quite light. I only have 3 classes:
1) Pharmacology
2) Radiology
3) Clinical Skills
Pharmacology is supposed to be challenging, but do-able. Radiology is supposed to be a cake class. Clinical Skills...well, for the first two weeks... I get to go play with babies in the nursery. So, I'm more excited than nervous about this semseter! Stay tuned if my prediction about this semester is correct!
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Medicine Ball
Medicine Ball was last weekend in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This is an annual event that includes a formal dinner, faculty awards, student "mock" paper-plate awards, video follies and a big dance party. As a student council member, I have been busy planning this event for months, so I was really anxious/excited for it to arrive. I had built it up in my head so much, that I was also nervous it wouldn't actually live up to my expectations. Well, it definitely did! In fact, I think I had even more fun than I thought I would have! It was so fun to have everyone get dressed up, have a really classy nice meal, and let loose with great friends. Heres some pictures of the event:
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| Getting ready! Should out to Amanda A. for making my hair look so pretty! :) |
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| S and I at dinner! |
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| Me presenting all of the student "mock" paper-plate awards |
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| This years theme: Casino Royale; I obviously hit up the blackjack tables! |
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| Amanda and I at the event |
And now for your entertainment, my two favorite follies:
Friday, April 6, 2012
Crosstown Showdown
Last night, about 20 of my classmates and I went to the annual "Crosstown Showdown!" This is a MSU (college team) v. Lansing Lugnuts (Minor League team).
We started the evening at the Roadhouse Pub. Then, we headed into downtown Lansing to go to the Colley Baseball Stadium. When I first heard that this was an annual game, I thought it was a really cool idea, but expected the Lugnuts to kick MSU's butt...they are a professional team, after all. However, after 6 innings, the score was 0-0. To be honest, it was kind of a boring game at that point. I'm just glad I was surrounded by great company to make it really fun! Top of the 7th, MSU again gets 3 outs without any runs, but then something changed. When the Lansing Lugnuts went to bat, they made not 1, not 2, not 3..but 7 runs! 7! In one inning. It was pretty crazy. I was obviously rooting for MSU, but at that point I was excited for some excitement!
So, in the end, MSU lost, but it was a really great event. Its always fun to get out of my little radiology/clinical center bubble. I can't wait for this summer to go to more baseball games in downtown Lansing!
We started the evening at the Roadhouse Pub. Then, we headed into downtown Lansing to go to the Colley Baseball Stadium. When I first heard that this was an annual game, I thought it was a really cool idea, but expected the Lugnuts to kick MSU's butt...they are a professional team, after all. However, after 6 innings, the score was 0-0. To be honest, it was kind of a boring game at that point. I'm just glad I was surrounded by great company to make it really fun! Top of the 7th, MSU again gets 3 outs without any runs, but then something changed. When the Lansing Lugnuts went to bat, they made not 1, not 2, not 3..but 7 runs! 7! In one inning. It was pretty crazy. I was obviously rooting for MSU, but at that point I was excited for some excitement!
So, in the end, MSU lost, but it was a really great event. Its always fun to get out of my little radiology/clinical center bubble. I can't wait for this summer to go to more baseball games in downtown Lansing!
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Summer Plans!
I have been (slightly) stressing about my summer plans for the last few months. I originally planned to do research for the summer, since that what it seems like everyone is doing. However, I also realize that this is my last summer break...ever! So, I started thinking that I wanted to go abroad. The only problem: Money! My current salary is NEGATIVE $70,000. So, I clearly don't have money to just go spend to travel the world. Thus, my predicament. Do I take out more loans to go travel or do I spend my last "free" summer in a lab?
Well, I think that I have lucked into the best of both worlds. Within less than a week of each other, I heard about two really great opportunities. First, is a 3 week trip to Peru, sponsored by CHM. Second, a paid externship here in Michigan. If I was accepted to the externship, this could help pay for my trip to Peru. It was a long shot to get accepted to both, but I thought it would be amazing if it would all work out this way. Well, I'm ecstatic to report that it did. :)
So, my summer plans are as follows:
1) Peru: Week 1- Shadowing/Volunteering in hospitals in Peru
Week 2-Cleft Palate/Cleft Lip Surgeries in Peru (soo awesome!!)
Week 3- Hiking Machu Pichu!!!!
2) Externship (Either 4 or 5 weeks...yet to be decided!) Each week, I will be working in a different specialty. The specialties I have selected are:
-Pediatrics and Subspecialties
-OB/GYN
-General Surgery
-Hematology/Oncology
-Infectious Diseases
I can't believe everything worked out and I cannot wait for summer to begin! :)
Well, I think that I have lucked into the best of both worlds. Within less than a week of each other, I heard about two really great opportunities. First, is a 3 week trip to Peru, sponsored by CHM. Second, a paid externship here in Michigan. If I was accepted to the externship, this could help pay for my trip to Peru. It was a long shot to get accepted to both, but I thought it would be amazing if it would all work out this way. Well, I'm ecstatic to report that it did. :)
So, my summer plans are as follows:
1) Peru: Week 1- Shadowing/Volunteering in hospitals in Peru
Week 2-Cleft Palate/Cleft Lip Surgeries in Peru (soo awesome!!)
Week 3- Hiking Machu Pichu!!!!
2) Externship (Either 4 or 5 weeks...yet to be decided!) Each week, I will be working in a different specialty. The specialties I have selected are:
-Pediatrics and Subspecialties
-OB/GYN
-General Surgery
-Hematology/Oncology
-Infectious Diseases
I can't believe everything worked out and I cannot wait for summer to begin! :)
Friday, March 2, 2012
Intubation Clinic
With the crazyness of my final week/start of spring break, I almost forgot to write about a really awesome Intubation Clinic that the CHM Emergency Medicine Interest Group put on. They invited one of the Emergency docs and about 10 of the Emergency Med residents to come teach a group of 30 of us how to do proper airway management/intubation. The clinic took about 2 hours and was split up into two parts. First, we were taught how to use proper airway adjuncts (Oropharynx Airways and Nasopharynx Airways). We were also taught how to use a BVM (Bag-Valve-Mask) to provide ventilations. Working as a CPR instructor for the last year, I can use a BVM with my eyes closed. Also, in my EMT class, we learned how to do oropharynx and nasopharynx airway adjuncts. So, this portion of the clinic was fun, but not something I hadn't learned yet.
The second part of the clinic was much much cooler! We finally learned how to intubate! Let me tell you, intubation is MUCH harder than you would think. You start out by putting this massive metal light in a tiny little mouth; you have to use crazy arm strength to pry up the mouth, without cranking on the teeth; Finally, you have to make sure that you can crank back the mouth so much that you can slide a tube in the trachea, not the esophagus. It was quite hard at first. I intubated 5 times. My first and second attempts where big fat fails. After "breaking teeth" (aka hearing the mouth click to tell you that you are breaking teeth), I got the tube in, started ventilating and..........the stomach inflated. I intubated the esophagus, not the trachea....wrong. Then, on my third try, I finally saw the tracheal opening and count get the tube into the trachea! Success! It was so exciting.
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| Using an oropharynx airway adjunct |
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| Bobby intubating...I didn't get a picture of myself. |
It was such a great clinic! It was really fun to learn this skill and also really fun to work so closely with residents. It made me so excited for third year rotations and to learn actual skills that I will be using as a real physician!
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Spring Break Countdown
Spring Break starts in 13 days!!!!!!! Here is all of the things that stand in my way from a glorious week of freedom:
1) 5 exams (including 1 final)
2) 2 quizzes
3) 1 Career Development session
4) 1 Mentor Meeting
5) 1 Clinical Skills sessions
Its going to be a busy 2 weeks, but I just cannot wait for this spring break. Besides going back to sunny California, I will also be celebrating one of my best friend's bachelorette party! The bachelorette party location is a total surprise to her, so if you know where we are going...don't spoil it! I can't wait! :)
1) 5 exams (including 1 final)
2) 2 quizzes
3) 1 Career Development session
4) 1 Mentor Meeting
5) 1 Clinical Skills sessions
Its going to be a busy 2 weeks, but I just cannot wait for this spring break. Besides going back to sunny California, I will also be celebrating one of my best friend's bachelorette party! The bachelorette party location is a total surprise to her, so if you know where we are going...don't spoil it! I can't wait! :)
Monday, February 6, 2012
Endocrinology Shadowing
I havent blogged in a few weeks because of my crazy crazy exam schedule. I knew this semester had a lot more exams than last, but its kind of amazing how much material we have already learned and been tested on this far. In fact, I have my first final of the semester, in immunology, this Friday!
Like I mentioned in Fall v. Spring, one of the neat things about the Spring semester is that we get way more clinical experiences. One of these required clinical experiences is shadowing our faculty mentors in either their clinic or in a hospital. My faculty mentor, an endocrinologist, is actually gone for a few months to do research in Florida, so I shadowed one of this partners in his endocrinology clinic. Although I shadowed physicians as an undergrad (as everyone hoping to enter medical school does), I was nervous to see if the expectations and experience would be different now that I'm no longer "pre"-med, but instead a real med student. Well, I definitely was right to fear there would be different expectations....
After first meeting my physician that I was shadowing, I was immediately handed a CBC. Although we "practiced" reading CBCs in biochemistry, when you are handed your first one and asked "whats wrong with this patient", it is much much different. Luckily, my normal guess of "anemia" proved to be correct (point 1 for Kailyne)! After talking about our first patient, we went in the room to see our first patient. After talking with her and examining her, the physician told me to listen to her heart and lung sounds and to tell him 2 things that I find that are abnormal. Well, considering the fact that I am just now learning heart and lung sounds (2 weeks after I shadowed), I had no clue of what to do. My patient was very nice and told me that I should be looking for a murmur, but of course, I still don't really know what that sounds like (negative one point for Kailyne). After this, the next four hours seemed to go up and down like this. I would correctly guess that a patients medicine was causing hyperprolectemia, and then fail at describing Graves Disease (something else I learned just 2 days after this shadowing experience). So, I know that I am not expected to know everything, but every time I would get excited that I knew something, seconds later I would be reminded that I really don't know much...Oh well, I guess I am going to have to get used to it because of the nature of my future career!
In the end, I am really happy that I got this shadowing experience to begin to prepare myself for what I will expect in 3rd year rotations. I realize I will no longer be able to hide in a classroom answering multiple choice questions when I am one-on-one with a physician/resident and in patient rooms. I know I still have more than a year before I will have to face this reality, but I definetely want to get more shadowing experiences under my belt before I have to go in as as a third year, who is really supposed to know what the heck they are doing! *Gulp*
Like I mentioned in Fall v. Spring, one of the neat things about the Spring semester is that we get way more clinical experiences. One of these required clinical experiences is shadowing our faculty mentors in either their clinic or in a hospital. My faculty mentor, an endocrinologist, is actually gone for a few months to do research in Florida, so I shadowed one of this partners in his endocrinology clinic. Although I shadowed physicians as an undergrad (as everyone hoping to enter medical school does), I was nervous to see if the expectations and experience would be different now that I'm no longer "pre"-med, but instead a real med student. Well, I definitely was right to fear there would be different expectations....
After first meeting my physician that I was shadowing, I was immediately handed a CBC. Although we "practiced" reading CBCs in biochemistry, when you are handed your first one and asked "whats wrong with this patient", it is much much different. Luckily, my normal guess of "anemia" proved to be correct (point 1 for Kailyne)! After talking about our first patient, we went in the room to see our first patient. After talking with her and examining her, the physician told me to listen to her heart and lung sounds and to tell him 2 things that I find that are abnormal. Well, considering the fact that I am just now learning heart and lung sounds (2 weeks after I shadowed), I had no clue of what to do. My patient was very nice and told me that I should be looking for a murmur, but of course, I still don't really know what that sounds like (negative one point for Kailyne). After this, the next four hours seemed to go up and down like this. I would correctly guess that a patients medicine was causing hyperprolectemia, and then fail at describing Graves Disease (something else I learned just 2 days after this shadowing experience). So, I know that I am not expected to know everything, but every time I would get excited that I knew something, seconds later I would be reminded that I really don't know much...Oh well, I guess I am going to have to get used to it because of the nature of my future career!
In the end, I am really happy that I got this shadowing experience to begin to prepare myself for what I will expect in 3rd year rotations. I realize I will no longer be able to hide in a classroom answering multiple choice questions when I am one-on-one with a physician/resident and in patient rooms. I know I still have more than a year before I will have to face this reality, but I definetely want to get more shadowing experiences under my belt before I have to go in as as a third year, who is really supposed to know what the heck they are doing! *Gulp*
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Friendship Clinic
This morning, I volunteered with The "Friendship Clinic." This is a student-run clinic for underserved groups in the Lansing area. Most of the patients that are seen have either Medicare, Medicaid, Ingham County Health Care, or are uninsured. The clinic also receives a large homeless population. I have been thinking about volunteering for a while and was excited to get going!
I arrived to the clinic at 7:30 AM. I was given a tour of the clinic, which was actually a lot nicer than I had imaged it to be! We then began seeing patients. I was given the option of seeing a patient alone (which I was totally not ready for) or seeing a patient with a second year student. I obviously opted for the latter. So, a second year medical student and I went in to see my patient. We helped her complete all of the necessary forms, took a full medical history and family history and gave the patient a full physical. [First time I have ever heard bowel sounds...cool!] After seeing the patient, we went to present to a physician. The physician was fabulous! He not only had a great passion for his job as a doctor, but also really wanted us students to learn. I had never presented to a physician before, so after the second year and I stumbled through it, he went through exactly how it should sound. He then had us bring in some lab work forms and scripts. I was expecting him to fill them out and give them back to see our patient, but to my surprise, he had us write them! Thats right, I wrote my first script today! It was pretty awesome! Definitely felt like a real doctor for a second! After the patient left, we completed all of the paperwork...which is a lot. I also wrote my first SOAP note, which is a document that includes: Subjective info (what the patient describes, old lab tests, etc), Objective info (things you find in a physical exam), Assessment (what diagnoses we have come up with) and Plan (what treatments and referrals we have given the patient). I know it sounds silly that I was excited about paperwork--scrips and soap notes--and that when I get farther along in this career path, I will dread doing it, but for now I am excited about doing all of these little aspects of a doctor's job.
It really was a great morning! I had such a positive experience with the Friendship Clinic and definitely will be back in the future! :)
I arrived to the clinic at 7:30 AM. I was given a tour of the clinic, which was actually a lot nicer than I had imaged it to be! We then began seeing patients. I was given the option of seeing a patient alone (which I was totally not ready for) or seeing a patient with a second year student. I obviously opted for the latter. So, a second year medical student and I went in to see my patient. We helped her complete all of the necessary forms, took a full medical history and family history and gave the patient a full physical. [First time I have ever heard bowel sounds...cool!] After seeing the patient, we went to present to a physician. The physician was fabulous! He not only had a great passion for his job as a doctor, but also really wanted us students to learn. I had never presented to a physician before, so after the second year and I stumbled through it, he went through exactly how it should sound. He then had us bring in some lab work forms and scripts. I was expecting him to fill them out and give them back to see our patient, but to my surprise, he had us write them! Thats right, I wrote my first script today! It was pretty awesome! Definitely felt like a real doctor for a second! After the patient left, we completed all of the paperwork...which is a lot. I also wrote my first SOAP note, which is a document that includes: Subjective info (what the patient describes, old lab tests, etc), Objective info (things you find in a physical exam), Assessment (what diagnoses we have come up with) and Plan (what treatments and referrals we have given the patient). I know it sounds silly that I was excited about paperwork--scrips and soap notes--and that when I get farther along in this career path, I will dread doing it, but for now I am excited about doing all of these little aspects of a doctor's job.
It really was a great morning! I had such a positive experience with the Friendship Clinic and definitely will be back in the future! :)
Fall v. Spring
I am one week into Spring semester and I can already tell this semester is going to be CRAZY different from last semester--not only the curriculum, but also with my experiences with patients, my schedule, and my free time. I will always remember the first day of medical school. The night before, I had all of my schoolwork prepared, backpack packed, clothes laid out. I went to bed early. Prepared a nice meal for the morning (including a big cup of coffee). I was crazy nervous, but very excited. I had a full day of classes and stayed up until 4 AM frantically studying. I'm sure none of the material I studied that night stuck in my head. I am also sure that I was incredibly inefficient in the way I went about studying, but hey, its all apart of getting adjusted to school, right?
Now, fast forward to last monday...the night before our first day of school, and where am I? At home, packing school supplies and getting ready for the upcoming day? Nope. I am at the bar with my classmates. Now, don't get me wrong...I am not taking school less seriously or anything. I am very motivated and absolutely want to be as successful as I can be, I just realized now that my first week should not be as stressed about as I had done first semester. I also know the importance of balancing school with fun...and when we don't have a ton of work to do, why not have fun while I can?
Other differences I have noticed so far:
1) Afternoons are more free! Last semester, I had mornings filled with lectures and afternoons filled with labs/small groups...So, my time to study was crammed to the nighttimes. This semester I still have lectures in the monrnings, but I only have a few labs and small groups every week. So, I have many days where I have the whole afternoon free to study! Its very nice so far!
2) Way, way, wayyy more exams! So, everything I have talked about so far are definite positives of this semester, but I think this is the worst part. Instead of having an exam a week, we will have either 2 or 3 exams a week. We have one additional class this semester, so everything is taught just a little big quicker and we have a lot more exams! ...Hopefully the free time I have gained will be in good use studying for all of these tests.
3) More patient interaction: Last semester's clinical skills class taught us how to communicate and interview patients. We were given four opportunities to really practice these skills with model patients, but thats really the only big patient interaction we had. This semester, there is a TON more experiences that allow us to interact in a clinical setting. First, we do a Longitudinal-Patient Centered Experience, which I described in "Spring Semester". My first meeting with my patient is this Monday, so I am sure I will blog about that as soon as its done. Also, we do physician shadowing this semester, which I am starting on Friday (hopefully). Lastly, I am also volunteering with Friendship Clinic (see future blog!)
Well, thats all for now...Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!
Now, fast forward to last monday...the night before our first day of school, and where am I? At home, packing school supplies and getting ready for the upcoming day? Nope. I am at the bar with my classmates. Now, don't get me wrong...I am not taking school less seriously or anything. I am very motivated and absolutely want to be as successful as I can be, I just realized now that my first week should not be as stressed about as I had done first semester. I also know the importance of balancing school with fun...and when we don't have a ton of work to do, why not have fun while I can?
Other differences I have noticed so far:
1) Afternoons are more free! Last semester, I had mornings filled with lectures and afternoons filled with labs/small groups...So, my time to study was crammed to the nighttimes. This semester I still have lectures in the monrnings, but I only have a few labs and small groups every week. So, I have many days where I have the whole afternoon free to study! Its very nice so far!
2) Way, way, wayyy more exams! So, everything I have talked about so far are definite positives of this semester, but I think this is the worst part. Instead of having an exam a week, we will have either 2 or 3 exams a week. We have one additional class this semester, so everything is taught just a little big quicker and we have a lot more exams! ...Hopefully the free time I have gained will be in good use studying for all of these tests.
3) More patient interaction: Last semester's clinical skills class taught us how to communicate and interview patients. We were given four opportunities to really practice these skills with model patients, but thats really the only big patient interaction we had. This semester, there is a TON more experiences that allow us to interact in a clinical setting. First, we do a Longitudinal-Patient Centered Experience, which I described in "Spring Semester". My first meeting with my patient is this Monday, so I am sure I will blog about that as soon as its done. Also, we do physician shadowing this semester, which I am starting on Friday (hopefully). Lastly, I am also volunteering with Friendship Clinic (see future blog!)
Well, thats all for now...Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Spring Semester
I begin Spring Semester in exactly 1 week. So, here is a little peak at what my coursework is going to be for the next 5 months:
1) Medical Neuroscience (4 credits)
2) Microbiology/Immunology (5 credits)
3) Clinical Skills (2 credits)
4) Cell Biology/Physiology II (4 credits)
5) Epidemiology/Biostatistics (1 credit)
6) Pathology (2 credits)
7) Integrative Clinical Correlations (1 credit)
8) Mentor Program (1 credit)
9) Longitudinal Patient Experience
What I am most excited for:
-Clinical Skills: This semester we get to lean how to use all of our "doctoring" equipment. We will learn how to do physical exams and integrate what we know about doing patient interviewing with these new skills. So, this is obviously an exciting part of our curriculum this semester!
-Neuroscience Lab: I love the brain. It is definitely the most fascinating organ, so I am nerd-ily excited for this lab component on this course.
-Longitudinal Patient Experience: We are all paired up and assigned a family that we will work with in depth. We will learn a lot about what these patients experience daily with their chronic conditions and begin to understand what it really means to be a patient. I can only speak for myself, but I'm sure its true of most people in medical school, that one of the most appealing parts of our future job is the interaction with people. So, I am excited to get started with this.
-No more Anatomy: Don't get me wrong, I do love the body and think Anatomy is an absolutely crucial element of my first year medical education, but I am so so so happy to not have the stresses of this class this next semester. Anatomy was by far the hardest course I have taken, because of the sheer magnitude of material there is to know. So, I can say that I am happy that I have completed this class.
What I am most nervous for:
-Microbiology/Immunology: Based off of the units alone and the fact that I have never taken micro, immuno, or bacteriology... I feel utterly unprepared or this class. Oh well, I am sure it will be fine!
-Epidemiology/Biostatistics: At first look, this 1 unit class looks kind of like a joke. However, every second and third year has given lots of warning about this class. We even had a mandatory class meeting where second year students came to talk to us about how hard this class is and how many people fail each year. I also have recently learned that the class is out of 45 points...total. That means, you can only miss 11 points in the entire class to pass. So, yes...I am shaking in my boots.
Well, thats a little look at what I will be doing... I have loved loved loved break, but I am getting ready to start up on school again! I am excited to go back to Michigan and get started on cramming my head with lots of more knowledge!
Friday, November 18, 2011
IPPR Project
This last week, I completed a mid-term reflective project for school. The only instructions we had for this project was to do something...ANYTHING...that reflects on either the patient-physician relationship or our vision for the future practice or something that we have learned about patients. So, basically everything about the project was up to us. Well, the three year old living inside of me decided that the best idea was to write a children's book. I have always loved to write, hence the blog; so, I was actually pretty excited about this idea.
The book is about a little Duck, named Dudley, who wakes up sick. His mom suggests that he goes to the doctor, but he is scared and does not want to go. In the end, he does go and learns that physicians are there to help. He feels much better and learns that going to the doctors is the best thing to do when you are sick. The book ends with the following message:
This tale of Dudley goes to show,
When you feel ill, to the doctor you go!
For doctors will take care of your sickness and flu,
While also making sure the emotional you is well too.
Doctors will treat all patients with kindness and care,
They look beyond fur, feathers or hair.
Like Dudley, you too may get sick one day,
But the doctors will always be there to make you feel okay.
I was originally planning on typing in the entire book into this blog and inserting the illustrations. However, many of my classmates, family members and even faculty have suggested that I look into getting this book published. So, that is my next goal! That means, of course, that I will not be able to put everything in here. However, I promise that if my book gets published, I will provide the link and if it doesnt, I will evenutally type the book in this blog.
For now, here are some pictures of some of the pages:
The book is about a little Duck, named Dudley, who wakes up sick. His mom suggests that he goes to the doctor, but he is scared and does not want to go. In the end, he does go and learns that physicians are there to help. He feels much better and learns that going to the doctors is the best thing to do when you are sick. The book ends with the following message:
This tale of Dudley goes to show,
When you feel ill, to the doctor you go!
For doctors will take care of your sickness and flu,
While also making sure the emotional you is well too.
Doctors will treat all patients with kindness and care,
They look beyond fur, feathers or hair.
Like Dudley, you too may get sick one day,
But the doctors will always be there to make you feel okay.
I was originally planning on typing in the entire book into this blog and inserting the illustrations. However, many of my classmates, family members and even faculty have suggested that I look into getting this book published. So, that is my next goal! That means, of course, that I will not be able to put everything in here. However, I promise that if my book gets published, I will provide the link and if it doesnt, I will evenutally type the book in this blog.
For now, here are some pictures of some of the pages:
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Cultural Clashes in Medicine (Book Review)
Although most of my day is spent studying for my pre-clinical science classes, I am also taking several courses that teach me the doctoring skills I will need as a physician. One of these classes, "Clinical Skills" is a course that spans over my first two years that specificaly explores the social/psychological/cultural aspect of medicine. This semester, it has been split into two parts. The first was centered around how to conduct a patient interview. This class was structured with a few lectures, 4 mock-patient interviews, and weekly small groups to review the recorded videos of these interviews. The first interview I completed was INCREDIBLY nerve racking...but after that, they became much easier and much more natural. I am so glad that we had these mock interviews, because I feel I am now much more prepared to talk to patients when I am conducting physical exams, participating in shadowing experiences, and during my clinicals starting in my third year!
The second part of the semester in Clinical skills is called the "IPPR: Introduction to the Patient-Physician Relationship." Last week's lecture and small group focused on how cultural diversity affects how a doctor and patient interact. We had a lecture from a faculty member who is originally from Oregon, but spent several years practicing in Greece. She described some of the differences she faced while working as a physician in another country and about how shattering some of the realizations she had were. For example, the American health care system is largely centered around a collaborative patient-physian relationship that encourages communication and combined decision making. In Greece, however, our lecturer was looked down upon and somewhat discredited when she tried this method. This just demonstrated one of the many different paradigms of medicine in this different society.
In small group, we discussed a novel that we were required to read called "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down." When I saw this on my reading list for the semester, I was not excited to read it initially. I knew that my semester would become hectic and reading a novel was not in the picture. However, on my road trip over to Michigan (which seems like a lifetime ago), I started reading it and actually really enjoyed it!
The book centers on a Hmong family who brings their daughter, Lia, in to the Emergency Room in a hospital in Merced, CA because she was having a seizure. It turns out that Lia had a severe and life-threatening epileptic condition that often ended with Status Epilepticus (which basically means a seizure that doesn't stop or a series of seizures that occur one right after the other). Although the doctors recognized this, were able to diagnose it, and came up with a treatment plan, the communication and cultural boundaries between the medical team and the family were too large to get over. The Hmong believe that everything happens because of one's soul. They interpreted her seizures as a Spirit entering Lia's body and knocking her down (hence the title of the book). So, as much as the doctors tried to explain that this was a true medical condition that needed to be treated, the parents didn't give Lia her correct medicine and did not follow her treatment plan because they simply could not understand what the doctors were trying to convey. The story takes a lot of tragic turns, including CPS being brought in because Lia's parents (somewhat) unknowingly not giving her medications and Lia having "the big one" that ended up leaving her in a vegetative state. That author questions whether or not Lia's state at the end of the book could have been avoided if the physicians would have attempted to understand the cultural differences more or if the parents would have followed the physician's orders. Like I said, I really didn't think I would enjoy this book coming in, but it really has changed the way that I will look at my career. For my med school blog readers, I really recommend this book if you have not yet read it!
In small group, we discussed a novel that we were required to read called "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down." When I saw this on my reading list for the semester, I was not excited to read it initially. I knew that my semester would become hectic and reading a novel was not in the picture. However, on my road trip over to Michigan (which seems like a lifetime ago), I started reading it and actually really enjoyed it!
The book centers on a Hmong family who brings their daughter, Lia, in to the Emergency Room in a hospital in Merced, CA because she was having a seizure. It turns out that Lia had a severe and life-threatening epileptic condition that often ended with Status Epilepticus (which basically means a seizure that doesn't stop or a series of seizures that occur one right after the other). Although the doctors recognized this, were able to diagnose it, and came up with a treatment plan, the communication and cultural boundaries between the medical team and the family were too large to get over. The Hmong believe that everything happens because of one's soul. They interpreted her seizures as a Spirit entering Lia's body and knocking her down (hence the title of the book). So, as much as the doctors tried to explain that this was a true medical condition that needed to be treated, the parents didn't give Lia her correct medicine and did not follow her treatment plan because they simply could not understand what the doctors were trying to convey. The story takes a lot of tragic turns, including CPS being brought in because Lia's parents (somewhat) unknowingly not giving her medications and Lia having "the big one" that ended up leaving her in a vegetative state. That author questions whether or not Lia's state at the end of the book could have been avoided if the physicians would have attempted to understand the cultural differences more or if the parents would have followed the physician's orders. Like I said, I really didn't think I would enjoy this book coming in, but it really has changed the way that I will look at my career. For my med school blog readers, I really recommend this book if you have not yet read it!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Casting Clinic/Scrub Session
There are a TON of student interest groups here at CHM. Basically every medical specialty has an interest group, which offer a ton of different speakers, panels, or clinics that give insight into what their specialty is like. I have gone to several events that these groups have offered, but my two favorites have been the Casting Clinic and the Scrub Session.
If you want to shadow surgeries, you must first get trained in how to make sure you are providing a sterile environment for the patient that is undergoing surgery. There is a meticulous process that must be followed, starting with washing your hands like CRAZY, to how your robe is tied, to the proper way to enter and exit the operating room. I knew that this was an important part of surgery, but to actually learn the process was pretty awesome.
Casting Clinic: The Family Medicine Interst group put on event that taught us how to put on/ take off a cast! We partnered up and put on all of the materials. We then took a lot of permanent markers and signed each others casts like we were in Jr. High (obviously!!). Finally, we learned how to use the saw to take off the casts. The final step was definitely the most nerve racking part of the process, because we were afraid of hurting each other, but no one was injured! It was such a fun clinic...I can't wait until I put a cast on someone who actually has a broken bone!
Extracurriculars
In my last blog post, I talked about the Teddy Bear Clinic, but I have also gotten involved with a couple extracurricular activities that I thought worth mentioning.
Anyone who know me well, knows that I go CRAZY if I am not involved with extracurriculars. Ever since I was a little kid, I have always loved being busy with a lot of different activities. In undergrad, I was a little overly excited and got myself involved with a little too much. So, in medical school, I knew I would have to tune it down a little bit and focus myself on my academics, before thinking about getting involved with extra stuff.
Now that I have found a good balance, I have found myself involved with 4 things:
1) Teddy Bear Clinic
2) Student Council
3) Admissions Ambassador
4) Friendship Clinic.
If you want to hear about Teddy Bear Clinic, read my last blog! :)
Student Council: I was elected to a student council representative spot by my class. I am very excited for this role and am excited to be a voice for my class. As of now, the 10 of us elected to student council are just called "representatives." However, in the next few weeks, we are electing President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. I have not decided for sure, but I think that I would like to be Secretary. Stay tuned.
Admissions Ambassador: As part of the admissions process at MSU, the interviewees have one faculty interview and one student interview. Since I interviewed last winter, I thought that this was maybe something I would be interested in. So, when we received information about it towards the beginning of the semester, I attended the informational meeting and signed up. I actually am conducting my first interview tomorrow. I am kind of nervous, but I know that my interviewee is MUCH MUCH more nervous than I am. So, I am going to forgo my fears and hopefully put her at ease.
Friendship Clinic: This is another activity that I have been excited to do for quite sometime. It is basically a free student-run clinic for underserved populations in Lansing. S actually volunteered at this in his pre-clinical years, so I have heard good things about it. I was supposed to start volunteering last Saturday. Unfortunately, my paperwork to volunteer had to go through MSU and then through Ingham County Health Department before I could volunteer. I did not know this. So, when I turned in my paperwork on Thursday, I was sadly informed that it would not be processed in time for me to volunteer. I really hope that once it does get cleared, I can volunteer...and I hope its soon!
Anyone who know me well, knows that I go CRAZY if I am not involved with extracurriculars. Ever since I was a little kid, I have always loved being busy with a lot of different activities. In undergrad, I was a little overly excited and got myself involved with a little too much. So, in medical school, I knew I would have to tune it down a little bit and focus myself on my academics, before thinking about getting involved with extra stuff.
Now that I have found a good balance, I have found myself involved with 4 things:
1) Teddy Bear Clinic
2) Student Council
3) Admissions Ambassador
4) Friendship Clinic.
If you want to hear about Teddy Bear Clinic, read my last blog! :)
Student Council: I was elected to a student council representative spot by my class. I am very excited for this role and am excited to be a voice for my class. As of now, the 10 of us elected to student council are just called "representatives." However, in the next few weeks, we are electing President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. I have not decided for sure, but I think that I would like to be Secretary. Stay tuned.
Admissions Ambassador: As part of the admissions process at MSU, the interviewees have one faculty interview and one student interview. Since I interviewed last winter, I thought that this was maybe something I would be interested in. So, when we received information about it towards the beginning of the semester, I attended the informational meeting and signed up. I actually am conducting my first interview tomorrow. I am kind of nervous, but I know that my interviewee is MUCH MUCH more nervous than I am. So, I am going to forgo my fears and hopefully put her at ease.
Friendship Clinic: This is another activity that I have been excited to do for quite sometime. It is basically a free student-run clinic for underserved populations in Lansing. S actually volunteered at this in his pre-clinical years, so I have heard good things about it. I was supposed to start volunteering last Saturday. Unfortunately, my paperwork to volunteer had to go through MSU and then through Ingham County Health Department before I could volunteer. I did not know this. So, when I turned in my paperwork on Thursday, I was sadly informed that it would not be processed in time for me to volunteer. I really hope that once it does get cleared, I can volunteer...and I hope its soon!
Teddy Bear Picnic
Since starting medical school, I have been looking for extracurricular activities that I could become a part of, while still making sure I wasn't taking too much time from my studies. So, when I first heard about the "Teddy Bear Picnic" at an activities fair, I knew that it was something I wanted to be a part of.
This program was a one-day fair for local children in the East Lansing community. The MSU Children's Health Initiative set up this fair to provide children with an educational and fun day of bringing their stuffed animals to the "Teddy Bear Hospital." There were a lot of different booths: ranging from general pediatrics, to pediatric oncology, to pediatric dentistry, to pediatric surgery, to pediatric dermatology. Each booth had its own unique activities planned for the kids. Some of my personal favorites were a casting booth (sport's medicine) and a Pulmonology booth, which game the Teddy Bears some oxygen.
I was assigned to the "Cardiology" Booth. There were 4 main parts to what we did:
1) Listened to the teddy bear's heart with our stethescopes
2) Told the children that their bear's heart sounded healthy and talked to them about healthy things they can do to make sure they have a healthy heart like their furry friends (exercise, eat vegetables, etc).
3) Hooked their bears up to an echocardiogram (that had a film playing of a human heart) and teach the children the basics of how our heart pumps blood through our bodies.
4) Gave the children some coloring books and work sheets about heart anatomy and healthy heart choices.
The purpose of the day was to educate kids about the basic healthy aspects throughout the different booths and try to get them comfortable with the idea of going to a doctor.
It really was a great day and I am so happy that I became apart of Teddy Bear clinic during my first year, because that means I have three more years to be a part of it!
This video was from last years event, but you can still kind of see what its all about:
This program was a one-day fair for local children in the East Lansing community. The MSU Children's Health Initiative set up this fair to provide children with an educational and fun day of bringing their stuffed animals to the "Teddy Bear Hospital." There were a lot of different booths: ranging from general pediatrics, to pediatric oncology, to pediatric dentistry, to pediatric surgery, to pediatric dermatology. Each booth had its own unique activities planned for the kids. Some of my personal favorites were a casting booth (sport's medicine) and a Pulmonology booth, which game the Teddy Bears some oxygen.
I was assigned to the "Cardiology" Booth. There were 4 main parts to what we did:
1) Listened to the teddy bear's heart with our stethescopes
2) Told the children that their bear's heart sounded healthy and talked to them about healthy things they can do to make sure they have a healthy heart like their furry friends (exercise, eat vegetables, etc).
3) Hooked their bears up to an echocardiogram (that had a film playing of a human heart) and teach the children the basics of how our heart pumps blood through our bodies.
4) Gave the children some coloring books and work sheets about heart anatomy and healthy heart choices.
The purpose of the day was to educate kids about the basic healthy aspects throughout the different booths and try to get them comfortable with the idea of going to a doctor.
It really was a great day and I am so happy that I became apart of Teddy Bear clinic during my first year, because that means I have three more years to be a part of it!
This video was from last years event, but you can still kind of see what its all about:
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!
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!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Adjustment and DSGs
So I am now 8 days into class and I already feel like I'm getting the hang of this whole med-school thing. After the first few days, I was kind of overwhelmed, but I think I have already kind of figured out what works for me as far as studying goes and what types of things are great ways to relax. I have survived my first round of lab quizzes and my first Biochemistry quiz. I have built such an amazing family of friends here. I am feeling great about everything!
Besides my usual long day of classes and studying I have also joined two groups called "DSG"s. DSG stands for Directed Study Groups. We basically get small-group study time with professors or older students who have mastered the material. I signed up for a biochem DSG and the Anatomy DSG. I have only met once for each of these, so far, but they already seem incredibly helpful. We get a ton more work sheets, practice exam questions and time to communicate the material with people who actually know it well. Also, our Anatomy DSG means 3 extra hours in the cadaver lab with a much smaller group to go over everything from the week! I <3 all of the resources CHM give you. I now know why they have a 99% success rate...they make it hard for you not to find resources if you want them!
As far as my new found relaxation methods, 2 words: Hot Tub. My roommates and I have definitely utilized our hot tub quite a bit over the last few weeks. Whats super awesome about my hot tube is that the cement ground around the hot-tub is heated! So, even when its rediculously cold in the winter months, the hot tub will always be a steamy escape! Another thing I have found relaxing is, surprisingly, running. I never EVER was a runner and by no means would I classify myself as a runner now, but I ran a couple times last week and it really does feel great. When your mind is foggy and you are stressed, running and working out in general is a phenomenal way to clear your thoughts.
Lastly, as promised, here is edition #2 of my new blog section--->
Science Is Cool:
DPG & Hemoglobin: Basically the unloading of oxygen into your tissues is dependent on hemoglobin's affinity for oxygen. If hemoglobin has a high affinity, the oxygen will not unload; conversely, if the hemoglobin's affinity is low, it will unload the oxygen into tissues. So, when women are pregnant, the body has to come up with a way for the fetus to get oxygen. One of the body's solutions to this is a molecule called DPG, which binds to hemoglobin and lowers the affinity (meaning that it dumps the oxygen that is attached the the hemoglobin). DPG, however, is present much more in adults than in fetuses. So, the hemoglobin in adults favors the dumping of oxygen, while the fetal hemeglobin maintains a high oxygen affinity. As a result, the oxygen is taken from the adult hemoglobin and given to the fetus.
Besides my usual long day of classes and studying I have also joined two groups called "DSG"s. DSG stands for Directed Study Groups. We basically get small-group study time with professors or older students who have mastered the material. I signed up for a biochem DSG and the Anatomy DSG. I have only met once for each of these, so far, but they already seem incredibly helpful. We get a ton more work sheets, practice exam questions and time to communicate the material with people who actually know it well. Also, our Anatomy DSG means 3 extra hours in the cadaver lab with a much smaller group to go over everything from the week! I <3 all of the resources CHM give you. I now know why they have a 99% success rate...they make it hard for you not to find resources if you want them!
As far as my new found relaxation methods, 2 words: Hot Tub. My roommates and I have definitely utilized our hot tub quite a bit over the last few weeks. Whats super awesome about my hot tube is that the cement ground around the hot-tub is heated! So, even when its rediculously cold in the winter months, the hot tub will always be a steamy escape! Another thing I have found relaxing is, surprisingly, running. I never EVER was a runner and by no means would I classify myself as a runner now, but I ran a couple times last week and it really does feel great. When your mind is foggy and you are stressed, running and working out in general is a phenomenal way to clear your thoughts.
Lastly, as promised, here is edition #2 of my new blog section--->
Science Is Cool:
DPG & Hemoglobin: Basically the unloading of oxygen into your tissues is dependent on hemoglobin's affinity for oxygen. If hemoglobin has a high affinity, the oxygen will not unload; conversely, if the hemoglobin's affinity is low, it will unload the oxygen into tissues. So, when women are pregnant, the body has to come up with a way for the fetus to get oxygen. One of the body's solutions to this is a molecule called DPG, which binds to hemoglobin and lowers the affinity (meaning that it dumps the oxygen that is attached the the hemoglobin). DPG, however, is present much more in adults than in fetuses. So, the hemoglobin in adults favors the dumping of oxygen, while the fetal hemeglobin maintains a high oxygen affinity. As a result, the oxygen is taken from the adult hemoglobin and given to the fetus.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
First Week of Classes
This last week was my first week of medical school classes. I was expecting to learn a lot quickly, but boy did they hit us hard fast! I don't think I have ever learned so much in a week than I did this first week of medical school and I am sure it is only going to get more intense as we go on! Basically, the structure of every day is lecture in the morning, followed by labs and small groups in the afternoon. Even though I had all of nights free, I was definitely a busy bee studying right away. We have access to our main study building (The Radiology Building) 24/7, so I have stayed there past midnight almost every night. I understand how sleep deprivation is a problem for medical students, but I really don't have any complaints. I am so happy with what I am doing. I love all of my classes and have great professors! :)
My favorite thing so far has been the Anatomy Lab! I was pretty terrified that the cadaver lab would freak me out or would make me sick, but I didn't have a problem at all! When I was in 8th grade, I got really sick and left school early because of a squid-dissection lab, so I'm sure glad that didn't happen again! I have been to the cadaver lab 4 times already because I really think it is the best way to learn. Its difficult to understand all of the anatomy in a textbook or atlas, but when we have the opportunity to work with real human bodies and touch the structures, things definitely sink in a lot better. The human body is so fascinating!
Lastly, I am hoping to institute one new aspect of my blog, as much as I possibly can, called "Science is Cool!" I learn so many awesome things about the human body each day, so I thought I would pick a few things I think are cool to share! I hope those science nerds out there who read my blog appreciate this new addition. So, here we go....
Science is Cool:
1) Langer's Lines: Collagen and Elastin fibers in the dermis (second layer of skin) orient themselves in parallel lines based off of tension and mechanical stress. This creates natural lines of cleavage. So, if surgeons follow these lines, rather than cutting in places that orient themselves more perpendicularly, this will reduce scarring and will allow for quicker healing! -- I thought that was pretty awesome.
2) The Intervertebral Disc Joint is composed of two types of material: Annulus fibrosus (a dense, fibrous part) and Nucleus Pulosus (A jelly-like cartilage suspended in water). Since the Nuclus Pulosus is 70% water, compressive forces like gravity squeeze water out of the IVDs and reduce your overall body height at the end of the day. So, this is why commuters have to adjust their rear-view mirron in the morning and then again in the evening, because we have actually shrunk. We gain our normal height throughout the night while we sleep.
My favorite thing so far has been the Anatomy Lab! I was pretty terrified that the cadaver lab would freak me out or would make me sick, but I didn't have a problem at all! When I was in 8th grade, I got really sick and left school early because of a squid-dissection lab, so I'm sure glad that didn't happen again! I have been to the cadaver lab 4 times already because I really think it is the best way to learn. Its difficult to understand all of the anatomy in a textbook or atlas, but when we have the opportunity to work with real human bodies and touch the structures, things definitely sink in a lot better. The human body is so fascinating!
Lastly, I am hoping to institute one new aspect of my blog, as much as I possibly can, called "Science is Cool!" I learn so many awesome things about the human body each day, so I thought I would pick a few things I think are cool to share! I hope those science nerds out there who read my blog appreciate this new addition. So, here we go....
Science is Cool:
1) Langer's Lines: Collagen and Elastin fibers in the dermis (second layer of skin) orient themselves in parallel lines based off of tension and mechanical stress. This creates natural lines of cleavage. So, if surgeons follow these lines, rather than cutting in places that orient themselves more perpendicularly, this will reduce scarring and will allow for quicker healing! -- I thought that was pretty awesome.
2) The Intervertebral Disc Joint is composed of two types of material: Annulus fibrosus (a dense, fibrous part) and Nucleus Pulosus (A jelly-like cartilage suspended in water). Since the Nuclus Pulosus is 70% water, compressive forces like gravity squeeze water out of the IVDs and reduce your overall body height at the end of the day. So, this is why commuters have to adjust their rear-view mirron in the morning and then again in the evening, because we have actually shrunk. We gain our normal height throughout the night while we sleep.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
White Coat Ceremony!
My White Coat Ceremony was at 3:00 PM on Sunday, August 28th. I was expecting the ceremony to be nice, but it really was so great! The faculty's speeches really did make me feel like I have accomplished something big and it was such a great end to orientation week and a great beginning to the first week of classes. Our Dean, Masha Rappley, who I have already mentioned that I love, gave me another reason to love her. Her speech was amazing! She came up without wearing her white coat (she was the only one not wearing it) and in the middle she asked one of her other faculty members to coat her so that she could join us on this day. So, it wasn't that we were getting White-Coated by the faculty, but it really was like we were joining them. This is such a different concept from how undergrad was, because we were clearly not looked at equally to faculty, but in medical school you are considered a professional and on the same level as all of the physicians and faculty that work at the school. What a great realization that was!
Anyways, here are some pictures!
Anyways, here are some pictures!
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