Crunch time to the n^th power!

This week is going to be pure insanity. Two exams coming up in a row in 8 days and I can feel it inside my bones. Anatomy is a bit frightening this semester in terms of content. I just came back from the Anat lab actually, after a long review session with my lab partner this semester. He is so smart and a really awesome study partner! We quizzed each other and that really helped.

Now I am back at the library and hoping today will be an extremely efficient day... I think I am a little stressed even though I am not fully aware of it. The reason why I think that is because I haven't slept well for the past four nights. I kept waking up every two hours or so, thinking it was time to wake up and goto school. I hope tonight will be different...

Alright back to studying. I wanna nail this first exam!

Little things, big impact.

I got a bit caught up in the school work since classes started that I hadn't posted for a while. But today is Research Day and that means no class! And here I am writing away. Finally I am back in my study groove, full on. It did take me a little more than a week to shake off the vacation laziness. Semester 2 is so far so good, much more interesting than Semester 1 yet the load is heavy. Neuroscience is the new challenge this semester - we have to know the brain and spinal cord inside out, wet and dry. It is amazing how such little structures control EVERYTHING we do. The spinal cord itself is about the diameter of your fingers, give or take. I held the human brain to study it and was amazed by its solid texture. It did feel like hard tofu - maybe slightly on the softer side. All the gyri and sulci are beautifully carved in. The cranial nerves were a bit of a pain at the beginning, as it was almost pure memorization of their origin, the foramina they pass through, their route, and what they innervate. But then it became sorta fun to trace them (or I am MAKING it fun so I could focus and learn). I have most of the stuff down. Just gotta repeat repeat and repeat more. My favourite cranial nerve right now is CN VII - facial n. It has several functions, including innervation of muscles of facial expression, salivary glands, lacrimal (tear) glands, and detect taste from anterior 2/3 of the tongue. Oh and what is more interesting is learning the muscles that control all the facial expressions! For example, orbicularis oris is your 'pucker' muscles and together with buccinator they allow you to make the 'blow-fish' face. I could go on and on about this...

We also had a dissection of the orbit, which contains the eyeball. It was neat. We got to take the eyeball out of the socket and look at the socket from the front and fromt the top. We also learned about the 6 muscles that control the movement of the eyeball. It was so interesting! I wish I could take the eyeball out and show you guys how each of the muscle acts. You would be impressed by the intricate organization of our bodies! The stalk behind the eyeball that connects it to the brain is the optic nerve. And the 6 muscles are: superior/inferior oblique, superior/infereior/medial/lateral rectus.

Earlier this week we also had a lot of endocrinology lectures and those were interesting as well. We focussed on hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, stress hormone cortisol, and epinephrine (adrenaline). I am so excited for the rest of the semester! Anyway I should get back to studying as there is a LOT to study.

Guess what I am holding in my hands in the photo? AVOCADO! Yes they are as big as my hands/face and so delicious! I remember how small the avocados looked back home. So pathetic compared to the Dominican ones! Right now it is avocado and orange/tangerine/grapefruit season. I am going to gorge myself with those before the season ends! Have a good weekend everyone :)

Crack a skull like an egg?

On Wednesday we had our first Anatomy lab for Semester 2. I must say that I am very excited about the rest of the lab. Our first session was to dissect a human skull and remove the brain. I was one of the dissectors of the group (of course I would volunteer to do anything that is even remotely morbid haha) and MAN was I happy that I did it. My lab mates were awesome and we really worked well together as a group. Alright, so to give you an idea of what sort of amazing things happened in that lab here are the steps of what we had to do with our body (cadaver...):

1. Make 4 cuts in the scalp of cadaver and peel/reflect the scalp as if you are peeling an orange. You may need a tool to help you detach the scalp from the cranium. I just took what was closest to me - a chisel.
2. Once you have reflected the scalp just below the supraorbital ridge, which is where your eyebrows are, stop. We then put an elastic band around the head of the cadaver just 2cm above the ridge. Marked it. And reached for the sharp-looking saw.
3. Yes, then we were sawing away at the human skull. It was hard! Our body had an especially hard head. Because sawing was a draining task, we got the only male in our group, Ray, to do it. He was good at it but sweating like mad nonetheless. He even had to take a few breaks. The burning smell of bones were everywhere due to the friction created. My eyes watered from the formaldehyde in the air.
4. So now we made a nice dent with the saw on the frontal area of the skull. How do we get to the sides and the back of the head? We tried turning the neck of the cadaver like other groups. Nope, our body had a stiff neck. Great! So we had to turn the entire body! It was dead weight and what a workout it was! Elisha gave an awkward laugh when the cadaver's hand poked her in the ribcage (and stayed in that position for the rest of sawing process). As we were trying to flip the body over to get to the occipital bone, something interesting happened. The body bag under the cadaver folded and made a crease angling downward aiming right at my right leg. The next thing I knew was the sensation of a cool liquid hitting the side of my right knee and flowing downward all the way into my shoe. Then I felt it cooling my toes down. Yes, it was the juice from the cadaver that had accumulated in the body bag. Oh well, what could you do? It was only half way through the lab haha!
5. Finally we made a dent all the way around the skull. Put down the saw and picked up the hammer and chisel. The anatomy lab sounded like a construction zone with all the groups hammering away at the human skulls. Yanking, chiseling, pulling. Eventually with a nice sound of tearing a bone away from the tissue attached, we opened up the skull of our cadaver. There it was - the beautiful human brain. It was breathtaking - not just because of the smell but because you could see all the complex gyri and sulci that directed everything we were able to do as human beings.
6. Then with much effort, we took the brain out and studied it, washed it and soaked it in a bucket.
7. As soon as we finished the lab I ran home to wash the cadaver juice off my body. Oh, did I mention that my gloves broke as well and my arms were covered in splatters of body fat.

It was an awesome lab. And it will only get better (or worse, depends on how you look at it) as the term goes on - can't wait for the labs on the gastrointestinal tract! Wooot! The photo above was taken when I borrowed a real human skull (and the rest of the skeleton) from the lab for studying. I never thought skulls/brains were amazing till now.

Today is the last day of week 1 of semester 2. Lots of things to study already but I feel calm. Before school started I made sure I had my share of island fun and went kayaking (1 seater) and sailing on a catamaran twice! Oh so much fun in the beautiful ocean! The water was warm and royal blue. The sky was wide and open. The sun was blinding but its powerful rays were masked by the wind blowing across the surface of the ocean. At the end of each day during the break I was tired but happy.

Ok this post is too long and y'all are probably falling asleep reading this. Anyhow I gotta get back to studying. Ciao!

Nature's Artwork

Finally I found time and energy to hook my out-of-battery camera to my laptop and upload the overdue photos I took on my flight back home. The beauty of nature never ceases to amaze me and I have to share a few with y'all.











And of course, my baby Miho is also a nature's gift to me :)

'Don't know why there is no sun up in the sky' - as Natalie Cole sings. Stormy weather, it's been like this for the past few days. My landlord lady Sara calls it 'September weather'. Hurricane season is definitely here.I picked up my course packets today from the offices, surprised that they were open. Only Biochem and Physio were ready. I flipped throught the notes briefly. This semester will be interesting and I am quite excited about it. Just a few more days and the pace will quicken once again. Ran into some friends from last semester who just returned from their vacations - it was nice to see that most of the people I know are moving onto second semester.

This semester I am going to try to TA some courses, if it's possible. This way I can keep my mind and knowledge fresh at hand. We'll see. I talked to Cathy the coordinator and she said she'd get back to me about it. Hopefully it goes through and she gives me a green light to be a TA. Other than that I am just excited about the new semester, especially Gross Anatomy!!

Love and kisses to all my friends out there!

5 more days till Semester 2 begins!

This has been the longest no-blogging period for me. I spent a brief week at home (Vancouver) and spent some precious time with my lovely parents, my kitty, and my friends. It was good to be home, even though it was a short stay. However, I didn't get a chance to really relax during that week because there were so many things packed into my schedule - no regrets though, obviously! Vancouver will always be my favourite food source - mmm yum yum! The neverending plates of fruits and veggies, Sushi and Kimchi, Thai and Pho... you name it. Yes, perhaps I was a pig in my previous life.

The flights back to the island were really tedious - I had 3 to 4hr breaks between all my flights. Thank goodness my friends from Ross came to pick me up from the airport. Truthfully, part of me wanted to come back to Dominica. I love this island and its beauty. And I have made some amazing friends here. I felt like I was returning to my second home.

Second semester is coming up. I am quite excited about it. Study hard and there will be satisfactory results! Most of my friends made it to second semester. Some did not, unfortunately. The new incoming class has arrived, even bigger than our class - some are saying there are around 600 students. That is crazy because Ross is probably going to try to fail half of them... Buckle up because this ride is not going to be smooth!

There was a Welcoming BBQ for the first semesters today, and obviously I went. FREE FOOD - always welcome. The ocean view with sunset was gorgeous - I was so astounded by the nature that I went for my second plate of food! It was delicious - burger plus more! But I am getting tired now and will try to get back into my regular schedule - early night and early morning.

Promise to post pictures soon! :)

Seattle... not too impressive.

But I am almost home and nothing can stop me now - except the fact that Greyhound was sold out for the earlier ride. And that unfortunate fact is making me spend 4 extra hours in the States before I can head home to Vancouver. So the flights were not bad. I met three really nice ladies/girls on two separate flights and learned some Spanish that I soon forgot. But that is alright - I was running on 3 hrs of sleep and lots of excitement. From the plane I took lots of beautiful photos of the landscape, which I will upload once I am back in Dominica (I left my camera cord there).

Ah, it feels so amazing to finish the first semester and feel like a survivor. All these hours spent sitting down and bending over the books suddenly seem so trivial. The important thing is that I did it! And if I was to use one sentence to sum up my feelings right now, it would be - the world is mine to conquer! Okay you may think that is a bit silly...

I am sitting in a coffee shop in the WestLake Mall in Seattle (as shown in the photo). It is one of the few places that closed at 9pm. Everything else, including all Starbucks, closes at 6pm on a weekday. What a joke! I am used to having coffee shops open till 11pm, or even better - 24/7. That was frustrating - I did not want to sit at the dirty and creepy Greyhound terminal for 4 hours with a bunch of sketchy people. But I guess I have to spend a whole hour with them before I could get on the bus and pass out. I am so exhausted and not feeling so well. I think the AC on the planes are to blame.

Oh well. I am almost home :) My holiday begins!

Uncertainties

The campus closed down yesterday at 6pm because of the tropical storm warning, 2 days before the final exam. And they told us that it would re-open on the morning of the exam day. For students who always study on campus - that was a disaster. The next thing you know, everyone was rushing to shop and stock up on groceries like it was the end of the world. I thought about doing that for a second. Nah... didn't do it. Had my butt planted in the chair for a few more hours till the campus was closed. If the storm was gonna hit and all the stores were closed I would just run across the street to my friend's apartment to beg for food and shelter hahaha.

Tomorrow is my exam - 1pm. I can't wait to write it now. No I am not completely ready and no I don't know everything I should know. But my brain is exhausted. I could almost hear it protest against having more information funneling into it. Prayers are welcome! Today I took two big breaks and packed one suitcase. I was planning to move tomorrow but decided to do part of it today - because tomorrow I will be going OUT right after the exam and actually live a little. How exciting! Something to really look forward to.

I am at my friend Lila's place right now and she is out hunting for food :)
Last haul. Fingers crossed!

ps. I just found out that my webcam actually has those crazy ugly frames so I decided to get creative while I slack off! Excuse my tired look...

Bad news?

So there will be a tropical storm hitting Dominica tonite. Then 2 hurricanes - Bill and Ana - coming Tuesday and Thursday, respectively. That sucks. My flight is on Aug 20 Thursday right between the two storms!! :( Looks like there is a high chance that I won't make it home this break. But I am still hopeful... or in denial. Apparently Bill is hitting us with a Level 3. Great! Right on the day of the final as well when all we wanna do is party. Maybe I can fly myself home...

This is messed up.
I can't focus on studying now...

What just happened?

Yes what just happened? I think I have just written the hardest exam by far in my life... I know I complained about Mini 2, which - compared to this Mini 3 - was A PIECE OF CAKE. Oh man. A friend's words precisely describe the effect of this exam: 'Mini 3: 122, Student: 0. This is the first exam that made me feel like all the hours I put into studying had just gone to waste.' The repeating students who had written Mini 3 from last term said this one was RIDICULOUS. A lot of students did not even manage to finish the exam. Imagine that... well, I am hurting but it could be worse? Haha at least I am trying to tell myself that. Ross is rough like that.

After the exam I went to my friend Polina's and just jammed with her for HOURS. Music, my life saver. Polina is an amazing guitarist and songwriter. It just happens that we have very similar taste in music. I love singing and she loves playing. We clicked and the music healed our wounded little spirits (post-exam trauma), partially. Next term we are gonna try to play at the talent show here :) It really is nothing though - no one ever goes because everyone is busy studying. But we both know that we need it. That gives us something to work on and look forward to other than just studying day after day like a machine.

I am beat. But tomorrow morning I am going to put on my speedo and goggles and go work out in the pool - rain or shine. Because it has been missing from my life for the past 3 weeks.

Last exam - final - Aug18. Then my lovely home Vancouver. Prepare yourselves!

PS. Crossing my fingers for decent exam results..... let me pass let me pass.

I Want Your Life

[Check out my FIRST pair of Crocs. I can't believe it either...]

Unforgettable, that's what you are. Unforgettable, though near or far. Nat King Cole's soulful voice fills my mind in between my draining study sessions. I haven't been singing much for the past month, and that I miss greatly. It reminds me of the days when I used to work with the endearing cancer patients - the way we laughed and sang and enjoyed music in silence. The way we were all brought together by soothing melody. Music is not in my soul, it IS my soul. I was just getting better at the blues style of singing before I left Vancouver. Sigh, medical school - what a perfect example of a love-hate relationship.

I used to be much fitter (now I am getting jiggly... partly due to my foot injury). I used to bike everywhere (Dominica is NOT made for bikes, let alone my skinny roadbike). I used to sing and play piano whenever I want to (no pianos here) and jam with my buddy Cam (he is in Vancouver and most students here are just too afraid to think about making time for music). I used to eat very healthy (don't even think about it here unless you are like my friend Lila... she is just too amazing). Studying does take up most of my time. And I know that other medical students are going through similar feelings, but it just sucks sometimes. 'Don't lose your personality!' Sorry, but it is a little hard not to... ;) Oh of course I will not lose my personality. I still sing in my room while I isolate myself like the rest to study for the exams!

Alright so to say a little about the exams - Histo practical was yesterday. It was not so easy as the first and I think that is because we had less time to study for it. The hardest portion was pulmonary - all the cross sections of bronchi and terminal and respiratory bronchioles were hard to distinguish. Most of my friends felt the same about the exam. But it's behind us now. Gotta study like mad for Mini 3 on Aug 11. Then a week after that is the final exam. So close to going home! I can feel my heart race at the thought of being home with my family, friends, and Miho.

Back to the deadly Biochemistry. [Photo below is my cardiac cycle diagram. I heart cardio physiology!]