Block 2 reflections

Block 2 ended about two weeks ago and the few weeks leading up to the end were really, really, really stressful. Instead of our finals being written by the professors - like how our biweekly exams regularly are - we were treated to boards-style questions. Now, I know this is good practice for when we actually do take the board exam next year, but it was nerve-wracking nevertheless. I knew I had a good buffer going into each exam, but I was still nervous. Thoughts about the classes this block -

Pharmacology - I absolutely loved this class. I love learning about the different drugs, classes, their mechanisms, etc. I find it so clinically useful and important, especially during clinic when I have to go through my patients' medication lists.

Microbiology - I admit, at first I was a little confused with this class. Based on the recommendations of previous years, the class was shifted to "self-study," with all of the lectures pre-recorded as online modules. Now I know that this shouldn't be so different from our regular coursework - just pretend that you didn't go to the live lecture and watched it online. But there were A LOT of online modules and on top of that, each week we had mandatory case discussions. It seemed very overwhelming at first and I did okay on the first quiz but not super hot. Then I figured out how to actually study for this class. Micro is a lot of memorization but if you understand some basic concepts, it makes things a lot easier. I ordered the Lippincott Microcards which were a godsend. I used the online modules as a guide on what to study and focused more on the microcards. I liked having everything about a bug on a single flashcard, instead of having to swipe through slides. Also, I realized that the key to Micro is repetition. I would spend 15 minutes everyday going through the cards and it really solidified the material for me. I'm definitely a believer in spending more time on something now to save time on it later.

ENRG - otherwise known as Endocrinology, Nutrition, Reproduction, Genetics, a 9.5 unit whopper of a class, the one everyone fears. I started out okay, then totally f*cked up on the second exam. Yes, I am keeping the expletive because it is so necessary. I had sort of a panic attack-like state after that. I was really frustrated at having messed up on that section of the test. It would be one thing if I hadn't put in the work and not studied, but I really had. So being me, I started catastrophizing (that's a real word btw) and was convinced that I was on the road to failing the class. I had to realize that my studying for that class was not necessarily efficient or correct and had to adjust accordingly. I quit going to lectures since I was not learning anything in class and was taking notes verbatim. Instead, I listened to them at home at 1.5x speed, but pausing every so often to look things up, take some notes, and really trying to actively learn the material at my own pace. And instead of just learning whatever was on the slide, I tried to ask questions and manipulate the material to really gauge my understanding. And it worked! Phew!

Immunology - not super exciting in my humble opinion, but I do have an appreciation for the subject. I just can't take it when the names of things give you absolutely no clue to their function. Difference between IL2 and IL6? Yah, go ahead and figure that out without memorization.

Pathology - OMG, I thought Histology was over??? Hahahhahahahah. One of my closest college friends is applying to Path residency later this year. I, however, will not be. ;)

Doctoring - this block was focused on interviewing skills and note-writing. I'm glad to say going to clinic biweekly makes this such a breeze. It's so fun to have actors come in and pretend to be real patients that you get to examine. They are so good and do provide useful feedback.

Overall - I've learned that I may not be such a classroom person after all, and watching the podcasts may actually be a better fit for me. And even though I am terrified of the boards in the back of my mind, I actually feel a little better about them after having done fairly well on all the NBME exams. I've come a long way since August and there is still plenty to learn. Everything will come in its own time. You just have to enjoy the present.

Block 1 Reflections

Block 1 is over! It really was a 20-week marathon...and I passed every class above average, bam! I figured I should write my thoughts about each since it's still fresh in my mind:

Physiology - I seriously thought this would be my easiest class, oh you know since I have a degree in it and all. It started out pretty easy, but once we got into the organ systems, things got super detailed and I was spending more time on this than I anticipated. I also went ahead and royally bombed the renal quiz. I mean hardcore failed it. Seriously. Which is sad since I felt like I had the best grasp on renal material in comparison to the heart or pulmonary sections. The problem was that the quiz was one case only and I missed a key physical exam finding (bad!) so I came up with the wrong diagnosis (very bad!) and my explanations therefore were tailored to this completely wrong conclusion. Oh well. It was sort of a wake up call in the sense that I don't think I was studying physio the way I should have. I was focusing too much on details and not considering the big picture or what physical exam findings would indicate. So in a way this was a good thing in that I really really really studied for the next module and reviewed very thoroughly for the final. I still ended up getting the lowest grade in this class among all of my block 1 classes, but oh well. The irony is not lost on me.

Anatomy - what a wonderful class. I feel sorry for other med students who have to study anatomy without our instructors. I mean they are seriously wonderful and stay waaaaay after class or come in just to review material with you if you need it. At first, I was annoyed that we had to do dissections and figured prosected bodies would make life and learning so much easier. But looking back I understand the importance of doing these things on your own and taking care of and learning from your person. Dorothy was such a great teacher. (Obviously her name isn't Dorothy. Maybe it is, but I don't know. My group thought she looked like a Dorothy so we named her that.) We wrote little notes for her and left her flowers after our final.

Histology - oh dear. This was my least favorite class (sorry!). Slides, slides, and more slides. What is there to say except that I coasted through the first 15 weeks of this class (like barely missed a question) and then missed A LOT of questions on the last couple of quizzes. So just like for physio, I rage studied for this final and did super well. Yay!

Biochemistry - it's biochem. What more is there to say? This year, the curriculum was adjusted slightly so that the genetics portion of Block 1 was switched with the Metabolism portion from Block 2. I think this was fine. Although the metabolism section was heavy and done in a very short amount of time, the clinical correlates really made the material stick for me, so I was happy with it.

Doctoring - I can do a full physical exam. Which is basically what I've been bragging to my friends back home and they probably want me to shut up and stop repeating that statement. But I can do a full physical exam. Oh yes. I can.

Overall - I do think I overstudy, but I also think that that is part of my personality. I like to be very thorough. It was the same in high school and undergrad. If a teacher said not to worry about a certain topic because it wouldn't be tested, I still studied it for my personal knowledge. There were quizzes where I triaged certain topics but I still studied everything (just not as thoroughly as I would like).

I am a little worried about Block 2 in the sense that this will be uncharted territory for me. I had already taken most of the classes offered in Block 1 but EVERYTHING in Block 2 will be new material: Pharmacology, Pathology, Microbiology, Immunology, Endocrine/Reproduction/Nutrition/Genetics (well maybe I know a little bit of ENRG after all). Just have to take it one day at a time and adjust things if necessary.

Goodies for finals from my Big Sib!

Two weeks in!

And just like that, two weeks have flown by. We had our first exam on Monday morning (I passed everything! woohoo) and then dove in to the week's lectures. This week has really been packed, but I'm really glad I got a chance to talk to my childhood friend L (seriously, since Kindergarten) who's just starting medical school as well. We compared notes about our first days and what we're feeling. It's just nice to talk to someone who is going through the same thing AT THE SAME TIME. I hope we can keep a schedule of checking in maybe on a biweekly or monthly basis. :)

Class officer positions were also this week. I seriously considered running, but ultimately decided not to so that I can jump on some other opportunities that should be coming up later this block. I don't want to commit to too many things and then not be able to focus all of my energy on each adequately (or sleep, ha!). I really need to work on adjusting my sleep schedule. I've been going to bed around 1am, so when that alarm rings at 6:30, I just ignore it and then have to rush to get to class on time. Goal is to go to bed at least one hour earlier. I think that will also help me concentrate better during class so I won't need to study as much in the evenings. And boy do you study a lot in the evenings. I've adjusted my study habits for some classes already, thanks to advice from the MS2s, but Physiology is taking up more of my time than I thought I would, and Histology is the one class I have not taken before, so I need to devote more time for that.

But, since this is a non-quiz weekend, I decided to go ahead and volunteer at one of the student-run clinics tomorrow. UCD has eight free clinics (EIGHT!), each focusing on a specific underserved population. I thought I'd start out with the one I'm most familiar with, which is the clinic I toured after my interview in September. I've signed up for a couple more in September, once things settle down with exams and anatomy practicals.

Speaking of anatomy, the class has been much more interesting that I expected. Anatomy during undergrad seemed like rote memorization, but I really love the way medical school incorporates clinical correlates into all the classes. It makes the learning process more integrated and easier. I seriously adore our lead anatomy professor. He explains everything so well that I feel like I've already studied right then and there. I was definitely nervous going into anatomy lab on the first day. My main concern was (and still is) always feeling like I am going to tear something or cut through a structure and ruin the dissection for the day. It helps that we alternate among our group members, but I find myself constantly asking for reassurance that I'm doing things correctly. But other than that, it's amazing. Huge amount of respect to those who have donated their bodies so that students like me can learn.

I'll try to get in another post later this weekend to talk about clinic!