On the Run -- MedSchool Version
As I stare at the ocean from my living room, accompanied by the sound of nearby construction, I find myself reflecting on my first three months of medical school. Its been a while since I've done this but I felt compelled to document some of my thoughts on the highs and lows of my medical journey so far. It officially began on September 2, but was proceeded by a week of orientation. To me it felt like a typical orientation. More important than the flood of information slammed upon each class of incoming health professional students, it was an opportunity to get to know as many people as you felt comfortable with and squeeze out the last few hours of freedom before the real work started. Since I did the Pre-Matriculation Enrichment Program (PREP) I used orientation to catch up with the friends I made in the summer as well as mingle with as much of the rest of the class that I could. Being first years it reminded me of my freshman year in college. There was a mixture of the excitement that comes with a new environment with anticipation and a little anxiousness as a result of not knowing exactly what would transpire in the coming days and months. For many freshman chasing down all the 'required' books is one of the biggest challenges in a new school year. Its hard to figure out which books are actually necessary and its not long until the $$$ stack up to an uncomfortable height. Fortunately for us, thanks to a few kind classmates and the mysterious Med Reb (fourth edition) most of the books we will need as we progress through school are provided online! Some of the other challenges I faced before school started were, finding a reliable dry cleaner, a place to buy furniture and coming to grips with the fact that the nearest Chipotle was more than 30 minutes away!
Gross Anatomy and Radiology (GAR) is the first class at UTMB school of medicine. It is a classic medical school course and students are expected to hit the ground running. In college I had always wondered how courses in medical school would differ from the upper level science courses at the undergraduate level. It didnt take long to figure out that in medicine the pace and volume of information covered over a short time span far surpassed that of anything I had done before. Not only did we move in leaps and bounds but it was expected that students master the information and even read outside lectures to develop a fuller understanding. The lab portion of the class was extremely fascinating. It was the first time (outside of PREP) I had really dissected anything let alone a human body. For me there was never a dull moment in the cadaver lab, being able to see the contents of the thoracic cavity, the uterus, neurovascular bundles and the brain were only a few of the many highlights. Also the opportunity to wander from tank to tank and observe the uniqueness and similarities of each body is something I will always cherish. Lab also presented a good time to meet a lot of my classmates. It was the one time where everyone was in the same place at the same time.
As exam time grew nearer people started to buckle down and I could feel the tension increase as people prepared for their first medical school test. The exam schedule featured written and lab sections with each contributing equally to the overall grade. The written exam was done on computers in a testing center on campus whereas the lab portion took place in the cadaver lab and was formatted as steeplechase, with 55 seconds at each station. Exam day came and went and the results were posted a lot faster than I expected. Thankfully the hard work paid off and we did really well as a class (this has become a pleasant trend)!
In addition to lecture and lab we also had Problem Based Learning (PBL) and Practice of Medicine (POM) sessions multiple times in a week. I personally have never been good at maintaining a planner, so with all the moving pieces I had to rely on some of my classmates to ensure I didnt miss a required session. In PBL we get a chance to apply classroom information to a clinical case. Sometimes we are lucky and we have been given the lecture before the associated PBL case. In these wondrous situations it is easier to make the connections and diagnose the case. Other times the PBL case proceeds the lecture and it can feel as if the group is just stabbing around while in the dark... Regardless I think the real challenge of PBL is learning how to function efficiently in a team setting with other very smart people and different personalities. It is definitely a skill that I think will benefit all of us especially once we begin clinical rotations.
POM has been a mixed bag for me so far. Aspects such as the clinic site visit are great. I really enjoyed being able to practice history taking and physicals in a realistic setting. Also I think learning how to take thorough patient notes has been very helpful and will make us better doctors in the future. However it often feels like POM is the forgotten course. Weekly POM meetings are always at the time of the day in which I would rather be getting my studying for the day out of the way or just napping. On top of that POM lectures are on Friday afternoons when few people have the motivation to sit through another lecture. Nevertheless... talking to my Dad about it over thanksgiving turkey, he stressed the importance of mastering the 'Art' of being a physician as well as amassing the necessary knowledge. POM teaches us the Art, so I guess I'll start paying more attention to it, but I wish it played a more prominent role or was scheduled at times at which I am a highly functioning human being... or maybe thats just me.
Ive always thought it was important to maintain a normal life outside of school and medschool is not too much different, though a little harder. Its easy to get lost in the material and overstudy, especially around test time. However, I try to hit the gym three to four times a week and either run, lift or play basketball. Outside of that I keep up with my t.v. shows and try to volunteer from time to time. Im also considering taking up golf... it should be known that I have been in the consideration phase for some time now ....
We are currently doing the Molecules Cell and Tissues course (MCT)... the plan is to have more regular posts ... buuut its just a thought for now.. until next time!
Cheers
Gross Anatomy and Radiology (GAR) is the first class at UTMB school of medicine. It is a classic medical school course and students are expected to hit the ground running. In college I had always wondered how courses in medical school would differ from the upper level science courses at the undergraduate level. It didnt take long to figure out that in medicine the pace and volume of information covered over a short time span far surpassed that of anything I had done before. Not only did we move in leaps and bounds but it was expected that students master the information and even read outside lectures to develop a fuller understanding. The lab portion of the class was extremely fascinating. It was the first time (outside of PREP) I had really dissected anything let alone a human body. For me there was never a dull moment in the cadaver lab, being able to see the contents of the thoracic cavity, the uterus, neurovascular bundles and the brain were only a few of the many highlights. Also the opportunity to wander from tank to tank and observe the uniqueness and similarities of each body is something I will always cherish. Lab also presented a good time to meet a lot of my classmates. It was the one time where everyone was in the same place at the same time.
As exam time grew nearer people started to buckle down and I could feel the tension increase as people prepared for their first medical school test. The exam schedule featured written and lab sections with each contributing equally to the overall grade. The written exam was done on computers in a testing center on campus whereas the lab portion took place in the cadaver lab and was formatted as steeplechase, with 55 seconds at each station. Exam day came and went and the results were posted a lot faster than I expected. Thankfully the hard work paid off and we did really well as a class (this has become a pleasant trend)!
In addition to lecture and lab we also had Problem Based Learning (PBL) and Practice of Medicine (POM) sessions multiple times in a week. I personally have never been good at maintaining a planner, so with all the moving pieces I had to rely on some of my classmates to ensure I didnt miss a required session. In PBL we get a chance to apply classroom information to a clinical case. Sometimes we are lucky and we have been given the lecture before the associated PBL case. In these wondrous situations it is easier to make the connections and diagnose the case. Other times the PBL case proceeds the lecture and it can feel as if the group is just stabbing around while in the dark... Regardless I think the real challenge of PBL is learning how to function efficiently in a team setting with other very smart people and different personalities. It is definitely a skill that I think will benefit all of us especially once we begin clinical rotations.
POM has been a mixed bag for me so far. Aspects such as the clinic site visit are great. I really enjoyed being able to practice history taking and physicals in a realistic setting. Also I think learning how to take thorough patient notes has been very helpful and will make us better doctors in the future. However it often feels like POM is the forgotten course. Weekly POM meetings are always at the time of the day in which I would rather be getting my studying for the day out of the way or just napping. On top of that POM lectures are on Friday afternoons when few people have the motivation to sit through another lecture. Nevertheless... talking to my Dad about it over thanksgiving turkey, he stressed the importance of mastering the 'Art' of being a physician as well as amassing the necessary knowledge. POM teaches us the Art, so I guess I'll start paying more attention to it, but I wish it played a more prominent role or was scheduled at times at which I am a highly functioning human being... or maybe thats just me.
Ive always thought it was important to maintain a normal life outside of school and medschool is not too much different, though a little harder. Its easy to get lost in the material and overstudy, especially around test time. However, I try to hit the gym three to four times a week and either run, lift or play basketball. Outside of that I keep up with my t.v. shows and try to volunteer from time to time. Im also considering taking up golf... it should be known that I have been in the consideration phase for some time now ....
We are currently doing the Molecules Cell and Tissues course (MCT)... the plan is to have more regular posts ... buuut its just a thought for now.. until next time!
Cheers
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