#oms-1

[medp00l]

Medblr

I got sick of fighting with trying to like and reblog/comment on other people’s posts via my secondary blog, which was more devoted to just medicine than this one is.

So I went through my history and removed everything that I didn’t want on this blog since it’s now my primary medical/motivation blog I guess.

[oms-adventures]

Pamela Wible, M.D., receives a standing ovation during her presentation on August, 28, 2014, to medical students at the College of Osteopathic Medicine of th...

I spent a good amount of time this evening watching this presentation and it has once again made me think about this journey that I am on....  While I don’t necessarily agree with everything that she has to say (I think there is benefit to some animal research, when it is done in a humane and ethical way, and is being used to make advances in medicine that will one day help entire populations), I still think that the message she has to share is incredibly important. 

Medical school (or any other professional program, for that matter) is a grueling, draining, hard-to-understand process.  It is impossible to know what it is like until you are chest deep in it, just trying to stay afloat.  And because we are medical students, I think we all know how to put on a brave face.  We can put on a mask and hide what we are feeling, we can make it so that no one knows the hell that we are putting ourselves through. And that is just about the worst thing that you can do when you are feeling like you are drowning.

I went through a time last year during which I wasn’t sure what I was doing.  I was going through the motions and I was studying my butt off, but I wasn’t really sure why.  I was questioning the decision to come to school and to pursue this dream that I have had about becoming a doctor, since I could grasp the concept of what a doctor is.  And I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t want anyone to know.  I was struggling academically and everyone already knew that, so I didn’t want to add in to the mix that I wasn’t really sure what I was doing with my life. I just dealt with it on my own, waiting and hoping, for that fear and insecurity to pass. 

I am in a much better place now. I am so happy that I chose to stick with it. I know that I am on the right path, and that I am going to make it through.  I know that if I struggle again, I can turn to my friends or my family and they will be there for me, and they won’t judge me for questioning if this is the right path, or just needing a little time away from it. 

I guess the point of this is to say that if you are struggling, or your unsure, or you just need to talk to someone - don’t be afraid to reach out! It’s impossible to know what this journey is like unless you are in it.  And it’s not always what you expect it’s going to be.  So if something doesn’t go the way you planned, or life isn’t panning out the way you expected it to, that’s okay! Take a breath, relax, and then look at it from a different angle. 

And if anyone ever needs to talk, or vent, or share, please don’t be afraid to send me a message. 

- OMS-Adventures

[drdessertfox]

T-12 Hours Until I start My Drive

In the meantime, I'll enjoy my last country-fried home cooked meal for the next several months.

[oms-adventures]

I had my last “standardized patient assessment lab” of the year yesterday (essentially where we do a history and exam on an actor pretending to be our patient) and it went so well!!!!! 

We have a clinician come into the room and observe while we do our physical exam and afterwards she had nothing to criticize.  She told me that she kept waiting for me to forget to do something or to find something that she could take points off, but that she couldn’t find anything!!

It’s been a rough year to say the least... Medical school is nothing like what I expected and it has beaten me down. I have definitely made a “comeback” of sorts this semester, but this assessment really put things into perspective. I might struggle with biochemistry and cell biology, it might take me a little longer to grasp those concepts in order to do well on exams. But what I can do, and what I excel at, is patient care. And that is what really matters at the end of the day.. 

I am so happy to have that done, and now I just have 3 more exams before I am done with the year... and then it’s off to Florida for a well deserved vacation with my family. Can’t wait!

- OMS-Adventures

[oms-adventures]

No more anatomy gross lab!!!

I took  my last written exam and my last practical exam for anatomy today!! This is a major milestone in the life of a first year medical student. I am so excited to be done!! Now just to wait a few days to get my practical grade back.