Biopsies

So today we learned about skin cancer. Scary stuff, and something I worry about fairly often. In small groups, to further our studies of melanoma and basal cell carcinoma we learned how to biopsy using the closest approximation to human skin they could apparently find:

I think I'll tell my preceptor this afternoon that since I'm now as trained as I ever will be on how to do a punch biopsy if he has any nasty cervical lesions to take care of, I'm his girl.

Heaven

I had almost forgotten how much I love wine. It's been months since my last glass. I told myself if I studied hard, I could reward myself with a glass and some chocolate (and the opportunity to watch the ultimate in bad tv - the Real World/Road Rules challenge). Over all a great night.

The day yesterday was really something though. I was NOT feeling class in the morning, but I stuck it out and took the best notes I could. We had an afternoon dermatology clinic session, which I was so expecting to be disgusting. Overall though, it was really interesting. I saw cases of people who had diseases I'd only seen on the Discovery Health channel. They were all very inspiring people. On the way out the derm resident told us we should at least think about dermatology when it came time to interview for residency. We just laughed. Dermatology is the hardest residency in the country to get. It comes with great hours and great pay. But only 60% of the people who want to get into it do. Compare that to the 90% for most specialties. Even neurosurgery is over 80%. As one of my classmates so eloquently put it, "you don't pick dermatology, dermatology picks you."

But, great hours and lots of cash aside, I can't fathom being a derm for life. The more I think about all aspects of the field, the more motivated I am to pursue anesthesiology. It makes me happy, and it would let me have a happy family too. Can't ask for a whole lot more.






Other than the derm clinic, this week isn't the most exciting, but it's going to take some work. Next week we have finals in our two classes, so I need to keep up with the studying. Hopefully if I get on top of it next week won't be as bad as I think it will be.






For those who like happy hour, I also wanted to let you know about a charity event at Lime Restaurant in Larimer Square on Thursday. From 4-8 there is happy hour. There is a $5 cover to be donated to charity (for kids with cancer) unless you donate some formal attire (for Dressed to the Nines, which has formal dresses for events for kids with cancer). Appetizers are free and drinks are discounted. Sounds like a good time, and I'm hoping to make it out. If your in town, I'd love to see you all!






For tonight though, I'm done with the books. It's time to regroup with some motivation. I now know I am old because I take my time off to look at salary.com to compare future earnings in different areas of the country, then compare these to housing prices in these areas. There's probably nothing more exciting to read about right now than seeing this printed hope about the real light at the end of this tunnel. Don't get me wrong. There is truly, in (almost) every doctor's heart the hope that they will make a difference to their patients. You can't survive this field if you don't go into it, at least initially, to help people. But there's only so much ragging on a person (my doctor is such a jerk, he never returns my calls, I hope you won't be like that, you don't know anything yet, you're have a LONG road ahead of you, you're so naive....) that one can take before you start to wonder, is there anything in it for me, and if so, is it worth it. Knowing that I have so many options in front of me helps me to realize that it is, indeed worth it, and I will make it. Not only for the perks ahead, but because I really, truly want to. And yes, I do want to help people, but the compensation and job security don't hurt the equation either.






Well, back to studying. Not all docs are well compensated...

Back to It

Thankfully the uber-test went well. They usually go fine, but they are always preceded by a few days of panic. I think they might not go as well if the panic didn't come first. It's definitely better than panicking after anyway. The afternoon was everything I hoped it would be, but I didn't sit around in front of the television as I thought I might. I read a little bit, from a book that had nothing to do with medicine, and J and I took to the town. We ran some errands and walked around Cherry Creek for a while. I haven't been to Cherry Creek for at least 4 years, and it was nice to get out in the sunshine. We went to Cost Plus which is pretty much my favorite place on the planet, and overall had a good afternoon.

Today it's back to work. The reprieve was short, but there's only two weeks left of the block and I have to say that I'm close to having the best showing I've had in med school yet. It's motivating me to keep working on it. The lure of spring break as the light at the end of the tunnel is also a huge motivator. I figure if I stay up on it, although I probably still will have a few days of panic, at least they might be a little less intense than the last week has been.

Tonight is also our big night on the town for Denver Restaurant week. We're going to Oceannaire Seafood Room this year and it's really exciting. It's nice to get done up once in a while and go see the city. Speaking of getting done up, the whole "I need to stop looking like a med student" thing is not really working. As J pointed out yesterday when I didn't even shower OR change clothes from my pajamas before leaving for the exam, I have effectively stopped even bathing. Not always true, but disturbing none the less. It's not like I don't get up early enough, I'm just that apathetic.

I can almost taste it...

Exam tomorrow morning, relax all afternoon. I'm so close I can hardly stand it. 12 more hours, 12 more hours......

Television pharmacology

Wow. So I took a break from studying for the uber-test that will be Friday morning, and sat on the couch with J for a few minutes to enjoy a brownie (my study breaks are not so good for my waist). He was watching TV and I figured a few minutes of mind-numbingness would be good since I was starting to get that pounding "you have really shoved too much in this time" feeling. Then the commercials came on.

Why is it that every commercial break has people running to ask their doctor if drug X is right for you? Annoying. More annoying, however, is the fact that all I could do when I was watching the Valtrex commercial was tell J what it's half life, generic name, bioavailability, and adverse drug reactions are. See, I can't actually stop studying when I want to, so I don't feel so bad about hitting the sack early. Tomorrow is another day.

Things I like

Well, I am sorry for the reprieve from blogging. I've been studying up a storm. So heavily, in fact, that the roof caved in today and I had to do nothing for the last 5 hours but eat brownies and watch the Biggest Loser. Odd combo, but it works for me. There's a part of me inside that knows this is only going to make things more difficult for the next two days, but the much larger voice is shouting...."Who cares!"

So, I decided in light of my enjoyable evening, I might write an enjoyable blog to go along with it. I'm tired of the droning on about school, as I am sure you are too. So, on with the "things I like" -

1. warm breezes in February




2. seeing hard work pay off, and stopping to enjoy it for just a little bit




3. Whole Foods




4. reading blogs of friends I rarely talk to and even more rarely see




5. hearing good news from friends and feeling totally, completely thrilled for them!




6. lavendar tea (don't knock it till you try it, especially good if you were that kid that liked to drink bathwater...)




7. blogging instead of studying about parasites!




8. finding the nastiest pictures of parasites on the internet and sneaking up with my computer to J and freaking him out while he's eating - again with the multitasking...studying and having a great time




9. new candles




10. new furniture!!!!!




11. spooning with the dog

12. reading ridiculously funny sci fi books

13. knowing that once again tomorrow is Wednesday, and I love Wednesday

Well, here's hoping to keep the good times rolling for yet another day. Friday is another big exam, but after that things are looking up for the weekend. I'm so pumped to get out of the house, you'd think someone chains me in here against my will. Alas, nothing so exciting.

I love Wednesday

Even though we're just as far in the week as we are out, I love Wednesday. On Wednesdays I have my elective course which is Complementary and Alternative Medicine, or CAM. It sounds touchy feely, and it is, but I love it. It's nice to think outside the box sometimes, and it makes me feel like I just took a trip to Whole Foods, even when I haven't. It relaxes me, and we even have the class with Pharmacy students so we get to see life outside the med school bubble, if only for an hour. A lot of the time I learn really interesting and useful things since so many people are using things like herbal supplements these days. Kind of makes my day.

I also have my preceptor this afternoon. Not to gross everyone out, but knowing that I am capable of doing a gynecological exam all on my own gives me hope that I can and will be a physician. It's the one time of my week when I feel competant again. Dr. B is great too, and he always makes me feel smart and on top of stuff. Almost makes me want to be an OB/GYN, but not really.

On another awesome note, I have won the mini-thesis lottery. We all are required to do a "mentored scholarly activity." It's pretty much a mini-thesis. This never really bothered me, because I figured research would look good on a resume. But, as the year has gone on, I have gotten a little less gung-ho about padding the resume, and much more interested in finding something that I can enjoy. The nature of med school seems to be...just wait, it gets better. But frankly, I am not going to waste all my twenty's waiting for something to get better when I can make it better right now. So I decided, forget about research, I don't want to spend 50 hours a week over the summer in a lab working on a project that may or may not get me published, and may or may not help me get my residency of choice (for anesthesia, it turns out not to really matter). After I realized that, I turned to the humanities. I haven't had much of a chance to do a lot of humanities since I went to an engineering school, and when I looked into my options for a project in the area, I ran across a woman who has done a presentation at our school on how women physicians are portrayed in film. I did some searching through the medical literature and it turns out that there are papers actually published about this. One thing I didn't find, though, were papers published about the portrayal of women physicians on television. Pretty big medium to not be explored. So I wrote to the program director for medical humanities and low and behold, I have the go ahead to watch all the doctor television I can get my hands on and write a paper about how women physicians are portrayed. No one has ever had a better excuse to steal the remote and watch Grey's. It's gonna be a great summer.