Great! Now I have guilt!

During fall quarter I had an experience that made me think of Rex's line in the Toy Story Movie: "Great! Now I have guilt!"

(Picture of Rex downloaded from a Google image search to jog your memory about the famous line).

During fall quarter I went home quite a bit to help mom out after her hip replacement surgery. However, towards the end of the quarter I saw the impact it was having on my studies and decided to stay in Seattle and just focus on class for the rest of the term. Unfortunately, this meant that I could not come home for Monica's birthday at the beginning of December (right before finals week). Monica was very upset by this and tried diligently to convince me over the phone to come home for her 5th birthday party. I examined my schedule and determined it was completely impossible to come home for her birthday and had to give her a firm, "No" over the phone. She too hard but at the end of the conversation she said in her little cute voice, ""Its ok that you can't come. Christy, I love you and I miss you and I love you. OK?" I hung up the phone and felt absolutely terrible. Was this to be the first of many situations through out my life where medicine would prevent me from being with friends and family when they wanted me? I bought Monica a birthday present (a little pan flute from Peru) which I gave to her after finals were over. I felt really guilty when I gave it to her. It was almost as if I was trying to buy her off or something - as if the present was saying, "I am sorry I couldn't be here when it was important to you. Here, have something that costs money instead." Is that what busy physicians and medical students do? Hmmmmm. I just hope I don't have to proclaim my guilt about this too much in the future.

Me after fall quarter = a juiced orange

Fall quarter is finally over! Yeah! I just took my last final and it is really good to be done! How do I feel right now? I guess the best way to describe it is that I feel like a juiced orange. (But a very happy juiced orange!) I started medical school as a whole freshly picked Florida orange and right now I feel like a the peel with a little bit of pulp left over inside. I am not saying that this is a bad feeling, I am still very overjoyed to be in medical school, I just have new respect for what medical school takes out of you.

(written a couple weeks later) Everyone has been asking me how fall quarter went. I guess it went well. At least they haven't kicked me out of school yet! Fall quarter was very stressful. Towards the end of the quarter I could see what the stress of medical school was doing to my body. I was having trouble falling asleep at night while I worried about classes and life and general. Also, my stomach started to hurt, particularly before exams. These symptoms started going away immediately after the quarter ended and now are completely gone. I just hope they won't reappear during winter quarter stress.

Sometimes during fall quarter I really started to envy people who can come home after working all day and can just relax and spent time with their family and friends without the stress of feeling like you need to study all the time. I am sure it will all be worth it in the end.


These oranges are what I felt like before medical school started. (Photo from google image search)


This is what fall quarter felt like, particularly Anatomy. (Photo from google image search).

Some disappointing news for those taking final exams

An article with some disappointing news for those taking final exams: "It is only Tuesday"

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/it_only_tuesday

YIKES! (again) My Winter Class Schedule

Once again I was traumatized by looking at next quarter's medical school class schedule. (perhaps by spring I will be used to it? We will see.) The only good thing about winter quarter is that it doesn't begin for another 3 weeks. First (this upcoming week) we get to take cumulative final exams in our remaining fall quarter classes: Biochemistry, Histology and Social Aspects of Health and Behavior. Two of these classes, Biochem and SHB, are continued in winter quarter. One thing that I am actually looking forward to in winter quarter is my family medicine preceptorship. I will get to tag along one morning a week with a family practice doctor as she sees patients. Sometimes I might even get to help/participate (we will see). The preceptor I have been matched with is the Harborview Family Practice Clinic.

Here is my schedule of classes:
_____________________________________________________________

HUBIO 512: Mechanisms in Cell Physiology (5 Credits)
Physiology of the cell membrane, including ionic and electrical potential gradients; active transport, excitability, and action potentials; biophysics of sensory receptors; neuromuscular transmission; muscle energetics and contractility; spinal reflexes and central synaptic transmission; autonomic nervous system; energy metabolism and temperature regulation; epithelial transport; gastrointestinal motility and secretions.

HUBIO 520: Molecular and Cellular Basis of Disease (6 Credits)
Patterns of cell and tissue response to injury. Mechanisms of cell injury, the inflammatory process, immunology, immunopathology, thrombosis, normal and abnormal growth, neoplasia, clinicopathological correlation.

HUBIO 522: Introduction to Clinical Medicine (4 Credits)
Medical history is introduced and instruction in data collection is begun. Experience in conducting medical interviews with patients to obtain the medical history and patient profile. Special problems related to interviewing are addressed.

HUBIO 523: Introduction to Immunology (2 Credits)
Basic concepts such as antigens; antibodies; complement; B- and T-lymphocyte function, including interactions with each other and with accessory cells; immunological tolerance; major histocompatibility complex; and role of these basic concepts in immunopathology (immunodeficiencies, hypersensitivities, autoimmunity, blood transfusion, and transplantation).

HUBIO 524: Biochemistry (4 Credits)
Classical molecular and cellular biochemistry, cellular physiology and molecular genetics. Metabolic interrelationships as they occur in the individual stressed and related to disturbances in disease states.

HUBIO 526: Systems of Human Behavior (2 Credits)
Effects of behavioral factors in major management problems faced in medical practice relating to cultural background, social role, sexual identity, and belief systems. Acquisition of skills in analyzing behavior, defining objectives, and designing precise treatment strategies.

HUBIO 590: Introduction to Critical Reading and Evaluation of the Medical Literature (1 Credit)
An introduction to methods for identifying and retrieving Web-based high quality, relevant evidence, and to methods for describing and applying rigorous criteria when reading primary research studies or reviews of primary studies that report on the effectiveness of therapeutic or preventive interventions.

FAMED 501: Introduction to Family Medicine: Preceptorship (2.5 Credits)
Students spend one morning per week for one or more quarters working with a practicing community family physician.

_____________________________________________________________

If my calculations are correct, I am registered for 26.5 credits for winter quarter - fewer credits than we took in fall quarter, but apparently winter quarter is much shorter so the work load is worse than fall. Good times.