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Today’s inane image of the day:

Guess who now has a pager!

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Today’s inane images of the day:

I got really well acquainted with my Prometric center locker key.

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Today’s inane images of the day:

Even though I cut back on coffee, I cannot deny the positive influence caffeine has on my productivity… so I’m back to drinking coffee again [just a lot less than I was earlier in the semester].

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Today’s inane image of the day:

I keep track of how many days I have left until Step 1 on my whiteboard. Eeeek – the number is too small!

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Today’s inane image of the day:

We were awarded the Heller Outstanding Branch Award for the second consecutive year in a row! Go team! [Photo credit: Fatima Fahs, our branch’s new fearless leader]

I apologize for the radio silence. The whole studying-for-boards excuse is already starting to sound like a broken record, but hey, it’s the truth. That, and keeping up with everything that has been going on in the past month [more on this later].

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Today’s inane image of the day:

This has been my baby for the last month or so. Hopefully it survives until May 20th!

Dear lovely readers,

I am alive and well but ridiculously busy with trying to 1.) keep up with school; 2.) keep up with my other blogs [more on this later]; 3.) keep up with my Step 1 study plan; 4.) stay healthy and calm. So far, so good but I anticipate that the worst will come after April 15th when our preclinical classes come to an end.

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Today’s inane image of the day:

There was a lot of Starbucks and hand cramps during this block…

Our final block of the fall semester was a 3-week Endocrine one. Here’s how I thought it went:

Course Overview
Since this was only 3 weeks long [unlike our last couple: Repro, GI, Renal], it felt extremely accelerated. Personally, I liked that it was short and sweet, although it meant there wasn’t much time to relax at the start of the block. We only had 1 TBL and an NBME final exam.

Thoughts
New TBL format. We were all given credit for the GAP questions [the last component of TBL where a group gets a clinical question and can use any resources to answer it] as long as we participated and discussed them. Our IRAT and GRAT [the individual/group quizzes] still counted for a grade depending on performance  Personally, I liked this format better because I thought it was more conducive to learning and less an argument about semantics or little things. Hopefully this will continue in future TBLs.

No Anatomy practical. Since we had seen all the Endocrine structures in previous blocks, there were no Anatomy lab sessions or a practical. It was definitely a different [positive] experience to walk out of the exam and not have to immediately lock myself into a study room to prepare for the Anatomy practical. However, I understand the utility of Anatomy practicals so it makes sense to have them for most blocks.

NBME final exam. Similar to the last couple of blocks, we had an NBME custom exam. I thought that it was a fair exam [plus, the average was our highest yet!].

Final Thoughts
Dr. Thomas and Dr. Ospina did a wonderful job coordinating this course and I applaud them for their hard work and dedication. Kudos to Dr. Thomas for his excellent communication with the class about anything course-related.

Today’s inane image of the day:

Do not be fooled by my smile – I’m freaking out inside right now…

At 10:42AM, I received my USMLE Step 1 Scheduling Permit and at 11:20AM while sitting at my favorite Starbucks, I scheduled my exam. It’s official – I’m taking the first of many medical Board examinations on May 20, 2013.

*hyperventilates a little*

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On another note, small changes here and there will be made to this blog – I want focus my entries on a more specific theme with a targeted goal. Hopefully before classes begin again [on Monday!], I’ll decide what direction this space will head as we dive headfirst into the new year.

Happy New Year, my loves! I hope the very best to all of you in 2013!

Today’s inane images of the day:

Tried a new recipe for my oatmeal muffins and they turned out even better than ever! Woohoo for having time to bake a healthy breakfast item!

I’ve been doing plenty of tea-drinking as of late – this particular blend is one of my personal favorites but is sadly only available during the holiday season.

Whew! I made it through my third semester of medical school [and didn’t have to remediate anything]! Now, I get 23 days away from school to do whatever I want. Except… not really because I’ve started to freak out a bit about the Boards. In fact, I’ve been so anxious about them that I’ve already made a skeleton outline for my dedicated Step 1 study time. We only get ~4-5 weeks of true study time, so I need to make sure to use every moment as efficiently as possible and that means charting out a pretty extensive schedule [otherwise… I’ll just sit around on Facebook or Google Reader or watch TV].

Somehow I’m already 6 days into my break and I feel like I’ve just sat around [which is mostly true]. Sadly this weather has taken a bit of a toll on my mood – when will the sun come out?! I do hope it takes a moment to visit the metro-Detroit area soon…

I’m sure you’re all wondering what other exciting plans I have for this time off? Well… I’ve been going home to spend time with family a bit more and am planning a trip to Florida for next week. Mike and I will be reunited the week after next. Sounds to me like a pretty pleasant break.

In the meantime, take a moment to take a deep breath in and out. Sometimes I think I forget that I actually need oxygen to think clearly. Sometimes, I need to remind myself to breathe. Either way, the simple act really clears my head and calms me down.

Finally, Congratulations to Hannah, Asheema, Sana, Laura and Jennifer for winning the Calendar Giveaway! Thank you to everyone who submitted an entry!