I feel like I disappeared for a little bit. But I'm back. There are 20 days left till my Step 1 exam. I hope I will feel ready by the time it comes - trying not to push it back based on my pre-exam anxiety.
Studying has been really slow. Some sections like Neurology takes SO LONG for me to absorb. I ended up not going to the library because I am too lazy to travel. So since day 1 I have been studying at home, and it has been working out great. Lots of things have happened since - the good, the bad, the fear, the excitement. But you know what? You just gotta roll with it. No one promised that it is going to be a smooth ride. As long as you focus on your goal and deal with the curveballs thrown at ya, a little bump here and there makes things more fun :)
I have some friends who had to retake the Comp recently. And I admire them so much for trying again! That is true courage, regardless of the results. Compared to them I feel like I could learn to be stronger sometimes. Getting through medical school is a tough job. It is an unpaid full-time job with lots of over-time, still unpaid. Some may say otherwise. But for a person like me - average intelligence, average endurance, addicted to sleeping - I find it challenging. Yet, these challenges are what I live for. I am ok with not being the top of my class. I am ok with the extra hours I have to put in just to get a decent grade. If someone asks me whether they should goto med school, I will still say yes - but I will suggest that they first find ways to reaffirm their passion.
Lately through talking to some friends from time to time, I realized that what makes or breaks you is (for the most part) decided by you. We have the upper hand in most situations but we don't always see that. Maybe that is when good friends come in handy as they become the reflection of your inner strength. Yes, you need to see it again. Over and over.
Keep on moving. Because we are all in this together.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
More things I learned...
1. Mittelschmerz is an actual word. It means 'ovulatory pain'. Occurs in a small portion of women of reproductive age. Basically the follicle containing the ovum ruptures (ovulation) and releases some blood, which ends up irritating the peritoneum. In some women this causes pain and could look like she is having an acute appendicitis.
2. If you keep your neck submerged in water, such as sitting in the deep end of kids pool - after a few minutes you'll get the urge to pee. That is due to the effect of stimulation of the carotid body, which with an unknown mechanism increase release of ANP (atrial natriuretic peptide). ANP increases Na+ loss through urine, thereby increasing urine output. You may feel too guilty to pee in the pool, but the kids won't...
3. If a patient has low blood sugar, check serum level of c-peptide. If c-peptide is high, you know the patient probably has an insulinoma (tumor of beta-cells of pancreas). If c-peptide is low, well, the patient has been stabbing him/herself with insulin needles too often!! The latter is called a factitious disorder, where the patient is conscious of his/her doing, but without a particular motive.
4. Atkin's diet. I'm sure we've all heard of it. It's based on the idea that fat cells can't absorb fat on their own. They need glucose (carbohydrate). So if you eat a lot of meat without any carbohydrate then all of the fat eaten is not absorbed. But come on.... carbohydrate tastes so good!! Think about all those freshly baked loaves of bread...
Happy Monday! :)
2. If you keep your neck submerged in water, such as sitting in the deep end of kids pool - after a few minutes you'll get the urge to pee. That is due to the effect of stimulation of the carotid body, which with an unknown mechanism increase release of ANP (atrial natriuretic peptide). ANP increases Na+ loss through urine, thereby increasing urine output. You may feel too guilty to pee in the pool, but the kids won't...
3. If a patient has low blood sugar, check serum level of c-peptide. If c-peptide is high, you know the patient probably has an insulinoma (tumor of beta-cells of pancreas). If c-peptide is low, well, the patient has been stabbing him/herself with insulin needles too often!! The latter is called a factitious disorder, where the patient is conscious of his/her doing, but without a particular motive.
4. Atkin's diet. I'm sure we've all heard of it. It's based on the idea that fat cells can't absorb fat on their own. They need glucose (carbohydrate). So if you eat a lot of meat without any carbohydrate then all of the fat eaten is not absorbed. But come on.... carbohydrate tastes so good!! Think about all those freshly baked loaves of bread...
Happy Monday! :)
Monday, January 3, 2011
Some things I learned today...
When you get bored, think of the following...
1. Next time someone has garlic breath, a fun thought is that they are suffering from Arsenic poisoning (stomach pain, vomiting, delirium). Antidote is Dimercaprol to remove Arsenic from inactivated enzymes.
2. Thiopental is used in induction of anesthesia due to its short-acting nature. It's rapid plasma decay is due to redistribution into skeletal muscle and fat, NOT due to metabolism (although hepatic metabolism is required for it to be eliminated from body).
3. If someone stinks after sweating, it's because his or her skin bacteria are doing a very good job (and perhaps he or she needs to shower soon). Apocrine glands secrete vesicles of 'sweat' into hair follicles. But this usually has no odor. Odor comes from bacterial activity on skin surface!
4. 'Water-balloon' testes are due to serous peritoneal fluid flowing into and collecting in tunica vaginalis.
5. If you poke someone's perianal area with a pin and do not see a reflexive sphincter contraction, they might have Saddle Anesthesia. This is often caused by Cauda equina syndrome where a ruptured disc or a space-occupying lesion compresses the cauda equina.
Back to studying!!
1. Next time someone has garlic breath, a fun thought is that they are suffering from Arsenic poisoning (stomach pain, vomiting, delirium). Antidote is Dimercaprol to remove Arsenic from inactivated enzymes.
2. Thiopental is used in induction of anesthesia due to its short-acting nature. It's rapid plasma decay is due to redistribution into skeletal muscle and fat, NOT due to metabolism (although hepatic metabolism is required for it to be eliminated from body).
3. If someone stinks after sweating, it's because his or her skin bacteria are doing a very good job (and perhaps he or she needs to shower soon). Apocrine glands secrete vesicles of 'sweat' into hair follicles. But this usually has no odor. Odor comes from bacterial activity on skin surface!
4. 'Water-balloon' testes are due to serous peritoneal fluid flowing into and collecting in tunica vaginalis.
5. If you poke someone's perianal area with a pin and do not see a reflexive sphincter contraction, they might have Saddle Anesthesia. This is often caused by Cauda equina syndrome where a ruptured disc or a space-occupying lesion compresses the cauda equina.
Back to studying!!
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