3 posts tagged “anatomy”

So, I got my test results from my first medical school exam...

I PASSED!  I rocked out on the Radiology/Cross-Section section, did fairly well on the Practical, and sucked, but hit the average, on the Written exam.  I scored a *single percent* below a friend and classmate who studies for at least 9 hours a day.  I'm not sure what my other friends did, but I hope we all get the "P" for now.

I have never been so happy to see such a low number.  But I have plenty of "cushion" for the next two exams, and can be confident I'll not be spending my VERY LAST EVER free summer at Creighton SOM in Omaha.  Anyone who has spoken to me in the last 6 days knows that waiting for the grade has made me crazy, anxious, and probably a little depressed--I was about 50/50 expecting to fail this exam and be invited to the Cooper's Kids Tutoring Group.  That's the group of the lowest 20-25 exam grades who get targeted tutoring to try and get their next exam scores up....something that would be helpful, I'm sure, but also a huge blow to one's ego.  However, I'm sure the person who scored the 38% on this exam will welcome the extra help, as he/she will require a 75% on the last two exams to pass.

Our next exam day is two weeks from today--and right about now I'll be getting fairly intoxicated and gearing up for the Grey's Anatomy season premiere.  Hopefully I can improve my score, but it's not a requirement.  I think I'm just ready for anatomy to be over with--5 weeks and a day left to go!

We had a short morning of classes today:  8:00 to 10:45.  I came home for lunch and then headed out for errands at around 11:30--namely, paying my rent and going to Schunck's.

After lunch hour traffic, lots of utility work and resurfacing on South Grand, and very, very brave jaywalkers, I make it home at about 12:45.  Yes, it took me more an hour to travel all of 3 miles roundtrip.  Anyway, now to the fun part of this entry.... what I bought, and how it fits into my plans for the rest of the week.

• Gatorade X-Factor... to maintain hydration during my 5+ hour anatomy exam on Friday

• Peanut Butter & Honey cracker packs.... to maintain my blood glucose levels during my 5+ hour anatomy exam on Friday, along with whatever I bring for lunch
  

• Luigi's Real Italian Ice.... for evening study breaks--I LOVE LUIGI'S

• California Pizza Kitchen BBQ Chicken Pizza...because I don't want to cook until after the test.

• A few routine items

and finally.....

1.5 Liters of Beringer White Zinfandel, on super sale for 10 bucks.  That's right.... one gigantic bottle of wine, guaranteed to get me smashed, for only 10 bucks.  THAT is my plan for Friday night, starting at about 6 PM.  And there's nothing to do until Monday morning's lecture!  JOY!

Also:  this is my mental note to stop hurting my fingers, particularly those on my right hand.  I am going to need them a lot this week--and they're likely to rebel if I don't treat them better.

So tomorrow concludes my second week of medical school.  I'll be 20% finished with Human Anatomy (and what a 20% it's been!!), and ready for my second weekend--which will consist of studying after classes tomorrow afternoon, a practice practical and 2+ hour review session Saturday morning, studying/flash card making/drawing/memorizing Saturday afternoon until Greg gets back from Lexington, and going to watch my Embryology professor play in his 80s Hair-Metal cover band, Metal Studz, at a bar in Kirkwood.  I think we were going to try to squeeze in a viewing of "Superbad" on Saturday as well.  Sleeping in Sunday morning, and as soon as Greg leaves, I'll be back to the grind...and in the armpit, no less.  It feels like we've been in school for at least two months, considering the volume of information we've been given and the amount of time I'm spending at school.  At the same time, however, the days are fleeting, and I never seem to have enough time to finish everything I'd planned to do at the beginning of a particular day, or even each week.

I completed my second dissection for anatomy lab today...bringing my total dissection time to just about 10 hours.  yes, that is an average of 5 hours per dissection.  No, I did not cut and entire body into cubic centimeters; I have opened the thoracic cavity/pleural cavities/pericardial cavities and explored the posterior triangle of the neck.  Somehow, being at the end of the alphabet always finds a way to fuck me in the ass.  At least I have a fantastic lab partner who shares a lot of my personality traits and is always willing to make fun of the not-quite-so-able people in our bay.  Ben is a good guy--he'll make a great doctor.

Speaking of my classmates making ____ doctors... everyone in my class seems to want to be an Orthopaedic Surgeon.  I don't get it.  Bones are great for, you know, allowing us to sit upright and move and all that... but if you've never heard one of them being crunched, sawed through, broken, or otherwise unnaturally manipulated (particularly by landscaping tools), I suggest witnessing that before you make such a declaration.  I think it's a lot like being a pre-med was in undergrad; everyone wants to do it until they understand what is required of them to actually succeed.  I am, for the time being, sticking with my initial instinct to go into Anesthesia, with General Internal Medicine a close second.  I know I want to work in a hospital, and those are the two most compatible specialties with my **unique** personality. :)  I understand there is a LONG while before I have to make this decision, but it's something that comes up a lot in conversation.  Something I've decided as a result of anatomy lab:  I really have no desire to be a surgeon.  After 4 hours, everything just starts looking the same.  Watching surgery is great; I'm fascinated at what some people are able to do to another human being without killing him/her.  Performing it is just not for me.  I'll be the one who makes sure the patient is still alive when the procedure is over with.

On another note:  I've never studied this much for as long a series of days in my entire life.  Even the MCAT wasn't this strenuous on me (hence my "average-for-an-accepted-applicant" score, I suppose).  I'm learning to switch my old habits off and find ways to cram as much into my head as quickly as possible, because new material is coming atcha the next morning at 8 AM.  Yes, 8 AM.  I'm leaving my apartment at 7:35 in the morning...which is disgusting.  But I'm adjusting okay.  I've started drinking coffee again, which my gastrointestinal tract had a bit of an issue with, but it's an absolute necessity.

Overall, I'd say that the advice I got from M2s during orientation was pretty accurate.  I really *do* feel like I'm trying to drink out of a fire hydrant or fire truck hose...sometimes even Niagara Falls.  I understand that everyone is different in terms of learning style and preferred study circumstances, but the big things are all turning out the way they said.  They all seemed so much older than we did two weeks ago; but they did this exact same thing exactly a year ago.  They've survived, so I have to have faith that I will, too.  If I lose that faith, I will fail.  *AND* I'll smell like cadaver.