Whew. Well, the fifth semester is finished. And none too soon. This semester has been quite interesting. My clinical partner ended up having to withdraw from the semester due to some health circumstances. I feel bad for her.
Because of that, I used Becky as a clinical partner for a couple of things. This provided Becky with some extra insight into the Ross process, and I am pretty sure that she has a better feeling of my frustration.
Here is an example: I used Becky as my patient for a physical exam practical examination. On my regularly scheduled time, both of us think I did a good, worthwhile exam. There wasn't anything major I missed. A couple of things could have been more polished. But, it was a good exam.
For reasons neither of us know, I didn't pass. And, I didn't pass because of things that the examiner said happened that didn't happen as the examiner said. So, got to stay an extra week. Take some remedial lessons in physical exams. And, redo the practical.
Becky was there with me at the redo practical. And, to say I didn't do my best is an understatement. I got off on a tangent at one point, and nearly forgot to do a significant part of the exam. It was a far worse exam than my initial one that I didn't pass. And, instead of losing 30 points this time, I lost 8. I guess it goes to show the differences an examiner can make.
Besides that, most things seem to be going well. We are less than a week away from moving out of Miami. We have a place leased in Torrington, Wyoming. I have a date for the USMLE Step 1--Jan 15. I have a location to do my core clinical rotations at--Scottsbluff, Nebraska. I cannot express how reassuring all of this is at this point. It feels that for the first time in about two years, we have some control over the direction in our lives.
Of course, saying we have direction and a place to live is no small task. As of now, we are 4 months shy of having everything packed up for 2 years. We are driving back to Nebraska over the course of 3 days or so with 3 dogs, packing up a trailer, and high-tailing it to Wyoming so I can continue to study for Step 1.
Big changes are ahead.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
9 Nov 2008, Ruts, ruts, and more ruts
It's been a couple of months since I've written. This isn't because I haven't wanted to. It also isn't because I haven't meant to. But, this fifth semester just makes it so hard to write something that's not negative.
If you follow the New York Times Health section, over the last couple of weeks, there have been stories about burn-out in medical students and residents. That is pretty much how I have been feeling in this semester. We aren't in the classroom learning new things, and we aren't in the clinic working closely with a physician. What we are is somewhere in between with a very convoluted schedule that isn't set, and we are studying under a group that seems to take great pains in making sure that we are off-balance, and unable to figure out how to succeed here.
To compound all of that, I have been working at signing up for the USMLE Step 1 exam, one of the critical exams to pass on my way to licensure. For quite a while, Becky and I had been working with the goal of me taking the exam on 22 December which would give me time to study before we visited family over Christmas, and also allowing us to enjoy our break between the end of fifth semester, and me beginning my clinical rotations.
Unfortunately, part of the process for signing up for a date to take the exam has changed. Before October of this year, the process was, apply for an identification number with USMLE which took about a week. Then, fill out the application. Once you fill out the application, you get an identification verification form which much be routed through your schoool. Once that is completed, and sent to the ECFMG, there is a three week processing period. Well, now the processing period is six weeks. Even after that processing is done, I get yet another identification number which I take to an examination company, Prometric, and then I get to schedule the exam.
I started the application process the first week in October. Now, my application is 3 days into final processing at the ECFMG--which they are now saying takes six weeks. So, if I'm still looking at 22 Dec for the Step 1 exam, I will have about 10 days of prior knowledge that I can actually make that date. Given everything, Becky and I have decided that this essentially makes 22 December an unreasonable goal to shoot for.
So, we are planning on me taking the exam in mid January, 2009. Fortunately, this date is still early enough that it won't change any of my current clinical rotation plans, which are actually quite sparse. But, it does have other ramifications. We're moving up decisions on where we're going to try to settle over the next two years. Unfortunately, I get this exam looming over me for another three weeks. This exam is what the vast majority of my classes have been oriented at since I started medical school, so it's a big milestone. I'm looking forward to getting it done, and behind me.
Beyond that, Becky and I have been staying at home, watching our dogs, and the seasons change. Kubby, our puppy is now our biggest dog, although he's still pretty small. I'd say he's about 25 pounds now. He's been losing teeth like crazy, which makes for interesting fights between Kody and Kubby. It's also nice for Becky and me because being gummed by a puppy is much less damaging than being chewed on by a puppy with sharp puppy teeth and near dog-sized jaws. Kubby is also calming down into quite a charming little guy. It's been well over a month since he's had an accident in the apartment. That is quite a relief for us, because we really don't like to have to spot-treat our rug, and we didn't exactly bring a lot of cleaning supplies to the apartment we plan on leaving before Christmas.
Fall in Florida is much nicer than fall in Dominica, too. Would you believe that once or twice the temperature has dipped to 59 degrees overnight? Becky and I had a good laugh at the weatherman when he said that the next morning was going to be "heavy coat weather" as the temperatures would be in the low 60's. Becky reminisced that when she was in grade school, if the temperature was above 60, they could go to recess without their coats. I don't remember any rules like that, but when I was commuting on my bicycle in Lincoln, I wouldn't worry about the weather until it was 50 or cooler. People in Florida seem to have thin blood when it comes to cold.
Cheers for now!
-j
If you follow the New York Times Health section, over the last couple of weeks, there have been stories about burn-out in medical students and residents. That is pretty much how I have been feeling in this semester. We aren't in the classroom learning new things, and we aren't in the clinic working closely with a physician. What we are is somewhere in between with a very convoluted schedule that isn't set, and we are studying under a group that seems to take great pains in making sure that we are off-balance, and unable to figure out how to succeed here.
To compound all of that, I have been working at signing up for the USMLE Step 1 exam, one of the critical exams to pass on my way to licensure. For quite a while, Becky and I had been working with the goal of me taking the exam on 22 December which would give me time to study before we visited family over Christmas, and also allowing us to enjoy our break between the end of fifth semester, and me beginning my clinical rotations.
Unfortunately, part of the process for signing up for a date to take the exam has changed. Before October of this year, the process was, apply for an identification number with USMLE which took about a week. Then, fill out the application. Once you fill out the application, you get an identification verification form which much be routed through your schoool. Once that is completed, and sent to the ECFMG, there is a three week processing period. Well, now the processing period is six weeks. Even after that processing is done, I get yet another identification number which I take to an examination company, Prometric, and then I get to schedule the exam.
I started the application process the first week in October. Now, my application is 3 days into final processing at the ECFMG--which they are now saying takes six weeks. So, if I'm still looking at 22 Dec for the Step 1 exam, I will have about 10 days of prior knowledge that I can actually make that date. Given everything, Becky and I have decided that this essentially makes 22 December an unreasonable goal to shoot for.
So, we are planning on me taking the exam in mid January, 2009. Fortunately, this date is still early enough that it won't change any of my current clinical rotation plans, which are actually quite sparse. But, it does have other ramifications. We're moving up decisions on where we're going to try to settle over the next two years. Unfortunately, I get this exam looming over me for another three weeks. This exam is what the vast majority of my classes have been oriented at since I started medical school, so it's a big milestone. I'm looking forward to getting it done, and behind me.
Beyond that, Becky and I have been staying at home, watching our dogs, and the seasons change. Kubby, our puppy is now our biggest dog, although he's still pretty small. I'd say he's about 25 pounds now. He's been losing teeth like crazy, which makes for interesting fights between Kody and Kubby. It's also nice for Becky and me because being gummed by a puppy is much less damaging than being chewed on by a puppy with sharp puppy teeth and near dog-sized jaws. Kubby is also calming down into quite a charming little guy. It's been well over a month since he's had an accident in the apartment. That is quite a relief for us, because we really don't like to have to spot-treat our rug, and we didn't exactly bring a lot of cleaning supplies to the apartment we plan on leaving before Christmas.
Fall in Florida is much nicer than fall in Dominica, too. Would you believe that once or twice the temperature has dipped to 59 degrees overnight? Becky and I had a good laugh at the weatherman when he said that the next morning was going to be "heavy coat weather" as the temperatures would be in the low 60's. Becky reminisced that when she was in grade school, if the temperature was above 60, they could go to recess without their coats. I don't remember any rules like that, but when I was commuting on my bicycle in Lincoln, I wouldn't worry about the weather until it was 50 or cooler. People in Florida seem to have thin blood when it comes to cold.
Cheers for now!
-j
Saturday, September 27, 2008
27 Sept 2008, Florida, the land of retirees
I've been out of Dominica for a little over a month. Classes have started, and things are moving on.
It's been interesting running into medical students from the US in my classes now. The students are generally in their clinical years, which are the last two of medical school. However, Ross does things a bit differently. I have a separate semester between my basic sciences and clinicals where I do some clinical work and some class work before I take step 1.
The interesting thing is this actually means that I get one extra semester of medical school beyond American students. It's honestly neither here nor there, just interesting.
This past week, I've been farmed out to a pediatrician in private practice by Hollywood, FL. It's been a good thing to get out of the environment of Ross to see medicine outside of the "Ivory Towers" of academia. It's also been entertaining getting lectures a couple days of the week about how to conduct a proper, thorough physical exam, and then go around with my preceptor and do what he considers a proper, thorough physical exam on a 4 day old child he's never seen before. I'm not saying there are huge differences, but his reasoning for what he doesn't do is sound, and it shows that many things in education are included because of tradition, not reality.
What else is happening? Well, we started the semester by taking the USMLE Comprehensive Shelf exam. I did that and waited for a week for my scores. When I got them back, I was not only happy that I'd done passed, but was really pleased to find out that I did well. For those wondering, no, I didn't get the high score. But I'm happy.
However, there's no rest for the wicked. I must begin to study for the USMLE Step 1 exam soon. That exam is starting to loom large in front of me. And, Becky and Helena are trying to figure out what marathon we want to run in January or February. It's an attempt to find time to lose this spare tire that's trying to grow around my middle. I've also noticed that when I exercise, I can focus on my schoolwork better. So, benefits all around.
Life isn't all peaches and cream, though. Becky and I came here with grand hopes of being able to ride our bikes many places. And, from what I have seen, Miami is a VERY bike-able town compared to Lincoln. Unfortunately, access to and from the Miami airport wasn't created with bicycles in mind, and Becky and I are right at the airport. Yes, occasionally, we could probably throw a rock and hit a plane on the tarmac. So, hopefully we can find some afternoon or weekend times to take our bicycles out. We just need to experience more of Miami to figure this out.
On the subject of Miami transportation, several family and friends have mentioned visiting us in Miami, and Becky and I have said that we would let you know how our availability will be when we know my schedule more. The unfortunate thing is that my schedule comes out week to week. However, the administration has shown that they are understanding that we have been away from family and friends for a while. All they ask is that we keep them informed of any social engagements we have before the fact. So, please visit, and let us know when you'll be around and how we can help. I'll get the time off, and my busiest days are Wednesday, when I usually have a whole day of lecture. But, please visit! There's amazing things to do and see here.
Viva la compagnie!
-j
It's been interesting running into medical students from the US in my classes now. The students are generally in their clinical years, which are the last two of medical school. However, Ross does things a bit differently. I have a separate semester between my basic sciences and clinicals where I do some clinical work and some class work before I take step 1.
The interesting thing is this actually means that I get one extra semester of medical school beyond American students. It's honestly neither here nor there, just interesting.
This past week, I've been farmed out to a pediatrician in private practice by Hollywood, FL. It's been a good thing to get out of the environment of Ross to see medicine outside of the "Ivory Towers" of academia. It's also been entertaining getting lectures a couple days of the week about how to conduct a proper, thorough physical exam, and then go around with my preceptor and do what he considers a proper, thorough physical exam on a 4 day old child he's never seen before. I'm not saying there are huge differences, but his reasoning for what he doesn't do is sound, and it shows that many things in education are included because of tradition, not reality.
What else is happening? Well, we started the semester by taking the USMLE Comprehensive Shelf exam. I did that and waited for a week for my scores. When I got them back, I was not only happy that I'd done passed, but was really pleased to find out that I did well. For those wondering, no, I didn't get the high score. But I'm happy.
However, there's no rest for the wicked. I must begin to study for the USMLE Step 1 exam soon. That exam is starting to loom large in front of me. And, Becky and Helena are trying to figure out what marathon we want to run in January or February. It's an attempt to find time to lose this spare tire that's trying to grow around my middle. I've also noticed that when I exercise, I can focus on my schoolwork better. So, benefits all around.
Life isn't all peaches and cream, though. Becky and I came here with grand hopes of being able to ride our bikes many places. And, from what I have seen, Miami is a VERY bike-able town compared to Lincoln. Unfortunately, access to and from the Miami airport wasn't created with bicycles in mind, and Becky and I are right at the airport. Yes, occasionally, we could probably throw a rock and hit a plane on the tarmac. So, hopefully we can find some afternoon or weekend times to take our bicycles out. We just need to experience more of Miami to figure this out.
On the subject of Miami transportation, several family and friends have mentioned visiting us in Miami, and Becky and I have said that we would let you know how our availability will be when we know my schedule more. The unfortunate thing is that my schedule comes out week to week. However, the administration has shown that they are understanding that we have been away from family and friends for a while. All they ask is that we keep them informed of any social engagements we have before the fact. So, please visit, and let us know when you'll be around and how we can help. I'll get the time off, and my busiest days are Wednesday, when I usually have a whole day of lecture. But, please visit! There's amazing things to do and see here.
Viva la compagnie!
-j
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
26 Aug 2008, No more funny money
Yep, you read that right. The Eastern Caribbean Dollar no longer jingles in my pocket. They've all been traded in for real American folding money.
I am back in Miami with Eric and Evan, waiting for Becky and the dogs.
Behave Hurricane Gustav. I have family flying over you.
I am back in Miami with Eric and Evan, waiting for Becky and the dogs.
Behave Hurricane Gustav. I have family flying over you.
Friday, August 22, 2008
22 Aug 2008, All but gone
I just looked at my countdown timer for when I leave. 3 days, 1 hour, 48 minutes, 1 second. I remember when I started using this countdown timer as my homepage, it was well over 100 days. Time hardly seemed to move. Now, I can't even nap for an hour without going through more than 1% of my time left on Dominica.
I took my last exam yesterday. It started at 8 a.m. I was done by about 9:30 a.m. I'm not sure what to think of it other than I'll be continuing on to the next semester without a hitch (unless I just jinxed myself). Afterward, Becky and I celebrated a little bit.
But, the way things are going, I just don't feel too celebratory. There's so much to do before we leave here. And, once we get back to the States, there's a bunch to do there, too. I can sum up what needs to be done in two sentences. Move my family to Miami. Review 4 semesters' worth of medical school for an exam the day after we start fifth semester.
Hopefully, seeing some new digs in 3 days, 1 hour, 38 minutes will help re-energize me.
-j
I took my last exam yesterday. It started at 8 a.m. I was done by about 9:30 a.m. I'm not sure what to think of it other than I'll be continuing on to the next semester without a hitch (unless I just jinxed myself). Afterward, Becky and I celebrated a little bit.
But, the way things are going, I just don't feel too celebratory. There's so much to do before we leave here. And, once we get back to the States, there's a bunch to do there, too. I can sum up what needs to be done in two sentences. Move my family to Miami. Review 4 semesters' worth of medical school for an exam the day after we start fifth semester.
Hopefully, seeing some new digs in 3 days, 1 hour, 38 minutes will help re-energize me.
-j
Monday, August 18, 2008
18 Aug 2008, Single Digit Midget
I was talking to my Uncle Mike yesterday when I called my parents. Uncle Mike and his wife LaVerne were visiting on their way home from Chicago. I told Mike that I had looked at the countdown I have has my homepage, and it said I had 8 days, 8 hours, and 8 minutes. Given the importance that the news media put on the date 08/08/08 a few days ago, I thought it would be worth noting. Mike told me that I was a single digit midget. I think his term is HIGHLY superior. Thanks Uncle Mike!
It's Olympics time. The Olympics are interesting to watch here, because the coverage has been so bizarre. A local Caribbean channel was covering it, then for several days they had a notice up that they weren't a licensed rebroadcaster, so they took the channel down. Then, we noticed it was up again a few days ago--as AFN. The Armed Forces Network is broadcasting the Olympics here. I can't help but wonder if this is authorized, or one of those piracy things. I'm not complaining because they show the Americans instead of the Caribbeans in the Olympics. It is interesting to comment on, though. Becky is especially amused by the commercials aimed at servicemembers. They seem to be selling the military to people who are already in the military.
When Becky brought this up to me, I had to remind her that being in the military isn't all tea and crumpets. Recruiters do lie to get people in the military, and the commands people are under in the military aren't always nice to their soldiers. So, it makes sense to me that the military has a strong sense of needing to resell itself to its own people. I guess I never thought about how it might seem strange to people outside.
And, while the Olympics have been going on, I've been in my own heptathlon of exams. So far, I've got 5 down, and another coming today. It's going. That's about all I can say. 4 of the exams are from the National Board of Medical Examiners. Being from an external group, we aren't really sure what to expect on the exams. On one hand, it's nice having exams with really well thought-out and well-worded questions. On the other hand, they are VERY comprehensive, and it exposes a lot of holes in our knowledge. The good thing is that they are standardized across the US, and our grade is reflective of our percentile rank instead of on raw score. This makes it very easy to score in the B-C range, and very hard to score in the F range. Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to score in the A range. It could be worse, though.
Our new puppy Kubuli is growing like a weed, too. We got him almost 3 weeks ago, and he's gone from about 4 pounds to 6 or 7. He's almost outgrown the travel carrier I'll be using with him in one week. I hope that doesn't happen. The last thing I'd like is to be stuck in San Juan because someone at American Airlines thinks my dog is too big for the carrier because he grew in the month we've had him.
Becky and I are also packing all of our things and getting our food eaten down in the refrigerator. I forgot how frustrating those things are because I sort of missed that experience when I came here. Being gone a month before Becky had its privileges, but now I get all of the experiences again. We've given away, sold, and packed almost everything but the notes I'm studying from, and our clothes. We have 2 55 gallon barrels full, 1 almost full, and a full suitcase. Everything else will be packed the day I leave here, or the next. I assure you, the feeling of anticipation is almost overwhelming my urge to study.
Almost. I'm still studying, don't get me wrong. I have to, because we have two REALLY terrible pathology professors who are writing questions for my last exam on Thursday. One of them writes questions that pretty much require a person to either be able to read his mind, or see the future because normal testing strategies simply do not work. So much so that being absolutely conversant in the material still requires you to know what he's thinking because there are answers that you still can't rule out based on his questions. It's super frustrating, and hopefully things will go modestly well. I'm not in the running for an A in the class, but it would terribly disappoint me if unfair questions caused me to have to repeat 4th.
Other than that, the only thing I have to say is I hope everyone I'm visiting has a comfy study chair. My experience with the shelves has told me that I really need to bone up for the Comp the first week of 5th Semester. I promise I'll be social, but I'll have to both study and be social in moderation. I'm thinking no one will have a problem with that--everyone will be fawning over Kubby. He really is that cute. Honestly. He's super cute. You'll see.
Save some AC and dry air for us, because we'll be back soon.
-j
It's Olympics time. The Olympics are interesting to watch here, because the coverage has been so bizarre. A local Caribbean channel was covering it, then for several days they had a notice up that they weren't a licensed rebroadcaster, so they took the channel down. Then, we noticed it was up again a few days ago--as AFN. The Armed Forces Network is broadcasting the Olympics here. I can't help but wonder if this is authorized, or one of those piracy things. I'm not complaining because they show the Americans instead of the Caribbeans in the Olympics. It is interesting to comment on, though. Becky is especially amused by the commercials aimed at servicemembers. They seem to be selling the military to people who are already in the military.
When Becky brought this up to me, I had to remind her that being in the military isn't all tea and crumpets. Recruiters do lie to get people in the military, and the commands people are under in the military aren't always nice to their soldiers. So, it makes sense to me that the military has a strong sense of needing to resell itself to its own people. I guess I never thought about how it might seem strange to people outside.
And, while the Olympics have been going on, I've been in my own heptathlon of exams. So far, I've got 5 down, and another coming today. It's going. That's about all I can say. 4 of the exams are from the National Board of Medical Examiners. Being from an external group, we aren't really sure what to expect on the exams. On one hand, it's nice having exams with really well thought-out and well-worded questions. On the other hand, they are VERY comprehensive, and it exposes a lot of holes in our knowledge. The good thing is that they are standardized across the US, and our grade is reflective of our percentile rank instead of on raw score. This makes it very easy to score in the B-C range, and very hard to score in the F range. Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to score in the A range. It could be worse, though.
Our new puppy Kubuli is growing like a weed, too. We got him almost 3 weeks ago, and he's gone from about 4 pounds to 6 or 7. He's almost outgrown the travel carrier I'll be using with him in one week. I hope that doesn't happen. The last thing I'd like is to be stuck in San Juan because someone at American Airlines thinks my dog is too big for the carrier because he grew in the month we've had him.
Becky and I are also packing all of our things and getting our food eaten down in the refrigerator. I forgot how frustrating those things are because I sort of missed that experience when I came here. Being gone a month before Becky had its privileges, but now I get all of the experiences again. We've given away, sold, and packed almost everything but the notes I'm studying from, and our clothes. We have 2 55 gallon barrels full, 1 almost full, and a full suitcase. Everything else will be packed the day I leave here, or the next. I assure you, the feeling of anticipation is almost overwhelming my urge to study.
Almost. I'm still studying, don't get me wrong. I have to, because we have two REALLY terrible pathology professors who are writing questions for my last exam on Thursday. One of them writes questions that pretty much require a person to either be able to read his mind, or see the future because normal testing strategies simply do not work. So much so that being absolutely conversant in the material still requires you to know what he's thinking because there are answers that you still can't rule out based on his questions. It's super frustrating, and hopefully things will go modestly well. I'm not in the running for an A in the class, but it would terribly disappoint me if unfair questions caused me to have to repeat 4th.
Other than that, the only thing I have to say is I hope everyone I'm visiting has a comfy study chair. My experience with the shelves has told me that I really need to bone up for the Comp the first week of 5th Semester. I promise I'll be social, but I'll have to both study and be social in moderation. I'm thinking no one will have a problem with that--everyone will be fawning over Kubby. He really is that cute. Honestly. He's super cute. You'll see.
Save some AC and dry air for us, because we'll be back soon.
-j
Sunday, August 10, 2008
10 Aug 2008, Are we having fun yet?
Well, it's started. I'm two exams into a seven exam marathon. I had my introduction to clinical medicine exam on Monday last week and my pathology lab final on Friday. Next week, I have exams on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And the following week on Monday and Thursday.
It's an odd feeling on campus. All of the people in my class are very happy to be this close to being done here in Dominica, but it doesn't feel like closure. I'm not sure if it's because the Comp exam has been given so much importance by the administration, or any other of a number of reasons. All I know is that I am ready to be somewhere that seems a little more normal to me. Hopefully Miami will fit the bill.
I wish I had more to say, but I need to spend time studying.
-j
It's an odd feeling on campus. All of the people in my class are very happy to be this close to being done here in Dominica, but it doesn't feel like closure. I'm not sure if it's because the Comp exam has been given so much importance by the administration, or any other of a number of reasons. All I know is that I am ready to be somewhere that seems a little more normal to me. Hopefully Miami will fit the bill.
I wish I had more to say, but I need to spend time studying.
-j
Sunday, August 3, 2008
3 Aug 2008 Spending social capital
I've mentioned before that Becky and I aren't boat people. I do honestly believe that once a decade is enough for a real boat ride for me. Well, today, Becky and I allowed social capital to pay off one extra boat ride in the next decade.
It all started last Monday when we went to Purple Turtle because I didn't want to cook, and we hadn't been there in a while. We showed up and there were two other groups there. One was a large group of local Dominicans, and the other was a group of two that looked like students. Just as we were getting settled, the ones that looked like students paid and as they were walking away, they asked if we were here on a boat. Becky and I told them that we lived here. Their response was that we could tell them what was good to see on the island.
We invited them to sit and chat with us for a while. We found out that they were a German and a Swede to had been sailing for over a year. They were both musicians and had just got to Dominica the day before. One thing led to another, and then we decided to meet at Peter's Ribs on Friday. We met there, and as things tend to happen, we set up another meeting. Today, we met on their boat and went to Secret Beach for a chance to show them a "touristy place".
We went there, and while Becky and I were in the water, just fooling around, they went and hunted squid because I said that I liked it! I couldn't believe how nice these two were. After they got the squid, they came back and we cooked it for them and had a very charming little snack with some squid salad.
The sad part is, this was basically my last fun session for several days as tomorrow exams start. Wish me luck!
-j
It all started last Monday when we went to Purple Turtle because I didn't want to cook, and we hadn't been there in a while. We showed up and there were two other groups there. One was a large group of local Dominicans, and the other was a group of two that looked like students. Just as we were getting settled, the ones that looked like students paid and as they were walking away, they asked if we were here on a boat. Becky and I told them that we lived here. Their response was that we could tell them what was good to see on the island.
We invited them to sit and chat with us for a while. We found out that they were a German and a Swede to had been sailing for over a year. They were both musicians and had just got to Dominica the day before. One thing led to another, and then we decided to meet at Peter's Ribs on Friday. We met there, and as things tend to happen, we set up another meeting. Today, we met on their boat and went to Secret Beach for a chance to show them a "touristy place".
We went there, and while Becky and I were in the water, just fooling around, they went and hunted squid because I said that I liked it! I couldn't believe how nice these two were. After they got the squid, they came back and we cooked it for them and had a very charming little snack with some squid salad.
The sad part is, this was basically my last fun session for several days as tomorrow exams start. Wish me luck!
-j
Sunday, July 27, 2008
27 July 2008, Dominicans notice
In light of all of the things that have been occurring that frustrate life here, Becky and I arranged a group to go to a wine tasting in the village of Wesley last night. Randy's Bar put it on--it's a charming little place run by a Dominican who used to work as a Chippendale dancer in the states, and as a cook on a cruise ship. Randy has a super charming little bar.
We got there right on time, and Randy was mingling with everyone. He took special care to compliment Becky and me for arranging our group and making is as painless as possible for him. Now, the thing about it is Randy made the process painless for me. I think it's his experience with American business, but no matter the reason, he simply handled the business parts of everything in a manner I was used to. That made it very painless for me.
But, the best part was, it was amazing! The wines were really good, and we found this super charming german white that tasted like it had dill in it. It was really delicious, and went well with the fish that Randy had prepared to go with the wines. Afterward, Randy arranged some locals to dance with him. He warmed up the crowd with the Electric Slide, and then one other line dance. After that the party started. We stayed until about 9 p.m. and then headed back to Portsmouth to go to sleep.
But, things are never that simple, are they? One of the students with us adopted a puppy from the bar, and Becky was holding the puppy on the way back. As some of you know, the road from the airport to Portsmouth is, well, curvy. Very curvy. The puppy made an editorial comment on the roads by barfing on Becky. For the next 12 hours after that, Kody has been playing Grand Inquisitor to Becky. It's really charming.
It was good to go somewhere that we could forget our troubles for a few hours. We really like Randy and his charming little establishment. We apologize to everyone who visited that we never took to Randy's bar. It ranks up there with Purple Turtle and Heaven's Best. It's a reason to visit Dominica.
We got there right on time, and Randy was mingling with everyone. He took special care to compliment Becky and me for arranging our group and making is as painless as possible for him. Now, the thing about it is Randy made the process painless for me. I think it's his experience with American business, but no matter the reason, he simply handled the business parts of everything in a manner I was used to. That made it very painless for me.
But, the best part was, it was amazing! The wines were really good, and we found this super charming german white that tasted like it had dill in it. It was really delicious, and went well with the fish that Randy had prepared to go with the wines. Afterward, Randy arranged some locals to dance with him. He warmed up the crowd with the Electric Slide, and then one other line dance. After that the party started. We stayed until about 9 p.m. and then headed back to Portsmouth to go to sleep.
But, things are never that simple, are they? One of the students with us adopted a puppy from the bar, and Becky was holding the puppy on the way back. As some of you know, the road from the airport to Portsmouth is, well, curvy. Very curvy. The puppy made an editorial comment on the roads by barfing on Becky. For the next 12 hours after that, Kody has been playing Grand Inquisitor to Becky. It's really charming.
It was good to go somewhere that we could forget our troubles for a few hours. We really like Randy and his charming little establishment. We apologize to everyone who visited that we never took to Randy's bar. It ranks up there with Purple Turtle and Heaven's Best. It's a reason to visit Dominica.
Friday, July 25, 2008
25 July 2008 One month til changes
Today has been a long time coming. In several ways, actually. The first and biggest way is that today marks one month until I leave Dominica to finish my schooling in the States. However, there are other small victories that occurred yesterday that should be mentioned, too. For the first time, Becky and I had a package come to campus, i.e. we didn't have to arrange for customs, etc clearance in Roseau, one hour away. It's a small victory for customer service, but one we've been lacking for months. Also, I got news that the site I want to do my clinical rotations at, Greeley, CO, now has surgery, and all of the electives that I need. So, I can do all of my cores, and all of my electives at the same site--provided they accept me. That is also quite a weight off of my mind.
Otherwise, interesting things have been happening in my classes. Fourth semesters have a class called ICM, Introduction to Clinical Medicine. In this class, we have a set of practical exams that must be passed. I don't think they're exactly the toughest thing in the world, when I see what we're to do. Yet, every group of fourth semester students has been paralyzed by fear of these practicals, and I didn't understand why.
Well, now I do. It's a matter of presentation from our instructors and proctors. You see, every ICM lecture or lab we have had this semester, we get bludgeoned over the head about our practical. The practical is worth 20% of our final grade, so it's significant, but not overly. However, the presentation of the material is such that we are led to believe that if a student does something slightly out of turn, or isn't exactly speedy (we have a 6 minute time limit) the student will FAIL. Even beyond that, some of the things they bludgeon us about are worthy of ridicule, to be kind. We are instructed to never approach, or examine the patient from the left side. We are also instructed to never examine the patient with our left hand.
Now, as a lefty, this gets me a little bit lathered. You see, this is a school that accepts federal funds. As such, they have non-discrimination rules, and other things. They can't give you crap for being white, black, blue, yellow, green, red, Italian, Huegoenot, Polish, Chinese, Pastafarian, Catholic, Hindu, Muslim, gay, straight, bi, confuse, or dumb. But, if you're a lefty, God help you. The problem is, every group I've heard make an argument about left being gauche is religious. So, they're just completing a circle. And, because it's about handedness, I don't have a leg to stand on with a complaint. And, I and my patients suffer because I can't perform my skills in the manner in which I am most dextrous.
Honestly, it's 2008. Homosexuals can marry now in California. When will lefties be accepted? We're people too.
Otherwise, interesting things have been happening in my classes. Fourth semesters have a class called ICM, Introduction to Clinical Medicine. In this class, we have a set of practical exams that must be passed. I don't think they're exactly the toughest thing in the world, when I see what we're to do. Yet, every group of fourth semester students has been paralyzed by fear of these practicals, and I didn't understand why.
Well, now I do. It's a matter of presentation from our instructors and proctors. You see, every ICM lecture or lab we have had this semester, we get bludgeoned over the head about our practical. The practical is worth 20% of our final grade, so it's significant, but not overly. However, the presentation of the material is such that we are led to believe that if a student does something slightly out of turn, or isn't exactly speedy (we have a 6 minute time limit) the student will FAIL. Even beyond that, some of the things they bludgeon us about are worthy of ridicule, to be kind. We are instructed to never approach, or examine the patient from the left side. We are also instructed to never examine the patient with our left hand.
Now, as a lefty, this gets me a little bit lathered. You see, this is a school that accepts federal funds. As such, they have non-discrimination rules, and other things. They can't give you crap for being white, black, blue, yellow, green, red, Italian, Huegoenot, Polish, Chinese, Pastafarian, Catholic, Hindu, Muslim, gay, straight, bi, confuse, or dumb. But, if you're a lefty, God help you. The problem is, every group I've heard make an argument about left being gauche is religious. So, they're just completing a circle. And, because it's about handedness, I don't have a leg to stand on with a complaint. And, I and my patients suffer because I can't perform my skills in the manner in which I am most dextrous.
Honestly, it's 2008. Homosexuals can marry now in California. When will lefties be accepted? We're people too.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
20 July 2008, Daddy needs a new pair of shoes
Hmm, well I had a frustrating experience today. Becky and I were headed back from our normal beach engagement on Sunday mornings and my thong strap broke, less than halfway home. The terrible part about it is at 1 p.m. on a sunny day, you simply need foot protection. If it's not the road burning your feet, it's broken bottles, scrap metal, centipedes, and razor grass attacking you from the shoulder. There's no way to win. And, keeping a broken thong on your foot just doesn't make for effective walking.
If you count it up, that makes 6 pairs of shoes Dominica has now eaten. A pair of combat boots that the anatomy lab partially dissolved, 3 pairs of sandals that have had the soles walked off, one pair of good shoes, and now my beach thongs. 6 pairs of shoes in 16 months, 4 of which were new.
In good news, I got my mini 2 grades back. I scored much better than I had expected. Actually, I scored pretty well. But, I still have 10 solid days of exams coming up within the next 32 days. I'm certain that I can expect similar grades through this whole set of exams, but I'm simply ready for a change. Especially since Becky and I are starting to pack things up in preparation to come back. Our place is getting bare, and less homey. There's also a large element of expectation, too. It's similar to waiting for Christmas to come so you can see what Santa left because you KNOW you were just the best-behaved little child the past year and darn it, you DESERVE something good.
Okay, that may be over the top, but Becky and I do feel we really need a change of scenery and society.
I suppose I just need to find an umbrella drink stirrer and start hollowing out a pineapple and work on changing my perspective. I'll work on that.
Cheers,
-j
If you count it up, that makes 6 pairs of shoes Dominica has now eaten. A pair of combat boots that the anatomy lab partially dissolved, 3 pairs of sandals that have had the soles walked off, one pair of good shoes, and now my beach thongs. 6 pairs of shoes in 16 months, 4 of which were new.
In good news, I got my mini 2 grades back. I scored much better than I had expected. Actually, I scored pretty well. But, I still have 10 solid days of exams coming up within the next 32 days. I'm certain that I can expect similar grades through this whole set of exams, but I'm simply ready for a change. Especially since Becky and I are starting to pack things up in preparation to come back. Our place is getting bare, and less homey. There's also a large element of expectation, too. It's similar to waiting for Christmas to come so you can see what Santa left because you KNOW you were just the best-behaved little child the past year and darn it, you DESERVE something good.
Okay, that may be over the top, but Becky and I do feel we really need a change of scenery and society.
I suppose I just need to find an umbrella drink stirrer and start hollowing out a pineapple and work on changing my perspective. I'll work on that.
Cheers,
-j
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
15 July 2008
Well... it's certainly been a long time since I've posted an update. I apologize for it being so long, but I assure you that I've been busy attempting to navigate med school with its clear, and not-so-clear obstacles.
I'm sure no one reading this really needs much more of an explanation of the classroom things that have been going on, but some of the outside-of-lecture things have been interesting this semester. First off, in fourth semester, you spend a lot more time trying to get experience making decisions with how to manage patients, and you also spend a lot more time examining paid patients. This has brought up a couple of interesting goings-on with Yours Truly.
The first one that comes to mind is a thing called Stan. Stan is a patient simulator and is short for STandardized mAN. Basically what happens with a Stan session is me and 8 of my fourth semester classmates are turned loose on a scenario that is basically "this person presented to the emergency room with X". It's a good concept, and I applaud Ross for giving us this kind of educational experience. But... how they designed the experience runs almost exactly counter to the strengths of their simulator. Their simulator is designed to provide an experience like you'd see George Clooney doing on E.R. You know, pushing drugs on someone who came in with a heart attack, stroke, or vehicle accident, and needs serious resuscitation RIGHT NOW.
Unfortunately, we were given much less emergent scenarios, and with the first one, the proctor had the patient monitor up. It's basically the thing that goes "beep" with every heartbeat, but current ones show the heart rhythm, oxygen content of the blood, respiratory rate, and several other things depending on how many bells and whistles you've attached to the patient. Well, my critical mistake was to actually bother to look at this monitor and ask questions to the patient based on what I saw on the monitor. I was told in no uncertain terms that this was something We Were Not To See. I was rather disappointed in that experience because I have always believed that more information in a clinical setting is better by default. One more hidden lesson here, I guess. Never point out the weaknesses in a simulation.
There are several other things that have been less than rewarding this semester, but I'll try not to bother anyone with them. I am happy to say that with my other Stan session, my proctor praised me and gave me top marks for the exercise. I was remarkably surprised by this because I'm a critic of this instructor. She is not a very good lecturer, and before this session, her only redeeming qualities were her amazingly fair and straightforward exam questions. Were I in the administration here, I'd "promote" her out of her lecture position and make her a second-in-command of the simulation group. She was that redeeming.
There is a very unique thing that occurred to me the other day. I've grown used to Dominica, but I haven't grown into a Dominican. I was walking to Eddo's, our other corner store here, and for some reason, I had a Garrison Keillor monologue going on in my head. It isn't that I was drawing a connection between them. But, the normal things here are normal enough that I can separate myself so much I can daydream daydreams I would have in Nebraska and it's not weird, not off-putting, and not something that would make me homesick. It's a different normal, a here normal. Yet, it's not a normal-normal.
But, the end is in sight. 68 hours of lecture left, starting with 8 hours tomorrow. Then 2 solid weeks of exams. 40 days and a few hours on Dominica left. Becky and I have an apartment in Miami already. And, a visit to Nebraska planned. However, there's a hitch. Ross requires that everyone pass the USMLE Comprehensive Exam before we are allowed to sit for the required Step 1 exam. The Comp is the Tuesday of my first week of fifth semester in Miami, September 16. It's four hours long, and comprehensive, as the name would suggest. So, I'll get to enjoy significant amounts of time looking at a book, when that's the last thing I want to do. What's a body to do, though, right?
In other news, it looks like another tropical storm may or may not be headed our way. The last reports have said that it was weakening, but no matter what happens, it'll be here this weekend. We're expecting to lose both power and water for several hours. Such fun, such fun. I guess that's life's way of urging me to practice for my practical exams.
As the Dominicans say, be cool mon.
-j
I'm sure no one reading this really needs much more of an explanation of the classroom things that have been going on, but some of the outside-of-lecture things have been interesting this semester. First off, in fourth semester, you spend a lot more time trying to get experience making decisions with how to manage patients, and you also spend a lot more time examining paid patients. This has brought up a couple of interesting goings-on with Yours Truly.
The first one that comes to mind is a thing called Stan. Stan is a patient simulator and is short for STandardized mAN. Basically what happens with a Stan session is me and 8 of my fourth semester classmates are turned loose on a scenario that is basically "this person presented to the emergency room with X". It's a good concept, and I applaud Ross for giving us this kind of educational experience. But... how they designed the experience runs almost exactly counter to the strengths of their simulator. Their simulator is designed to provide an experience like you'd see George Clooney doing on E.R. You know, pushing drugs on someone who came in with a heart attack, stroke, or vehicle accident, and needs serious resuscitation RIGHT NOW.
Unfortunately, we were given much less emergent scenarios, and with the first one, the proctor had the patient monitor up. It's basically the thing that goes "beep" with every heartbeat, but current ones show the heart rhythm, oxygen content of the blood, respiratory rate, and several other things depending on how many bells and whistles you've attached to the patient. Well, my critical mistake was to actually bother to look at this monitor and ask questions to the patient based on what I saw on the monitor. I was told in no uncertain terms that this was something We Were Not To See. I was rather disappointed in that experience because I have always believed that more information in a clinical setting is better by default. One more hidden lesson here, I guess. Never point out the weaknesses in a simulation.
There are several other things that have been less than rewarding this semester, but I'll try not to bother anyone with them. I am happy to say that with my other Stan session, my proctor praised me and gave me top marks for the exercise. I was remarkably surprised by this because I'm a critic of this instructor. She is not a very good lecturer, and before this session, her only redeeming qualities were her amazingly fair and straightforward exam questions. Were I in the administration here, I'd "promote" her out of her lecture position and make her a second-in-command of the simulation group. She was that redeeming.
There is a very unique thing that occurred to me the other day. I've grown used to Dominica, but I haven't grown into a Dominican. I was walking to Eddo's, our other corner store here, and for some reason, I had a Garrison Keillor monologue going on in my head. It isn't that I was drawing a connection between them. But, the normal things here are normal enough that I can separate myself so much I can daydream daydreams I would have in Nebraska and it's not weird, not off-putting, and not something that would make me homesick. It's a different normal, a here normal. Yet, it's not a normal-normal.
But, the end is in sight. 68 hours of lecture left, starting with 8 hours tomorrow. Then 2 solid weeks of exams. 40 days and a few hours on Dominica left. Becky and I have an apartment in Miami already. And, a visit to Nebraska planned. However, there's a hitch. Ross requires that everyone pass the USMLE Comprehensive Exam before we are allowed to sit for the required Step 1 exam. The Comp is the Tuesday of my first week of fifth semester in Miami, September 16. It's four hours long, and comprehensive, as the name would suggest. So, I'll get to enjoy significant amounts of time looking at a book, when that's the last thing I want to do. What's a body to do, though, right?
In other news, it looks like another tropical storm may or may not be headed our way. The last reports have said that it was weakening, but no matter what happens, it'll be here this weekend. We're expecting to lose both power and water for several hours. Such fun, such fun. I guess that's life's way of urging me to practice for my practical exams.
As the Dominicans say, be cool mon.
-j
Monday, May 12, 2008
11 May 2008, Fourth starts today!
Fourth semester starts today. I have my whole schedule for classes and exams in my hand that will last me through mid-August. But, the most exciting thing for me is that I have my ticket to leave Dominica! Yay!
Here is the countdown timer til my plane takes off.
The last week and a half, Becky and I have been spending more time at the beach, because we don't know how crazy fourth semester will be, but with more emphasis on clinical medicine instead of basic science foundations, I think I'll like this semester more. The unfortunate part about that is that I think Becky will see more of the back of my head than the front of it. Jared will probably study, study, study.
I've also been working on getting myself clinical rotations for when I am finished with fifth semester. There are now three that I'm working on that are outside of Ross University. Hopefully that will ingratiate me with the clinical department enough that I can get some extra help getting most of my required rotations done in Greeley, CO. That's been Becky and my hope for a while. It's somewhere that we think we can be for at least a year, and hopefully being somewhere more than a year will help her secure a job that's a little better paying than temp work.
I did one other interesting thing that most students don't do in Dominica. I did some construction last week. Our friend, Victor, that drove my family, and Becky's family around while they visited is building himself a rental house close to campus. Victor's been doing the dirtwork and has a pre-fab house bought and paid for, but the foundation needs to be finished. So, I recently volunteered my assistance to Victor, and he took me up on it. I came over and he tossed me a shovel. We mixed about 3 yards of concrete on the ground with a shovel and poured it into forms with five-gallon buckets. It really felt good to do some hard labor. The thing that shocked me, though, was that Victor didn't think that I could hang with Dominicans on physical labor. He was impressed that I came before the other workers, worked as hard, and stayed til the job was done. It wasn't even that long--with four people, we got done in three hours. The only thing I would have changed was bringing some gloves. My hands aren't as calloused as they used to be.
Not much else is going on right now. My lectures should be up on the web soon, and I'm waiting for that time so I can watch them.
Here is the countdown timer til my plane takes off.
The last week and a half, Becky and I have been spending more time at the beach, because we don't know how crazy fourth semester will be, but with more emphasis on clinical medicine instead of basic science foundations, I think I'll like this semester more. The unfortunate part about that is that I think Becky will see more of the back of my head than the front of it. Jared will probably study, study, study.
I've also been working on getting myself clinical rotations for when I am finished with fifth semester. There are now three that I'm working on that are outside of Ross University. Hopefully that will ingratiate me with the clinical department enough that I can get some extra help getting most of my required rotations done in Greeley, CO. That's been Becky and my hope for a while. It's somewhere that we think we can be for at least a year, and hopefully being somewhere more than a year will help her secure a job that's a little better paying than temp work.
I did one other interesting thing that most students don't do in Dominica. I did some construction last week. Our friend, Victor, that drove my family, and Becky's family around while they visited is building himself a rental house close to campus. Victor's been doing the dirtwork and has a pre-fab house bought and paid for, but the foundation needs to be finished. So, I recently volunteered my assistance to Victor, and he took me up on it. I came over and he tossed me a shovel. We mixed about 3 yards of concrete on the ground with a shovel and poured it into forms with five-gallon buckets. It really felt good to do some hard labor. The thing that shocked me, though, was that Victor didn't think that I could hang with Dominicans on physical labor. He was impressed that I came before the other workers, worked as hard, and stayed til the job was done. It wasn't even that long--with four people, we got done in three hours. The only thing I would have changed was bringing some gloves. My hands aren't as calloused as they used to be.
Not much else is going on right now. My lectures should be up on the web soon, and I'm waiting for that time so I can watch them.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
1 May 2008; one year here
A year ago, this day was a long time off. Today is the anniversary of my first full day in Dominica. Since anniversaries are a good time to reflect back and look ahead, I figured I would not break with tradition.
My past year here has been pretty eventful, even aside from the simple eventfulness of schooling. I've weathered a hurricane, climbed to the world's second-largest boiling lake (which begs the question of the location of the largest), seen whales, and done the uprooting-the-family dance so I could come here.
What do the next few years hold for me? I'll start with the things about Dominica I'll be certain to miss, but I'll leave the exercise of listing the things I won't to you, gentle reader. Going for runs here is something I'll miss, not so much for the location or the places to run, but more for the ability to drink green coconut water as a recovery drink. That stuff is amazing--beats almost everything I've tried as a recovery drink. No cicadas in the summer to keep me awake is something I'll miss--even though the cicadas are something I miss here. They're great for a couple of days, but then it gets old.
But, you know what's a thing that Becky and I haven't got here? Junk mail. Now, my mother-in-law will protest and say that she's got it all in Utica, NE. But, it still stands. When you have no real address in a country, you can bet that you'll get no junk mail. I'll miss not getting junk mail. I will be happy to get a daily newspaper again, but with no real junk mail here, there's very little worry about things like identity theft. I get about three pieces of mail from Ross each semester, the occasional expected package, and probably one other piece of unexpected mail each semester. But, from a credit card, magazine, charity, or school organization? Bupkis. It's nice.
What am I looking forward to? Well, two big things. Becky, Helena (a new good friend), and I are signing up for our first ultra-marathon. We're planning on running a 50k race in Hell, MI called Dances With Dirt. It's billed as an all-trail over-the-woods-and-through-the-river run guaranteed to leave you muddy and half-lost. It seems like our kind of insanity.
I'm also looking forward to moving somewhere with a weather forecast. With no radar here, there's no real weather report. Weather comes through and hits other islands then we sort of track it backward to explain why the weather was terrible three days ago. Sure, we knew about the hurricane, but that's really the only thing. It definitely makes a difference, changing from that kind of lifestyle where you plan on knowing about the weather. The lifestyle here is at both times blissfully unaware, and necessarily over-prepared. But, having a reasonable expectation that a nice day will stay nice all day will be welcome.
I'm also looking forward to going to a wilderness medicine elective. I'm torn between two that sound really exciting. One is put on in Tennessee. This is a US-based wilderness type of medicine experience. It goes through how to do wilderness medicine where you have modern medical treatment available, even if it may be difficult to get to the patient. However, the other one I'm looking at makes the Tennessee program seem like a program for dilettantes. It's a month-long program in Belize, or another similarly remote area. The thing that surprises me, is the international program I'm looking at is based out of Norfolk, NE, and accredited through UNMC in Omaha, NE. I guess that just goes to show you what goes on behind closed doors right next to you.
But, as of writing this, Becky and I are planning to travel to San Juan in three weeks for a few days, and we've also purchased our tickets for our planned return to the US in August. We have already heard of offers to help us move through the grapevine, and we really appreciate them. We're not telling anyone definitively no right now. But, our current plans are to fly to Miami, FL, get our dogs and freight, rent a car one-way to Omaha, and then catch up with family. We're still operating under the assumption that we'll be in Miami for fifth semester (September through December), but I'm applying to the Saginaw, MI program as soon as I find out the process and timeline. We'd both prefer going somewhere and seeing the change from early fall to winter. Unfortunately, there will be no breath-holding, but we're still going to try.
So, after one year here, I'm acclimated to Dominica. At least mostly. But, when you remind me that there are only four short months left for my time here, you will find a 200 watt smile lighting up my face. Island paradises are great, when you have nowhere to be and no time to be there. Island paradises while you have 8 hours of lecture a day, exams, and large expenses leave you with a significantly different feeling. But, I'm wanting to look ahead because, well, I have to. My four semesters here were all planned out by the time I got here. But after this, I have to decide what electives I want to take, where I want to take them, and all kinds of other scheduling and placing. Once I'm done with that, I get to throw myself into the residency application meat-market. Then, hopefully, I get to practice medicine how I'd like. We'll see what that practice looks like in a few years.
My past year here has been pretty eventful, even aside from the simple eventfulness of schooling. I've weathered a hurricane, climbed to the world's second-largest boiling lake (which begs the question of the location of the largest), seen whales, and done the uprooting-the-family dance so I could come here.
What do the next few years hold for me? I'll start with the things about Dominica I'll be certain to miss, but I'll leave the exercise of listing the things I won't to you, gentle reader. Going for runs here is something I'll miss, not so much for the location or the places to run, but more for the ability to drink green coconut water as a recovery drink. That stuff is amazing--beats almost everything I've tried as a recovery drink. No cicadas in the summer to keep me awake is something I'll miss--even though the cicadas are something I miss here. They're great for a couple of days, but then it gets old.
But, you know what's a thing that Becky and I haven't got here? Junk mail. Now, my mother-in-law will protest and say that she's got it all in Utica, NE. But, it still stands. When you have no real address in a country, you can bet that you'll get no junk mail. I'll miss not getting junk mail. I will be happy to get a daily newspaper again, but with no real junk mail here, there's very little worry about things like identity theft. I get about three pieces of mail from Ross each semester, the occasional expected package, and probably one other piece of unexpected mail each semester. But, from a credit card, magazine, charity, or school organization? Bupkis. It's nice.
What am I looking forward to? Well, two big things. Becky, Helena (a new good friend), and I are signing up for our first ultra-marathon. We're planning on running a 50k race in Hell, MI called Dances With Dirt. It's billed as an all-trail over-the-woods-and-through-the-river run guaranteed to leave you muddy and half-lost. It seems like our kind of insanity.
I'm also looking forward to moving somewhere with a weather forecast. With no radar here, there's no real weather report. Weather comes through and hits other islands then we sort of track it backward to explain why the weather was terrible three days ago. Sure, we knew about the hurricane, but that's really the only thing. It definitely makes a difference, changing from that kind of lifestyle where you plan on knowing about the weather. The lifestyle here is at both times blissfully unaware, and necessarily over-prepared. But, having a reasonable expectation that a nice day will stay nice all day will be welcome.
I'm also looking forward to going to a wilderness medicine elective. I'm torn between two that sound really exciting. One is put on in Tennessee. This is a US-based wilderness type of medicine experience. It goes through how to do wilderness medicine where you have modern medical treatment available, even if it may be difficult to get to the patient. However, the other one I'm looking at makes the Tennessee program seem like a program for dilettantes. It's a month-long program in Belize, or another similarly remote area. The thing that surprises me, is the international program I'm looking at is based out of Norfolk, NE, and accredited through UNMC in Omaha, NE. I guess that just goes to show you what goes on behind closed doors right next to you.
But, as of writing this, Becky and I are planning to travel to San Juan in three weeks for a few days, and we've also purchased our tickets for our planned return to the US in August. We have already heard of offers to help us move through the grapevine, and we really appreciate them. We're not telling anyone definitively no right now. But, our current plans are to fly to Miami, FL, get our dogs and freight, rent a car one-way to Omaha, and then catch up with family. We're still operating under the assumption that we'll be in Miami for fifth semester (September through December), but I'm applying to the Saginaw, MI program as soon as I find out the process and timeline. We'd both prefer going somewhere and seeing the change from early fall to winter. Unfortunately, there will be no breath-holding, but we're still going to try.
So, after one year here, I'm acclimated to Dominica. At least mostly. But, when you remind me that there are only four short months left for my time here, you will find a 200 watt smile lighting up my face. Island paradises are great, when you have nowhere to be and no time to be there. Island paradises while you have 8 hours of lecture a day, exams, and large expenses leave you with a significantly different feeling. But, I'm wanting to look ahead because, well, I have to. My four semesters here were all planned out by the time I got here. But after this, I have to decide what electives I want to take, where I want to take them, and all kinds of other scheduling and placing. Once I'm done with that, I get to throw myself into the residency application meat-market. Then, hopefully, I get to practice medicine how I'd like. We'll see what that practice looks like in a few years.
Monday, April 28, 2008
28 April 2008, Semester Break!
Semester 3 is over! Yay! However, like the last two breaks, most of it is being spent in Dominica. So, not a lot of things going on for me. Becky is working on a degree in Exercise Science, and it really looks like between my classes and hers, we won't really have a time in the next 18 months that we both have a break at the same time. I guess that's part of being and adult, though. Right?
So far, it's been a mostly interesting break. I took my final and had the afternoon off before I went with a group of friends to Fort Young's waterfront restaurant for a good meal to celebrate. Then on Thursday, Becky and I were employed by the Tomato restaurant to tend bar at their downstairs bar. Friday, we were invited to Sugar's, the new restaurant around Ross, for the Tomato end of semester celebration. Saturday Becky had me help her with her new job, personal training. Then, yesterday, we went sailing with a group of Canadian ex-patriots on a really nice little sailing yacht.
There are a few things that bear mentioning about the sail trip. First is: Becky and I are landlubbers. I will freely admit that. In fact, given some of the boat trips I've been on, I've pretty much decided that one trip a decade in water that's too large to see land over the horizon is enough. So, for three longer-than-two-hour boat trips in 6 months is quite a feat for us. Second is, Sunday was pretty much a day made for sailing. There was a breeze, not a wind. The water was fairly calm, and the bay wasn't terribly busy. Third is, we were sport fishing off the back of the sailboat. And, finally, we saw whales!
The whale part was actually really, REALLY exciting, and had a bit of drama, too. How it was happening is we were just sailing along, minding our own business, when the "crew-member" of the boat, a trained whale-watcher says "Oh, it looks like there are some whales over by that boat". So, we watch for a bit, and see how many there are. There is the occasional spout, and we're pretty content.
But, we have a pretty good breeze. The captain lets the gib, the sail at the front of the boat, out a bit more, and we begin chase. We sail closer to the ship and the whales and are generally having a good time watching and catching up to everything. We come to the conclusion that this is a small pod of about 6 or so sperm whales, possibly mating. Then, the boat we're catching up with starts yelling at us but we can't quite hear them due to the distance we are apart, and the different sounds of a sailboat.
We tool around watching the whales for a while, and then one of the bulls starts to breach the water. I must say, a bull sperm whale breaching the water is a sight to see. It looked like something the size of a 2000 gallon anhydrous ammonia tank shooting up 3/4 of the way out of the water vertically and then splashing over. This happened 5 or 6 times, and there were several tail slaps, and it all was quite amazing.
As this is going on, the crew-member gets the radio hooked up and we come around closer to the vessel which has Halifax, Nova Scotia painted on its side, and no one really knows what flag its under. They yell some things at us, and our crew-member yells some things at them, and we sail off. It all looked mostly like a bunch of macho posturing. In all reality, I think the other boat was frustrated because our boat was sailing faster than they were going with motors. All testosterone, and no sense.
After we had our fun with the whales, we started heading back to port and hit a small doldrum in the wind. We saw some more wind coming, so we trimmed our sails in preparation. Soon, that wind hit, and we were clipping along with a 30 degree port list (left) and we had a barracuda hit the line. We reeled that it and were ready to gaff it when the fish fell off the line which was good enough as we had to come about to continue to tack back to port. When we came about, we were taking a 30 degree starboard list from the wind, and I was so close to the water, I skimmed my hand in it without leaving my seat.
After all was said and done, and the boat was moored in the port, I hopped overboard and swam ashore. Then, Becky and I walked to PBH for cokes and supper, and a quick cab ride home to sleep by 7:30 p.m.
Don't worry, though. I'm no sailor. I still have basically no inclination for that life.
So far, it's been a mostly interesting break. I took my final and had the afternoon off before I went with a group of friends to Fort Young's waterfront restaurant for a good meal to celebrate. Then on Thursday, Becky and I were employed by the Tomato restaurant to tend bar at their downstairs bar. Friday, we were invited to Sugar's, the new restaurant around Ross, for the Tomato end of semester celebration. Saturday Becky had me help her with her new job, personal training. Then, yesterday, we went sailing with a group of Canadian ex-patriots on a really nice little sailing yacht.
There are a few things that bear mentioning about the sail trip. First is: Becky and I are landlubbers. I will freely admit that. In fact, given some of the boat trips I've been on, I've pretty much decided that one trip a decade in water that's too large to see land over the horizon is enough. So, for three longer-than-two-hour boat trips in 6 months is quite a feat for us. Second is, Sunday was pretty much a day made for sailing. There was a breeze, not a wind. The water was fairly calm, and the bay wasn't terribly busy. Third is, we were sport fishing off the back of the sailboat. And, finally, we saw whales!
The whale part was actually really, REALLY exciting, and had a bit of drama, too. How it was happening is we were just sailing along, minding our own business, when the "crew-member" of the boat, a trained whale-watcher says "Oh, it looks like there are some whales over by that boat". So, we watch for a bit, and see how many there are. There is the occasional spout, and we're pretty content.
But, we have a pretty good breeze. The captain lets the gib, the sail at the front of the boat, out a bit more, and we begin chase. We sail closer to the ship and the whales and are generally having a good time watching and catching up to everything. We come to the conclusion that this is a small pod of about 6 or so sperm whales, possibly mating. Then, the boat we're catching up with starts yelling at us but we can't quite hear them due to the distance we are apart, and the different sounds of a sailboat.
We tool around watching the whales for a while, and then one of the bulls starts to breach the water. I must say, a bull sperm whale breaching the water is a sight to see. It looked like something the size of a 2000 gallon anhydrous ammonia tank shooting up 3/4 of the way out of the water vertically and then splashing over. This happened 5 or 6 times, and there were several tail slaps, and it all was quite amazing.
As this is going on, the crew-member gets the radio hooked up and we come around closer to the vessel which has Halifax, Nova Scotia painted on its side, and no one really knows what flag its under. They yell some things at us, and our crew-member yells some things at them, and we sail off. It all looked mostly like a bunch of macho posturing. In all reality, I think the other boat was frustrated because our boat was sailing faster than they were going with motors. All testosterone, and no sense.
After we had our fun with the whales, we started heading back to port and hit a small doldrum in the wind. We saw some more wind coming, so we trimmed our sails in preparation. Soon, that wind hit, and we were clipping along with a 30 degree port list (left) and we had a barracuda hit the line. We reeled that it and were ready to gaff it when the fish fell off the line which was good enough as we had to come about to continue to tack back to port. When we came about, we were taking a 30 degree starboard list from the wind, and I was so close to the water, I skimmed my hand in it without leaving my seat.
After all was said and done, and the boat was moored in the port, I hopped overboard and swam ashore. Then, Becky and I walked to PBH for cokes and supper, and a quick cab ride home to sleep by 7:30 p.m.
Don't worry, though. I'm no sailor. I still have basically no inclination for that life.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
2 April 2008, Bored, but busy
Many of you are on Becky's list as well as mine. Last update, I tried creeping around the issue that our friend Addie and her son Noah went home to Indiana. Becky simply stated it. Since then, our neighbor Kit, Addie's husband, has also gone to Indiana on a medical withdrawal from the semester. Our good friend Ashley has also dropped out of medical school--I'm pretty sure her withdrawal is permanent. What this means is that the good portion of Becky and my social lives have left the island, leaving a big hole in our non-academic lives.
This has really made me think about a lot of things. Both Kit and Ashley were really great students here. I think both of them had 4.0 gpa's. Medical school is hard--everyone who uses a doctor has a good reason to expect that it is. We want well-qualified, intelligent, broadly educated physicians. However, we rarely think about the cost that it has on the students.
One medical school I've heard of was having an orientation ceremony for its incoming new class. The dean of students told all of the students to introduce themselves to the student to their left, and the student to their right. Then, the dean told them to remember that name well, because statistically one of the people they just introduced themselves to will not be graduating. Why don't people graduate from medical school? What I've found thus far is that it usually isn't failing academically. What seems to be the reason is that life derails us.
That's the part that is hard to get out of my head. We can dream all of the dreams we want, but we still have to deal with realities. Here are some harsh realities I've heard of people dealing with: pregnancy, physical illness, family illness, mental illness, lack of interest in medicine, disillusionment, and administrative hijinks. Add to that uncertainty in grades, the sheer difficulty of medicine, culture shock of living in Dominica, and the odd earthquake or hurricane, and you've got a lot of things to keep your dreams as just that, dreams.
We all work hard to make sure that we can attain our dreams. And, with the subject this is on, you could certainly be led to believe that I am second-guessing mine right now. I'm not. I am trying to wrap my brain around the attrition rate at medical school, though. It's really a hard thing to think about because whenever I do, I come to the conclusions of both the students and the schools having unreasonable visions of the other that then make for "irreconcilable differences" when the two mix for up to four years.
What does this all add up to? Well, essentially, I've spent a lot more time in innerspace the last few weeks than gallavanting over Dominica. There's lots to do, but when you lack people to do things with, oftentimes you just wait for the people to come. Sadly, I don't think they're coming before the end of the semester. So, Becky and I will spend a lot of time entertaining ourselves.
This has really made me think about a lot of things. Both Kit and Ashley were really great students here. I think both of them had 4.0 gpa's. Medical school is hard--everyone who uses a doctor has a good reason to expect that it is. We want well-qualified, intelligent, broadly educated physicians. However, we rarely think about the cost that it has on the students.
One medical school I've heard of was having an orientation ceremony for its incoming new class. The dean of students told all of the students to introduce themselves to the student to their left, and the student to their right. Then, the dean told them to remember that name well, because statistically one of the people they just introduced themselves to will not be graduating. Why don't people graduate from medical school? What I've found thus far is that it usually isn't failing academically. What seems to be the reason is that life derails us.
That's the part that is hard to get out of my head. We can dream all of the dreams we want, but we still have to deal with realities. Here are some harsh realities I've heard of people dealing with: pregnancy, physical illness, family illness, mental illness, lack of interest in medicine, disillusionment, and administrative hijinks. Add to that uncertainty in grades, the sheer difficulty of medicine, culture shock of living in Dominica, and the odd earthquake or hurricane, and you've got a lot of things to keep your dreams as just that, dreams.
We all work hard to make sure that we can attain our dreams. And, with the subject this is on, you could certainly be led to believe that I am second-guessing mine right now. I'm not. I am trying to wrap my brain around the attrition rate at medical school, though. It's really a hard thing to think about because whenever I do, I come to the conclusions of both the students and the schools having unreasonable visions of the other that then make for "irreconcilable differences" when the two mix for up to four years.
What does this all add up to? Well, essentially, I've spent a lot more time in innerspace the last few weeks than gallavanting over Dominica. There's lots to do, but when you lack people to do things with, oftentimes you just wait for the people to come. Sadly, I don't think they're coming before the end of the semester. So, Becky and I will spend a lot of time entertaining ourselves.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Busy, busier, busiest. March 13, 2008
Oftentimes, I find myself slipping back into being one of the grammar police. Things like descriptive, comparative, and superlative adjectives, their usage, and appropriateness at times spring to mind.
This semester, my third, has been busy. Busier than second, and first. Making it the busiest. Descriptive, comparative, superlative. Why has this been busy? Well, third semester has many new things that first and second didn't. First, and most happily, I am breaking out of laying the dirty, non-medical groundwork. I get to deal with pathology, microbiology, real patients--well, one real patient--and many others. Secondly, I've had my parents, aunt LaVerne, uncle Mike, my mother-in-law Eileen, sister-in-law Sherry, and two nephews, Evan and Eric visit.
The visits were great. We did things that Becky and I had been saving for when family visits--different beaches, scuba diving, cliff jumping. Things that help take my mind off of the gnawing feeling that if something really life-changing were to happen and I had to leave, I'd have a hard time finding an appropriate job. I don't think I could go back and be a chemist happily again. Being a computer guy isn't interesting. I feel like a half-sculpted statue. I'm not what I was, but I'm not what I want to be yet.
The weather is changing here. We're coming out of the wet season and into the dry season. Becky and I can tell it. It's a lot hotter. The humidity is now what I would call "fulminant". That's a word I wouldn't have used before my pathology class. Other things are changing, too. It appears that Dominica has now developed Giardia, or beaver-fever, on the island--that's not a change anyone could have predicted easily. Our clothes dryer has been broken for nearly three weeks. The chicken across the street has stopped laying me the occasional egg. The only thing that's constant is change. But, we all knew that, didn't we?
Becky has been slightly more upbeat since we crossed the six-months-to-go mark. It's something that hasn't been lost on me, either. Dominica is a beautiful country with plenty of reasons to visit, or even live here. But, Becky and I aren't the type of people who would emigrate here permanently. We like snow too much. Talking to most of the other students here, they take the common tack that I remember when we were back in the States. No one seems to like winter anymore and I don't understand it. The changing of the seasons is something that I've always liked. Snow affords certain privileges of silence, light, and renewed care around familiar things and places. Frost clears the air in ways that Dominica likely hasn't seen since it had erupting volcanoes. Nebraska and Dominica remind you not to be complacent in different ways, and I like Nebraska's reminders better.
Monday is my second set of examinations for semester 3. I don't feel quite as prepared for this set as I was for the last set--but I'm not too worried. Nothing will happen that will be anything to keep me back. After that, it's going to be the final sprint of the semester. I'll have two oral exams, one paper, a couple of lab exams, and then a whole set of different finals and step exams. Becky and I are vaguely hoping for a bit of time in Puerto Rico after the semester is over, but that's very hypothetical at this point. We'd have to find someone to watch the dogs--so if anyone needs a first or second Dominica experience, let us know.
Cheers!
This semester, my third, has been busy. Busier than second, and first. Making it the busiest. Descriptive, comparative, superlative. Why has this been busy? Well, third semester has many new things that first and second didn't. First, and most happily, I am breaking out of laying the dirty, non-medical groundwork. I get to deal with pathology, microbiology, real patients--well, one real patient--and many others. Secondly, I've had my parents, aunt LaVerne, uncle Mike, my mother-in-law Eileen, sister-in-law Sherry, and two nephews, Evan and Eric visit.
The visits were great. We did things that Becky and I had been saving for when family visits--different beaches, scuba diving, cliff jumping. Things that help take my mind off of the gnawing feeling that if something really life-changing were to happen and I had to leave, I'd have a hard time finding an appropriate job. I don't think I could go back and be a chemist happily again. Being a computer guy isn't interesting. I feel like a half-sculpted statue. I'm not what I was, but I'm not what I want to be yet.
The weather is changing here. We're coming out of the wet season and into the dry season. Becky and I can tell it. It's a lot hotter. The humidity is now what I would call "fulminant". That's a word I wouldn't have used before my pathology class. Other things are changing, too. It appears that Dominica has now developed Giardia, or beaver-fever, on the island--that's not a change anyone could have predicted easily. Our clothes dryer has been broken for nearly three weeks. The chicken across the street has stopped laying me the occasional egg. The only thing that's constant is change. But, we all knew that, didn't we?
Becky has been slightly more upbeat since we crossed the six-months-to-go mark. It's something that hasn't been lost on me, either. Dominica is a beautiful country with plenty of reasons to visit, or even live here. But, Becky and I aren't the type of people who would emigrate here permanently. We like snow too much. Talking to most of the other students here, they take the common tack that I remember when we were back in the States. No one seems to like winter anymore and I don't understand it. The changing of the seasons is something that I've always liked. Snow affords certain privileges of silence, light, and renewed care around familiar things and places. Frost clears the air in ways that Dominica likely hasn't seen since it had erupting volcanoes. Nebraska and Dominica remind you not to be complacent in different ways, and I like Nebraska's reminders better.
Monday is my second set of examinations for semester 3. I don't feel quite as prepared for this set as I was for the last set--but I'm not too worried. Nothing will happen that will be anything to keep me back. After that, it's going to be the final sprint of the semester. I'll have two oral exams, one paper, a couple of lab exams, and then a whole set of different finals and step exams. Becky and I are vaguely hoping for a bit of time in Puerto Rico after the semester is over, but that's very hypothetical at this point. We'd have to find someone to watch the dogs--so if anyone needs a first or second Dominica experience, let us know.
Cheers!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)