Mostly done with 2nd year

Finished all our normal curriculum classes - feels like it's time for a break but alas, must start really hankering down on preparing for boards. I moved my board exams to later, since I will be doing a vacation first, so I have a bit more time but my prep program has a live lecture series that begins at the end of May so I need to get cracking!

As far as the last few weeks of school, they went by rather quickly, with lots of studying and crossing fingers that I wouldn't have to re-mediate anything. It's getting warmer, so perhaps I can take a break to collect insects again soon, but a medical career sure does eat up your time. I'm also trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle, incorporating more exercise and diet changes. We'll see how long that lasts.

Got back from Monterey recently, went for a week-long vacation with most of the family - I say most because my dad recently had a hernia repair complication and had to stay home to recover from that. Funny how you learn things in practical settings that they don't really discuss in medschool - like how to approach a patient who comes in with an internal bleed. Solution? If their H&H doesn't drop too low, and if the bleeding stops on its own, even with tons of swelling, you can expect the body to resorb a certain amount, and it is usually less risky than surgically draining the fluid or going in to repair a small bleed.

On another note, I've discovered I have a very particular allergy, to two products produced by the Estee Lauder parent company (Brands are Origins and Clinique). The brands are significantly different and the two moisturizers I used only share a handful of ingredients - I've narrowed it down to butyloctyl salicylate (but this is common in a lot of sunscreens that I think I have been exposed to before) and micrococcus lysate (an ocean-microbe's dissolving organ enzyme). My money is on the micrococcus lysate, because it is used in very few products and is relatively new on the market (2009) so I am curious to see if that's what it is. There is one more product out there that I know of that contains the micrococcus lysate but not the other compound, so if i test that on some skin it should produce a reaction if I have the right compound isolated. Kinda fun to experiment on oneself, but I kinda want my face and neck to stop being all inflamed and itchy. And my test arm.

Spring Semester and Boards

Well, just finished the 3rd week of Spring Semester - this unit is gastrointestinal, endocrine, reproductive, and dermatology - or GERD. Just signed up for our "Project Prepare" time slots, where we get to practice breast, prostate, and vaginal exams on hired "actors". We always kind of wonder what kind of people choose to do this sort of work, but hey, in this economy, why wouldn't they?

At any rate, the first week we covered mostly dermatology, and the second and third weeks have been focused on the endocrine system (so the pituitary, adrenal glands, pancreas, etc.). I am also getting geared up with my boards review program. I am taking Boards Bootcamp, where we get video lectures, as well as a study plan in the mean time. Near the end of the program we attend some live lectures locally. We got a super discount because at first we committed to the comprehensive program which was supposed to have weekly live lectures and cost 1700 or so, but we were going to get it for about 1300, then when we didn't get the minimum number of students to sign up, they upgraded those who did sign up to the elite program which normally costs 2200 (but we still only paid 1300). It's a lot to work on, but frankly I enjoy studying for boards more than Touro material - it just feels like it's better organized and more relevant. Anyway, I devote my Sundays to studying Boards material - works out well because my boyfriend works essentially all day on Sunday, and Monday-Thursday, so I don't feel like I'm neglecting him too much.

I have been managing to have a little fun on the side - spending time with my boyfriend, hosting a New Year's Party, heading out to a brewery here and there, a movie or two, played nearly all the way through Fallout: New Vegas. Even trying my hand at some new dinner recipes. Now I just have to re-incorporate an exercise regimen...

Oh, I also got all two of my wisdom teeth out a couple days ago - first time going under anesthesia. But there was barely any after-effect and I'm recovering quite quickly. It sucks not being able to eat much solid food, but because I only had wisdom teeth on my left side, I can still chew a little bit on my right without disturbing my stitches. The whole procedure was only about 25 minutes, I was surprised.