As term is wrapping up, we've been lucky enough to be treated to a few dinners over the past few weeks. Most deliciously, we went to an amazing Brazilian grill place (more about the meal here). While at the restaurant, we were given a little gift - surgical hats (think hairnets made out of scrubs material). Everyone immediately tried them on, and the dude sitting next to me was remarking about how much my classmates looked like surgeons... and then turned to me, and said, "well, except for you. You look like a cafeteria lady!"
Amazing.
Honestly though, it was one of the best burns I've had in a long time... I can't even be offended. He followed it up with a quick "Oh it's just because you're too NICE to be a surgeon!" I hope I'll at least be able to fake the look through my surgery clerkship rotation!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Learning something after all...
I'm at a school that is relatively (in)famous for its lack of formal evaluation. We do have 'tests' every once in a while that help us track our development and performance relative to the rest of the class. I just took one today, my first since the baseline evaluation during the first month of school. After THAT dismal performance, I was expecting to improve a bit, considering that it would be nearly impossible to go down from that score.
My main thoughts during the first test was that there is SO MUCH to know, and how cool is it going to be to at one point, realize that I possess that knowledge. That point is a long way off, but slowly inching closer. I went through all of my old notes, trying to remember about the heart, the lungs, the blood... and realizing over the past day or so that I feel like I've forgotten about 95% of what I've learned about pretty big things (I keep telling myself not to worry because by the time I get to clerkship and residency, all of these things will be drilled into my head for good).
BUT! I surprised myself by scoring TEN TIMES higher than last time. I was answering a lot of questions, and while I wasn't super confident, I managed to remember a lot of stuff. Please keep in mind that it isn't like me to gloat... I tend to feel that in my group of peers, I am on the very bottom rung of the knowledge ladder. I constantly feel like I am more 'lucky' than 'deserving' of my place in med school. But now, for this brief moment? I'm feeling pretty good, and am excited to get to the point where I can answer most of the questions, and be a good doctor.
Now it's time to go get this new self-confidence smacked down with my practical 'evaluation'.
My main thoughts during the first test was that there is SO MUCH to know, and how cool is it going to be to at one point, realize that I possess that knowledge. That point is a long way off, but slowly inching closer. I went through all of my old notes, trying to remember about the heart, the lungs, the blood... and realizing over the past day or so that I feel like I've forgotten about 95% of what I've learned about pretty big things (I keep telling myself not to worry because by the time I get to clerkship and residency, all of these things will be drilled into my head for good).
BUT! I surprised myself by scoring TEN TIMES higher than last time. I was answering a lot of questions, and while I wasn't super confident, I managed to remember a lot of stuff. Please keep in mind that it isn't like me to gloat... I tend to feel that in my group of peers, I am on the very bottom rung of the knowledge ladder. I constantly feel like I am more 'lucky' than 'deserving' of my place in med school. But now, for this brief moment? I'm feeling pretty good, and am excited to get to the point where I can answer most of the questions, and be a good doctor.
Now it's time to go get this new self-confidence smacked down with my practical 'evaluation'.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Taking a cue from Saroja...
a haiku, in lieu of a comprehensive update!
morning in the morgue
avoiding thoughts of pain, death
hiding from disease
(I have a funny relationship with anatomy and anatomy specimens. I find that I'm fine if I focus on the organ... what is this thing, where is it's location, what does it do. Mostly, I'm fine, I can separate myself. As soon as I think: 'what did this pathology do to this person,' I'm done. I need to sit, gather my thoughts and breathe... hard to do in a poorly ventilated, tiny room surrounded by formalin odors. I'm getting better though, it's a good place to learn how to remove myself from my emotions. I still have a long way to go.)
morning in the morgue
avoiding thoughts of pain, death
hiding from disease
(I have a funny relationship with anatomy and anatomy specimens. I find that I'm fine if I focus on the organ... what is this thing, where is it's location, what does it do. Mostly, I'm fine, I can separate myself. As soon as I think: 'what did this pathology do to this person,' I'm done. I need to sit, gather my thoughts and breathe... hard to do in a poorly ventilated, tiny room surrounded by formalin odors. I'm getting better though, it's a good place to learn how to remove myself from my emotions. I still have a long way to go.)
Sunday, December 7, 2008
New Beginnings
Tomorrow is the start of a brand new chapter in med school... Foundation #2: Energy and Metabolic Homeostasis, AND the beginning of the new campus. Lecture at 8:30 no longer means hitting the road by 7:30 and driving to another city, I can roll out of bed half and hour before class, and have time to get ready and walk! I am unbelievably excited by this: no more dependence on the car, and way more awesome people in my little city.
We got a kick-start on the social aspect of the new campus: R (from here on in to be called Saroja, meaning born of a lake, which is a perfect name for her) had a little get together for movies and many many snacks that were too delicious and irresistible to resist (normally I wouldn't worry too much about their irresistiblity (is that a word? it should be) but damn it I have a wedding dress to fit into!!). AND LOTS OF PEOPLE CAME! This is pretty awesome, considering that a little more than three months ago, we didn't know anyone here. I already feel lucky to have met Saroja and the dudes... it definitely makes moving to a new city a lot less lonely. Now, there are fifteen of us, each an interesting, fun person that I look forward to getting to know over the next two and a half years (and hopefully much longer, too).
Also: rumour has it that we will have a coffee maker at the new campus!!! Hooray!
We got a kick-start on the social aspect of the new campus: R (from here on in to be called Saroja, meaning born of a lake, which is a perfect name for her) had a little get together for movies and many many snacks that were too delicious and irresistible to resist (normally I wouldn't worry too much about their irresistiblity (is that a word? it should be) but damn it I have a wedding dress to fit into!!). AND LOTS OF PEOPLE CAME! This is pretty awesome, considering that a little more than three months ago, we didn't know anyone here. I already feel lucky to have met Saroja and the dudes... it definitely makes moving to a new city a lot less lonely. Now, there are fifteen of us, each an interesting, fun person that I look forward to getting to know over the next two and a half years (and hopefully much longer, too).
Also: rumour has it that we will have a coffee maker at the new campus!!! Hooray!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Life before med school....
...was not any less exciting, really.
Mercer Report Does Zero G
Been there, done that, threw up on my t-shirt.
Mercer Report Does Zero G
Been there, done that, threw up on my t-shirt.
Friday, October 10, 2008
My challenge.
Wow, the last two weeks have been really really busy (imagine that!). I've had something on campus every day, meaning that I've had to commute, losing about 10 hours/week. I used to think that 8 am lectures were bad - I had no idea then. Now, an 8 am lecture means leaving the house by 6:45, and hoping that traffic will be OK. Settling into our new campus - a 5 minute bike ride from my house - this winter will be like a wonderful dream!!
While the commute is A challenge, it is not THE challenge. That challenge is figuring out what bugs my brain so much about seeing injury, and learning how to get over it. Last week, at my first family med experience, I had the opportunity to see my doc remove a small growth. This is a minor, minor, minor procedure - yet for some reason, it made me faint. Yup, full out faint. Luckily I recognized the feelings and left the room and sat down so that I just slumped into the chair. Breaking it down: I am not 'intellectually' grossed out by what I am watching, I simply see the injury and the 'drop heart rate/blood pressure' switch in my brain is thrown. I'm hoping that with increasing knowledge I'll be able to control it. But for now, I am preparing myself with:
-Compression socks (keeps blood from pooling in my legs - more in systemic circulation)
-Candy (insta-sugar rush)
-Caffeinated drinks (Caffeine raises blood pressure)
-Multivitamins (in hopes that boosting iron will help my blood carry more oxygen)
I also bought a book on "overcoming Medical Phobias" - it has a section on how to not faint.
I can't wait for the day when I can stay conscious around surgery. I think this will probably be one of the biggest challenges I have to face during med school - the sight of injury has always bothered me, whether it is cartoon or real. It is so strange to think that the injury I'm supposed to learn (like surgery) is actually a good thing for the patient. It isn't so much the blood, which doesn't really gross me out, but the sense that it is wrong to break through our body's natural protection (skin/tissue etc).
Oh, and to make things worse: faint day was my first day shadowing this doc. What a great first impression. At least this week went way, way better. I even saw the patient again, their lesion was healing nicely and did not bother me at all (seems to not be bothering them either,which is more important!).
In other news: we have finished studying the lungs!! We're on to the heart! And next week we get our white coats, apparently so we can feel good about ourselves (full of ourselves?) and spread tons of germs to our patients (they're not the cleanest of things...).
While the commute is A challenge, it is not THE challenge. That challenge is figuring out what bugs my brain so much about seeing injury, and learning how to get over it. Last week, at my first family med experience, I had the opportunity to see my doc remove a small growth. This is a minor, minor, minor procedure - yet for some reason, it made me faint. Yup, full out faint. Luckily I recognized the feelings and left the room and sat down so that I just slumped into the chair. Breaking it down: I am not 'intellectually' grossed out by what I am watching, I simply see the injury and the 'drop heart rate/blood pressure' switch in my brain is thrown. I'm hoping that with increasing knowledge I'll be able to control it. But for now, I am preparing myself with:
-Compression socks (keeps blood from pooling in my legs - more in systemic circulation)
-Candy (insta-sugar rush)
-Caffeinated drinks (Caffeine raises blood pressure)
-Multivitamins (in hopes that boosting iron will help my blood carry more oxygen)
I also bought a book on "overcoming Medical Phobias" - it has a section on how to not faint.
I can't wait for the day when I can stay conscious around surgery. I think this will probably be one of the biggest challenges I have to face during med school - the sight of injury has always bothered me, whether it is cartoon or real. It is so strange to think that the injury I'm supposed to learn (like surgery) is actually a good thing for the patient. It isn't so much the blood, which doesn't really gross me out, but the sense that it is wrong to break through our body's natural protection (skin/tissue etc).
Oh, and to make things worse: faint day was my first day shadowing this doc. What a great first impression. At least this week went way, way better. I even saw the patient again, their lesion was healing nicely and did not bother me at all (seems to not be bothering them either,which is more important!).
In other news: we have finished studying the lungs!! We're on to the heart! And next week we get our white coats, apparently so we can feel good about ourselves (full of ourselves?) and spread tons of germs to our patients (they're not the cleanest of things...).
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