Organic Chem Day 1

Tonight was my first class of orgo chem. It's still too early to tell, but it seems pretty good so far. I really like the professor. He's relaxed, funny, and clearly loves the subject he's teaching. Since today was the lab session, we had the intro, rules, etc. and were let out early.

Orgo chem is one of those classes you hear horror stories about. So, I had (still do, so far) a lot of preconceived ideas just how difficult this class might be. Happily, I've recently talked to two other women who, upon hearing this would be my upcoming class, could only wax poetic about how much they loved orgo chem! I started to wonder if, perhaps this class won't be as bad as I think. Sure, it'll be work, no doubt.

Another consolation is when a classmate from my other summer classes said to me today, "After AP I and II this summer, this class is THREE times as long! It'll be like slo-mo for us!" Very good point. We survived 2 semester-long classes smooshed into 5 weeks each. This class is 15 weeks. In addition, many people have told me that those who hated general chem, end up loving and doing well in orgo. Here's hoping that's me (wasn't crazy about gen chem)!

I just ordered my book from Amazon.com for cheaper than the school bookstore. Also, it's the looseleaf edition, which will allow me to carry along only the chapters I need. It should arrive by Monday—just in time to read the first 3 chapters assigned for Tuesday! :( UPDATE: Grrrr. Amazon doesn't actually ship for 1-2 weeks! Too late for me. Turns out the looseleaf arrived at the school bookstore over the weekend. How lucky! I wasn't sure how I'd get the book before class, otherwise.

Thriathlon

Tomorrow, the school/volunteer/work triathlon schedule begins. And yes, even in that order of priority! I'm excited about returning to a busy schedule, but not without a little trepidation how I will handle it. But there's really no way around it; I need to do all these things this semester. Just like when people asked me if I will be able to handle the "gory" parts of this PA path, I'm just going to wait and see as it comes. Hopefully I'll find time to drop a post here and there.

Hospital2 Restart!

I received confirmation of my schedule and assignment at Hospital2 the other day. I'm psyched! I was placed in not just one new specialized floor, but two! It was super accommodating of Volunteer Services to offer me the option of different floors for my two weekend mornings. I will be on Cardiology one day, and Mother/Baby on the other. I'm pretty happy to experience these two new areas! This weekend will be my training day for Cardiology. Will have to wait for the other one when someone can train me. Things are fitting in place neatly, so far!

iPhone Apps of the Week

Great apps, screened for you, by me:
Instapaper - I mentioned this one before, but decided it deserves it's own official listing since I find it so useful! This great app allows you to "bookmark" articles online and moves them to the app's own list for reading later. It has greatly cleared the clutter of newspapers/magazines that I would save for the one or two articles I hadn't read. It's pricey, but worth it (especially with my crazy schedule, I can read on the subway!) There is a FREE version if you want to try it out first.

iCam (WebCam Video Streaming) - Wow! I can't say enough about this app. I've been looking for an inexpensive way to monitor my apt. It's fun, but also just offers peace of mind. Some people use it to monitor their pets at home while at work. It works from your laptop camera, webcam, or other external camera. It even detects motions, sends push notifications to your iphone if movement is sensed (you can set the sensitivity of movement), and records pictures when movement is sensed. It's pretty amazing! If you're looking for a cheap way to monitor whatever is going on at home, this is a great, inexpensive solution!

Ride the City -  I love cycling (non-competitively) and this app is great for mapping out routes from point A to B. I've been a fan of ridethecity.com for a while and find it's pretty accurate. Costs ya a bit however, at $2.99

Spokes NYC - Very similar to Ride the City. There are pros and cons for both, but I prefer this map interface over Ride the City. And, this one is FREE! Now if I could somehow get either one to allow me to save frequent routes!

NYC BikeMap - Brought to you by the same Spokes NYC people, this is pretty handy. They need to update to the 2010 map, however. Again, FREE!

MyClasses - Yep, I'm a geek! I like to keep track of how I'm doing in a class and this app does the job. The UI leaves a bit to be desired as it takes a bit of patience to navigate and set up classes. But once you know what you're doing, it's not so hard. Keeps track of your GPA and your classes, even calculate weighted assignments/tests. Not bad for $1.99.

Starting at Hospital1

Tonight was my second week volunteering at Hospital1. I started last week and it was pretty mellow. I think volunteers are a little more restricted of what they can do here, vs. Hospital2. But I like seeing the different ways they work. Both hospitals seem to have their pros and cons, in my limited volunteer viewpoint. I noted that I have yet to meet a surly, mean, or attitude-filled doctor, nurse, nurse tech, or any employee at Hospital1. It's inspiring, and I can imagine it really raises the bar for every employee there.

Although the work is not taxing, it's far, taking 1 hour and 15 minutes to return home. I hope I can keep this up! Fortunately, it is only once a week. Nonetheless, with my schedule it leaves me only Wednesdays free after work. I officially paid for Psych 101 today, so my Friday evenings are now sacrificed. :( I will have Sat. and Sun. open (minus the mornings, when I'll be volunteering at Hospital2) to study. And of course, I plan to take days off here and there to lessen the load.

There will be one week per month when even Wednesday evenings will be filled to do my NYCares event. Whew... Hope I'm not going to regret this!

Summer Streets!

Favorite Bike Shop

Dumpster Diving

Ok, this isn't really health or school-related. But it *is* part of my stress-free regimen, and it does involve exercise, so I'm going to count it as bloggable. :)

Yesterday, I biked Summer Streets. The city closes down a section of streets from the Brooklyn Bridge to 72nd Street for cyclists, runners, rollerbladers, walkers, etc! I've done it every year they've had it and almost missed this year. The route from home to the Brooklyn Bridge is not car free for me, however. But I have done it several times and found a pretty good route. It's about 12 miles round trip. If only I didn't have to run over so many tourists on the bridge!

They have lots of activities and vendors along the way. This year, they had "Dumpster Diving" which was really cool. That's the 2nd picture. A group converted dumpsters into some pretty snazzy pools! I would soooo love to have one to swim laps in! (Albeit, very short laps) We've had such a humid summer that this was perfect for those who dared put on a suit for all the public to see! (Not me!) It was located right before Park Avenue goes up and around Grand Central terminal. Check out better pictures and construction as they were put up, here!

Here's some video from my biking perspective, looking south on Park Avenue, Grand Central Terminal behind me (Special thanks to my awesome iphone camera for all these pics and videos!):

More Cool iPhone Apps

Some recent favorites:
Air Mouse Pro - turns your mouse into a remote/mouse/trackpad. Super easy and really works! Takes some getting used to. It hasn't replaced my other mouse, but if you forget your mouse for your laptop, it's a handy backup. There's also a Free version, but the paid one is only $1.99 and pretty worth it!!
Chicktionary - this was a freebie for a limited time. It's like Boggle, but with fun chicken characters. :)
Genius Scan - Great FREE app. Creates a scan document of your photo and converts them to a pdf file to send. Even corrects for a skewed picture!
RunPee - With movies getting longer, it's a lifesaver when you need to go during a movie! I was a fan when it started as a web site. Was glad to see it as a FREE iPhone app!
Molecules - another FREE app. I don't really know what I'd use it for right now, to tell the truth. But it makes for some cool visuals of molecular structures! :D

To Psych, or Not To Psych?

So I've signed up for Psych 101 for this fall as well. I'm not sure if that's suicide or not. But it meets only once a week and I'm hoping it won't be too bad since I'll have my orgo chem classes behind me for the week by the time Psych 101 class comes around. I just hope it doesn't have a lot of papers. I figured if I can take it now, I'll have all the courses I need to apply (hopefully) for one of the PA schools for fall admission of 2011. That would leave me with Microbiology for spring semester. And if needed, I have wiggle room to take other classes.

More Skeleton Art

My skeleton tank post reminded me of the artist, Michael Paulus, whose illustrations I find so clever and fun! It clearly appeals to my artistic/scientific duality. It's one of those things you wish you had thought up! Some characters lend themselves better to more interesting skeletal renditions, like Snoopy here! His prints are for sale on his site as well as on etsy.com. Anyone want to buy me one? :)

A Little Summer Left

My last class (and exam) of summer was Monday! I'm happy to report I received the grade I wanted. I should probably relish it now, as orgo chem is around the corner! It's been odd not having to run to class after work, four times a week. But I know fall will come fast and furious. I have already restarted my NYCares event at the hospital. This was the first one since the summer hiatus, so I was a little nervous; especially as I was on my own this time without the hospital liaison. However, it went really smoothly. We had a great group of volunteers and the kids and parents really enjoyed the dessert treats!

I start my first volunteer day at Hospital1 on Monday. As always, starting something new is full of anticipation, but also anxiety. In addition, I'll soon be starting up my regular weekends at Hospital2 again. My class begins on the 26th. Just a sliver of summer left for me. I didn't expect it, but I felt a bit lost this week with this sudden amount of free time. I'm sure that feeling won't last once fall semester begins. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying just being a slug. I'm calling friends who I haven't had time to meet up with and doing errands or making appointments that I've neglected. I'm sure there are many more things I *need* to get done.

In a stroke of perfect timing, my friend is throwing his annual Beach BBQ event this weekend—an excellent way to get a hefty dose of summer!

Random Filler

I took this photo on the subway a while ago. I really like the design of the old woodcut skeleton print and how it perfectly overlays exactly where the bones would be on the wearer. It's probably some indie manufacturer who made it. I found similar ones online, but this particular print (yes, you can't get rid of the designer in me yet) is so much nicer. I really wanted to ask where she bought it, but I didn't. Oh well. If anyone sees this exact one, buy one for me? :)

My ECG

I meant to post this a while back. In one of our more interesting lab classes, we got to hook ourselves up to an ECG and print out our results. I forgot the details already but I'm not flatlining and I have a regular beat. :) Actually the spike is the QRS Complex (my ventricles depolarizing). the bump before that, is the PR Interval (atrial depolarization), and the bump after the spike, is the ST Interval (when ventricular depolarization has ended and before repolarization starts). And my brain is mush, so I can't really explain further.

Letting Go

Food for thought. Another excellent article in The New Yorker by one of my favorite medical writers, Atul Gawande.

Modern medicine is good at staving off death with aggressive interventions—and bad at knowing when to focus, instead, on improving the days that terminal patients have left.

There's just not enough time in my day to read all the amazing articles found online and in my magazines. I still haven't finished this article, but hope to enjoy reading the rest of it today.

Options

Interesting talk about how different cultures regard choices. Sometimes I think having too many choices make for a demanding, arrogant, and entitled person. Then again, do few choices make for a stagnant, unenterprising person and narrow thinking? Probably a little of both.

I enjoyed listening to how Sheena Iyengar speaks. I wish I were as eloquent! Her voice reminds me a lot of the writer Sarah Vowell, who was also the voice of Violet in the Pixar movie, "The Incredibles".

Exam from Hell

3 tests were slotted for this week: 2 lab quizzes, 1 exam. Three days in a row. Fortunately, one of the quizzes was rescheduled for next Tuesday. But the fluids and electrolytes portion of the exam just wasn't sticking in my head, no matter how hard I tried. I managed to eke out a B in the exam, which I sort of figured I'd get. I'm still kicking myself for one question I should have known, but just read the question too fast and assumed too quickly. It cost me 2 points. :(

Fortunately, the last week left of this class should be a little easier. There's one quiz, one lab practical, and a final exam based on the reproductive and endocrine systems.

Language Influencing Culture

I found this article from the WSJ in Editor's Picks in my iPhone app, Instapaper. Fascinating stuff. I've always loved languages and noticing their similarities/differences and how they influence thinking.

In addition to space and time, languages also shape how we understand causality. For example, English likes to describe events in terms of agents doing things. English speakers tend to say things like "John broke the vase" even for accidents. Speakers of Spanish or Japanese would be more likely to say "the vase broke itself." Such differences between languages have profound consequences for how their speakers understand events, construct notions of causality and agency, what they remember as eyewitnesses and how much they blame and punish others.

Hospital #1 Volunteering

Earlier this week, I had my medical visit for Hospital #1 where I'll start volunteering at this fall, provided all my tests go well (as I expect they should). Hospital #2, where I've been volunteering and will continue to volunteer at (while taking a short break this summer), had pretty straight forward and simple medical paperwork requirements. However, Hospital #2 has many more tests they do. So it took me 2 hrs for my first visit. I brought all my paperwork that showed previous tests and vaccinations, hoping to avoid bloodwork.

I have to say I'm extremely impressed with this hospital. It is no wonder they are one of the top hospitals in the country. Their clinic is run pretty efficiently, I might add. Each health worker who saw me (and I was called in at least 3 times while waiting), was very professional, followed an identification protocol, and was super friendly and unrushed. And this is just the employee health clinic!

As I mentioned, I was called in about 3 times. 1) for a general physical, 2) to give a urine sample and then determine what blood tests I needed. I had records for a recent MMR vaccine, so they only took blood for the Hep. B and C tests. The nurse got it in one stick despite having to move it around a couple times. My arms are not easy to find a good vein, so I was even more impressed! Lastly, 3) a colorblind test, eye test, and then the first part of the PPD (TB) test.

I returned a couple days later to have my PPD test read and will have to return end of this week for another injection for the 2nd step of the TB test. Then I return again for a final read. Fun times all around! Once this is done and I"m placed, I think I get fingerprinted and receive an ID. Wheee! :)

Wha?!?!

I received 100 on the last lecture exam! I'm still a bit shocked and can't quite believe it. I naturally expected a couple wrong answers, so I didn't see the 100 below the 50. My jaw dropped thinking I had scored a 50 on the exam. Realizing my mistake, my jaw dropped again and my eyes widened. It was entirely unexpected. I'm not sure there will be many of these in my life, so I'm really relishing it now. :)

I now have 3 tests to prepare for next week. There are 2 lab quizzes (instead of the usual 1), and the lecture exam. So all but one day of class will have some sort of test! It's not going to be a fun weekend. :( It's a lot of reading and scary looking chemical reactions to understand. Off I go to study...

Still No Sleep

Tonight was lecture exam #2. I feel pretty good about it. I know I got one wrong. I may have gotten a couple others wrong as well. Next exam is going to be tough because it's more the metabolic reactions and scary looking complex cycles. :( The 3rd lab quiz is tomorrow, so I have to do much better on this one! At least I know what I have to study.

iPhone App Goodness

I'm obsessed with my iPhone. Although, I admit the novelty is wearing off. I've spent so much money on just trying to find a good finance app to budget/balance my spending. In the end, I realized I really don't trust any app that syncs to my online accounts, no matter what they say about privacy. So, I've stuck with one app that pretty much stays on my iPhone or syncs to my computer.

So here are my favorite apps over this past week:

Accounts - Checkbook - see above comment.
Switzerland Memory Game - beautiful Swiss vintage memory cards in an app game. Free!
Tiltshift Generator - Can't take the designer out of me entirely! This is a great photo effect app
iTalk Recorder - Fantastic recording app. I have to thank my classmate for this. It's been great for my class to refer back to when studying. 3 of us use this in lecture! Creates some big files, but just download them to your desktop through their easy link. Free!
Dragon Dictation - Credit goes to my co-worker who was looking for an easy way to talk your txts or emails and then paste them into another app to send. Works great, and again, Free!
Pulse - Great news aggregator! But in a visual way and allows you to choose your content. Works best with sites that post a visual with each entry, but still a good way to get your headlines for the sites you frequent. Very easy to set up, intuitive, and sure beats boring bookmarks!

Last, but not least. This one is fun. Talking Carl. It repeats everything it hears but in a higher, cuter squeal. I like holding it up to clear song lyrics. Also, it's fun to make it repeat something in another language. This YouTube video illustrates another funny and original way of getting even more fun out of it! Enjoy!

No Sleep

So I've been a little absent from posting lately. Why? Because I've been studying my arse off for this class. Material is tougher and there's a lot more to absorb due to the shorter summer session. :(  As I suspected, I didn't do so well on my 2nd Lab quiz. But the good news is, I got an A on my first lecture exam. I was a little surprised since I didn't think I did that well. But I'll take the good surprises!

iPhone!!!

I finally have my iPhone! After putting one on reserve only last Friday, I was surprised to see it arrived already. But there it was! An email announced it available for pick up, so off I went! Apple Store handled everything so easily and smoothly. They ported over my number, my contacts on my previous phone, and got me all set up on AT&T. After seeing my old Nokia clam shell phone (on it's last legs of battery life and usefulness), the Apple Genius guy welcomed me to the 21st century. Yeah, I'm late getting into the smart phone world, but I wanted to wait until the iPhone had gone through a few more iterations with some better features. It helped that I was still tied to my old cell phone contract until earlier this year! I've only had it for a day, but I'm loving it! It's really a gorgeous piece of design.

In order to sync my iPhone to my MacBook at home, I had to upgrade my OS. I guess I could have just sync'ed with my PC netbook, but all my music files were on my MacBook, and it just seemed to be a headache to try to figure out how to move and sync all those files (not to mention downloaded apps and podcasts) to the netbook. I really don't want to saddle the netbook with too much either. Turned out I didn't have enough room on my computer to update my OS! So I decided to move all my iTunes files to an external drive. It was something I've meant to do for a while, so it was as good a time as any. Amazingly, it cleared out 44 GB off my hard drive! Wow! I also moved my iPhotos to the external, although, I'm not convinced they're really there! Since they didn't take much room, I decided to also keep the copy on my MacBook, just in case.

I downloaded some essentials like TextFree. What a great app! It's much needed since I signed up for only 200 txts/month. I want to keep my cell phone plan costs at a minimum because it always adds up! I also enrolled in my company's discount AT&T plan. It's not a lot, but it'll shave about $5-6/month. I'll take what I can get! That, in itself, will pay for the texting plan.

Here are some other great Apps I've downloaded:
MyPDFs Mobile PDF Viewer - for all those pdfs I'll be viewing for class
Brushes - express your inner Picasso!
Memari Match - been addicted to this for years from the creator's web site! Glad to see it on iphone
NYSubView Pro - great subway map
Shift - crazy game. I can't seem to get past the 4th one!
Dropbox -  I can't live without this! Access and view PDFs and notes across several desktops. Very useful when you're using a MacBook, PC netbook, work computer, and an iphone. This links all the files you need in one place so you don't have to keep track of multiple versions of files where you work on them.
LED Light for iPhone 4 - nifty light using the iphone 4 LED flash
Pandora - love, love this music app!
Med Calc - not that I'll need this very soon, but hey, it's free!
Epocrates - another one that's free. Good for browsing different medications, interactions, etc.

Off to enjoy more iPhone goodness! :)

Off Running

Well AP II started by hitting the ground, running. With me chasing. Two days after our first class, we had our first quiz (lab). I received 20/21, so I'm happy about it. Nonetheless, the first week has been a crazy blur. The professor moves pretty fast and my notes are all over the place for lecture. Our first lecture exam is Wednesday!

The material for the class focuses on the systems. Right now, we're on the circulatory system and already dissected a fetal pig last Thursday. We were only looking at organs and circulatory system. Compared to high school, it seemed somewhat of a waste as I remember we had our pig for weeks, moving layer to layer. However, our last lab test is the fetal pig practical, so we had better know what everything looks like!

Tech Gadget Obsession

I'm loving my Asus netbook! It has some serious battery power! The small size is great for class, although I wish I could see more of the page and web browser. Ah well, that was to be expected, however.

Good news: I reserved an iPhone! Now, the question is when it actually arrives. Could be a week, a couple weeks. :(

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July! And happy end of A&P I! Thursday was the last day of class and the last quiz in lab. There were the usual 25 stations with numbered flags on a part of the eye or brain that we had to identify. It wasn't so bad, but I got tripped up at a couple stations of the brain. By the time I had moved on and we were finishing up the test, I realized I had the same answer for two. And worse, I couldn't quite remember which number went to which flagged part of the brain. Plus, we weren't allowed to go back to any of the stations (we'd all rotate to the left until all stations were met). I did some quick mental visualizing and looking at the remaining brain in front of me to try to remember. I ended up with 25/25. Whew!

And...I'm proud to announce I got an A in the class! This is a milestone for me. Mainly because I haven't taken a science class since college and really wasn't sure how I'd do. But I also realized that I have never aimed to get in A in a class, including in college. I told M. that I couldn't even remember how I ever made it through final exams in college. I don't recall how I studied and I'm sure I didn't retain anything once the exam was over. This going back to school however, seems to be a whole new experience. I'm completely opposite now!

So I am going to enjoy my first weekend in a month, when I don't have to study for anything. However, it will be my ONLY weekend, as A&P II starts up on Tuesday. :( I have a feeling it's going to be more difficult material and a more difficult professor. Wish me luck!

Last Lecture Exam and Class!

Today was our last lecture exam! It was tough studying for this one. I felt like my notes were all over the place and the parts of the brain and their functions just wouldn't sink in! Sure enough, that was the question I know I got wrong. The test was rough. There were a few really specific questions that I'm sure most of us didn't expect to be there. Strangely, I think I got my best grade from this test. I'll know tomorrow. The prof said he'd give us our final grade at the end of the lab quiz.

I can't believe my last class is tomorrow (lab)! However, I won't have much rest. A&P II starts next Tuesday! :( Not much of a break. So I'm going to really enjoy my mini-vacation this long weekend. Being able to buy the iPhone 4 would realllllly make my weekend. But it's pretty slim chance that the Apple stores will be restocked. I guess I'll have to wait some more.

Mmmm... Cow Eyeball...

We got the Lab Quiz 3 results back today. I knew I got one wrong, but as promised on the first lab quiz, the professor gave me an extra point. I'm going for a perfect lab score! I know, I'm being really geeky about it. But this has all been about pushing myself. I know these pre-req courses are going to be the "easy" part of the whole PA track. So I have to keep it in gear.

We also dissected the cow eye today. We have 10 things to learn on it. It's a little hard seeing a scalpel applied around the cornea since you sort of "feel" it. But our group got over it and tore the eye apart in no time! :) We also reviewed the sheep brain from last week's class since our final lab practical quiz is Thursday. I badly needed that review. I think I have it down now, but I'm pushing it aside to study for tomorrow's last lecture exam. It's a lot to go over (nervous system) and I don't feel like I have the best grasp of it. I'm also not taking the day off tomorrow, as I usually do. I decided I rather have an extra long holiday weekend. So, I've really got to review for the exam!

Test 3, More Mnemonics, Baa Baa Brain

Whew. I finally got a solid A on one of my lecture exams! I'm pretty happy about it, since I'm aiming for an A in the class. This will give me a bit more room to breathe for the final exam and lab quiz.

We were instructed today to memorize those 12 Cranial Nerves. Well, at least I remember the mnemonic I made up. But now I have to actually know the names of the nerves they stand for. In order. Also, the organ they relate to. And whether it's a Motor, Sensory, or Mixed (both) type. :( Fortunately, there's a mnemonic for the Motor/Sensory/Mixed (B): Some Say Money Matters, But My Brother Says Big Balls Matter More. This one sticks only because one of my classmates uses it as his mnemonic. Unfortunately, it's now stuck. But I guess that's the whole point, huh?

We also started on the sheep brain in lab tonight. We have 19 places in the brain we have to be able to name for the final lab practical, including the cow's eye next week. I'm not as worried about that part, but the last lecture exam is going to be a lot to remember. A lot to read!

Tests: Week 2

This week's test resulted in a 92 for Lecture exam; 25/25 for the Skeletal Practical. Yay! Although they're fine, I would really like to get a solid A for one of those lecture exams since they accout for 60% of the final grade. I keep making stupid mistakes like changing my answer (they're multiple choice). I still have 2 more chances to better the average!

We're now studying muscle tissue and how they contract. The next lecture test is 70% on the muscle, so we were instructed to read the entire chapter. It's a beautiful day out, so I'm having difficulty heading out to do that. But I'll enjoy part of the day and then go to the library or Barnes + Noble. Unfortunately, it's too hot for a bike ride. I wish I had a pool to go swimming. I canceled my gym membership earlier this year because I never had the time to go. Now, I'm wondering if that was a good idea!

Bonuses and Netbook

So we were just told our bonuses at work today. Wheee! Last year's was really bad because our group didn't do well. But this year, we did much, much better! So we are getting a good amount. I'll be using mine to pay down my card debt. But I'll also save some and nowwww... I think I'll get the ASUS Eee PC Seashell 1005PE-PU27-BK 10.1-Inch Black Netbook (Up to 14 Hours of Battery Life)netbook I've been eyeing for taking notes and portability to cafes when I need to look things up. And of course, I'll get the iphone... eventually! :)

My iPhone Quest

Ok, getting the new iphone is becoming pretty frustrating. The Apple site was down and I couldn't get through at all to reserve one for pick up on the 24th. :( And now, reservations are no longer available and pre-orders are not shipping till July 14th! So do I really want to show up at 7am on the 24th for the slim chance of getting an iPhone at the store, first come, first served??? Hell, yes! But, if there's a line the night before... forget it!! It's really a bummer though, because I really wanted one NOW. Especially, to take advantage of some great AP apps I saw on iTunes. Sigh. I'll just have to wait.

First AP Tests

So we had the first of our AP tests this week. It's always nerve-wracking to take the first tests because you're not sure how the professor is going to present it. I know it sounds boastful, but being my first science class since college days, I'm proud to say I received a perfect score on the lab quiz! However, the lecture test was a slightly different story. Although it was all multiple choice, I was thrown by some of the questions and just plain couldn't remember certain definitions that would have helped. :/ I eked by with a 90. I'm determined to get an A in this class, so I have to get a solid A on the next lecture test.

Next week, we have the Skeletal Practical exam for lab. We'll be tested on all the bones we've learned so far, plus the new markings we've learned in today's lab. I don't know why, but I really have no problem remembering and identifying these. They are work at first, of course, but the professor gives us time to get in groups and quiz one another on all the bones and review. Once that's done, it sticks. I will probably be able to get away with a short review before the quiz, but I am not sweating it. Now, why the lecture material doesn't stick as easily, I have no idea. Maybe because it's not as visual? Despite having plenty of slides, notes, charts, drawings, etc., some of these processes and details are lost in my memory. Somehow, I've got to improve that.

I was talking to my mother about how I don't ever recall wanting to get an A in any class... in high school or college. So this is really strange that I want to do well. Strange in a good way, but I probably sound super competitive and geeky. Now I know what it feels like to be those older students who sat in the front in my college classes! But I guess it's what comes with maturity—and when the drive is there to push yourself towards a goal. I know people who think I'm nuts to do all this schooling so "late" in life. But I'm actually enjoying it! And that's a good sign: I better enjoy what I'm planning to do!

Sleeping In

This was my first weekend without having to wake up at 6am for hospital volunteer work. It was such a nice change! Unfortunately, I still woke up at 6am! On Sunday, I did better and slept until 7am. But it's not all relaxation. I had to review notes and read for AP I class and the upcoming lab quiz. :/

Also, I added some new links on the side. A PA forum, PA news blog, and a PA student's blog that I found as a link on the news blog. I liked the thoroughness and insight into his PA schooling. More info to help me navigate through this maze! Hope he won't mind. :)

My Aching Back

Isabella by
The North Face

My 10+ lbs of books for this one class is killing my back and shoulders. Currently, the backpacks I own just aren't cutting it. One is much too large and the other is more "fashion" than utilitarian. So I did some research online and settled on The North Face's Isabella. Being petite, I don't want a bag that makes me resemble a turtle, but I still need something that will be roomy enough and make the weight manageable. It seemed to receive rave reviews and I liked it was designed to fit women. The bungee cord system on the front will be good for bulky things, like an extra sweater or jacket.

I visited a sports store in the city that I knew carried it, to test it out. Definitely a huge difference! It was so much more comfortable around the shoulders and plenty roomy. Also, the load seemed to weigh less than the bag I'd been using. Since Zappos' price was cheaper, I ordered from there. For some reason, the black color is $6 less than the other colors, but that's perfectly fine for me! I can't wait till it arrives!

I also bought the mandatory white lab coat for class at Barnes and Noble 18th Street. M. had shown me the 3rd floor where it's all medical and law books (mostly medical) and I remembered they had lab coats. They had run out of the XS unisex size at the school bookstore. B+N had both unisex and ladies sizes, so I took the ladies style since it fit better.

Need CME Credits?

I listen to a lot of different podcasts. About a month ago, I added Persiflagers Infectious Disease Podcast. I was browsing for some interesting medical-topic podcasts and this is one that stuck. I don't know anything about infectious diseases, but I still find it interesting and the guy humorous. Sometimes it's groan-inducing humor, but it's definitely not boring!

For those who need CME credits, some of the episodes are also CME-accredited and you can earn (I think) 30 mins of credits. Most of the info is over my head, but as you can imagine, I have been surrounding myself with medical "stuff" these days. Part of it is purposeful: the more exposure at different angles of everything, the more knowledge connections I make and therefore, the more it sticks (so I hope). Part of it is just that phenomenon of concentrating on one thing and then seeing it everywhere. Is there a word for that? If not, there needs to be.

Appendicular Skeleton

I've survived first week of AP I. Next, I find out if I survive the first of the weekly quizzes. Today in lab, we learned 126 bones of the 208 in the human body. This is the Appendicular portion of the skeleton. That would be everything except the cranial, thoracic, and vertebral portions, which would be the Axial skeleton. It sounds difficult, but broken down, it's not that hard. Since left and right are the same, we only needed to know 63. We'll learn the other 80 in the next couple of labs. Being visual, this is easier for me. So far. :)

Celebration + Lecture

Got my English Comp I grade: A !! Despite knowing I had at least an A-, the final exam's grade left things questionable. As I have mentioned: I don't do well writing essays in a timed environment. I have no idea what I got on the final exam, but the final grade is all that I care about at this point. I just hope I can continue this trend into the science classes. Which leads me to...

Tonight was also my first AP I lecture class. It was long and without breaks (unless you chose to leave the room briefly). But the positive side of that was, we got out an hour earlier! It was a lot of material, sometimes more in depth than I thought needed; other times, incredibly simple. I have a good feeling about the class, but I'll know better after the first tests. Every week there will be a quiz for the lecture class and another for the lab. Oof. But at least there will be no cumulative exam (except for the practical lab exam). So far, so good!

AP I - Day 1

My first AP I class (lab) was tonight. Lecture is M/W, lab is T/Th. And I am going to be geeky and say, "I really like it". It was a full class (about 24 students) and I feel fortunate to get a really good professor. We're also lucky that he teaches the lecture, so it will make things consistent.

Talking to other students, they told me he is really good. I agree! What I like about the professor is that he is very clear and concise, has some humor, doesn't just "lecture", makes the class interesting and go by relatively quickly (it *is* a 4-hr, class after all), and truly wants the students to do well. He is strict (will take 5 pts off your grade if your cell phone rings, you get an F if you miss more than 1 class) but has an excellent memory and says he will know all of our names within the week. And while lecturing in lab, he specifically says "write this down", and proceeds to rattle off specific information that you better know. He's not trying to make learning difficult or be mysterious of what will be tested.

Today's class was primarily the policies, but we also had a run-down of how to use the compound light microscope, how to measure field of vision, and learned anatomical positioning. We also got out 30 mins early. Granted, it's the first class and lecture remains to be seen tomorrow night, but I think he'll make it a good class. I can exhale a little. Just a little. :)

Down side: book/lab book cost me $270 combined. And I still have to buy a lab coat. Up side: they will also be used for AP II class.

New Medical Book

I've picked up a new book to read: My Stroke of Insight. Actually, it's been around since 2007 and in softcover for a year. It's a fascinating account of a neuroscientist's own experience of a rare form of stroke. I admit when I first saw her on TED, I sort of thought she was a quack as she talks like she's on some hallucinogenic towards the end. It sort of begs the question of whether such drugs affect similar left areas of the brain. I couldn't really see the fuss over her, and therefore, didn't try. My experience with strokes was limited to a one-time situation where I accompanied a neighbor to the ER for back pain. He had had a mild stroke several weeks before, and I admit I wasn't very empathetic to his confusion. I had assumed he had fully "recovered" having returned from the hospital.

But since doing the volunteer work and seeing patients who are recovering post-stroke, as well as knowing some more people who have had a stroke, I was drawn back to read Dr. Jill Taylor's book. And I'm glad I did. I had hoped to finish it before class starts tomorrow, (it's a quick read) but haven't had the time. I will hopefully finish it in the next day or two.

I highly recommend everyone to read it. It's not too technical and really amazing to read about the actual stroke in progress and her recovery process. At the end, she offers a list of things a stroke victim should assess, as well as a list of 40 things stroke victims need while recovering. Very useful information for those in health care. I remember reading a passage before her brain surgery to remove the clot that had formed, and she tried to keep awake to experience it all. It reminded me of when I had all 4 of my wisdom teeth pulled out during high school. They put me under, and I was determined to observe the whole experience of going under. The last thing I remember before waking up was saying to everyone, "I see two of all of you".

The way she describes her experience (in the book and video), also seems reminiscent of how people describe near-death experiences. I wonder if a similar event, originating in the brain, happens just before death to give the impression of being "one with the universe" as Dr. Taylor describes it. Food for thought.

Update: There's a pretty good 4-part video (or audio, if you prefer) interview of Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor by Oprah on iTunes. It's a little less "LSD-like" and a good summary of her book and insight. Scroll down to about listing #104-112.

Volunteer Break

Today was my last day of ALL volunteer work until late August. I can't believe I've been doing this for the past 6 months straight! While I enjoyed the work and people I worked with, I won't miss the 6am weekend alarm. Now, I've got a short break that, in retrospect, is much needed. I'm someone who would rather plough through the difficult things before enjoying a break. Like when I was enlisted to mow the lawn at home, I would rather finish it all at once, rather than take a break and get a cold glass of water. However, I realize I may burn out this way. And though I have a break, it really isn't a true break: summer class session 1 starts in 2 days.

Working a full-time job plus 4-hr classes, 4 days a week, mandated as much studying time as possible. While excited, I realize these upcoming science classes are the real test of my abilities, perseverance, aptitude, organization, etc. English Comp I was my warm-up, but can I hack it in science classes? I have my doubts, but try to shove them away and not dwell on it. I need to believe it and not think anything less. Nonetheless, I'm uber anxious in anticipation. My Korean friend, who I wrote about earlier, once told me my nerves will settle after I know how the professor tests and what to expect. She said I'll find someone in the class who will naturally gravitate towards me in being a "study buddy". I think she's right. I noticed it even in my English Comp class. I naturally gravitated towards 2 particular students, and they, to me. If we had needed to study with each other, we'd have likely chosen each other.

So my last day of freedom is tomorrow. And I have to clean this apartment to declutter my mind and stay organized.

Best Jobs in America Chart

I came across this chart, listing the best jobs in America. Check out #2!

I also came across this online article about the Best/Worst Master's Degrees. Guess which one is mentioned first. 

English Comp Final Exam

I survived, barely. It was my last day of English Comp I class and as usual, I froze up and couldn't think. I have a real problem writing essays under pressure and with time constraints, but this time it was worse. It was two parts, and the first part was fine. But as usual, the essay part was a struggle for me. I tried to relax by taking deep breaths but that just made me panic and sweat more as all I could think of was the time wasted by doing so. If I didn't have carpal tunnel before today, I think I just developed it. My hand cramped badly most of the duration. And my neck and shoulders tightened up. I don't know why. It felt like I had no control, and I never did relax until I walked out the door. I *did* manage to finish, amazingly. However, I'm not very happy with the conclusion since it was written quickly. One other student remained when I left. In any case, I'm just happy to have it done!!

On a brighter note, I received solid A's on both my research paper and last essay. Let's hope today's final exam doesn't kill my good grade so far. If only I could control how nerve-wracking writing can be. I have no problem writing at home (although it's still a struggle), but I just cannot master the timed written essay!

This final essay exam made me question if I'm going to freeze and panic during my science exams. I'm reasoning I won't have this problem since it's a different kind of testing: either you know it or you don't. If there will be any panicking, it will be before the exam. BUT, hopefully this won't be the case. I tried to recall science exams in college years, but I couldn't remember them, nor how prepared I felt. Freshman year, I took 2 semesters of Chemistry (my most feared subject at the time) and didn't do too badly. So it reassures me that the capability to pass science exams still exists in me somewhere! :)

Speaking of science exams, I start AP I in one week. Eeps! Meanwhile, I'll enjoy my long holiday weekend and last week of freedom. :)  :(

Milestone 1

I've officially reached the 250 hr mark in patient care. Right on schedule! In fact, I'm a bit ahead as I have an additional 30+ hrs from New York Cares projects. Next milestone will be to have 500 hrs by end of this yr. Only 750 more to go... :/

Medical Images

So I was browsing the web for public domain images to make a desktop wallpaper for all you *3* blog followers. ;) In the process, I came across this cool site from the National Institutes of Health's Library of Medicine Web site. Lots of fun images, many of them public domain. There are scary prints of medical instruments used long ago. Suddenly you understand why people feared doctors and dentists, way back then.

There are cool posters from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. And several current images, like the one at left. Who knew cells could render so beautifully in a Miro'esque way! I'll doubt my drawings will look like this when I take Microbiology.

I spent hours browsing this site! On the most part, not many images would appeal as a desktop picture. But I did find a few—like this one! It's colorful and abstract, and not too nerdy? :) One of these days, I'll create a desktop wallpaper for you.

Cupcake Day

Tonight was my first Team Lead event with New York Cares. The hospital volunteer coordinator met me and we set up the Pediatrics Activity room with colorful table coverings and balloons. We then picked up the cupcakes and ice cream (after a bit of tracking down where they went) and I went to meet the volunteers. My NYCares Project Contact overbooked since this was the first time for the event, so there were 8 volunteers who signed up. 3 canceled today, and 1 didn't show. But we probably had just the right amount with the 5 of us. I think it went really well and all the kids and their parents appreciated the diversion from the hospital. So yay! Unfortunately, I have my classes starting, so it's not certain I can lead another one until August. There may be an opening in the first week of July, but with the holiday and only 5 days break, I may need the rest. In any case, it was a successful event!

So... a little side note. There were lots of things for the kids to do while they ate, like playing games, coloring, and—building with foam building blocks. Now that was interesting. The blocks were FOAM, but looked like real wood blocks. So I thought, until the towering structure one child made, toppled. And there was no sound. Now, this is in a hospital, so I understand. But it got me thinking of how this world has become so over-cautious. I wonder how many schools use foam building blocks these days. It saddens me a bit.

I grew up with real blocks. And probably worse toys that might give a bruise or poke someone. We had a toy bin with toy metal guns that looked real (ok, I was in the suburbs of CT, and this was a while ago). In the backyard, I played on a "jungle gym" made of different colored bars in various stages of rust. I don't know how many times I hung upside down and fell from one of those bars. I also climbed trees in the backyard and had a few tumbles down, hitting several branches on the way. Our backyard sloped downwards to a natural wetlands (we called it a swamp) with skunk cabbages and cattails. I used to play in those waters, looking for whatever creature might be in there. Often, I'd just see snakes slither by. Nothing too exciting. But I fondly remember a playhouse that my ingenious father had built for us near the vegetable garden. It consisted of two levels and you climbed a ladder to an open rooftop about 10 feet (or more?) high. At about 5 yrs old, one of my childhood friends was visiting and stepped on a rusty nail that pierced her sneaker and foot. There were no hysterics or threat of lawsuits that I remember. I'm sure she had had a tetanus shot, and if not, received one. That was it. My father, probably thinking this was a good time to update the playhouse (it had been old), tore it down and built another one that resembled our house with matching paint, a red floor inside, and a pitched roof. Real windows with shutters opened outwards, and stayed open with a latch. A small ladder led to a "sleeping loft" that fit one child, lying down. It was very simple, but amazing for a kid! Yes, it's a different time, but it's unfortunate it's come to this. A little rough and tumble can be good.

Last Essay

Last night, I handed in my last English Comp I essay. Next week's class is the two-part final exam: summarizing an essay and then writing an essay. Nice thing about English class is, it doesn't really require much (any?) preparation. This time, we weren't given a topic, so I can't even make a mental draft.

When I first took this class, I thought it a waste of time. I have a BA after all! (haha) In retrospect, I found it really helpful to learn the basics of writing well. I'm not sure I had ever been properly taught. Or, more likely, I just didn't pay attention/didn't try/didn't care. I still think I suck at it, but it makes one appreciate good writing after sweating bullets to grasp the right word or phrase and make it all sound coherent—something that happens to me even when talking!

Dr. Ken!

KNOCKED UP - Kuni Gone Wild outtake from Dr. Ken

What's It Gonna Be? from Mike O'Connell

I love this guy. He's hilarious. You probably know him from his cameos in movies like: Knocked Up, The Hangover, Pineapple Express, and Couples Retreat. He's actually a real doctor who practices (maybe not anymore) in California and started doing stand up comedy on the side. These are my two favorite clips. Enjoy!

Naughty Mnemonics

I'm hooked on mnemonics. A well-known mnemonic is used to memorize the 12 cranial nerves:

I-Olfactory nerve
II-Optic nerve
III-Oculomotor nerve
IV-Trochlear nerve
V-Trigeminal nerve
VI-Abducens nerve
VII-Facial nerve
VIII-Vestibulocochlear nerve/Auditory nerve
IX-Glossopharyngeal nerve
X-Vagus nerve
XI-Accessory nerve/Spinal accessory nerve 
XII-Hypoglossal nerve

The mnemonic? In fact, there are several ways to remember it. But the most common one is the dirty one: Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel a Virgin Girl's Vagina And Hymen. (or, at the end, Ah, Heaven)

Yeah, I wasn't so keen on that either. A bit creepy even. Obviously, it's a carryover from the days when medicine was a male-dominated field. So, talking to M, I asked if there weren't a female answer to it. Not that he knew of. Incredibly unfair. Searching around, I was surprised to find no equally dirty version for females. However, I found lots of G-rated ones. So, I decided it was due time to have a "female" version. And here's what I came up with: Oh Oh Oh To Touch And Feel a Virile Guy's Very Ample Hard-on. So, there!

PS: If you'd like to take a stab at creating your own fun mnemonic, feel free to add it in the comments section. :)

Scrubs Mnemonics

Med students have several mnemonics for all the things they have to memorize. My friend Rey was reminded of a "Scrubs" episode (a great show btw) where one of the actors sing a line to remember something about the circulatory system. With the help of "Wonder Nick", he tracked it down. :) In case you can't understand the line, here it is (Season 9, Episode 10):

This is how I remind me of blood cells and their jobs: lymphocytes and T cells, crushing cancer on every level

The whole episode is pretty funny.

Geeky Humor

A geeky post from a not-so-geeky source. For some reason, I always get mixed up if positive charge results from an extra or missing electron. This makes it pretty easy to remember now!

So, two electrons atoms are walking on Prospect Park West. One says to the other, "Oy vey, I just lost an electron back there." And the other says, "Are you sure?" And the first atom says, "Yeah, I'm positive."

Update: Thanks to my Swedish friend for pointing out it should be two atoms, not two electrons. Like I said... the source isn't so geeky. D'oh!
Update: Looks like someone tipped the site that "two electrons" should be "two atoms" The source is now updated.

All Kinds of Minds

I've meant to post this TED Talks video of the autistic and amazing Temple Grandin. She has pretty much redesigned the standards of the majority of slaughterhouses in the country and speaks on autism issues. It's so true how different ways of thinking and learning need to be recognized.

"We've got to think about all these different kinds of minds. And we've got to absolutely work with these kind of minds, because we absolutely are going to need these kind of people in the future"

No Sleep

I'm exhausted. This may become a regular occurrence once summer class starts. But this time, it was my own fault. A research paper was due today for English class and I procrastinated till yesterday. I really, really have a difficult time writing well. It's like having 50 bubbles of disparate ideas over my head, and I have no idea how to combine them to make a coherent paper. Hm! I just thought of a way to compensate my poor process: write out all those ideas, cut them in strips, and then put them in order, filling in along the way. Since I am thought-to-speech-challenged, I think seeing the ideas and then moving them visually might help me write an essay more logically. I tend to become overwhelmed by all the ideas I want to touch upon and end up rewriting over and over again, creating a mess of a paper whose first draft looks like a jumbled diagram with arrows. I'll try this with my next paper.

Anyways! Overall, I am satisfied with the paper, but then in class, he pulled a sentence from my conclusion to critique. Although I had read it over this morning, the unwieldy, rambling sentence jumped out at me right away. The professor commented, "This is the sentence you get when you're writing really late at night." Yes, I was guilty of that, but in fact, I had added to this sentence that morning, in an attempt to make it more sophisticated. Bad idea, I guess. Only 1 more paper to write, and then another class, and a final exam. Then the real fun and test of wills begin with A+P I (Anat. + Physio I).

Oh, and yes. I finally settled everything for the summer and fall! I am officially a "Transfer Student" and therefore, paying less per credit. Summer, I'm still a non-degree student, but at least I'm enrolled in classes I need.

Organic Design

Similar to my post about origami art inspiring mathematicians and scientists, this TEDTalks focuses on nature and science as inspiration for design. Sometimes, nature offers the best solutions for practical structures.

Finally?

I think everything is set with my transfer and classes. I say that hesitantly, because experience dictates that nothing is easy at this city school. But, I can gladly report that I received permission from the Chemistry Dept. Chair for Orgo Chem. Now, I can officially transfer and pay the cheaper per credit tuition. Tracking down the Chair wasn't easy (none of this process seems to be). After sending an email, calling, and leaving a message, I decided to stop by after work to see if he was still around. Fortunately, he was, and I had a really pleasant conversation with him. He was really interesting in knowing why I was taking the class. He had no problems approving me for the class and wrote down several things I should review in preparation. I felt he really wanted to help me succeed, and that was such a great feeling after the roller-coaster registration process.

As twisted as all this running around has been, I've found the people I've encountered to be incredibly helpful, pleasant, and really care. I think they can tell when someone is serious about furthering their education and when they meet them, they want to do what they can. Let's hope this attitude continues when classes begin!

More School Maze

It just doesn't end. I had been all set to officially transfer for the fall semester, and I stopped by to check that everything moved properly and I was still enrolled for Organic Chem in the fall. They seemed not sure if my two semesters of General Chem in college were really General Chem I and II because it said General Chemistry for both semesters. Nevermind the courses were 103 and 104! They called someone on the phone to confirm. Thankfully it was fine. But just as I was wrapping things up, I opened my big mouth and said, "Yes, it's been a while". *BIG mistake* They noticed it had been more than 5 years since these classes and therefore, I needed to get the Chemistry Chair to approve taking Organic Chem.

I really wanted to throw in the towel at that point. I had been visiting the school almost every day for the past week, and haven't even described on this blog the previous little hiccups that necessitated each one. I just want to get these classes done! If I have to take Chem 101 all over again, it will throw off my schedule. I bemoaned all this to M, who asked if I needed a prescription for Prozac. Ha ha. I wasn't truly about to give up, but it gave me pause and reinforced those days I wonder if this is worth all the headache. Sometimes I cannot fathom what the hell I'm doing. All this effort for a *maybe* shot to getting into this *one* school's PA program. My weekends are almost non-existent. I'm so exhausted, I come home from the hospital volunteer days and nap. I am already chewing off my nails wondering how I'll handle the summer accelerated classes. Will I be the only one who is working full time while also taking a crazy class meeting every evening of the week, save one? Can I keep this up for another year? I'm too tired to figure it out.

Itching for the Next iPhone

I want the next iPhone. I have been waiting patiently until my mobile contract expired in January, and I'm glad I did. The next one looks amazing! Sure, it's going to be pricey and ATT sucks. But I've wanted an all-in-one phone/pda for a while. I've even been adding apps to my iTunes wishlist as I find/learn of them. As you can imagine, I've listed a number of medical ones like, AnatomyLab, MedicalCalculator MD, and epocrates. I also have some fun ones: Backgammon, Brushes, and Pandora. The announcement of the new iPhone is June 7 at the WWDC. I just hope it won't take too long before I can buy one. It would sure be handy to have for my A+P I class!

Feel free to send me an iTunes gift certficate. :)

Another Trip Through the School Maze

Today was Summer/Fall registration for classes. I only had to spend 2.5 hrs in the school maze this time. But it was frustrating to find that no matter how prepared I tried to be, I seemed to have asked the wrong questions and ended up with an obstacle course. It didn't help that I was also still recovering from the tail end of a lingering cold with a hacking cough and congestion I couldn't shake.

I was trying to become a matriculated student by officially transferring. However, I didn't realize it required a recent official transcript for a certificate I earned long ago. The work-around was to continue as a "non-degree student" which would allow me to register and reserve a spot in the classes. However, to be matriculated means vastly cheaper cost per credit.

Although I arrived early to register, it turned out I still had to stand in an admissions line to roll over my spring non-degree status to summer non-degree status. Sigh. It never gets easier.

Buuuuuut.... it was all worth it! I got registered for Anatomy and Physiology I and II for the summer, evenings. They are 1 month long each. I'm excited but nervous of just how difficult it will be when juggling it with my work schedule. Oh well. I'll deal with it as it comes. In addition, I registered for my fall semester class: Organic Chem I. So I feel better now that things are squared away with classes. It's one thing off my checklist and so far.... things are going on schedule as planned. Next spring semester, I'll take Microbiology and be done with my requirements! But, for now, I although one worry is off my plate, I now need to be concerned with getting a good grade in my intensive summer classes. :-/  Wish me luck!

A Dream Deferred

My English Comp class assignment now is to write a research paper on a poem of our choosing. In trying to find a poem I could connect to, I recalled a short poem by Langston Hughes, "Harlem", sometimes known as, "A Dream Deferred". I first read it in high school. And I found it applied well to my situation these days. Keep pursuing those dreams!

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
     like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
    And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
     like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

Geek

I've become a geek. Well, maybe I've always been one and never knew. In an effort to keep my "back to school" anxiety at bay, I've been spending some free time trying to get a head start on some class subjects. Organic chemistry is one of them. I'm terrified of it! Mainly because I know nothing about it except for the horror stories back in college days. A volunteer acquaintance who is headed to med school gave me her study aide book used for her Org Chem I class. I started reading it and doing the exercises a couple months ago. Surprisingly, I actually found it made more sense and was more interesting then General Chemistry in college. Maybe I just haven't gotten too deep into the subject yet, but it helped soothe my nerves.

Another class that I'm nervous about, solely for the sheer amount of information to be memorized, is Anatomy + Physiology. With any luck, I'll be taking both I and II this summer. With greater luck, I'll survive the condensed schedule without losing my mind. To help with that, I've scoured iTunes for anything useful in getting an edge. I found a great iTunes U vodcast of instructional lab classes going over each of the anatomical systems. They're basic and straight forward, easy to follow with helpful mnemonics and other tips. Excellent for a beginner like me. Let's hope the info sticks.

More Hospital Opportunity

I was accepted in Hospital1's volunteer program this week! I was getting nervous because I hadn't heard back. I don't start until mid-August so I'll wait to do Orientation, medical, ID (and fingerprinting!) in July. It's all good; I welcome seeing how different hospitals work and just mixing up exposure to other experiences. Of course, I don't plan to end my relationship with Hospital2 as they've been good to me. I may find I have to cut down a little from their program, but I'll still spend a good amount of time there.

Midterm Essay

I got the results of my midterm essay. I was a bit (happily) shocked to find I managed to eke out a 90. I am horrible at writing under time constraints. And while I knew the general topic of the essay, it didn't quite match what I had carefully outlined in my head to write. I was literally sweating bullets toward the end because I have to do revisions too many times in order to get my thoughts all in order. Just a short "research" paper and final exam left!

Team Leading with Cupcakes

I'll be starting to Team Lead an event for New York Cares. I'm finalizing the details with the hospital coordinator; we'll be doing a party for the pediatrics wing with cupcakes and ice cream. Yum! How I wish I had time to make the 60 some odd cupcakes for the event each month! I am one of those who loooooves cupcakes. Years ago, I had a dream to have a cupcake shop. But it was so unrealistic to think it would make money. Since then, I've seen everything "cupcake" pop up all over the city!

Missing... Weekends

It was a beautiful day out today. And I spent it at the hospital, of course. Last weekend was also gorgeous weather, and for the first time since I started this direction in my life, I felt a little disappointment of all the warm weekends I'll miss and having a real break from work. I didn't do that much before, but I enjoyed having no plans and letting the weekend unravel as I liked. Now, I won't have much time to bike ride in Prospect Park and throughout Brooklyn. I miss swimming at the pool (I canceled my membership as I just don't have the time to go). I'll miss the Five Boro Bike Tour and Summer Streets biking (weekends). And though I'm doing all this for a worthy goal (so I keep telling myself!), it's hard not to feel a little jealous as others enjoy their weekends.

Since volunteering (which I do enjoy on the most part), I have been waking up at 6:15a weekend mornings to arrive at the hospital at 8a. It's not far, but with our lousy MTA and pokey trains, I always seem to just get there on time. Weekends are like work days. And since I have a full time job that I need to pay bills, mortgage, etc., my only available time to volunteer, is weekends. It's amazing how being on your feet all day can literally exhaust you. If there are errands to run, I attempt to tackle them them immediately after the hospital. There's a running joke with my co-volunteer in the Caregiver program that my plans for the rest of the day involve a run to Target. Sadly, it's true. If I go home, forget it! I cannot move and sometimes take a quick nap. One thing for sure, if (no, when) I make it through, I'm taking a nice, long vacation!

Gross Link of the Day

Don't listen if you're easily grossed out. Act III of This American Life's episode of "Enemy Camp 2010" is amazing. In a nutshell: man has extreme allergies, finds hookworm is a possible cure, goes to West Africa to stomp in about 30 latrines to become infected, comes back home and is cured, then starts harvesting hookworm from his own poo to sell to others as a remedy.

As disgusting as it sounds, the segment suggests it could be helpful for many autoimmune diseases like Crohn's disease and MS. Act II is equally interesting about parasites in nature.

Enemy Camp 2010

Act II starts 24:36
Act III starts 34:22

Suspended Animation

I am a total TEDTalks fanatic. There are so many inspirational videos, I literally lose sleep and time glued to them. This one connects to a story you may have read. A Norwegian med student had literally frozen to death for 80 minutes but was brought back to life. It has challenged the medical field of what is possible in hypothermia and inspired other ways to "suspend" trauma victims long enough to be treated.

Taking Ourselves for Granted

"Coding" is a term doctors use for someone in cardiopulmonary arrest. A couple of weeks ago, a nurse on the floor had coded in the evening. She was attending to a patient when she collapsed on him in cardiac arrest. Supposedly, he tried the call button, but no one came (a lesson for hospitals to be extra vigilant of those call buttons!). Fortunately, the patient was young and managed to wriggle out from under her to alert the nurses' station. Immediately, the nurses (in tears, as it was one of their own) and doctors were working on the now-blue nurse. They had worked 45 minutes on her and managed to get her breathing again. She was in ICU and managed to say some words a week later. This weekend, she visited the floor walking slowly with her parents on either side and smiling. She was tall and slim. The nurses welcomed and watched while she made her way like a new toddler making first steps, apparently lucid and without the damage a lack of oxygen can incur.

It must be amazing to be able to bring someone back like that. I was told by M, that a very low percentage of people who code, actually survive. Pretty grim statistics. The amazing fact about this nurse was that she's only 24 yrs old! I was shocked when I heard this. But as M said, it's probably her young age that really helped her survive. And who knows what the circumstances were surrounding her condition. Perhaps it was an undetected problem found only now.

Still, it's awe-inspiring to think of all the systems in each of us that make us "tick", so to speak. Many processes and systems continue it's work without a bit of thinking on our part. It would be best if we did our part in taking care of ourselves, the best we can.

Medical Books

Since last summer, I tore through a lot of books on medicine. I really enjoy reading the ones highlighting specific cases. Blame it on my PA friend, M. He started it by telling me of a book he was reading (How Doctors Think).

1. How Doctors Think
   
2. The Anatomy of Hope: How People Prevail in the Face of Illness
3. Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science
4. Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance
5. The Anatomist: A True Story of Gray's Anatomy
6. Doctors
7. How We Live
8. Hospital: Man, Woman, Birth, Death, Infinity, Plus Red Tape, Bad Behavior, Money, God, and Diversity on Steroids

My favorites were those by Atul Gawande (Better, Complications). Really interesting (and scary) stories. Also inspiring. I'm always looking for more of those type of books to read, but with little time, it's probably a good thing I haven't found more. Doctors was a favorite of M PA. It's fiction but is a good look at the med school experience; although some details are now a little dated, the experience is pretty accurate (so I hear).

I'm still slogging through How We Live (a bit old fashioned in writing, in my opinion) and Hospital. Hospital provides some insight into how a Brooklyn hospital runs (not far from my neighborhood, in fact!). The Anatomist was a fun read. It follows a journalist on two journeys: his experience in a couple Gross Anatomy classes and his quest to find more about Henry Gray, the British anatomist famous for his ground-breaking book. The first two listed, by Jerome Groopman, are equally fascinating for their look into how patients can make more out of a doctor visit and the different ways hope can factor into our healing process. All good reads.

Oh, and here's another one that I really enjoyed, but has nothing to do with medicine: Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World