Sorry...

Hey all,
Wow...I hadn't realized it's been a month since I last wrote on here....so sorry!!! It's been fun and crazy. I can't believe I have one week of class and then finals (I will then be finished with my first semester of med school). Way weird! It seems like nothing has changed and yet everything has changed. I feel older, way older. It's amazing how quickly this thing called school saps it out of ya:-) I am successfully putting off studying right now, haha. I'm super excited about being able to come home in a couple of weeks. The finals week wraps up on the 14th and then it's Holiday Ball! Wohooo...watch out, it'll be fun (I'll be sure to post the pics). Then I'll wrap stuff up down here and it's back home again, home again...ahh, sweet home. I miss it so much. I miss all of you. It's been too long. I want to hang out with everyone. Well, I suppose I should get to bed, but I just wanted to let you all know I'm alive. Hugs and kisses!

So my jaw almost hit the ground today. I was standing there in anatomy lab getting ready to take the review quiz with my fellow comrades and in walks one of our professors with a couple of guests. Imagine my surprise when one of these individuals was introduced as none other than Dr. Chung, world-renown author and professor of anatomy! DR. CHUNG was standing in our anatomy lab!!! Okay, sorry, I know you are probably all going, "Dr. Who?" Let me just tell you, this guy is probably one of the better writers of board review books for anatomy. Okay, I'll stop now, but I just have to say, I WAS FLOORED! :-)
Other than our very cool visitor to anatomy lab, I have to say that life in general stinks at this point. We are on the downward slope of the semester, but it's still a real challenge. I'm trying to stay positive, but it's difficult when I feel that I have few friends. Some girls are all quite "catty" and I'm really tired of it. Not to say that there aren't very nice people here...there are but I daily realize that med school is not designed to bring out the best in people (although, I am proud to know some individuals who I have to say are shining quite brightly through it all!).
I have also come to the realization that after the second round of tests, certain academic standards are unachievable. It's disappointing but I realize where I have failed and what I need to improve next semester (ahhh, but the question is can I act upon that knowledge?).
So, all is not gloom and despair. I am quite looking forward to Holiday Ball and then Christmas break. Abril, our lovely friend from Mexico, is coming up to stay with us for Christmas, so I am quite excited to show here our little area of the world.
Well kids, I have spent the last 3 hours on one packet (yes, very unproductive tonight, I know) and I should probably get back to it!
Kisses!

What's new

Well kids, it's been a crazy couple of weeks since my last post (a thousand apologies for taking so long!). This may sound confusing, but so much has changed and yet so little has changed. I think the biggest thing that I feel has changed is that I finally feel I am settling in (took long enough). I still spend copious amount of time studying, but I'm learning to not sweat so much under pressure. I remember how at the beginning of the semester I would get freaked out when I heard people talking about stuff I didn't know and now, I walk by them and smile:-)
It's finally getting chilly down here (well, I actually have to wear a jacket now, let's just say that), but no frost (don't know if they actually get that here....hmmm). I am so looking forward to being done with this semester, although I know that it's probably the easiest yet most hard semesters of my career, simply for the life adjustment factor. I think I'll probably be coming home mid-December. I must also apologize for the fact that I didn't get a chance to see people when I came home last weekend. It was a crazy weekend. I don't like American Airlines at all and I was so pooped from the whole ordeal that after the wedding, I just crashed.
It's been exciting around here this week because it was the first week of interviews for the Class of 2012 so that was very cool. Man, I hope I didn't look that nervous when I interviewed, although I probably did:-)
That's about it for now. Later!

Things

Things annoying me right now:

1. People who don't say hi when you say hi
2. People who suddenly quit being nice to me (what on earth did I do? I sit racking my brain and come up with nothing!)
3. My loud muffler (dang brick wall that was too low to see, but at just the right level to smash my muffler)
4. Gloomy weather:-(
5. Tests that I know nothing about....

Things I'm grateful for:

1. God and His awesomeness
2. My wonderful family
3. My sister Rachel, Angie, and Keri for calling me and cheering me up last night (even though I didn't get to be there for Angie's bachlorette party, sniff sniff)
4. Good food (California pizza kitchen anyone?)
5. Going home in 12 days!!!!!!


Okay, back studying.........hmmmmmmmm

What a weird yet wonderful feeling

Sitting at Panera studying developmental anatomy of the heart for the next anatomy test, I am suddenly struck by this sudden thought that I'm actually in med school. Yes, silly I know. After all, I've been talking about my experiences for the past several months, but sometimes I just have to pinch myself and realized it's not a dream. It's such a weird thought. Okay, so I can't help but people watch while I'm here. A very diverse crowd comes and goes. From the little children begging their parents to carry their own tray of food to the young teenage girls discussing the latest new drama in their life (it's funny to think that life doesn't change much as far as what we experience- just different variations of the same general concepts I suppose) to the old couples looking so sweet together, I am surrounded by life! Where am I going with you might ask- oh, I don't really know, except to say that life, of all varieties, is wonderful! Even while I go through what everyone around me deems misery (I myself even feel that way at times), I still feel privileged to have this life, to experience it, to taste it, feel it and live it. I just got an email from a friend in Ethiopia that I met this summer. He was telling me about all that is going on there and I couldn't think about how blessed I was to be sitting at Panera eating a bagel, drinking coffee, and studying for my test:-)

So this is what we call biochem...

Okay, for all you undergrads out there, it ALL comes back to haunt you:

Biochemistry for MS1: combination of Freshman biology (and you thought Pope was hard), molecular (thank-you Dr. Grens for forewarning us that it would come back and haunt us!), cell (hmmmm....), organismal physiology, genetics, and BIOCHEM (with the lovely Dr. Gretchen Anderson and Nicholas Cage, hehe), oh yea, and a little O-chem thrown in for flava!

Anatomy: Anatomy, organismal physiology, devo (wish I would have taken it now!)

Histology: Anatomy (the histology in the lab helps a little, but nothing prepares you for the Meekster (or his equivalent at other medical institutions!).

Diagnostic imaging: nothing really helps with this except maybe physics (yuck!)

Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine: massaging my little sister, hehe, just kidding

Classes that may come in handy later: Microbiology, chemistry (gotta love acid-base!)

Ok kids, back to biochem! Just thought I'd leave you those words of wisdom.

Okay, three exam down and all were passed (THANK GOD!!!). Sitting here wasting time in the library when I should really be studying. Gretchen Anderson, how I love thee! You are saving my butt in biochem right now (and we haven't even got to Krebs yet!!!! wohoo).

So outside of school work, I must say that God is teaching some mighty strong lessons right now. In particular (and an all-time favorite for me to learn I suppose), I am learning (STILL!) to trust and rely on Him for everything. A situation arose earlier this week and I must say, it was very testing. I won't go into details here, but I'm so grateful to have a Savior who loves me unconditionally and who I know won't leave me like some that have. While my fleshly side still hates the rejection, I solace myself in knowing that He will never leave me or forsake. I wish and am trying to give Him the kind of devotion that He has given me.

At times I question why I left everything I've ever known for the calamity that is out-of-state med school and why I've exposed myself to all this ugliness. But I have to remind myself that I have been called to serve a purpose (although I know it not yet) and that the most I can do is try to glorify God while doing it.

Well kids, I am sorry for the tardiness in this latest post. I will try to be more diligent. I love you all at home. Kisses to all!

First anatomy test- one hour and counting. I don't think I've ever been as nervous for a test before (well, besides the MCAT:-)....). I sit here and am doing everything I can do to remain calm. One thing that I think is really cool- God is continuing to reveal Himself to me and remind me that I am not here for my own reasons, but for His and it's by His grace that I am going to survive this experience. I was really blessed yesterday and got to attend a pretty neat church. It was the first real worship experience I've had in a formal setting since I moved here (I can't begin to express how much I miss Zion Chapel). The worship was wonderful. I so enjoy feeling refreshed in God's presence. So, as I sit here waiting down that final hour, I try to focus on God and His wonder and remind myself that I am merely on this earth for a short while and that the best I can hope to accomplish is to be used by God to achieve His purpose for my life. So, my friends, I must go eat some food so I don't pass out in this exam:-) Love you all!

Exam 1 down, how many more to go?

Got my biochem exam back....didn't do too bad. God gets all the credit for that! The big Anatomy test is looming very close! Monday is a very short time away. I am in a much better disposition. Stuff finally seems to be sinking in...I don't know what I was experiencing earlier this week, but it was like brain block! Very frustrating, but now I'm trying to just take things step by step. So, this weekend, I plan on puting in copious amount of hours studying, so hopefully I should be able to pass the lecture exam. The way exams work here is that we have lecture and lab exams on the same day. The two are very much related, but it's still alot of material to cover. Apparently, the typical story is that most of the class relies on their lab grade to bring them up because half the class is going to fail the first exam. Hmmmm, interesting statistics. I hope to not be one of them, but that's kind of hard to say at this point, because I keep reminding myself that I am no longer in undergrad and all of my classmates are my colleagues, equals, and fellow-commiserators:-) Well, I'm off to study! Thanks everyone for all your prayers. I really think they make all the difference in the world!

BTW, I was certainly optimistic several posts ago saying grades don't matter....I still have to survive..............

Mush

My brain is mush! First exam tomorrow- Biochem! I don't want to study anymore. It's so overwhelming. Everyone one gave me all these analogies for how med school was going to be, and I was just like "Yeah, yea, I can handle it. It's probably not that bad." No, it is! I haven't even faced my first anatomy or histology final and I'm already freaking out! So ladies and gents, who wants to be a med student and why am I one? Some thoughts to ponder until I get into a better mood. Life's a rollercoaster and I'm hanging on for dear life!

Two weeks in and the water's up to my neck...

Well, I can say that I have survived two weeks of med school. Oddly enough, it feels like 2 months! I never imagined that I would retain the amount of information that I have already learned; and yet, I am still completely feeling overwhelmed. The brain is truly amazing. More on this craziness later.

Some facts of med school....once you're in that is

Okay, so while I was stressing out yesterday about some things, I couldn't help but think about some things that my wise friends have taught me (thanks Shannon and Justin!). Here are some things to remember when you are in med school:

Priority of importance for gaining that desirable residency spot (least to greatest):

3. Grades (surprise, surprise, but yes, grades don't matter as much as they did in undergrad. For Pete's sake, if you can make it to the end, and you're the last in your class, you'll still be a Dr!)

2. Board scores - whether it's USMLE or COMLEX, these will be the real test of what one's mental capacity is.

1. PERSONALITY and ability to GET ALONG with your peers and superiors - no one is going to give a residency to someone they don't think fits or is a pain in the gluteus maximus! To quote one of my most favorite movies, "So just play nice!"

Priority of importance for other things while in medical school:

1. GOD - all too often, it becomes way to easy to stop going to church, praying, or doing devotions in order to study more or whatever! He is such an important center for realizing what is important and what is not so much.

2. Family - keep up with them! Call them, text them, email them, whatever! I have found (yes, it's been only one week, so I'll have to keep you all posted on how this goes) that they are my encouragement outside of the heavenly help.

3. Friends - it's hard to keep up with everyone, but think about those relationships that you really cherish and try to keep in contact with them.

4. Mental Health - this ties into all three of the above things (how I love OMM! It not only helps with physical manipulations of the body, but also mental ones. We are multi-faceted beings and each part needs to be cared for.)

5. Physical health - to quote the Dean of Students at OSU COM, "Eat healthy, excercise, and get alot of sleep." Hard to always do this, but students who tend to have meltdowns are usually missing out on one part of this list.

Okay, back to studying anatomy. Those are my pearls. Cast them not before swine:-)

My report for the day: not enough sleep, not enough coffee, too much histology and too much anatomy.....................................

Histo and all that fun

So, technically, I'm supposed to be studying right now, although my mentor says that she hasn't heard of MS1's studying the day before classes start. I have already seen quite a few of my class, so I think this year is going to be very good. It's a scary thought to be facing the hardest semester of my life. All the time during undergrad was spent focusing on just getting in to med school. Hardly any of that time was spent thinking about what life would be like if I did get in. To tell you all the truth, it's pretty darn scary from this end. I have a stack of books probably 2 feet by now (and that's not even all of them!). For all of you pre-meds out there, a word of advice: DON'T buy what the professors want you to have in your school's bookstore. Get it online if possible. I think all of the books I am supposed to have amount to $1000 for the semester, but I have been blessed to have two mentors who have generously offered their old books to me. Also, I didn't know that many textbooks have e-book versions that you can find online too. So, some interesting tidbits. Well, it's back to histo...no more slackin:-) Love ya all. Peace out!

So I'm finally feeling like a med student, well, sorta

Sorry for the lack of frequent blogging. I've been busy since last Thursday getting "oriented". It's been really good. As I was telling my good friend Shannon (how I love thee, let me count the ways), I am feeling truly cared for and appreciated here. Unlike some med schools (ahem, no names mentioned), by the time it's all said and done, I will have had 7 full days of pre-class orientation. We started out last Thursday going to a local lodge to hang out, do group get-to-know-you's, and basically just relax. Friday, the school actually brought in an etiquette and protocol expert to teach us how to dress, how to eat properly (in both American and Continental style, my my), and a bunch of other little goodies that I'm sure will come in handy in the near future. During those first two days, we also spent extensive time reviewing Meyers-Brigg personality tests that we had taken and applying those to the life we will have in medicine. It was quite interesting in some areas. I guess I didn't really realize that I was that much of an introvert (yes, surprise, surprise). It also talked about stuff that I wasn't so surprised at- like that I liked order and would get annoyed when things weren't so and I couldn't control them. Monday we met with college administration, all of whom seem quite helpful. This place is definately one that truly wishes their students to succeed. They do not have a "weed-out" procedure of any kind. Yesterday, I went to OMM lab (Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine) where we learned a few techniques. I think I am really going to enjoy that lab. It seems more relaxing than anything else. I also learned my CPR again, so apparently, I'll be able to save your life if need be:-) Today, we've been going over the rules of Anatomy lab and Histology lab and then we get some other goodies such as HIPAA training and sexual harassment classes. Such fun!
For those of you reading this who are still a couple steps away from med school, it has been wonderful moving to a different town and state; however, Monday was probably the first truly stressful day I had (can we say, car, computer, and life problems, not to mention ruined birthday?). I guess it was just a precursor to some of the stress that will be to come. All in all, I am so happy to be here and I have to say that it feels like the right place. Well, I'm off to class. Love and hugs to all! Mwah!

Home...?

Well, after several hectic weeks of wrapping things up and packing, I finally left the only state I've ever lived in and headed down to Cowboy territory, or is it Sooner? I guess that would depend on who you are talking to:-) It was really sureal driving into Oklahoma. It finally hit me that I had reached that ineveitable stage of life--adulthood. It's a weird feeling to realize that you have to take care of yourself now and that you are pretty much alone. I was expecting to feel like more of an outsider- well, at least a non-Oklahoman. I was expecting to stick out like a sore thumb with my "Yankee" accent, but Tulsa just seems like a hotter version of Indiana. It's really nice. After I had settled in a bit at my apartment, I hung out with Uncle Nathan and Aunt Kayse. I love my apartment. It's a half-basement apartment and all tiled. I really appreciate that because I won't have to worry about cleaning carpets. Today, I mostly unpacked. It's truly amazing how much junk I've managed to accumulate. I makes me think of just how materialistic I tend to be at times and it was a good reminder that I don't really need any of it. Speaking of material things, Nate and Kayse bought a new house. It's pretty amazing and they got a good deal on it. I have a feeling that I will be doing some housesitting in the near future and they are getting the urge to get out town. It should be interesting. I look forward to keeping everyone posted. Well, until another day, adieu!

And so it begins...

Since I don't keep a diary and have decided that I would like to keep my friends and family posted on the on-goings of my new life, I decided blogging would be best.
I just got back from Tulsa, OK. I think I'm going to love it down there. There's so much to do. I found a darling little apartment that's literally down the street from a passle of nightlife, restaurants, and other little necessities of life. I'm a five minute walk to Uncle Nathan and Aunt Kayse's house (which is newly-painted yellow and looks quite stunning).
Now that I'm home, I realized that I have two weeks before I move and have more stuff to wrap up than I realized. Who knew how hectic a simple move could be:-)