Changes

I got a new motorcycle:










And this was my latest patient.

I'm obsessed with this video.

Plus I'm testing for a part-time job as a paramedic in Madison county.

I guess medical school fits in there too. It's hard.

Lifeload: New York is a Woman

Some know, some don't, but I figured I might as well announce it here. I've accepted a summer position at Katten Muchin Rosenman's NYC office. I'll be living in the City May-August. I hope it's ready for me ;)

-M.

Med school

So after a month and two blog posts, I've managed to ignore the subject of med school. It's not that I don't want to write about it, I just don't know what there is to share. I'm busy studying, making new friends, and enjoying all there is to do in Chicago. I've even forgone seeing movies save for a few I manage to catch now and again (although I should see more, since there are a plethora of free preview screenings here).

So why do I have time to watch two movies this weekend and write this blog post? Well, we just had our first of six tests for Structure-Function this year (the hard sciences course) and I passed! After the post-test party that night, I've had nothing to do.

But in case you wanted to know, here's what med school's been like. In addition to the Structure-Function course, I've had three classes that aren't hard sciences: ethics (significantly less stimulating and more practical than I would have liked), communication skills (videotaped interviews with patient actors to provide relentless yet helpful feedback on our history-taking skills), and patients in context (listening to patients tell us about their medical experiences). I've also had problem-based learning (we read a case and go out and do research to diagnose the disease) and medical decision-making (basically epidemiology and statistics). I've had a few clinical experiences (got to see a catheter!), but a volunteer spot in a clinic I was supposed to have last Wednesday got canceled. That's going to be rescheduled for next month. We have a talent show after winter break, so I may get back into filmmaking for that.

Other than that, there's not much to tell about med school. It's just like normal school. Only with fewer tests and more time spent studying. Life is normal. And I'm pretty happy with normal.