SEMESTER ONE OF MEDICAL SCHOOL: CHECK!!!
I don't think that I have ever felt like I earned a Christmas break more. Although it really wasn't as bad as they said it would be. So to summarize/reflect a bit on the past 4 months, here are a list of random thoughts that more or less hit the high points:
1) God is absolutely larger and more complex than I ever picture in my mind. I constantly forget that I have so much more to learn about him and his character. I pretend like he is so predictable sometimes because I know what he thinks is "right" and "wrong" but he is so far from predictable. My future is in the hands of a God who can do infinitely more than I can hope or imagine and he is going to be able to write my future so much better than I ever will.
2) I am still a much lazier, less disciplined person than I wish I was... is that EVER going to improve?
3) The human body is a fascinating place!
4) Working out is a fantastic stress reliever, which means I end up working out more during test weeks, not less.
5) Everyone should take time (a year) off before starting medical school and live in another country. The random things that such an experience prepares you for is just unbelievable! And the number of things you learn without realizing it, also incredible.
6) Anatomy professors can be some of the funniest people in the world... I suppose you have to have a pretty good sense of humor to spend so much of your time dissecting cadavers. And if you do it for long enough you can collect a quite extensive reserve of jokes to use for any given lab.
I can't wait to be a doctor :-)
15 December 2011
Entry Twenty-Five
Okay, so I never wanted to be one of those people that had a blog and never updated it, but can you really blame me? There's more to learn about the human body than I really thought possible and that takes a lot of time... what's really crazy is to think that we're really only scratching the surface, even by the time we graduate here in 3 1/2 years.
Anyhow, the belated birthday story....
So I turned 23 in November and of course, having been friends with the other 1st year med students for 3 months at that point, they figured out that I turn bright red really easily when I get embarrassed. The goal, therefore, became how to embarrass me as much as possible on my special day. The end result of all the scheming was me walking into school on that fateful Thursday morning to this:
Needless to say they succeed in their goal... or more precisely one Mr. Jeff Thurman succeeded in his. But he owed me one because at one point I got him to believe that I not only knew how to ride a unicycle, but owned one that he could come over and try out :-) My roommate made the rest of the day fantastic by having balloons and streams everywhere in the house when I woke up, deserts at school, and a get together complete with Cheesecake Factory cheesecake (raspberry lemon, YUM!) later that evening.
All in all, a fantastic day. And for the record, yes I did study some too like any good med student. I learned all the innervation to the forearm, which came in handy on today's anatomy final.
Anyhow, the belated birthday story....
So I turned 23 in November and of course, having been friends with the other 1st year med students for 3 months at that point, they figured out that I turn bright red really easily when I get embarrassed. The goal, therefore, became how to embarrass me as much as possible on my special day. The end result of all the scheming was me walking into school on that fateful Thursday morning to this:
 |
| Jeff's "I'm so proud of myself" face |
All in all, a fantastic day. And for the record, yes I did study some too like any good med student. I learned all the innervation to the forearm, which came in handy on today's anatomy final.
14 November 2011
Entry Twenty-four
No better way to spend time between tests than on catching up a blog. I've been a total slacker about it the past couple weeks, but with good reason: preparation for my embryo midterm and head/neck anatomy exams today. We're definitely not in Kansas anymore.
During preparation for these exams, however, some cool stuff has happened On Thursday night we took a break from studying to go to a Professional's Dinner that the Christian Medical and Dental Asso had invited us to. The presentation was about a surgical training program in Africa called PAACS that is trying to put a dent in the huge need for surgeons across the continent. I wish I could explain the kind of encouragement it was to me... it reminded me to dream a little, let my imagination go a little crazy with all the cool things God might let me do with my medical training. The speaker/CEO of PAACS, Dr. Bruce Steffes, kept reminding us that it is God's work, not ours. He (nor any of us) have anything that the Lord needs. He is going to accomplish his purposes and let us join the ride if we're obedient. Such a good reminder, but man was it hard to go stare at an anatomy book after that! But first things first, I can't train Africa surgeons until I become one myself :-)
Second cool thing, second major study break: shadowing in labor and delivery on Saturday. I witnessed surgeries for the first time (sounds cool to some of you, but many of my classmates have seen dozens and it makes me feel way lame for thinking this one was so neat). The two surgeries were a tubal ligation and a c-section, and I hope that I never lose the wonder as a doctor of seeing an infant's first breath. That was just too cool.
So now that I've finished this round of tests (and there's only one round left until semester one is done! gasp!), it's time to start working Spanish studying into the schedule. (I did mention I'm going back to Honduras next summer right?!) So much to do and so little time. But there are no elephant-swallowers here, 'cause God's gonna make it happen his way and I'm just along for the ride!
I LOVE being along for this ride!
During preparation for these exams, however, some cool stuff has happened On Thursday night we took a break from studying to go to a Professional's Dinner that the Christian Medical and Dental Asso had invited us to. The presentation was about a surgical training program in Africa called PAACS that is trying to put a dent in the huge need for surgeons across the continent. I wish I could explain the kind of encouragement it was to me... it reminded me to dream a little, let my imagination go a little crazy with all the cool things God might let me do with my medical training. The speaker/CEO of PAACS, Dr. Bruce Steffes, kept reminding us that it is God's work, not ours. He (nor any of us) have anything that the Lord needs. He is going to accomplish his purposes and let us join the ride if we're obedient. Such a good reminder, but man was it hard to go stare at an anatomy book after that! But first things first, I can't train Africa surgeons until I become one myself :-)
Second cool thing, second major study break: shadowing in labor and delivery on Saturday. I witnessed surgeries for the first time (sounds cool to some of you, but many of my classmates have seen dozens and it makes me feel way lame for thinking this one was so neat). The two surgeries were a tubal ligation and a c-section, and I hope that I never lose the wonder as a doctor of seeing an infant's first breath. That was just too cool.
So now that I've finished this round of tests (and there's only one round left until semester one is done! gasp!), it's time to start working Spanish studying into the schedule. (I did mention I'm going back to Honduras next summer right?!) So much to do and so little time. But there are no elephant-swallowers here, 'cause God's gonna make it happen his way and I'm just along for the ride!
I LOVE being along for this ride!
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