My Heart is Pounding: Opening my First Medical School Grades

Ok, so I wanted to write this last Friday after our exams, but I was too lazy and too tired! Today is Tuesday and I just opened my email 10 minutes ago and got this message,
"Hello M-1 students:
We have received the 'all clear' for use of the new and improved Blackboard system, therefore I have released access to the grading center for you to view the scores and final grade information for the Musculoskeletal Block. Each column has information about the scores listed and the final grade column includes information about MPL, mean and SD."

I just went to my email and the first thing I see is 60/75 for the first part of the exam and 56/73 for the other part. I thought I had failed! So, I got 80% on the first part and 77% on the second part. I passed!! Overall I got a 78%, and I needed a 70% to pass the class, so I passed by a nice 8%. My heart has never pounded so fast though, I saw the 60 and thought that was the overall percent I got in the class! Whoooo. I am in the clear, and P=MD (P is Pass). I did fine. This was the hardest class I have ever taken. Studied my ASS of for three weeks and still only got a 77% overall. WTF right?! It's crazy how much harder Medical school is than regular college. 3 weeks of studying hard every single day, and only a 77%?!! WOW. But I feel great about it, because I knew my stuff, and its just the way the tests are written, they are IMPOSSIBLE! Why was it so hard? We just memorized all the muscles of the entire ARM, LEG, and BACK. We also learned nerves, arteries, and a complex of nerves called the BRACHIAL PLEXUS. We also learned all about how our bones grow and the hormones that help with that. I feel very doctor like for learning soooo much.

I can't believe that I am 1/8 of the way to being a DOCTOR! Its gone so quickly, it's just like a few days ago I was writing essays and applying, getting the acceptance letter, and now I can say I have completed my first full semester of my medical education! It's such a great feeling!! So, I think one of the reasons I passed was that a friend of mine, Josh, and I randomly went out for Sushi in the Sear's Tower (also called Willis Tower) after our first major test. We did that again after this exam, and we have agreed to start doing it after all exams as a good luck charm, it worked so far! We have agreed to keep it up. I think its the Wasabi sauce giving my brain the spice its needs to stay sharp! Anyways, I am really excited that this semester has gone so well.

Its Christmas this Saturday, I have stayed in Chicago since Friday, on Friday the M1 class went to a classmates apartment and partied and then to a club called the apartment to get our groove on! It was a blast! It's the best feeling ever to not have to start any studyin until January 3rd! I have already used the time to catch up with a friend who just came back from India for 4 months, and seeing Chicago with the Christmas lights. Its nice to just chill. Going home tonight to see the family and have a great Christmas! Wow time flies. Before I know it, the whole M1 year will be over. But I am going to take it slow and just enjoy this awesome Christmas break. Time for Christmas movies!

-MD in 14 

Say Hi to the Cadaver: First Day in Anatomy Lab

Today was our first day as medical students for real! We got to see and meet our cadavers. It was intense. As I type this, my hands smell like crap. I already thought the lunch meat I opened smelled just like the chemicals in the lab. It kind of ruined my lunch. My hands smell and I didn’t really even do anything. There are 4 people per cadaver. Today, two people dissected and they will teach me and my partner on Friday what they learned today. 

 My cadaver is a old woman who had breast cancer. One of her breasts is completely destroyed. As we unzipped the bag with the cadaver in it for the first time, the cadaver wreaked and the cadaver had ropes tied around the neck and arms and a black bag over the head. It was really disturbing. What I didn’t like is that the cadaver had pink nail polish on her finger nails. It gave it a more than needed lifelike appearance. Also, the hands and feet are very realistic. The skin is really wrinkly and the face looks pretty real.

-MD in 14 

First Test of Medical School

Yesterday was our first test. It was for the block class called "Cell Molecular Biology". It was tons of information, but yet I felt comfortable taking the exam. I finished quick, it was scheduled for three hours and I got done in one hour. Also, I studied everyday for the last two weeks very hard. I actually got bored of studying over the weekend before the test. But I do think I did fairly well, and I will know for sure on Friday! Other than that, not to much is new.

I went on a walk today to the Sears tower, now known as Willis tower, and around that area. Everyone around there acts like they have somewhere to be right now. It's a rat race, and to where, I don't know, it was kind of funny watching everyone run around. Some were really running. Downtown is really neat, I like walking around there at night time, its so cool looking. I hosted a student interviewing at Rush last week and we were walking around and saw a man in a wheelchair peeing into the middle of the sidewalk, right into out path. It was unreal. So, tomoroow starts our new class, Immunology and Hematology, it's 3 weeks long, and then another exam. This weekend I am going to Iowa City for the Wisconsin game and I cannot wait to see friends in IA City, it has been to long since a good hawkeye style weekend.

-MD in 14 

20 days into this Med School Thing

So, its been 20 days since day one. Today was another perfect fall day. It was clear skies and perfect temps. Why do I emphasize that? Because today was the first time I went on a bike ride in Chicago!! It was awesome. We got out of class at 11am so I decided to give myself free time until 1pm. Getting to the lake shore bike path is dangerous, you have to ride in the hectic street, and taxis are jerks and will try to run you over. Only taxis. Once I was there it was awesome. I went north from where I am at, and passed Navy Pier and went up to the North Beaches. Its soooo cool. Pedaling to jams on my mp3 playa and taking in the skyline, people watching, and having the sun shining makes it the perfect relaxing thing to do. It was great! I hope there's more weekends for that!
Besides that, what do I think about Medical school? HARD AS HELL. everything I learned in undergrad in one semester of biochemistry, I have taken in in two weeks. Its insane. My word of advice to everyone in college: Remember EVERYTHING you learn. Wow! It all comes back, and its just the review part. Its basically expected of you to recall everything they point out in the lecture notes. The coolest part about Rush is that I have gotten to shadow a doctor in internal medicine. I watched for 5 hours as she took history and diagnosed issues. I really liked it alot, I could see myself in internal medicine.
Chicago is crazy at night. I was asked to buy cocaine and weed in less than a block and a half last Friday when all the first years went to a night club. My friend Joe, and his brother were stunned as well. Then, you meet the craziest people ever on the subway "EL". We met a 45 year old creeper who claimed to have been kicked off a bus for dancing in a bad way. I asked him to demonstrate the dance move, and I saidf maybe they had a reason to kick him off, and he did! Joe, john, and I clapped a beat as he danced. Then he busted out a liter of whiskey and started jugging it! Insane people here.

So at this point, school is going well, its hard, and harder than expected, yet I don't feel terrible. It's interesting too, so that helps! Time to study for a quiz tomorrow!

First Day of Medical School

Today was officially my first day of Medical school. It was long as heck. I am not used to this! It was from 8 am to 530pm, with an hour for lunch. It was mostly lecture in a single room, with small small group activity in other rooms.

The best part of the day was we got to start to learn how to take someone's BP and listen to their heart, and then give a few different type of eye exams! Then, I walked along Lake Shore Drive after class. It is awesome. It was a perfect fall night, and the nightline and Lake Michigan are awesome at night. This town is awesome!!! So excited!!

-MD in 14 

Deep Dish In CHI- TWN

I made it! My parents and I loaded a truck and moved into Chicago on Saturday. The apartment is huge. My parents helped a ton. They went out and bought me the nicest couch ever, you sink like 5 feet into it, end tables, a coffee table, really nice kitchen stuff, and just random stuff. Awesome. Only bad thing was the kitchen cabinet doors had mold on them. They cleaned those yesterday. I officially am moved into Chicago! I went jogging last night for the first time in down town Chi town. Awesome. So many people out and doing the same thing. So much to see and take in. I like it. Downtown is going to be great for study breaks.

I had my first Chicago deep dish pizza from Lou Malnati's on Sunday with a buddy who is going to Moody bible school here (so strict there: no t-shirts to class of any kind, no televisions in the dorms, censored internet, dancing off campus was just allowed last year, no girls in guys dorm room, only allowed to skip class certain amount of times in a semester, its soooo crazy strict). So the deep dish was really good. It looks tiny when they bring it out, and I was like "This aint going to be enough". I was full after one and a half slices. It was like spinach and stuff, the house special. It was the bomb. Today I was on the "EL" train and some dude asked me for the time so I gave it to him. After, he began to rant how he was going to visit his grandkids, and then he took a huge swig out of a bottle in a blakc bag and hopped off at the next stop, meanwhile yelling goodbye to the entire train car. Welcome to CHI TWN. Anyways, orientation starts tomorrow. Going to be doctors! Going to clean stuff tonight and organize.

-MD in 14 

New York Strip with Pastor

Last Tuesday, August 17, I got to have steak with my pastor. He treated me because he made a deal on Christmas Eve in 2009 that he would buy me a steak dinner if I did not get accepted into Iowa Medical School. Sure enough, I did not, but got accepted into Rush Medical College, and therefore he promised to still buy me the steak! He took me and we both had a New York strip at an awesome local steak house called Mamies. While there, over our conversation he told me that I will get discouraged in medical school. His daughter went to a medical school in Chicago, and went through what I will be going through. The most memorable thing pastor told me was that how he daughter told him that when she was in medical school, other classmates would get so worked up before exams that they would puke right before the exam due to the high stress level of studying.

 He said I am was selected because they know I can do it, and therefore not to worry, but to study one day at a time and to focus and look at the larger picture. He is a very encouraging person. It means a great deal to me that my pastor of my church would take the time to buy me dinner and provide me with such awesome encouragement. I love the people I have around me. I will be depending on them as this awesome, yet difficult, yet a fullfilling journey to becoming a doctor! I can't believe I get to do this! I am so blessed. I thank God every day that he has provided me with the ability, the family support, and great people that surround me, from friends to family to entail on this adventure into the Windy City! Chicago here I come! You better be ready! In 6 days there will be a Russian at Rush ready to rock the city and the school!

-MD in 14 

Jokes about Grades in Medical School I saw

P=MD

and

What do you call the guy who makes A's in medical school?
Future Teacher
What do you call the guy who makes B's?
The best doctor
What do you call the guy who makes straight C's?
The one who makes the most money

-MD in 14 

Summer Reading at Work!

Its neat to be able to read at my job. My grandpa gave me a book about health care, and there was a chapter in it about the current and the future education of medical students! Its called "The Innovator's Prescription: A Disruptive Solution for Health Care".

"There are 129 U.S. medical schools with an average of 2 to 3 applicants for each of the 15,000 to 16,000 available seats. Counting college, tomorrow's doctors will have spent 10 to 18 of the most productive years of their lives just training for their careers."

1) In 1910, there was extensive research done by Abraham Flexner, and the conclusion was that there were too many doctors being trained in American medical schools, and that a more expensive medical education was to be needed if people were to "reap the full benefit of recent progress in medicine". Because of this man, the medical school curriculum was restructured, and made uniform over all schools, that is, two years of science training followed by two years of clinical training.

2) 2/3 of schools today are not efficient in the training of the first 2 years of medical school. The reason is because much of what is learned does not pertain to the clinical knowledge in the last 2 years. Another major issue is that doctors are trained to work independently of each other by and large, and little training in areas of how to create, administer, or improve the way people work together in the health-care system.

3) Science and clinical should be conducted in parallel. Students would be less prone to forget what they learned. Another issue is that there are not enough primary care doctors, and so the gap is being filled in by foreign medical schools, schools of osteopathic medicine, and nursing schools.

Our medical system is in the process of reform, and its interesting to see how this will affect me as I start medical school this September!

-MD in 14

Reason for the Blog

Today is June 9, 2010. I am sitting at work, a scholar center in Corallville. Its a lingusitc conference and I have time to read and surf the internet during the speakers presentations. I've been trying to read an article about the impact of the "Obamacare" bill, but I got distracted by medical school on my mind. I got onto StudentDoctorforums.net, and I've been searching for medical resources, Iphone medical apps, and reading forums about stress and time management in medical school.

A link to me to this blog website by accident, and I decided this would be a great way to journal my experiences in medical school. What's really neat, is that two months ago to this exact date, April 9, I was accepted into Rush Medical school in Chicago.

My plans with this blog is to chronicle my time at Rush, so family and friends can see what I am going through and experiencing. I think it will be a great way to relieve stress by doing this, and fun too! It'll be a good way to see whether what other people on the internet forums have said about Medical school is true. Heck, maybe I'll land a book deal out of this, and then I won't have to practice medicine! Its going to be alot of fun blogging about becoming a doctor, or "Dr. Dawg"!

-MD in 14