July 2006

Monday, July 17, 2006
3 more days until summer session is over :o) !
07-09-06-->07-14-06

Hello everyone!

We are really almost done with 2nd year… it is really exciting! We have three more days of school, and for me, an additional selective class day. I am very excited to be moving on to 3rd year.

Let’s see… This week was a bit slow. On Monday I had my sign language class and my Spanish class. It was just a very long day. I think no class should be taught for more than 2 hours max. 4 hours of Spanish just kills me! My brain fights any new information after the 2 hour mark, and then it just gets to be a drag.

On Tuesday, we had CV cases, and my group was not called. That is too bad, because we were very prepared. We then had a HIPAA lecture, and an OSHA/Bloodborne pathogens presentation. During lunch time we had a lecture about how to use the new computer system for next year (they fed us lunch). Then we had a very long “Parenteral Nutrition/ Hyperalimentation” lecture. It lasted for 4 hours, and by 5pm I was so tired that I couldn’t even think straight.

On Wednesday morning we had two pediatric pain control lectures. It was very interesting, in my opinion. Then we went through Human development cases, and yet again, we were not called to go up there and present. This was followed by an hour and a half of a lecture about how we need to take care of ourselves.

Thursday started of with two ethic lectures. Followed by “The impaired Physician” lecture. Interesting, but… well… I was tired during that day. We then had two hours of a panel that consisted of two lawyers, a risk management person, a physician, and a philosopher. They all talked about what happens if you make a mistake. It was definitely an eye opener. Very informative and important. We then had GI cases, and yet again our group was not called up. THEN… we had a short COMLEX PE review.

Today (Friday), I woke up very early and practiced my sign language conversation and then helped my friend Katie move some of her things down to her car. Later on, I went to my sign language class. Also today, I said goodbye to Dorothy. She is going on a vacation, and by the time she comes back, I will already be gone.

Well… and that is truly the extent of my week,

Only one more thing—I passed the USMLE!! Now I am waiting the results for the COMLEX (which will be given sometimes in the middle of September to the beginning of October.)

That’s all folks!

Talk soon,

Reut
17 jul 06 @ 5:17 pm

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Saturday, July 8, 2006
you know they need to give you more homework when you have the time to learn how to say "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" backwards...
06-30-06 -->07-08-06

Hello everyone!

This past week has been nice and semi-relaxed, which was great! I left you off right before Friday. That day was quite busy. I met up with one of my group members and did two cases together with her. I’m glad we did because we got it done, and it was nice to be prepared well in advance. Following our 4 hour meeting, I went to the library to use their fax and contacted my new apartment complex and received the lease from them. I have to sign it and it will all be official. It is very nice to know where I am going to be moving to in less then a month… I’m very excited! After that I rushed back home to get ready for Julia and Riley’s wedding.

Their wedding was not far from Wichita, Kansas, and it was about three hours drive from here. I drove together with my friend Ayo, and another friend, Chei Hsin (sorry, I misspelled that for sure, phonetically it is pronounced: Jay-Shen) rode in another car in front of us. We ended up splitting in the middle of the way, because I chose another route and haven’t quite discussed it with Chei-Hsin, but we all made it there on time, and it was not a big deal. The wedding was absolutely beautiful, and we stayed there until they cut the cake, and then drove back home.

The 4th of July weekend is a bit hazy. I slept a whole lot and worked on more cases… I also read a few books, but all in all, it was just a very relaxing wonderful weekend. The only annoying thing was that all across my very bad neighborhood, people were putting their own personal 4th of July fireworks display until 4AM… it was quite scary, as I was certain one of the buildings will catch on fire. Even as we speak, almost a whole week later, I can hear the fireworks exploding just down the street. Apparently people have loads of them left to keep exploding until the end of the summer.

The week started on Wednesday with Neuro and Renal cases. We were not called up front again, which makes the likelihood of our group been chosen for GI, Cardio and Reproductive cases much higher. I was very prepared for these cases and was a bit disappointed not to have been chosen to go up there. You know how it works… when you are ready, you are not called, but when you are unprepared, you are sure to be called… ugg.

Then on Thursday we had a quiz… I am not quite sure what to think about it, so I’ll wait until the results are back to even worry. We then had a short “Staying out of Trouble” lecture and then we watched the movie “Wit” with the wonderful Emma Thompson. This movie was all about the grueling journey of a patient together with a very medically-oriented-humanity-lacking medical staff.

“Wit” had moved me. What an amazing movie. Nevertheless, I had a very difficult time sitting all the way through it. Let’s just say that crying in public is NOT what I choose to do in my free time… OY! It was important to see this movie, but really… they should have told us what the movie was about… Knowing ahead of time might have prevented my snotty nose and puffy eyes from occurring in the first place (probably not, as I cry at all sad movies.) I don’t think I will be able to sit through this movie again anytime soon, but I think I could manage reading the play, so I might have to check it out of the library and read it to get a second look at all the difficult topics this movie brought.

Okay, after this we had an ethic lecture that was all about stem-cell research and stuff. I was still thinking about the movie, so I didn’t pay too much attention, but that’s okay.

On Friday we started earlier than normal. We made up the Sign Language class that was canceled on Monday, and then we had Spanish. The night before, my friend James had very slowly taught me how to conjugate the verb ‘Estar’ in Spanish. So now I know: Estoy, estas, esta, estan, estamos… etc. (misspelled again, but you’ll forgive me). I was so happy to finally understand it. I guess I just needed a friend to go slowly over this with me! Sheesh! As a result, the class on Friday was much better than the first one last week… It is still difficult to sit for 4 hours straight in a completely new language. I think my brain shuts down after about two hours.

Well, today was not as productive as I wanted it to be. I cleaned the house, played with my two fur-balls did laundry and… fell asleep on top of the very warm ‘straight out of the dryer’ clothes for about two and a half hours. Oh man. I guess we can say that watching another Emma Thompson movie, this time a nice comedy—Nanny McPhee, and learning how to say “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” backwards (“Dociousaliexpilisticfragicalirupus”) were also some very ‘interesting’ things I manage to have done today :o) (they need to give us more homework!)

The only other big news this week is that I received another scholarship! I am much honored be the recipient of the Arizona Silver Anniversary Scholarship (through USA Funds).

That’s about it,

Loads of kisses from here,

Reut
8 jul 06 @ 10:03 pm