Week 1 in Biochem

Here are some of my key posts from SDN and other places that I am going to apply to Biochem.

Memory tips? Memory aids? Advice on how to memorize things instanteous?

http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/07/the-grade-whisperer-mikes-pre-med-nightmare/

http://calnewport.com/blog/2007/09/24/monday-master-class-use-focused-question-clusters-to-study-for-multiple-choice-tests/

So far, I have made up question clusters for Lecture 1 and 2. I have answered some of the questions.
My strategy for the first exam is going to be Reviewing, Understanding, and Memorizing in chunks. There is just no way I can understand the whole lecture the day its assigned. I am splitting all the lectures into 3 different review sessions. Each will be 2-3 hours in length.

Wish me luck. I hope I know this stuff like the back of my hand by this weekend.

Confidence & Keeping My Spirits Up | Postbac Premed

I know I have a long journey ahead of me. I am looking forward to these next few months and really nailing my classes. However, there have been some naysayers lately. Not all the time. Every now and then I will tell a person my career plans and they make some negative comment. I really do not like this. So, I decided to not tell people anymore. I am going to makeup some alternative life goals and tell people so they stay out my business.

Why does this bother me? I simply do not like the negative energy at all. I can't have negative people around me especially when going after this goal of mine.

What I really wish I had right now was a personal cheerleader. I had this when applying to my masters program. When I was studying for the GRE...I had a great friend cheering me along and I excelled beyond my wildest expectations.

I really wish I had someone like this for applying to medical school. I do have some people but they are not near me locally. Locally, I am still somewhat new to the area I live in. I don't have a best friend I can go over and hang out with when I am having a low point. I have to call people several states away.

I wish there was a way to feel this void I have in my life. A personal cheerleader for those tough spots while being premed makes the road a bit more tolerable & fun.

Maybe, I need to put out a call for a nontrad premed study buddy. Requirements: positive can do attitude and we will support each other no matter what. Also, they should compensate for my weak areas.

I wonder if I can find someone to fill this role.

Developing Improved Studying Habits | Postbac Premed

I am on a one year journey to turn my life around. I want to apply to medical school next year. The thing is that I need to get a 4.0 gpa. Yes, a 4.0. I have some ugly undergraduate grades that I need to improve from.

So far, I have gotten some great advice from my tutor and other nontrad premeds. I am creating a problem sheet with all the problems taught in class. I make sure to review this master problem list daily. I think the thing that helps me the most is teaching myself out loud the lesson before it is discussed in lecture. I am not just simplying reading but really engaging myself in the material and trying to teach it to someone that doesn't know anything. I think this with the daily review of practice problems is going to help me succeed.

I am really excited I think I might have found a system that works. This along with my tutor has been great!

Now, I just really need to focus and get into time management.

This book has been key to my academic resurgence.

Death and OB/GYN | Postbac Premed

I have been seeing a lot of pregnant ladies in the clinic. I have had a gyn visit as well. I would really enjoy the privilege of being an ob/gyn and taking a part in peoples lives in such an important way. Then, I watched the doc series Boston Med. They spoke of some ob/gyn getting sued for 26 million and quitting medicine. Some residents spoke about their first year and a mother dying 4 hours after child birth. This stuff is really real. Obviously, I know their is a risk of death in anything. However, to see the life leave someone right in front of yours eyes while you try to save them must be something else.

I am sure the day will come when I lose a patient. I just need to understand in what capacity can I handle it. Will it be a dementia patient who finally passes away? Or will it be a cardiac arrest of someone I am caring for during residency? Will it be a pediatric case - where a small child with car injuries dies despite my teams best efforts?

I really need to sit back and think about what I think I can handle as I move forward with this career path.

While Medicine is exciting, I have to remember it is just a job. There is no other job that I want. However, I have to remember that is not going to be all fun and roses. These might be some of the toughest times of my life. I think it will be worth it though.

Extra Long Shadow Session

Saw some interesting patients today. The thing that struck me most was the pregnant women. Their male partners seemed to be more worried and concerned than them. It was interesting to see all the cultural beliefs women have about childbirth. I got to see someone get a pap smear done. It was a lot less awkward than I thought it would be. I guess gyno could be in my future. What else? I can't be a shrink. Met someone that is trying to actually quit smoking because of the effects it has on their health. It was nice to meet motivated patients. 

Finding a job I can do during my postbac

I am making progress with this. 1 offer and 3 interviews. woot!

Terms to remember

False positive
False negative
Positive data
Negative data
gestalt
interobserver reliability
intraobserver reliability

I know I kind of didn't pay attention in some of these MPH courses. However, seeing these physicians practice. It is showing me the importance of being able to interpret data and studies to decide what is best for my patients. I think remembering these terms will help me have stronger conversations with physicians.