Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays everyone.  This is the first Christmas in a long time where I have been alone.  

I'm a little bummed but killing my time watching horror movies and made me some lentils for the first time.   So that's cool I guess.  

😜

Almost there...

So I will be going into my last semester on the island in January. I am so looking forward to going home and seeing my kiddo.  

I am staying here over the Christmas break so I am bored out of my mind.  I had planned on studying up for next semester but so far I have not been very successful at that.  

Other than that not a lot going on. 

Congratulations to my amazing friend on the birth of her very first little one.  Love you. Can't wait to see you guys.  

Where has the time gone...

So much has happened since my last post, yet nothing has changed...

Started M2 back in August.  I am enjoying the pathology and clinical focused medicine a lot.   But it definitely has its set of challenges.  The schedule is pretty different and there is plenty of work trying to prepare for your upcoming mini and start to sprinkle in Comp and Step Study.

I am looking forward to going home in April.  Unfortunately I have not been back home since last Christmas so its kind of stressful.  The positive side of having to stay here over the break is working the Welcome Committee. I get a chance to meet new students and see them around campus and provide encouragement or share a laugh.

I also moved closer to campus.  I love my place!  Unfortunately its more expensive but I have found that I really like the flexibility of being able to come and go to and from campus easily.

My kid started high school.  Its pretty painful that I am not there.  I feel like I have missed out on so many things.  And there are little things that I can not control from here and its a bit challenging.

I guess for the most part that's about it.  Study , test, repeat.  I think that's how I fell off posting, It didn't really seem like I had much to talk about.   I am going to try and post more to really challenge myself to think about what I am doing and strive for improvement.


Back to the books...

End of Week 2

So its the end of week two of Second Semester...

So far its a bit different than first semester.   We have the allusion of more time this semester since we don't have anatomy lab in the afternoons and only have clinical & Case Studies a couple times a week.   And the reason I say its an allusion is because the material seems deceptively manageable.   

So basically we have Cardiovascular Physiology and Respiratory Physiology over 3 weeks.   It seems manageable applying similar techniques as I did last semester.   However, I start doing these USMLE Physiology pretest questions and you would have thought I had not even looked over the material at all.  

I think my main problem is that I have not successfully moved to a more integrated approach to consuming and applying the material.  I am going through slides and supplemental reading, but I think its just laying on the surface.  

I need to adjust my studying approach again.  I may even go see a tutor or advisor to get some tips on how to shift my approach.

Overall things are going pretty ok.   I wish I would have taken the time to move before the semester started.  I have gotten more reluctant to leave the apartment and I waste to much time and money when I go to campus all day.   I have considered renting a scooter its actually cheaper than moving into a place closer to campus.

So in a nutshell I am still looking for my balance in most areas.  But I am confident I will move past these new hurdles like I did the last.

My little one is doing well.  She is off at a dance convention/competition this weekend.  It is the kick-off to competition season. I think secretly I am a little depressed that I am having to miss all of that his year. 

Well I guess that's about it. :) 

Second Semester !!!

Well here we are two days in to second semester.   It has been a challenge getting back into the swing of things.   I have actually not even left my room for about two days.   Thank Goodness for Mediasite (on demand lectures).

However tomorrow I am getting my butt up and heading to school in the morning. If I don't go first thing in the morning I loose motivation with each passing hour.   I had planned on hitting the gym at least 3 mornings of the week, but they are working on the showers.   I live so far I don't want to work out, then have to walk home to shower, and then go back to campus.    So I just have not done anything. 

As I mentioned I have been having a bit of a challenge getting back in the groove.  I am doing my pre-review and listening to lecture, but I have not been doing my Post review study products.   However since I will be stuck on campus all day tomorrow I will play catch up.

Other than that not a lot going on.  Found out there are bats living above me, but apparently that's normal here.   I had been telling myself I had a very quite upstairs neighbor with a non-barking dog or very active cat!   But that's Dominica for ya.


I guess that's about it.  I want to try and document a little more this semester, we shall see.


Happy New Year !