MIDTERM'S OVER!!!!! And there was much rejoicing throughout the land of Temple . . .
I think I did pretty well, too. Grades aren't out just yet (it takes awhile to grade 200 answer sheets by hand), but judging from the posted answer key, I was well within "passing."
To clarify-- there aren't A's, B's, C's, etc. Over 70% is passing. If you're in the higher part of your class, you could get a "high pass," or if you're really special, a "pass with honors." I'd be perfectly satisfied with a "pass" myself. And I'm pretty proud of myself, attacking the midterm like that.
I was in a strangely wonderful mood Friday morning, too. The night before I'd been studying to ska music (very upbeat), and I woke up with it still in my head. I didn't have to be at campus until noon, so I slept in an extra hour and did my make-up (which I hadn't bothered with in weeks). I baffled everyone at school by being so smiley. (I calmed down appropriately by the time we started the exam.) I honestly can't explain the mood; I just grooved on it.
So over the weekend, I caught up on sleep. Wow, did I need it. And wow, did I get it!! Now, if I can manage to get my schedule regular again, I'll be set. Also went to a first-year end-of-midterm party Friday night (I have the feeling we'll be having these every three weeks or so), and showed off my dancing skills with my fellow Owls. One of my labmates called me crazy. :) It was a great way to blow off some steam.
Not wasting any time, we cracked open the abdomen today. Monday morning is NOT the time for a four-hour lab. Funny-- the past three weeks we did the back, the upper limb, the lower limb, and the thorax. All that's left is the abdomen, pelvis, head and neck. But there's SO MUCH crammed in that small space-- it'll probably be a bit more challenging.
True to form, Big Bill was difficult. Far too much omentum, and abnormally large organs. His transverse colon was as big as my forearm! You'd think the size would make it easy to find these things, but with all that connective tissue . . .
In non-anatomical news, I see my first standardized patient this week -- Thursday, to be exact. It's not actually a patient, but an actor paid to simulate the doctor-patient experience. They videotape us taking a history, then we get to watch it and learn what we did well and not-so-well. Yes-- it's a bit terrifying. But I have a feeling it'll be fun too.
Plenty for now.
31 August 2009
25 August 2009
Papillary muscles
For the record, I am adamantly against midterms in August. It's just not right.
Given that, it's been a bit busy around here . . . Even when I get a good amount of sleep, I'm still exhausted. But I think that's just part of it.
We've left the limbs and gotten visceral. :) Friday we extracted lungs, which I found absolutely amazing. I honestly didn't expect them to have the texture of memory foam, but they really do! And, as luck would have it, there's not much they're expecting us to memorize on the lungs. Today, we cut into the heart. Also pretty amazing.
Our instructors rotated -- I've got Dr. Schneck now. Some students I've spoken to sounded intimidated by him. My opinion sits with that of most students -- he's awesome. I don't find him stressful at all. He knows everything about this subject, and he always emphasizes things that we need to know. He's more than willing to spend time with students. And the first day of class, when I raised my hand, he called on me. By name. And pronounced it correctly.
Considering taking Kitty outside with me once it cools down a little... It's a pretty quiet area around my apartment. And it'd be good for him to run around a little before winter. But once he goes out once, he wants out all the time-- and I just can't put up with that. And he's doing pretty well as an indoor cat. He's re-taught himself to play fetch, and he seems to be rather well-adjusted. I figure I'll play it by ear, as always...
Given that, it's been a bit busy around here . . . Even when I get a good amount of sleep, I'm still exhausted. But I think that's just part of it.
We've left the limbs and gotten visceral. :) Friday we extracted lungs, which I found absolutely amazing. I honestly didn't expect them to have the texture of memory foam, but they really do! And, as luck would have it, there's not much they're expecting us to memorize on the lungs. Today, we cut into the heart. Also pretty amazing.
Our instructors rotated -- I've got Dr. Schneck now. Some students I've spoken to sounded intimidated by him. My opinion sits with that of most students -- he's awesome. I don't find him stressful at all. He knows everything about this subject, and he always emphasizes things that we need to know. He's more than willing to spend time with students. And the first day of class, when I raised my hand, he called on me. By name. And pronounced it correctly.
Considering taking Kitty outside with me once it cools down a little... It's a pretty quiet area around my apartment. And it'd be good for him to run around a little before winter. But once he goes out once, he wants out all the time-- and I just can't put up with that. And he's doing pretty well as an indoor cat. He's re-taught himself to play fetch, and he seems to be rather well-adjusted. I figure I'll play it by ear, as always...
17 August 2009
Smells like old curry . . .
First, I need to publicly thank Jess. That was incredibly thoughtful, just what I needed. Last week was really long, and I was starting to feel pretty exhausted and isolated. I'm wearing the necklace now; it reminds me that even when I feel like an idiot for not remembering one artery or the other, I've got a good few people who believe in me.
Sorry-- that came out sounding really cheesy. I'll move on.
Feeling better than I was Friday. I was getting pretty worn out. It seems like pushing information in my brain is like throwing wet spaghetti at the fridge. It'll stick . . . peel away . . . and fall right back out of my skull. Made a list of ways to de-stress. Reminded myself that my goal is to survive -- and the faculty won't let me drown.
Guess I might just end up swallowing a little saltwater.
Week Two begins with the lower limb. I dissected a butt today. (Literally-- the gluteal muscles, and parts betwixt.) It was... messy. One doctor would identify something as the glutius medius; another would say it's the piriform. Makes it a little more difficult. Spent maybe twenty minutes digging out different vessels. As one instructor said, our cadaver has "more connective tissue than anyone should be allowed to have." I'm not sure what that means, but I know I don't like it.
My to-do list doesn't seem to get any shorter . . . Need to start that bank account, get my printer replaced, sign up for insurance (which isn't open yet, for some reason). The apartment still hasn't replaced our stove, and the bathroom's still a bit of a mess. I've still got a lot of half-empty boxes around... And I need to study, of course.
Discovered an open mic night at a local coffeehouse. Went there last Thursday to watch dissection videos online (no internet at the apartment yet)... which I still did. But afterwards I listened to live music. Planning on going back; it seems like a nice way to unwind for an hour or two. Plus, everyone there seemed really friendly.
Very glad I live in the suburbs.
And for anyone still wondering -- the title of this blog was taken from a friendly conversation with my roommate in which I was teasingly accusing Indians of smelling bad. Mystery solved.
Sorry-- that came out sounding really cheesy. I'll move on.
Feeling better than I was Friday. I was getting pretty worn out. It seems like pushing information in my brain is like throwing wet spaghetti at the fridge. It'll stick . . . peel away . . . and fall right back out of my skull. Made a list of ways to de-stress. Reminded myself that my goal is to survive -- and the faculty won't let me drown.
Guess I might just end up swallowing a little saltwater.
Week Two begins with the lower limb. I dissected a butt today. (Literally-- the gluteal muscles, and parts betwixt.) It was... messy. One doctor would identify something as the glutius medius; another would say it's the piriform. Makes it a little more difficult. Spent maybe twenty minutes digging out different vessels. As one instructor said, our cadaver has "more connective tissue than anyone should be allowed to have." I'm not sure what that means, but I know I don't like it.
My to-do list doesn't seem to get any shorter . . . Need to start that bank account, get my printer replaced, sign up for insurance (which isn't open yet, for some reason). The apartment still hasn't replaced our stove, and the bathroom's still a bit of a mess. I've still got a lot of half-empty boxes around... And I need to study, of course.
Discovered an open mic night at a local coffeehouse. Went there last Thursday to watch dissection videos online (no internet at the apartment yet)... which I still did. But afterwards I listened to live music. Planning on going back; it seems like a nice way to unwind for an hour or two. Plus, everyone there seemed really friendly.
Very glad I live in the suburbs.
And for anyone still wondering -- the title of this blog was taken from a friendly conversation with my roommate in which I was teasingly accusing Indians of smelling bad. Mystery solved.
12 August 2009
Big Bill
Please don't bury me
Down in that cold cold ground
No, I'd druther have 'em cut me up
And pass me all around
Throw my brain in a hurricane
And the blind can have my eyes
And the deaf can take both of my ears
If they don't mind the sighs
Anatomy lab was an experience. Within five minutes, I was holding the back half of someone's vertebral column. That was kind of an initial shock. (For the record, I didn't expect it to fall out entirely. Turns out, they'd sawn through it so we could get to the actual spinal cord.) After that, the shock largely wore off. By the end of 2.5 hours, two of my fingers were numb from the embalming fluid soaking through my glove. I was kind of not okay with that . . . But I may just have to get used to smelling like formaldehyde for the next couple months.
I named our donor "William." (We don't know their actual information, other than age, occupation, and cause of death -- and even that should be treated as PHI.) He's large -- very large. And difficult to roll . . .
As my instructor emphasized yesterday: he may be my first patient, but he's not going to recover. He won't complain, and -- most importantly -- he can't sue. I have to wonder, when these people agreed to donate their bodies to science, if they knew they would be hacked and prodded by clumsy first-year medical students who would accidentally cut through nerves and messily extract fat deposits from their armpits. It's not a very dignified way to spend the afterlife. I don't think it's exactly what John Prine had in mind.
Midterm in two and a half weeks. Final exam on October 1st. It's a bit frightening. Bedroom is still a wreck -- but less of one. Small deficits around our apartment are slowly getting fixed. Squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Saw Niles yesterday for the last time until who-knows-when. I feel pretty okay about it, really. As I told him, it's likely that we'll both be so busy, we'll barely have time to miss each other. Maybe in passing, but not really miss each other, anyway -- not to the point where your body physically aches.
Speaking of "busy," I'm already behind on studying. Oughta get to it.
Down in that cold cold ground
No, I'd druther have 'em cut me up
And pass me all around
Throw my brain in a hurricane
And the blind can have my eyes
And the deaf can take both of my ears
If they don't mind the sighs
Anatomy lab was an experience. Within five minutes, I was holding the back half of someone's vertebral column. That was kind of an initial shock. (For the record, I didn't expect it to fall out entirely. Turns out, they'd sawn through it so we could get to the actual spinal cord.) After that, the shock largely wore off. By the end of 2.5 hours, two of my fingers were numb from the embalming fluid soaking through my glove. I was kind of not okay with that . . . But I may just have to get used to smelling like formaldehyde for the next couple months.
I named our donor "William." (We don't know their actual information, other than age, occupation, and cause of death -- and even that should be treated as PHI.) He's large -- very large. And difficult to roll . . .
As my instructor emphasized yesterday: he may be my first patient, but he's not going to recover. He won't complain, and -- most importantly -- he can't sue. I have to wonder, when these people agreed to donate their bodies to science, if they knew they would be hacked and prodded by clumsy first-year medical students who would accidentally cut through nerves and messily extract fat deposits from their armpits. It's not a very dignified way to spend the afterlife. I don't think it's exactly what John Prine had in mind.
Midterm in two and a half weeks. Final exam on October 1st. It's a bit frightening. Bedroom is still a wreck -- but less of one. Small deficits around our apartment are slowly getting fixed. Squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Saw Niles yesterday for the last time until who-knows-when. I feel pretty okay about it, really. As I told him, it's likely that we'll both be so busy, we'll barely have time to miss each other. Maybe in passing, but not really miss each other, anyway -- not to the point where your body physically aches.
Speaking of "busy," I'm already behind on studying. Oughta get to it.
10 August 2009
Lara + Netter = BFF
Or so I'm told.
Not dissecting today, so I'm in "self-study." Actually, I'm currently in a break from "self-study." I got pretty far in the last two hours; I'm allowed. Lunch was corn chowder. Probably going to need another lunch later.
Still trying to get a grasp on my schedule. It doesn't help that some sections don't start until next week, and others don't start until September. Then Anatomy itself is broken up into labs, conferences (I'm still not sure what these are), and self-study times, which alternate every other day.
It's hard to stay ahead when you're not sure where exactly you're supposed to be. It seems suddenly daunting to think about the incredible amount of work, time, and commitment laying immediately before me. "One day at a time" isn't really applicable, since I need to think ahead about a week. So-- One Step at a Time.
Step One: the back. Structure of the spine's bones and ligaments, roots of spinal nerves and where they go, deep muscle structures, and a lot of other stuff I can't remember because it's been ten minutes since I've read through it.
Repetition is the key to retention.
Considering an elective, though I'm not sure if I want to tackle anything extra right off-hand. But it is pass/fail... And the one I'm interested in is taught by my possibly favorite doctor ever. When I met him, he was surprised I'd come all the way from Indiana. I told him that the one medical school in Indiana hadn't wanted me. He responded immediately, without even blinking: "F*** 'em."
Gratuitous language in itself doesn't really impress me. But it was in my defense. And somehow, his crass bluntness seems to make him more accessible. You get the feeling that if you did something wrong in his class, he'd definitely tell you -- but it'd still be okay.
Returning to the vertebrae . . .
06 August 2009
Activity
I feel like I've barely sat still. Of course-- I've been doing a lot of sitting still. But I'm always busy. Once again, probably something I should get used to.
Tuesday, I called the gas company about our oven, which the technicians told us was leaking. I think the apartment has yet to fix it. Had to take deep breaths while on the phone to keep from snapping at the rude operator, who seemed to think my apartment should have a letter rather than a number. Made it to the social event that night. Ladder 15 had amazingly good food!! Sometimes bar fare really surprises me...
Watched Wit yesterday. Excellent movie. I cried. Three times.
My feet are in pain... I was wearing probably five band-aids on them today. Blisters everywhere. My back and neck ache from dragging around my laptop (in addition the rest of my life). This afternoon, I got to add a box containing half a human skeleton to my load.
This morning, my roommate's car mysteriously died after hitting a huge something in the road. We ended up pushing it into the nearest parking lot -- which was a feat in of itself, especially since I was wearing heels and a skirt. Then we had to walk back to our apartment to get my car instead. We still got to campus just in time to have our PPDs read and grab a bite before we had to sit and get talked at awhile longer.
So orientation is over. My facebook is just exploding with new friend requests. Good news: no more button-down shirts and incredibly uncomfortable walking shoes. Bad news: now they actually expect something of me. But Anatomy is shaping up to be interesting and challenging. Today I met the cadaver with which I'll be spending the next 2 1/2 months.... I'm on the slate to wield the scalpel on Tuesday. Not sure I even know where to start . . . .
Tuesday, I called the gas company about our oven, which the technicians told us was leaking. I think the apartment has yet to fix it. Had to take deep breaths while on the phone to keep from snapping at the rude operator, who seemed to think my apartment should have a letter rather than a number. Made it to the social event that night. Ladder 15 had amazingly good food!! Sometimes bar fare really surprises me...
Watched Wit yesterday. Excellent movie. I cried. Three times.
My feet are in pain... I was wearing probably five band-aids on them today. Blisters everywhere. My back and neck ache from dragging around my laptop (in addition the rest of my life). This afternoon, I got to add a box containing half a human skeleton to my load.
This morning, my roommate's car mysteriously died after hitting a huge something in the road. We ended up pushing it into the nearest parking lot -- which was a feat in of itself, especially since I was wearing heels and a skirt. Then we had to walk back to our apartment to get my car instead. We still got to campus just in time to have our PPDs read and grab a bite before we had to sit and get talked at awhile longer.
So orientation is over. My facebook is just exploding with new friend requests. Good news: no more button-down shirts and incredibly uncomfortable walking shoes. Bad news: now they actually expect something of me. But Anatomy is shaping up to be interesting and challenging. Today I met the cadaver with which I'll be spending the next 2 1/2 months.... I'm on the slate to wield the scalpel on Tuesday. Not sure I even know where to start . . . .
03 August 2009
The Owl Has Landed
And on the sixth day, all the junk was finally moved into the apartment. And on the seventh day, they rested.... and took a trip to Chinatown.
Made it to Philly, with some difficulty and frustration along the way. I think Dad almost strangled me when I locked my keys in my car at a McDonald's in Ohio. Kitty took the incident well, though -- and if anyone had license to be upset, it was him. He traveled well, though... surprisingly well. It was downright unprecedented! He whined a little, but he mostly just slept in his carrier for the entire twelve hours. He was good and freaked out when we finally got him in his new habitat, though....
Thursday: moving out of Bloomington, cleaning my old apartment, loading and re-loading the van. Got gross and sweaty.
Friday: up at 3:30 am (after very, very little sleep), on the road at 5, fog & rain along the way (and the McDonald's incident), rolled into Philly twelve hours later. Began moving in boxes and small furniture, got gross and sweaty.
Saturday: the big stuff: desk, bookshelf, mattresses.... and the couch (which was an adventure all its own. Really. It almost didn't make it). Really gross. Really sweaty. Brief afternoon nap, then attempted to find Temple from my apartment. Succeeded, eventually. (Dad suggested I not take this particular route, especially not while wearing a tank top. I found it amusing, but he was really, really right.) Preliminary grocery shopping. Feet throbbed at the end of the day.
Sunday: lots of sleep. Local coffee shop. Failed attempts at public transit. Found Chinatown, had bubble tea (I spit the tapioca onto the street), ate sushi. (It didn't stay in me long.) Helped my roomie move in, later in the evening. More foot throbbing, just slightly gross and sweaty.
Monday: day one of orientation. Lots of walking, lots of listening, lots of socializing. Near the end of the day, I decided to sit by myself and write. I just felt too tired to make any attempts at polite, witty, or intelligent conversation. Missed the barbecue, because I fell asleep shortly after getting home. And -- you guessed it -- foot throbbing.
Tuesday: day two of orientation. More sitting than yesterday, but still managed to get damaged on the foot. Wasn't listening well by the end of it.
Loving Temple so far. I've just felt completely drained for the past five days or so. (On the plus side, I've been falling asleep much faster!) Hmm.... I should probably get used to the exhaustion...
Need a smaller scrubs size. Need to get titers done. Need to sign up for health insurance. Need to buy a few more supplies for the apartment. Would like a nap. Don't think it's in the cards.
Made it to Philly, with some difficulty and frustration along the way. I think Dad almost strangled me when I locked my keys in my car at a McDonald's in Ohio. Kitty took the incident well, though -- and if anyone had license to be upset, it was him. He traveled well, though... surprisingly well. It was downright unprecedented! He whined a little, but he mostly just slept in his carrier for the entire twelve hours. He was good and freaked out when we finally got him in his new habitat, though....
Thursday: moving out of Bloomington, cleaning my old apartment, loading and re-loading the van. Got gross and sweaty.
Friday: up at 3:30 am (after very, very little sleep), on the road at 5, fog & rain along the way (and the McDonald's incident), rolled into Philly twelve hours later. Began moving in boxes and small furniture, got gross and sweaty.
Saturday: the big stuff: desk, bookshelf, mattresses.... and the couch (which was an adventure all its own. Really. It almost didn't make it). Really gross. Really sweaty. Brief afternoon nap, then attempted to find Temple from my apartment. Succeeded, eventually. (Dad suggested I not take this particular route, especially not while wearing a tank top. I found it amusing, but he was really, really right.) Preliminary grocery shopping. Feet throbbed at the end of the day.
Sunday: lots of sleep. Local coffee shop. Failed attempts at public transit. Found Chinatown, had bubble tea (I spit the tapioca onto the street), ate sushi. (It didn't stay in me long.) Helped my roomie move in, later in the evening. More foot throbbing, just slightly gross and sweaty.
Monday: day one of orientation. Lots of walking, lots of listening, lots of socializing. Near the end of the day, I decided to sit by myself and write. I just felt too tired to make any attempts at polite, witty, or intelligent conversation. Missed the barbecue, because I fell asleep shortly after getting home. And -- you guessed it -- foot throbbing.
Tuesday: day two of orientation. More sitting than yesterday, but still managed to get damaged on the foot. Wasn't listening well by the end of it.
Loving Temple so far. I've just felt completely drained for the past five days or so. (On the plus side, I've been falling asleep much faster!) Hmm.... I should probably get used to the exhaustion...
Need a smaller scrubs size. Need to get titers done. Need to sign up for health insurance. Need to buy a few more supplies for the apartment. Would like a nap. Don't think it's in the cards.
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