Twenty Sixteen

Its only right that I close out this year with a post!

2016 has been a year I will never forget.

So many great things happened in my life this year that I don't even need to drudge up the unpleasant times.

I lived to see another year, Twenty-Great :-) to be exact

My son lived to see another year.

I started medical school

I've formed new bonds

And Im learning and growing every day

Balancing school and life been a welcomed challenge and i look forward to all the great things 2016 has in store!


Blessing to all!

Biochemistry NMBE

Tomorrow is our first Mini board of the year and first National Mini board ever. This should be interesting :-)

This is the final stretch and I will be free for a GRAND 10 day Winter Break (you should see the excitement on my face 10 whole days lol)

Share in the humor with me!

Fall Reflections

So far this week has provided me with a major boost in moral. 

As a first year MD student at my school we must participate in clinical preceptorships, which is similar to shadowing in some cases and in others, we visit sites that provide healthcare and other services for underserved population and learn more about the work they do, services they provide, and people they help.  Well, yesterday my random assignment happen to be at a Family Medicine office that I have volunteered at for the past 2 years. It was so refreshing to be there and chat with my mentor and see patients.  

Initially, I didn't feel any different walking in as a medical student as I did during my previous trips there but as the evening hours rolled on I realized things were different. I got really excited when the physician would mention topics that I had recently learned in class and I felt confident about my ability to answer clinical questions.  Like, despite how I may feel that sometimes info is going in one ear and out the other, my studying and the endless hours I am putting are not in vain. I realized that the main purpose of the preceptorships is not give us more shadowing exposure because we all have hundreds and hundred of hours but for those days when we are bogged down with book work, lecture notes and feel so far removed from our goal of practicing medicine, it shows us, "That hey this is why you spend all of those hour reading, learning and preparing, so one day you can see patients and be the best physician for them as you possible can". And, I really needed that yesterday!  

Then, today is my son's birthday!!!! I still can't believe how much he has grown and matured into a spectacular young boy. His birthday reminds me of my journey and how far we have come. He's seen me graduate from college, moved to Macon for grad school with me, seen me graduate from that treacherous program and now he is seeing me pursue my dream of becoming a physician! Today is just a reminder that my dream is really bigger than me because I have so many other people relying on my determination, my imagination and my success.

School for me this last month has not been all that I had hoped. Honestly, my motivation has been a bit lack luster, I am present but sometimes my mind is completely absent. Then, I set expectations for myself that I probably wouldn't even expect Albert Einstein to accomplish and when I didn't meet those goals it was difficult for me reevaluate how realistic of those expectations were but easy for me criticize my own efforts. But, I am learning to take easier on myself because while expecting greatness is great, burn out is real. I've done a lot of things in my life that I can reflect on but I've never done medical school before. I've never done medical school before as mother before. I've never done medical school before in my hometown with all my family (pro&con). This a whole different ball game and I'm just a rookie. But, I am learning, growing and still finding my way through. One thing I know is that, I dream about this, wished for this, prayed about this, and now I am hear. While people make plenty of mistakes, God doesn't! 

Relax.Relate.Release: DIY/ChefMD

When I need a break from my everyday routine a few things I enjoy doing are DIY projects and cooking!

Here are a few of my recent projects and dishes:

Year Around Center Piece: Rocks, 3 different floral arrangements and glass vase.

I purchased all of these items during a Dollar Tree Haul! I super glued various glass pieces together to make the bathroom decor items.

2 cheese, spinach, & mushroom Stuffed chicken with Zucchini, Squash and peppers

Devin Making his own chicken

Curry Chicken

Caribbean Style Cabbage

Sweet Potato Pie (before the oven)

Curry Chicken, Cabbage, Rice & peas

Organ Systems 1: The Game Changer

It has been a whole month since my last blog post and I definitely have a few updates to share. Of course I had the pleasure in participating in my schools annual White Coat Ceremony. My family and friends were able to be their and support me as I began this new chapter exciting chapter!

Mostly importantly (at least academically) I began the Organ Systems 1 block and the last 6 weeks consisted of our 1st test block mainly on Cardiology and randomly thrown in there Skin and the Nervous System. I also started Gross Anatomy lab and during this 1st test block we learned about the Back and Upper limb anatomy/dissections. I am very appreciative of the individuals that saw fit to donate their vessel/body for science, so that I and my classmates would be able to further our understanding of anatomy and the physical body! 

Now lets get to the good stuff. How I feel about Organ Systems/Gross Lab 1 so far!

Well Hmm (clears throat LOL) its like a coin toss there are aspects that I like and things that I don't like. Lets start with what I am not so fond of. I am not a big fan of the actual dissection part of Gross lab. I understand the practicalness/purpose of Gross lab but I know for sure in my heart (as of right now) that surgery is not my forte, I can barely draw a straight line let alone reflect/dissect/skin. The ambiguity of nerves, blood vessels and structures is mind blowing to me and while very fascinating, I find bit challenging in the aspect of memorization and discernment going from one cadaver to the next. As time goes on I am sure it will come with more ease but as of today, three days post Gross Lab Practical, I can't say that I am ever super excited when I see gross lab on the schedule.

Next, OS1 lecture: Since our first test block was 6 weeks, this 1st test was the longest test so far. As I may have mentioned before the subject matter is generally not at all difficult, the challenging aspect for me was the amount of material. I definitely enjoy learning new things. Many of the biochem, physiology and cell bio type topics were previously introduced to me during grad school. Learning about these topics in medical school has provided me with a deeper layer of understanding. Also we started Community Health. MSM missions is really community oriented and in this Service-Learning course we take an active role in the community and try to add additional value to the lives of those we service through mentorship, programming, and by implementing a health related intervention based on community needs.

Our 1st exam of this block was on Oct 18 & 19. Despite having had several exams prior, I can say this exam was an eye opening experiences. They showed me a lot about the effectiveness of my study style/schedule and about my personal drive and motivation. I got sick during this first block, a few random family things happened, and I have a minor fender bender. All things that could happen whether I am a student or not. Having all these things happened has help me reevaluate my own drive. Physical illness is something that I can't necessarily predict and sometimes even prevent but those days when I am just mentally exhausted and don't feel like sticking to my schedule, I can prevent. 

Tip for Today: Make a schedule and stick to it. Make sure your schedule is flexible and incorporate free/me/fun time into your schedule. Devote as much time to personal/mental relaxation as you do to academic preparation and progression!