Future Summer Project Idea (When I'm a Doc)

So, midterm week was last week, it was hard but I am happy! I got 80% on all three tests, pharmacy, pathology, and physcianship. I am STOKED!! The average was like 84% for each thoe! Crazy huh?!! Med students are CRAZY SMART!! Anyways, we have a preceptor program we do every other week. 

We follow a doctor and slowly learn the HPI (history of present illness) and physical exam skills. I really like it alot! Well, I want to expand on this preceptor program. When I get my own job and start practice, here is my idea:

 Its called summer immersement with an MD. It's only for 1st year medical students after they are done and they have that summer in between M1 and M2 year. I have say 10 students for the summer, they come in 1-3 times a week. 

They become PART of the team. I would schedule less patients on the days students are to come in and then that way they can be taught and I can quiz and teach them about the essentials to the important things. 

Anyways, I wanted to write it down before I forgot about it!! Back to studying!

Grinding / Chugging

It's 1:00am on saturday the first weekend of med school. We just started on tuesday. I am already studying hard on weekends. it is INSANE amount of material SO quickly. Its a freight train that just hit us. It's really cool info so far though. It's how the body fights infection and disease and pharmacology, that is how drugs work.

I like it and hate it at same time. the time is a bear, but hey thats what we signed up for. this med school gig is a sacrifice that's for sure. Biggest sacrifice ever. Its going to be worth it though!!!

-MD in 14

One Week from Starting 2nd year of Medical School

Today is August 31st, just 6 days away from starting my second year of medical school. Today, the new first year medical students started their orientation. My new roommate is a first year medical student. Ill never forget the feelings of anxiousness, fear, and unknown last year at this time. Ive used my expereince as a first year to play a joke on a first year girl that I met, and I told her that we had to read 300-400 pages of notes every 3 days! She almost fainted! It was awesome! Anyways, year 2 is just on the horizon. I don't feel nearly as anxious, now knowing how hard I have to study, and the effort I need to put in to this. Along with regular class though, I have to devote time every week, hopefully everyday, to a test that we take at the end of next year called "Step 1".

 It tests basically everything from first and second year. It's BRUTAL and the test will heavily influence what type of residencies I can get. I HAVE to KILL this test! So I am starting early, and I have already been listening to lectures and reviewing for exam, even though most people say its too early, or that I'll forget the material. So, it's been a great summer! Highlights included going to see Jennie in Wisconsin at her family's cabin, going on a road trip with my Moto dawgs to see Millville motocross race in Minnesota, family coming to see me on the 4th of july weekend, family vacation in Wisconsin and chilling in Chicago, and going out a few times downtown was a blast too (my buddy crashed a bachelorette party last weekend, and it was crazy).

 Research at the orthopaedic department has been really good too. I've scheduled and seen many patients for their rotator cuff repairs 2 years after the surgery and seen how they are doing. It was really laid back, I made my own hours, and got to see how the department works. It was definitely worth doing. Wow, as I look back at summer, it FLEW like usual. So now, it's on to fall, I can't wait. Iowa hawkeye football is here! That's going to be AWESOME. I'm going to go back for a couple of games! This weekend I am going to watch it at a bar with a friend from Iowa!! So now, its just relaxing, I am going to start a lecture on statistics (my worst subject ever) for the step 1 exam! One week till blast off!

-MD in 14

Finally!

Today I finally found a church that I think I am going to go to for a long time! Kevin's buddy Adam, who is from Florida, is also in Chicago doing a business internship. He found a church and we talked about it back on Kevin's birthday weekend! So, he sent me a facebook message about it last night and asked if I wanted to go. I said yes right away! I wasnt sure what to expect. Turns out its only good! I am so FREAKING PUMPED. This church is SOOOO AWESOME.

 I've been driving to a church out in Evanston, which is like a 30 minute drive if traffic is not bad. Then, its like a 40 minute drive back. This church is right downtown!! I hop on the "El" right by my house and go for a ten minute ride and get off at Jackson, which is right downtown. Then, I walk 3 blocks and I am there!! SO AWESOME. The pastor shook everyone's hand that came in the door. Then, the pastor has tatoos and an earing. I like this church already when I noticed that. So exciting. It's in a auditorium downtown called "Auditorium Theatre", its a big theatre the church rents out every Sunday. It's a satellite church of WILLOW CREEK, the mega church out in the suburbs. So, this church has amazing worhsip and a great message. I liked it ALOT. Can't wait to go back. I haven't said that about church all year! Also, met some really cool friends of Adam's, these girls. They seemed really nice too!! The official name of this church is called "Willow Creek Chicago".

-MD in 14 

My Ortho Research

So, I meant to write this last week, but I'm finally writing it now before heading off to a friend's to chill for the 4th of July! So, last I got to watch the Doctor I'm doing research for do Ortho surgery. One word to describe it: INTENSE. He is a go getter. He doesn't do small talk or make jokes. Its all go. So, I watched him do arthroscopic repairs of an ACL and he was done in 20 minutes. Simply incredible. I was scared to ask him anything, as were the other students with me. We were all SCARED. So, my research is going good. I m getting a collection of patients togehter to start calling them and convince them to come in and get checked out and get a shoulder exam, so we can see before and after results of their operations. Really cool job! Summer has been GREAT!!

4th of July

So my family came up yesterday for the 4th!!! We went to Navy Pier and rode the Ferris wheel, and relaxed. Then, we went to Ed Debegers 50-style restaurant and then walkd along Michigan Ave. Today we did the skydeck of the Sears tower! Then, we went to the beach for a little bit and my brothers hopped into the freezing water! On Friday and Saturday I celebrated Kevin's 21st birthday with all his buddies! It was a blast. We went out both nights and had a GREAT time!! It's been a heck of a 4th of July weekend. A BLAST!!!!!

M1 year is over!

Last Friday, June 17th, was officially the last day of our first year of medical school! It cost me $68, 654.41 for this first year! OWCH. I my last block with a 70.77%! We needed a 70% to pass!! I can't believe its been a year since I started this blog sitting at work in the Corallville office last summer during a conference. I know more about the workings of the human body than I could have ever imagined! It was definitely a really challenging year.

Hardest I would say during the spring semester. It felt way harder. I feel like I've forgotten alot of what I've learned, which scares me! We have to take a huge exam at the beginning of next summer, with alot of what we learned this year on that exam. So, today is officially the first Monday of my summer! I'm starting my orthopedic research on Wednesday.

 It should be really fun. This summer should be EPIC! Ill be hanging out with Kevin alot, and also alot of my medical classmates that are sticking around and doing the same thing as me!! Today I went to music in Millenium Park. There were TONS of people, the whole park was filled up. I couldnt beleive it. It was cool. I went with some classmates. So hears to a great summer, and the end of my first of 4. Half of the M is complete in MD, very exciting

-MD in 14

Memorial Day

Memorial Day I went to the beach in Chicago with my buddy Kevin, who is here this summer for an internship. He and his roommates and I went to the beach! It was incredible. Packed. Beautiful women everywhere. Perfect high 80s weather. We just chilled. It was a perfect Memorial Day. Now, tests next week and almost done being an M1. It's the CNS block. Brains and neurons. Its the hardest ever. Time to get back to the books. Almost summer. So nice out lately!


-MD in 14 

Penis Alert

Today people cut into penises. My professor had the tip of a penis on a probe that a girl brought over to him in her hand. It looked like he was going to roast a marshmallow. It was awkward and funny! We are looking at how the penis and vagina work. It can be interesting. Like when i girl comes up to you in lab and announces to a few of us "Come look at my huge testicles!"

Or the classmate that has a female cadaver and told me "I need to go look at a penis!" Hilarious. I don't know what to think about all these penises cut open. It hurts to look at! This block is flying already. Exam is soon. Its a tough block. The kidneys are very difficult.

-MD in 14 

Ortho with the Chicago Bulls

Ok, this is COOOOOL!!! I was looking into my apartment lease about 3 weeks ago. It said it ends on June 17th, the last day of classes. Well, that means I have to do something this summer since I need to pay rent. I was really bummed to see that because I just wanted to sit around all summer and workout, play guitar, pool, go downtown, read Russian and hang out. Ha, now I saw that rent needed to be paid and I got my butt in gear. I saw an email from the school about Ortho research with the head doctor for the bulls. I said why not? I didnt feel qualified since I wasn't the typical ortho freak if you considered yourself a candidate for Ortho research. I applied anyways.

Two quick essays detailing why I was interested and the coolest class I took in college, and an interview later I was chosen. I couldnt believe it. Now, tomorrow the deadline is due for the application for the Deans grant for research. It's a 4,000 dollar stipend for the research work that all medical students who want to do research have to apply for. There is a Really good chance of getting it through the Ortho department at Rush. I've spent 20 hours plus on it already. The project is cool. It's looking at rotator cuff repair and what methods have the best outcomes. Now just this week, the new block started. Spring break was last week. I didn't do anything.

Not anything like last year when I went to Sarasota, FLA with a bunch of college buddies. This time it was catch up on class and working on the research grant. It was good thoe, I went home last Thursday for first time since Christmas. It was good to see family and a couple of friends!! So, back to the new block, its the PEE block! That is, how PEE is made and how the kidneys work and reproduction stuff! FUN.\

-MD in 14 

6 months

So, I figured out today was the exact to date 6 month of being in medical school. Wow. How it has really flown. Right now we are heavy in biochemsitry, learning about digestion of protien, sugar, fats in the gastrointestinal tract. It's extremely difficult. It's definetly the hardest thing I have ever done. Thank God for pool, working out, eating, and guitar, and movies to stay sane.

-MD in 14 

Naked Doctor!

I went to the gym today to swim for the first time in 4 months and so I got tired really quick and hopped into the sauna to get the cramps out of my legs. I met a couple of characters in the sauna. One, a new yorker began to rant about vitamin E. The other, an 85 year old doctor, w gave wouldnt stop about the importance about using alternative medicine along with Western medicine. I found out he was a doctor after I told him I was a frist year at Rush.

He left to go to the locker room, but apparently had something else to tell me. As I was listening to the New Yorker rant about his life, we heard the door to the sauna open and we looked up to see the 85 year old doctor standing there COMPLETELY NAKED with his JUNK just flopping all over! We began to chuckle and the New Yorker told the doctor by name to go back and change. The doctor, not realizing he was naked jsut looked like nothing had happened. He was unphased.

All the people in the pool were staring. It was awesome! He had like 40 feet to walk back to the locker room and he walked extremely slowly, so all the people in the pool got a nice butt shot. We were just laughing! He just wanted to make sure I become a good doctor.

-MD in 14 

The Pool Room/ Party Place

So, I've been telling Steve for about 3 weeks now that getting a pool table would be really cool. He agreed. I told him I would seriously consider buying one around spring break so I had time to drive out and look at them and all. However, two night ago, on Wedesday I was pulling almost an all nighter for studying at the school, I stayed there till 3am, (went to the ER that night too). I was taking a study break around 8pm and so I got in Craigslist to see some pool tables. 3 links down on the very first page i saw an ad reading "$POOL TABLE FOR SALE FREE INSTALL AND DELIVERY - $400 ".

 The picture in the add is to the left. I saw that they were going to install it and get a table for 400 dollars I was sold. That was it. I dialed the number, got in contact with the guy. He askd me if I wanted to look at it I said no I didnt want to drive 45 minutes and that I trusted him. It may have been impulsive, it may have been foolish to go soley off the picture shown. I didnt care, I felt like it was a steal, it usually costs 200 dollars just to get the table installed. So, the guy said "Good, I'll be there tomorow at 3:30pm to install." So that was it. It's a grand 8 foot, which is really nice size pool table sitting in our living room as of now. Ive already played my roommate a couple of times and had a couple of buddies over to play! It's going to be a hit! It's so fun for a study break and so nice instead of going downtown! and it's looks sweet in the apartment. So impulse sometimes pays off! Or gut intinct! Which instinct is a good trait to have as a doctor.

-MD in 14 

Patients that have Impacted me in 1st Year of Medical School

Last Wed, February 16th, I went to what is called Preceptor, which is part of the program. It's a 4 hour long doctor shadowing. Every once in a while I get to talk to a patient on my own or get to listen to irregular heart sounds or abnormal lungs sounds. For some reason I had to journal about last week. I wanted to do it last week but have kept putting it off. So, I am writing about it before I go to bed. Anyways, last week my doctor was seeing a patient that had an effect on me. She was a mid fifites Hispanic woman named Eee (can't use her real name). She had multiple sclerorsis, otherwise known as MS, and it is a disease that eats away at the covering of your neurons, and gets progressively worse until you essentially become paralyzed. Ee's attidude about her disease was what had an impact on me. It's people like her that want me to be in medicine. She kept talking about how even though she has MS she is going to take every possibility to work with physical therapists to try to make its effects less.

 She kept saying how she wanted to see her sons get through high school and see them graduate even though she has MS she wants to go see them graduate and not be wheelchair bound. She knows her fate is not good, eventually she will be bound to a wheelchair, but she had will to fight it. She was in so much pain I had to help her get up from her chair to the examination table, and she winced while walking. She uses a walker to help her now. She is going to rehab to slow the progression of her disease. I have never met anyone with MS and seen its direct effects like I did that day in the clinic. It was moving. I've never seen so much courage from a patient in spite of tremendous odds against her. It's neat to see how people can have such a positive attitude.

-MD in 14 

Called Out in Lecture Hall: Professor teases me about my iPad

Today, my medical school professor, Dr. Williams apparrently gave a shout out to me about our iPad feud today in lecture! I skipped class on purpose, which started at 8am, because it was cadaver day and it wasn't my groups turn, so i slept in! When I woke up at 930am, I had over 10 texts, and freaked out, and here are some of the texts:

"Dr. Williams sent out msg to U in lecture to tell U he beat U out...He got his engraved...Dude ur name is mentioned on Camtasia...now that's cool!!" -Lai

"Dr Williams called u out about not being in class"- Aaron

"Hey bro. Dr williams was given u some shout outs in class today. You should check out the camtasia." -Ryan

Dr Williams just called you out because he was showing off his 64bit engraved iPad. He says you're busted for not being in lecture, lol.

"Williams just called u out for missing class. He got an Ipad and said "who's your daddy now"-Debbie

"dude, williams is talking about you in class :)...bad day to skip ;)" -Shaheena

"Yo Williams just called u out in class man rofl he's got ur iPad"- Freddie

"Dude, where are ya? dr williams totally just called you out in class - i think you two are supposed to have a nerdy tech smackdown."-Cory

It was hilarious. It began last friday during the Cardiovascular block exam in the anatomy lab during the practical. I was at a rest station, where you don't have to label anyhting, its just a blank station. So, while I was sitting there waiting, Dr. Williams came out of no where and exclaimed to me: "Max, I just became the coolest person today at 9am. I got an really neat shipment. Brand new. 64 gigabyte. My very own iPad. I am officially the coolest person."

 Which I responded to him : "Whoa, hold it now, I think I still am, mine is cooler!" At the next rest station he came running up to me waving the iPad in hand, "I want you to look at that" he said pointing to the slick silver back of the iPad where i glanced to see "James Williams, PhD" engraved nicely on the back. I replied "Ok, now you are getting closer to being cooler than me!". So, today in lecture he continued the feud and called me out apparently in front of the entire class! I was cracking up.

-MD in 14 

Anatomy Lab Horror Story: I will never look at a saw the same

We cut a human head in half yesterday in anatomy lab with a regular hand saw that you can get at a hardware store. It was DISGUSTING. I never thought I would have to do that. you could smell the bone and hear all the crunching. I wanted to puke.

 Everyone I know thought the same thing. And then to top it off, watching the professors tear through the face like it was nothing was extremely unpleasant. It was the nastiest day of anatomy lab so far. Anyways, a huge test next friday for CV block.

 Superbowl tomorrow. My roomate, Steve, and I got a pull up tower and he is challenging me to do more pullups. We are getting really competitive. We'll see who comes out on top! He can do 20 already, and I'm only at 10

-MD in 14 

In Deep (that's what she said!)

School is tough right now. We are covering about 150 pages of in depth anatomy and physiology material every week. It's extremely challenging to stay on track. Today is Monday and we are just starting week 3 of the 6 week block called "Cardiovascular Pulmonary Block". It is really interesting, we are learning about the heart and lung system in depth for 6 weeks. I have been playing catch up with the material since last week. Almost caught up, and then more gets piled on!!

This past weekend was Martin Luther King weekend and the student group I am with at Rush called OCP held a medical fair, where we provided free medical screening for people in the Latino community. It was great! I took blood pressure for about 20 people.

The best part was the little kids that wanted to be doctors, we inspired them to want to get into medicine and it was neat having them listen to their hearts!
So as I am starting week 3, I truly am in DEEP. It hurts, but at the same time it is awesome. Medical school is a way of life. STUDY. EAT. WORK OUT. STUDY WHILE WORKING OUT. COFFEE BREAK. IPAD GAME BREAK. STUDY. GAME BREAK.

-MD in 14