Information Overload

First exam is Friday.  My. Head. Is. About. To. Explode!!

Welcome to 4 years where you feel dumb, dumber, dumberer every day.  That's pretty much what I have accepted.  It isn't supposed to be easy, so I will continue to press on and do my best.  After all, no one can ask any more of me.

There's a flux to studying in medical school.  I've noticed it quickly - everyone works at different paces and on different things.  I have decided it's not a good idea to compare myself to classmates.  One stands in lab and spouts off about everything relating to Waiter's Tip hand (I feel dumb), it takes one about .5 seconds to identify the Thyrocervical trunk (feel dumber), another knows more (and is incredibly passionate) about Transcription & Translation (feel dumberer).   But it isn't often you can find one person to do them all, and all at the same moment in time - that's the key.  I have strengths and weaknesses - as do my classmates - we balance each other out.

All that to say, if I can offer a piece of advice, you will not make it through medical school on your own.  Your classmates are your family.  Some you will be close to and some not so much.  That's okay, but you need each other.  I am so thankful to have classmates who want me to succeed as much as I want them to succeed.  Thankful for a school where gunners need not apply.

It's 9:35am on Sunday, I'm at school.  I'm working hard and trusting the work I'm doing will pay off.  While it seems impossible, I cling to this...Impossible is not a word.  It's just a reason for someone not to try.

All my best....



 

Done Orienting...

Many of you have requested I start a blog - little did you know I already had one ;)

I started medical school on July 26, 2010.  I still can't believe it is really happening. My life will never be the same. I am grateful, humbled, and honored to be at LMU-DCOM.

I hope to share some stories along the way. For now I have studying to do (imagine that). Let me leave this post with a quote I read when I started this journey in 2008:

"The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. The brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough. They are there to stop the other people!"

-Randy Pausch (1960-2008)

I loved that quote then and it has even more meaning for me now.  Nothing is impossible. You have to have faith in yourself and your ability. You have to work hard. But above all else, you can never give up.

Take care! 

I'm Back...

It's been almost two years since my last entry - so much had changed...

I've gone from "Hoping to Be Mom, MD" to "Med Student Mommy".  That's right!  I got accepted to medical school.  I was offered a seat at Debusk College of Osteopathic Medicine!!!  I am beyond excited and humbled by their show of support in helping me to achieve my goals.  These last few years have been a roller coaster ride for sure. I'm certain the next few will be even more insane. But I'm more confident that it will all be worth it in the end.


Ron and I are still awaiting a decision from Texas COM before we make a final commitment to Debusk.  But my gut is telling me Harrogate, Tennessee is where we'll end up when everything is said and done.  I think we are both looking forward to a change of pace and the gorgeous scenery.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned about what being so far away from family and friends would mean but I'm sure we'll meet new people and find things have a way of working themselves out.

Jacob is 2 1/2 years old now and the light of my life.  Buzz Lightyear and his awesomeness consumes most of our conversations, but who doesn't love to talk about Buzz Lighyear :) 

I better get back to studying for my Biochemistry exam - blech.  I have a love-hate relationship with classes that have the chemistry in their course title.

I'll try to do a better job keeping up with things from now on...

Yes, I'm Still Alive...

Okay, I have so much going on right now that blogging is last on my list. I do have to say that I am starting to relax a bit (not much though) about school - whatever will be, will be - at least that's what Doris Day said.

Jacob is crawling! I can't believe it...he's also learned that he can crawl to Bailey's (our dog) dish and join her in a little snack. Its not so much that he's eating dog food, I'm just concerned that he's going to choke - he still has no teeth. Which reminds me, I need to learn the Heimlich and Baby/Infant CPR...just add it to my list, right!

Thanksgiving is coming up quickly as are finals...I can't believe how fast the time goes. Its always about this time of year that I always remember my Grandpa Cecil and how much I miss him - I wish he got to meet Ron and Jacob so they would know what a great man he was...I hope he is proud of me. I'm just glad Jake has such wonderful grandpas and I hope they'll make ice cream with him one day. Random thought, I know...

Anyways, I guess I better get back to Chemistry - talk about something being all consuming - its all I ever do! AGH, this too shall pass!

Take care!

Feeling Groovy...

Okay, I have to say that I love fall weather. I don't know if there is anything better than wearing shorts with a sweatshirt...I'm pretty used to carrying a sweatshirt with me anywhere I go because the buildings at school are so FREAKIN' COLD!

I had an "I Feel Old" moment the other day at school...keep in mind that most of my classes this semester are Freshman/Sophmore level classes - you can see where this is going, I'm sure. These kids were born in '89-'90...okay, I was in Jr. High!

I was talking about my friend Tara's bag phone and how I thought she was so cool because she had a "mobile phone" and they had NO idea what I was talking about - I'm like hello, cell phones had to come from somewhere...they used to come in big bags and you even had to have an antenna on your car window! They were amazed, bless their little hearts.

I'm having a pretty great day today - Jake has slept through the night for the last 4 nights! YES! I made a 94 on my Intro. to Modern Biology test, waiting on my Chem exam score - I'm just feeling really blessed today...

Maybe Ron will take me to Red, Hot, and Blue for dinner sometime this weekend to celebrate life being pretty dang fantastic...

I'll be back soon with some new pics of my big man - he'll be 6 months old on the 24th! I can't believe it!

Take Care!!!

GO FALCONS!!

I thought I would just mention, as I said I would earlier, the greatest Pee-Wee football team in Oklahoma City - The Falcons!

My nephew, Brendan, plays football (he's #11)- and he pretty darn good. The team was in a tournament over in Argyle, TX last weekend and they won they whole thing.

The cool thing was they beat a team from OKC they had never beat before - so I know the boys were so proud of themselves. I was going to post some 'action' shots but Ron moved them all to my sister's laptop and I just have a few shots from the trophy ceremony.

Here's my shout out to the Falcons - keep up the good work! Most of all, Happy 11th Birthday to my little nephew...I guess he's not so little anymore - but I hope he knows how incredibly proud Uncle Ron and I are of him and just how much I love him.

I DID IT!!!!!!!

I know its been forever, but I've been pouring myself into school. What little I have left goes to Jake and Ron...and apparently not to cleaning my house but that is another story (I need a maid).

I was never the college student who would have gone to ask for help - and I have a tendency to not ask for help in my personal life as well - but I finally broke down and emailed my Chemistry prof and told him a I needed help. I meet with him every Monday from 4-5, just after another study group for Chem - can you tell this is a time consuming subject???? So we went over the "math" today and I actually get it! Turns out I was just having problem with my conversions - dimensional analysis is the bane of my existence.

I came home and did my pre-quiz for Chapter 6 and I got them ALL right! I was so freakin' stoked that I cried - Ron thinks I'm a freak. Jake just screamed - he's into this screeching with excitement phase, especially when Bailey (our dog) walks by...

I just thought I'd share - I need to commemorate that evening...hold onto it as a reminder that I am doing that thing which I think I cannot do (I love Eleanor Roosevelt) and succeeding!!!

In the word's of SNL's great sage, Stewart Smalley....I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it people like me!

More to come...and I have to tell you about the crazy fun football tourney we went to this weekend...GO FALCONS!

Take care!