I am going to 4th semester!

Our grades were up today. And I made it. After all the crazy ups and downs I am going to do finish up the last little bit of second year of med school. Keep on trucking!

Yesterday 7 friends and I rented a van and drove around the island. It was the most fun I have and in a long time. We first made a stop at Batibou beach (see first pic). Dominica has many hidden beaches like this one. White sand, colorful fish, blue sky, corals, and the warm blue sea. Finally it feels like a vacation in the tropics. The island is a lovely place. Anyway, we played around in the water for a while. Then decided to explore the rocks (we had to do some climbing). It was exciting! Two of the guys were so brave they actually jumped into the water and ventured out to climb the second, smaller rock (see second picture). I wish I could tell everyone that this is what we do all the time.. Unfortunately, this is (at least for me) the first time to explore the island so thoroughly. I took in every slice of nature, every little creature hustling in the bushes, all the sounds coming around us. This must be what heaven looks like.

Anyhow, I only got 2 B's and 2 A's this semester. Hope they will still let me tutor. I am going to talk to the office and see what they say. Tutoring as become a part of me now that I feel empty if I don't do it! Such a strange but pleasant feeling. I will be here enjoying the island while missing Vancouver. But either way, it will be grand :) At the end of the day, do not forget to give thanks and reflect on what has pushed you forward one step closer to your goal.

Checkpoint 3!

This picture precisely describes my emotions and mindset after the exam just 10hrs before the photo was taken. Andra and I were at Riverside Restaurant getting some dinner and enjoying the conversations on non-school-related things. It felt great. I finally pulled through another semester. Well, not just another one, but a harder one in my opinion. This was the new 'first semester' as we had a new batch of challenging subjects to tackle. And even though the last month had been rough, I picked myself up (with help from lovable friends and family) and ran the rest of my race. Relief, is what has been filling my head.

Most of my close friends, if not all, have left the island yesterday and today to go home either in US or Canada to visit. On one hand I really wish I bought a ticket to go home this break, on the other hand I knew I needed to relax and stay fresh by staying here in Dominica. This break is too short for me to go back home and recover from chronic exhaustion! Plus, we all know that traveling is stressful.

Alright, so a little summary of the 1st half of second year of med school. It is getting tougher as we get higher (well, no doubt). Pharmacology was a difficult subject for me, especially because Ross has a relatively more condensed curriculum than others. I pushed my brain to the max and squeezed out all its juice this semester. Definitely maxed it out trying to remember all these drugs and everything about them in such a short time. Microbiology was tough but not as bad. I feel that if I had just a bit more time I could have improved my grades by A LOT. But, don't we all feel that way? Hehe.

I want to thank my Dad for being there for me when I needed someone the most (of course my Mom too). Something he said, something that I just needed to hear then, got me through this tough time and helped me stand back up. When I was feeling down and frustrated about my Mini 3 grades with everything else going wrong around me, my Dad reminded me of the marathons. He reminded me of the times (yes, more than once) when I had seriously injured myself during training and even had to have a time-out so I could recover. He wanted me to remember how frustrating and discouraging those times were. But I took time off to heal. And eventually I did complete my race. I ran, with satisfactory personal time.

We can never predict what lies head or when we will fall. What is more important is to keep your head up and not down, keep looking forward and not back. What does not kill you makes you stronger, MUCH stronger. Hang in there - for whatever you are trying to achieve :)

Gym time, for me.

Always pick up where you leave off. And keep on walking!

Last 12hrs of cramming/studying/increasing intracranial pressure. Well, I am finally back to myself even though the situation is not ideal haha... oh well, gotta be prepared for the unpredictable! Things happen but I can't let them bring me down. Two weeks of sadness is too much and I am putting an end to that :)

Studying with my friend Andra today. Wish we figured this out earlier cuz now things are coming together pretty good. We are coming up with mnemonics faster than the espresso maker cranking out strong coffee. Next semester we are just gonna do this and work together starting Day1 (now that we know we can totally beat this if we start early). Just wanna share a few mnemonics that we made up. PLEASE, if they are offensive in any way, keep in mind that they are just mnemonics to help us learn. Enjoy (all you fellow nerds)!

'GanDof plays laCross behind the Net.' (Ganciclovir, Cidofovir, Foscarnet are drugs to treat CMV-induced retinitis. They exhibit Cross-resistance.)

'Ami ODs her Cister with Platinum, not Aluminum.' (CisPlatin is an antineoplastic alkylating agent for bladder/ovarian ca. It is inactivated by Aluminum (needle material). It can cause nausea/vomiting and antidote is OnDansetron. It can also cause ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity due to free radicals, and antidote here is Amifostine.

'Low-pro-lide' (Leuprolide is a GnRH analog that inhibits LH/FSH production, and therefore reduce Prolactin, hence the Low-Pro. It is used in Prostate ca. This can cause testicular atrophy as a side effect.)

Ok I have to keep studying. Love you all and keep on smiling!

Gotta bounce back.

Last couple of weeks had been hell, somewhere mixed in the chaos were my friend Adrian's death, some bad luck on the practical exams, and high levels of stress caused by Pharmacology and Pathology. Mini3 scores are out and this is by far my WORST exam. I am not going to share my grades, but I'll just say - this almost made a hypomanic person (like me) depressed. Thank God for such amazing family and friends who gave me encouragement and support through the rough times. No, I am not a quitter. And I will kick the final exams right in the arse!!

I was chatting with my Dad today and mentioned how I wished I was a Pharmacist or an EMT or something between my undergrad and Med school. But my friends who did those things told me that I was better off just heading straight into Med school, like I am now. Is this just another greener grass on the other side sorta thing? I am kinda envious of their situation because they are not struggling to learn the drug names and uses. They could use their actual experience to help them out on the exam to answer those amazingly ambiguous questions because they had been there, seen that. Sigh... no point in complaining. God brought me here at this time for a reason and I just have to keep going.

Just do my best.

It is going to be a long night...

Only have time to say a few words here before diving back into studying again... We had our Pathology practical today. It wasn't too bad but still trickier than I expected. Hit or miss again.

Tomorrow we have a full day of studying and day after is the 3rd Mini. And let me tell you - it is TERRIFYING. I am trying the shove and pack all these drugs into my head (Pharmacology) and it feels like nothing is sticking. Hopefully this is just an unreliable feeling. Praying hard these days. Ok I will update soon after my exam with more interesting things hopefully.

My friend Adrian's memorial service was amazing - just thought I'd mention :)

In memories of a wonderful friend.

Loss, is a difficult concept. It is a hidden monster in the back of your memory that causes chaos when you are the least prepared. The most vulnerable. No moment is a good moment to lose someone you love, someone you have embraced whole-heartedly. Recently we lost a friend, a beautiful mind, a soul radiating positive energy. Two more weeks till his 24th birthday. Two more weeks till he reaches yet another milestone and moves one step closer to his dream of serving others. This news came so suddenly that it tore a big chunk off our aching hearts as it penetrated the thick air on this campus, stirring up endless questions without answers. Why? You wonder. Why him? Why such a lovable spirit?

I will remember you. You have left a deep impression in my memories. You are the inspiration of me and many others who have been touched by your love, your smile, your encouraging words. Your dream will no longer be carried by yourself, as we are all in this together and your dream is our dream. Let us remember our dearest friend Adrian. Let us not forget the reason why we are here striving for what seems so difficult to reach. Let us carry on with Adrian watching over us, surrounded by beautiful angels.

Finally, just reach for the phone and call someone you love but unable to see right now. Do tell them, that they have stolen a piece of your heart.



We miss you, Adrian.