Microbiology

I would sum up the seventh block of med school thusly: So much to know about what you can't see. I swear I must have at least a dozen of these infections; when you hear about them every day, it's hard not to be a little paranoid...

Survived bacteria and parasites, moved on to viruses. I was really lucky that I took Parasitology in undergrad; otherwise I would've had a much rougher time with the midterm. (I told a peer that I'd already had all the parasites we talked about... His eyes got large and he asked me if I'd had a rectal prolapse. At this point, I had to define my use of the word "had.") I caught a minor cold and felt pretty run down in the days before the exam, so I wasn't exactly at my studying peak. Still did fairly well though!

It seems that when I get stressed out, it's rarely because of school. I'll be frantically trying to figure out my health insurance or get my phone fixed, or waiting for my student loan funds to come in (only a month late, so far...), but school usually seems like more of an inconvenience on the side. Except, of course, within a week of an exam. Then school becomes my entire life, and nothing else really exists.

Not too much has actually changed in my world... Tried to get Kitty to eat home-cooked cat food (boiled chicken breast, sardines, hard-boiled egg, parsley, & a multivitamin); he wasn't a fan. As a result, the food sat in his bowl for extended periods and the entire apartment ended up reeking of sulfur and fish. Decided to put an end to that. Also, the weight he lost (which I assumed was from running around outside all summer) was apparently due to a tapeworm, which was eradicated last week. (To be fair, it was due to running around outside...) On the brighter side, he's been doing well with our daily brushing routine (on the evenings I remember to do it!)... He submits to a brushing, I encourage him to inspect his new feline toothbrush, and I reward him with treats for good behavior. The problem is, he always goes straight for the treats and is loathe to be dissuaded. (Luckily, he can't break into the tin I keep them in!) And he bites when I try to brush his belly.

Got to video chat with Mahlon & Layla last week... I was thrilled that Layla remembered my name (seeing as last spring she was afraid of me, and over the summer she consistently called me Auntie Lila), and Mahlon "slimed" me through the computer. Ah, I miss those kids...

Time goes simultaneously quickly and slowly; it's a really strange phenomenon. Perhaps because so much tends to happen in one day, it seems like much more time is elapsing than actually is.

Staying in school until 5 today (my biggest beef with this is the end-of-day traffic!); I have a session at 3 to practice my skills in the pulmonary and abdominal exams. Purchased a couple knee-length skirts especially for "Doctor Dress-Up"... Very professional, look good with button-down shirts. Forgot to trim my nails, though they're not very long at all... Hopefully I won't injure anyone when palpating their bowels. Filed them down a bit -- so now they're at an acceptable length, but I'm covered in white dust.

More opportunities to practice clinical skills this weekend. After my OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Exam) at the end of last year showed me to be slightly deficient, I set up a day to shadow my mentor and practice on actual patients. Of course, my mentor is a pediatrician who works in inpatient. It's hard to interview toddlers, and I don't want to bother anyone who's seriously ill with my clumsy physical skills.... So I'll probably end up working with asthmatic teenagers. The goal is to practice, practice, practice!!!

"Hey, kid -- lie down and lemme feel your liver!"