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 !

Semester One Fininshed

So I finished semester One December 16th.   For a while there I was a bit worried, but I was able to focus up and and get through that last stretch.

I have been enjoying my time back in Texas.  Been to a few christmas parties and Chipotle!   Have a birthday party today and a football party tomorrow.   It has been a very busy week. 

I started reading over some physiology to help get me ready for the cardiology block starting next semester but I have not gotten far.    I will be getting back to school about a week before class starts so I may buckle down then.

I have heard that you should just rest and not study and I have heard you should go over the first weeks of material to get ahead.

I don't know whats the best option, but I have definitely done more resting than reading... :)

It was 70 degrees for a few days here in Texas, but that has changed today and the crappy weather is in...   Which means its probably a good time to catch up on movies...


If I had any tips for today they would be.

1. take advantage of outside material. The slides may be dense and seem to cover all you need, but sometimes there is some additional understanding in suggested or researched outside material that can help improve understanding and application.

2. Start using your First Aid book  first semester.   I found that If I review the relevant material in the book you can use it for a good overview of high yield material throughout the following semester.  It is very high level, but it helps me to review some high level topics for long term retention.

3. Develop a detail plan that includes breaks and stick to it.  I found I had good intentions in this area but terrible follow through.   I also did not schedule in rest time so after mini's I would not be able to pick up study material for like 2 days.    Next semester I am going to schedule in Sunday afternoons off.  I want to spend that time doing something non-class related. 

I guess that's about it... 

Random

So as I take a little break for learning thought I would jot down some random thoughts.

I have been in medical school a whole 3 months...  Its amazing how much you can take in such a short amount of time. 

Random comments to those interested in medicine.

- make sure this is really what you want to do. 
  - it takes a lot of your time.
  - if you thought pre-med took a bunch of your time, wait till you go to medical school, then residency, then practice....  Its a life long journey.
 
- make sure you start working on your morals, integrity, and professionalism.  
  - you don't to work hard your first year or two in medschool and then get kicked out for something stupid.
 - you don't want to bust your but through school, clerkship, and residency and then loose your license due to something stupid.
  - during one of our Ethics classes teacher pulled up websites from multiple states of Doctor's who were suspended or loss their license due to stupid choices like 
 - relationships with patients
- grossly prescribing medications
- getting caught in inappropriate behavior even outside of work...
- being impaired on the job
-- its definitely worth checking out..

- Get used to studying...
   - it never stops.
  -  test after test after test...
  -  if you are studying for the MCAT and find that you are having trouble.  Try and figure out what your pitfall is, because you will be taking standardize test FOREVER....
   is it focus, time management, anxiety, fear, procrastination, the medium in which you are learning material.    FIGURE IT OUT NOW....  you don't want to struggle with that while trying to learn all this dang material.
 --  I found that I have to supplement my lectures with short videos that give me a broad overview. Or go into detail on a complex topic.   I found that if there is a hole in a concept in my mind I cant really wrap mind around everything else that I am trying to learn.
   I also kind of don't get as much from reading as I do from watching & listening.  So videos tend to help me lay the foundation in my brain.
   I also prefer to learn the material, rather than memorize, but you don't always have time for that.   I really have to work on my memorizing techniques.


anywhoo.. back to work..