Back Again

So after the ordeal of having to appeal to the Dean of my university to allow me to return the decision was made to allow me to retake the final from 1st semester. Instead of staying in the U.S. to study I have decided to come back to the island for the month and a half before my exam to study and make use of professor office hours. The 3rd exam was the hardest for me last semester so I'm focusing on this one the most. After re-watching the first two lectures I'm starting to fill in the mental blanks for information that I didn't pick up the first time around. It's a good feeling to actually have time to learn the material thoroughly. I really do love the material, I mean where else can you learn so much about the most minute details of physiological and cellular mechanisms? It's so cool!
Lately I've been reading a series by Tess Gerritsen, an internal medicine doc, about a two-woman homicide detective team. One woman, Jane Rizzoli is an experienced homicide detective and the other, Dr. Maura Isles is a first-rate Medical Examiner. Gerritsen makes each character as flawed and lovable as the next. Both are strong women working in male-dominated fields and have entertaining quirks that make you wish you were best friends with them. While I love Jane's ballsy attitude and independence, Dr. Isles is who I really admire. She has a working knowledge of all technology pertaining to forensic medicine as well as the medicine docs usually practiceon the living. Rachel has said time and time again that she could see me as a Medical Examiner. While I have always been intrigued with forensic anthropology and forensic pathology...I just don't see myself spending hours with dead people. But, hey, you never know what area of medicine I will end up in. I sure don't have a clue.
There is also an amazing show loosely based off of the characters called "Rizzoli & Isles" which takes a much lighter tone than the novels. Never-the-less I'm a real sucker for TV or movie adaptations of books so I'm kind of addicted to this show now as well.
I do have to warn you that the books are not for the weak of stomach--it's a good thing that I have spent hours hovering over, cutting open and poking at cadavers because the details of the book are gruesome and intriguingly grotesque at best. Guess you kinda have to have the sick and twisted mind of a pathologist to find them interesting. :)

I'm heading to Roseau with Swati tomorrow to find some propane for her (the island has had a major shortage) and to buy basic kitchen/food things since everything in Picard is crappy and expensive.

More soon!

A long time coming!

Alex the Gray Parrot, my animal hero of the day!

So turns out keeping a blog in Medical school is a bit impossible! Towards the end of last semester I was so swamped with studying/labs/etc. I barely had time to eat and breathe.
After a short hiatus from my studies I return to the island in March to study, retake my final and return to the States for a short break in April. If all goes well I will be back in May to start 2nd semester. My friends who are midway through 2nd semester now are hating it...they are still guinea pigs for the new curriculum and the profs have even protested against the 8 hour lecture days. Sounds brutal. Looks like the curriculum set-up will have changed when I start 2nd semester. The school is also transitioning to computer-based testing, blech. Not looking forward to this...gives me nightmares about the MCAT all over again.
Being back in Texas in the Winter has proven that I can no longer tolerate temperatures below 50 degrees. After spending summers here, Brownsville, and living in the Caribbean I have adapted to the homeostatic body temp of an exotic mammal. All immunity to the cold that I built up as a kid in the North East is diminished. *Sigh*
Today I had a visit to an Orthopedic surgeon who diagnosed my left knee problems. I had suspected a diagnosis of a lateral meniscal tear and was delighted to hear that the physician had the same suspicion. Only I could be delighted by this. I know that I will have a serious recovery period if it's true...only the MRI can tell...
If it is a meniscal (cartilage) tear, I will have a short surgical procedure, physical therapy and be on crutches for a week. Fun times. Guess this is what I get for playing soccer/sports my whole life and being a woman-->see: genu valgum. Hooray for "birthing hips". Also the doc confirmed my ridiculously, over-flexible ligaments, which also attributes to my knee issue...now I know why I sound like a human popcorn maker when I run up the stairs :D
The experience I had with this Ortho doc was amazing, it made my day in fact. I love love love talking medicine with specialists and learning from them. It gives me a chance to apply what I have learned in anatomy, in this case, and reaffirms my desire to be a physician. Unlike the average med student who has "wanted to be a doctor since childhood" *rolls eyes*, I have only started to realize my passionate interest in this field since starting medical school.
I'm looking forward to returning to the island to study with my friends and do well on the final..I have already reviewed 1/4 of the material from last semester and plan to finish with time to review for the final on April 18th. Wish me luck!