What d'ya say?
  • Home
  • BLOG
  • India Adventure
  • Scuba Diving
  • Meddies
  • Travel Pictures
  • Falmouth, Jamaica Pictures
  • Chichicastenango, Guatemala

X-rays, CT, MRI, Contrast, No Contrast, IVP and WTF

9/29/2009

0 Comments

 
One test down, only four more to go.  Today's test was over the imaging that we have been studying for the past 8 weeks, or at least that is what I thought it was suppose to be over.  When it comes to images I find it rather fun to look at them, find what is abnormal/normal, and see what is going on inside the body.  However, the hard part is being able to specifically give a ddx from only the image.  I can see the giant mass in the abdomen pushing the rest of the organs around and have an idea what might be causing but can't nail down one thing.  Lets hope that my answers were close enough.


Another thing about the test that I am not used to is my attitude towards the end.  I was ready to be done.  Normally I have this feeling but can still find enough drive to go back through the questions I was iffy on.  Not today, no way.  That might be a bad sign but the way I look at it is that I just need to pass and can use the extra time studying for the knowledge based test tomorrow.  That is the massive test that has everyone stressed out, including myself.   It is hard to get used to the feeling of no matter how hard you study you can't learn it all.  Where I get nervous is hoping that I know enough.  In the end most of the time it comes down to did you get lucky and study the right things.  Tomorrow I will let you know if I studied the right things.
0 Comments

The floodgates have been opened.

9/22/2009

1 Comment

 
Technology is an amazing wonder that keeps expanding with every second that ticks by.  It opens numerous doors and makes communication easier than ever.  However, technology also has great potential to open the floodgates for misunderstanding.  Whether it is a text message, an instant message, or accidently sending an email to the wrong person.  The consequences of technology can cause hurt feelings. 

In the end it isn’t technology’s fault for drama but the operators.  I think that people now are using technology as a means of avoidance and taking the easy way out, I am guilty of doing this on occasion.  What I have learned is to never read too much into electronic messages and if there is perhaps an issue go directly to the source, skip the text middle man, pick up the phone or go face to face to sort things out.

What I haven’t figured out is how to avoid the initial feeling of upset when you first get the message before issues have been sorted out. Any ideas?

1 Comment

It's a marathon, take it one step at a time.

9/17/2009

1 Comment

 
I just told myself to take a deep breath, relax, and it will all be fine.  It has come to that time in the block where it is the end of week 7, which means only one more week before week 9 rolls around.  What is special about week 9?  Well that is the week where we as students are evaluated aka test week.  This year the tests are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8-4:45 pm.  It is a time when people are stressed, overwhelmed, and excited to be finished with testing and because that means break week is next.  You can feel the anxiety and nervousness when you are around certain people.  It is like a dementor has entered the room and sucked the life out of you.

I sometimes struggle to remember that in the end it is really just a test; nothing incredibly significant that will be life changing or life altering.  It might suck to fail the test but in all reality the School of Medicine is going to everything they can to try and help you retake the test and pass.  They don't want you to fail out, bottom line.  That doesn't change the fact though that it is a stressful experience.  As my Dad always says Med School is like a marathon, you can't sprint the whole thing.  I need to be constantly reminded of that as test week quickly approaches.  

One thing that I did do this weekend was run a half marathon in St. Charles, MO.  It is a 13.1 miles jog that starts at the Riverport Amphitheater, crosses the river, and finished in historic downtown St. Charles.  It wasn't my best half, probably should have trained more than 4 weeks and around 10 miles I just was ready to be done.  The course is kind of boring too, running through fields and on highways.  However, what I am getting at with this story is that in the end I finished.  I wasn't last, I wasn't first but I challenged myself and accomplished my goal.  I think that when test week is over I will be saying the same thing (hopefully)! 

Picture
1 Comment

Bringing the blog back...I hope

9/3/2009

2 Comments

 
There is really not excuse for my long hiatus from blogging.  In the beginning it was an internet access issue in Rwanda.  The area where we were staying had wiring problems the last week we were there and then four of the Mizzou kids took a trip to Uganda.  In Uganda the internet was slower than old school dial-up so blogging was out of the question.  I did journal in the old fashion pen and paper way which I will give a quick recap of in my next post.

Oh but what a difference a month makes. August 1st I was arriving back in the US from Rwanda, started school on the 3rd and feel like I am still not adjusted.  It is kind of tricky to go from a place where the little things don't really matter and time is arbitrary to a society that dwells on the every detail and time is money.  As much as I learned from my time in Africa I still catch myself caught up in the US hustle and bustle.  Not that it is a bad thing but I sometimes need to take a step back and look at the big picture.  

And please don't get me wrong, I am proud to be an American and blessed in countless ways. My grandpa, JP, gave me a shirt when I got back that has a soaring bald eagle on it with PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN printed boldly beneath.  So yes JP I still love the US and promise to wear the shirt when I find the right occasion. Anyway what I am trying to get at is that I learned a lot from experiencing another culture and am trying to integrate what I have learned into my life.  Yet it is an adjustment coming home tha I am still trying to figure out.


2 Comments

    Author

    My name is Meg and I am currently a Geriatrics and Palliative Care Fellow at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.  I started this blog several years ago as a way to remember and talk about what I experienced while studying abroad in Rwanda during the summer of 2009.

    The blog has now continued and still serves as a way to let my friends and family know what I have been up to and a way for me to open up.

    Disclaimer: The contents on this site represent my personal opinions, views, and experiences.  They do not reflect the views of my employer or sponsor program.

    Archives

    January 2016
    March 2014
    February 2014
    May 2012
    February 2012
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.