I Miss My Husband

Steve went down to San Diego tonight to be there for his fantasy football draft. I already miss him!! But I'm also extremely jealous that he gets to go to San Diego and I have to go to class tomorrow. I love SD and miss living there. And I'm also starting to not want to go to class. Is that a bad sign after only a week?
I had fun with my friend Heather last night. It is so good to get caught up with old friends who you haven't seen in a while. I miss all my college and high school friends. I miss Beth and talking with her late into the night. I really feel bad for leaving her and Andres in KC. I miss Stacie and Heather and just hanging out, watching chick flicks. I miss Kristi and driving around HB listening to music and helping set up her classroom. I miss Susan and doing nothing in particular but still having a fun time. Why can't college just have lasted a little longer? And why do people have to grow up and move all over the country making it hard to get together? Oh well, I guess it happens to everyone, but I really miss all my old friends.

First Week Thoughts

Well, I've made it through my first week of classes. It really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I am so glad I was a biology major in college, all the lectures so far have been over stuff I took in college. So it's basically just review at this point. I haven't been studying that much, which makes me wonder what my classmates are studying for hours a night. I know it will get harder in time, so I'm enjoying the free time I still have!!!
We started on the cadavers on Friday. Actually, half of the class started, the other half (my half) watched a video of the dissection. I have to say I was a little relieved that we were just watching a video. I'm a little freaked out about dissecting people.
One of my best friends is coming to hang out with me tonight. She lives in Arizona so I don't get to see her that much. I'm very excited!! It should be a nice brake.

Rude Rude Rude

I logged in to my blog today to discover that there were ads posted in the comment section of my latest entry!!! This is simply not acceptable!! I have deleted the entries now, but they were ads for car loans and some event managing thing. I went to their blogs and they are basically businesses. Please, people of the blogging world, if you have a business that is wonderful, but DO NOT advertise on my personal blog and clutter it up. I get enough of that with my email. If this happens again I will report these blogs to blogger.com. Have some common courtesy people!

On the Wards #2

Well, I'm about to finish my second and final week on the wards before I start class. It has been a good experience overall, although a little boring at times. I've seen a lot of pretty neat and rare things, but also some sad things. One of the kids that my team was taking care of died. She has been very sick for a long time, so in a way it is a blessing. But it is always sad when a kid dies. You always hold out some hope that they will get better. It was kind of a surprise because most of us didn't realize she was so sick and we were still trying to treat all her issues. But at least she is in no longer suffering.
Other than that it has been good. I got to hold a baby today so it was a good day!! Tomorrow I will be getting all the syllabi and notes for the classes. Then on Monday all the stress starts!! I'm excited though, this is what I've been waiting for and working towards for a very long time.

On the Wards

I'm sorry that I have not posted in a few days; it's taken me a while to get my thoughts together about my first days on the ward as a med student. I got the pediatric rotation in general peds, meaning we have kids with all kinds of problems, some that are quite critical. The first day was more orientation, not very fun, pretty boring, and basically we were told the same thing as the other days of orientation except in summary form. The second day was better, we actually were on the wards but we didn't see any patients because we spent the whole morning doing rounds, which we did in a small conference room and not in the patients rooms. So that was a bit of a bummer because I was really looking forward to seeing some kids, maybe even holding a baby. The second day, yesterday, we did rounds outside of the rooms, but still did not see any kids at this time. However, I stayed until 9:00 pm in order to see some more stuff. I got to hear 3 bad heart murmurs (the sound the heart makes when it has a defect and is not pushing blood through efficiently). I also saw a goiter (overgrown thyroid) and a kid with cerebral palsy. It was really interesting and fun to play with the kids, even if they were really sick. I basically followed a third year around and she took time to explain things to me and show me how to listen to the heart of an infant. I went home last night exhausted, but energized and excited to start learning. One thing that I learned was I will have to do on-call (all night) shifts as a med student in my third and fourth years. I thought I wouldn't have to endure that torture until I was a resident but I guess I was wrong!!! Oh well, I know I will learn a lot. For now I am glad I get to see what I will be doing in a few years.

Pictures from White Coat Ceremony

Oh My, I'm Almost a Doctor!

Yesterday we had our white coat ceremony. They told us that we need to embrace the fact that we are doctors. That when people see the white coat they will assume we are doctors and ask us for help. This is a frightening concept! I don't know anything yet, please don't ask me questions. We received our white coats yesterday in a ceremony that our parents were invited to. This ceremony, along with orientation the last few days, made it very real to me. I think I have been so excited about getting in that I haven't really thought about the fact that I will be a doctor soon! In charge of real patient's lives!
Throughout orientation they have talked about how hard the first two years are going to be. (The first two years are mostly spent in the classroom and pathology lab.) I am really scared. I know I will do well, and make it thru, but I haven't really thought about all the memorizing and studying I will have to do. In the beginning I will probably study 5-6 hrs a day. Then once I get used to it I will probably do about 3-4. That is a lot of studying!! But I've met some really cool and nice people so far that I know will help me. So be prepared to hear me complaining a lot about how much studying I have to do and how overwhelming Med School is!!!!!!!!!!!

It's Official

Well, I am officially a Medical Student. Not because I am registered for classes, or because I have all my financial aid and have paid my bill, or bought my books or because I have an ID card. I am now officially a Med Student because I have my Stethoscope!! It is Burgundy and beautiful. I can't help but get sentimental over the one device I will be using the most for the rest of my career!!

My Personality Type

Those who have taken these personality tests before will know a little more what I'm talking about. I am an INFJ, introverted, intuitive, feeling, judging (not like judgmental, more like planning everything out). We took the test at my first day of orientation for med school. First we had to say what we thought we were, then we took the test. I tested exactly the same as I guessed. I guess I know myself pretty well, or I am able to trick myself really well!! Supposedly my type make good Psychiatrists. I don't want to be a psychiatrist, so I hope my type makes good pediatricians as well. According to the test I am an idealist, always wanting to help others and myself grow and wanting to find the authenticity in myself and others. I do think this fits pretty well, as long as I can get over my social anxiety and introvertedness and actually get to know people. I met a few people today, but I think I spent most of the time sitting in my seat waiting for the professor to start talking again. Oh well, I know I will eventually make friends, I always have.
As I was looking around the room I was thinking "These are the people I will be going through med school with, studying with, venting with, crying with, and sharing one of the most difficult times of my life with. They seem like pretty nice people." Most of the people I met today were seventh day adventist (I go to a seventh day adventist med school) and unmarried. I was surprised that many of them are not right out of college, I kind of told myself I would be unique in being out of college for two years, but this seems not to be the case. There seemed to be a lot more guys than girls today, but I'll see more of the ratio tomorrow since today was optional. Anyways, these are my observations of my first day of med school. I'm really looking forward to starting!!

My Last Free Day!!

Well, this is my last day of summer. Tomorrow I start orientation, then two weeks in the hospital, then classes. I really can't believe that I will be starting Medical School tomorrow!! I have been waiting so long for this moment, and it is finally here. I haven't fully grasped the concept that I will not have as much free time as I am used to. I'm going to have to learn how to study again. It will be hard, but also fun.
I finally got the rest of my books. While I was at the bookstore, I saw someone who looked familiar. It turns out I tutored her in college. She just graduated and is now going to LLU as well. I am so glad that I am going to know someone! I was worried about meeting people, but now it doesn't seem as intimidating since I at least know someone else's name. It was fun to talk to her about starting and I'm glad I will have someone to sit next to tomorrow! I'll write again tomorrow after my first day. Wish me luck!!!