On my very first morning of medical school, I dropped a very large mirror. A SIX foot tall mirror.
Just so happens, medical school plus three years of residency equals 7.
Lets see what happens. Not a good start.
Happy had a contest and I won! I only guessed 30 times. I am little suprised I was not knocked out of the comp. with the inappropriate mom joke but Amazon here I come! I got plenty of books to buy for next semester...
1. Wake up. Drink tea. 2. Drive to cafe. Study. Drink Coffee. Drink Coffee. Study more. 3. Blog 6 times. Read news. Check northwest snow conditions for upcoming backcountry ski trip in Washington State. It is dumping snow out there. Let out a whoop!!! in a quiet cafe. Ignore stares. 4. Go to 1.5 hours of Hot Yoga. Sweat my arse off. 5. Go to Whole foods. Eat rice and indian curry. Purchase kombucha tea. Ignore that fact that I am overspending my loan money. 6. Proceed back to Cafe for more studying. Tea. 7. Blog again. 8. Return to frozen hut with no power.
KevinMd (also caught in ice storm central) pointed out an article describing some plans by a Texas Osteopathic school. READ HERE Apparently, the school feels it will improve its financial situation by also offering an MD degree... and of coarse, Kevin (like many others will)points out that this additional degree may be in effort to become a more "traditional" medical school. Cause we D.O.s all want to be M.D.s yo!
My comment on this news (copied, too busy and lazy to write something formal) are incldued below:
"there is definitely no shortage of students applying to medical school period. DO or MD. My DO school gets about 4000 applications for 120 spots. I think they accept about 450?
I really can't speculate why this texas school is doing this. I think there are some who feel D.O.s and M.D.s have become so similar in practice that there is little difference in schooling these medical students aside from the additional manipulation and biomechanic education the D.O.s get.
While I agree that we end up doing very similar jobs, I personally really do enjoy my D.O. education and feel I am getting some extra helpful hands on techniques. I think the healthcare system often dictates whether we have the time to actually use them...
I also pay the price for these extra skills with higher tuition (private), a longer school year, frequent questions of "are you really a doctor",having to take two sets of boards (COMLEX and USMLE), and some discrimination from dinosaur M.D.s that still don't get it.
I think a school offering both degrees might be a good way to go. They could do all the core science and didactics for the D.O.s and M.D.s in the same classrooms and then add on a component for the D.O.s covering osteopathic philosophy and manipulation."
Rolled out of bed. Grumpally (my word) said goodbye to the lady, my sister, and her boyfriend who stayed over and headed out to study somewhere warm.
I was sort of rushing as I did not get anything much done yesterday and Hematology is haunting me right now. That is when this nice little blurb about slowing down, being patient, and enjoying time as it passes came on the radio.
How fitting. It changed my perspective on the morning and I had a nice drive not caring about the grandma in front of me driving 5 miles below the speed limit.
Listen to it. It will help during the holidays! This guy must be amazing to hang out with...
I had a conversation with a classmate (who I totally love) the other night after a tough day at school with multiple tests. She is very different than me in that she uses her religious background to guide her decision making, including those made in medicine. She is anti-abortion, anti-plan B (which is not abortive), and not exactly "pro-gay" (but not a hater either!). I really would not expect anything different as she grew up in a family with 3-4 aunts who were nuns and several priest uncles because, after all, we really are just conditioned monkeys. Anyhow, also in conversation was another classmate who also happens to work on woman rights issues, is a pro-choice activist, and is gay herself. Needless to say, the conversation was interesting. The great part though, came at the end of the night when we all hugged and said goodbye no worse for the wear and still good friends.
Abortion, in particular, is a touchy subject and one that is not going away anytime soon. As a social liberal, I too have my strong opinions. I believe a woman has a right to chose. I believe there are already too many sad, unwanted human beings on this planet. I believe it is wrong to encourage young mothers who are not ready to have a baby but whose hormones have deceived them to keep a child… only to provide them with limited social services and healthcare later down the line. I believe the earth is struggling under the burden of our species’ needs, wants, and wastefulness. I believe strongly that there should be a solid line between church and state, one that the Republican Party and the conservative right seems intent to erase to gain ground on issues such as abortion.
I sometimes have a problem with my classmates who are very religious and pro-life but are getting their scholarships through the armed forces. What? You can't wield a uterine vacuum but you can shoot a gun? You can be part of an establishment that has also killed innocents in Iraq? Is it any worse to snatch away the life of a conglomerate of cells we call a fetus than it is to bomb people or shoot our enemies and surrounding innocent civilians down? There is a serious failure in logic here.
I was intrigued , however, when last night I heard this INTERVIEW on fresh air. It was a great interview because it represented some logic and intelligence from within the conservative, evangelical religious right...a supposed once “leader”, Frank Schaeffer, son of the late Francis Schaeffer.
All too often, I turn on the radio to listen to 'church radio'(for fun) and find it to be mind numbingly lacking in rationality. This was different. I liked this interview. Mr. Schaeffer was calm, collected, and intelligent. He had some sage advice for Obama. He provided a solid middle ground for both liberals and the religious population to potentially find common ground. He lamented the graphic “abortion holocaust” and hysteria that he, himself, had helped create with his father. He explained that his religious beliefs were, too some degree, never meant to be politicized or directed against abortion rights or the gay population. He implied that he was sucked into the anti-abortion movement by his own ambitions, interest in film, and the sense of importance. He also noted how he maintains his love for god and his pro-life philospohy in the context of a society that allows one to choose what is best for him/herself. I think this is an interview that anyone interested in the abortion debate should listen to, especially the last several minutes.
Listen... I respect the rights of everyone to decide their own life-paths as well as the right of my religious classmate to not partake in anything that she does not believe in, but we need to maintain abortion as an option and a medical out when life goes wrong or a mistake is made.
photo credit Ice storm rolled through last night...
school canceled. test postponed.
next week: Heme system exam, OMM practical exam, and OMM written exam. Fun!
we are without power like most people. It may be a couple of days and boy does the house get a little nippy without power. Drove a little ways to check email and do some online studying...heading back to the dark cave now...
Highlight of the day: Forest run with the pups just after the sun decided to come out for a while. All the ice was reflecting the light and the dogs were wild, bashing through trees allowing them to shed the weight of all the ice. Looked like a disco...
Low of the day: drinking this horrible Panera bread coffee (I mean real bad) just so I can be writing this and studying more! 7
Well...I don't want to get you fans out there too excited quite yet but my google analytics webpage is showing a lot of visits from the Hollywood, Bev Hills, LA area...could 7do be going Hollywood? Could 7do be airing right before Grey's Anatomy or House?
Exciting news in deed.
(ps. Whoever is reading this little blog out in Cali, no worries, I can't tell anything more than someone out there is dropping by...its not like I got your phone # so keep visiting and line me up for an EMMY!)
So...I really liked my new yoga teacher and studio until the end of class the other day when she had us do 10 deep, long breathes in wheel. This is not an abnormal length for the pose but one I don't really look forward to doing...(I try to avoid anticipation in yoga but I fail at times). I take really long breaths so that was about a minute and a bit...
I completed the 10 breathes and then self-congratulated and began to feel the warmth and change in my spine. That is when she announced we could (should?) do 25 breathes in wheel. I could not believe it and had to chuckle at the insanity of the request. This meant about 4 mins of long slow breathes, in a position where your ribcage barely wants to change size, shape, and volume. I did it anyhow.
IT was freakin' hard and I was feeling it for days... I was sort of feeling the muscle soreness and self-soothing the next day when I came across this video and I reminded myself that these sensations were probably standard for many folks: people with chronic pain, muscular disorders, manual laborers, trauma victims, the abused. For much of the world, feats more impressive and awkward are preformed everyday around the world in effort to just survive or make a wage.
I can smell the somatic dysfunction of this poor man over the internet waves. Crazy stuff...bet he needs an osteopathic manipulation or two.
Anyhow, I am going back today to the same teacher to see if she always encourages such self-inflicted brutality.
As for the bacon...SAD news. Another passing at the farm. This time, Timmy the pig had to be put down. It seems his back may of broken under his weight and perhaps he paralyzed his hind legs as he could not stand all of a sudden.
(Timmy and I in better times, enjoying a laugh! (censored for med blogging anonymity))
Timmy was an experiment of sorts. Most pigs of this variety are turning into bacon ASAP. But Tim was brought to us by a hippy, artist friend after he was found abandoned in the woods after some people had left their house. He grew up at our farm with Madison, the pot-bellied pig, in green pastures and with endless dinner leftovers. He lived the best life a pig could really. To my mom, he was a sort of science project, pig behavior experiment. Her observations after his death...
"Pigs are really quite social. Timmy loved to have his skin cleaned by the guinea hens, to hang out with Madison the pig, and to be around the other farm animals. He loved to have this skin rubbed but only very lightly and only in the direction of his course hairs. He loved to make nests and routinely used several bales of hay to perfect his spot under the barn. Timmy was a character." (loosely quoted)
Tim was not fat but his legs could hardly hold his shear size and he often had pretty cool muscle fasciculations as he stood and walked. We tried to excercise him by putting his food out in the pasture a ways but after watching him struggle later in his life, it just seemed cruel so he got the luxury lifestyle...bread, veggies, leftovers near his bed of hay.
R.I.P. Timmy
AND...in other animal news..Pombe..our younger male Chesapeake bay retriever cost us another $150 bucks at the vet after partially ripping his nail off the quick so bad he was squealing in pain every time he got nudged or moved. That dog is getting into the thousands this year. He shows no caution when playing and it shows in his injuries. Just got a call from home that he was so out of it from the anesthesia that he had a big BM (dump) on our kitchen floor. THanks pombe! Little bastard...
Tonight I put on Long Way Around, Ewen McGregor and Charley Boorman's trip around the world on their enduro motobikes. With an enduro in the garage and a shit ton to learn, I just want to pick up and ride too. Crap.
One of our family's draft horses (the big guy behind and on the left) had to be put down today due to neurological issues. I think Sophie (the horse on the right) will miss him most. Jeremy was always madly in love with Sophie and when we would take her out to drive carts, he would always neigh and snort like crazy! He was a nice character.
R.I.P. Jeremy
Also, I have plenty to say about how great the election went yesterday but I am too tired right now. Recovering from the Muscloskeletal exam today and the days leading up to it...
This quote from the linked article above (click on the quote) refers to yet another study that empirically links violent video games to aggressive behavior. I have indirectly commented on this before (click).
In my humble opinion, people need to start practicing how to be calm rather than continually conditioning themselves to destroy, torture, hate, and act impulsively. I am all for our bill of rights but when we start creating an alternative universe in the minds of our youth that encourages a "culture of disrespect" and of violence, I begin to think, why should we have to then deal with the consequences? Police, doctors, firefighters, politicians, lawyers, victims, soldiers....we are constantly dealing with the effects of this violent culture. At what point do we draw the line and say, these games, these activities, this way of life is making our society ill and we have got to stop it?
People may laugh at males that do yoga, but I will tell you one thing: ever since I started practicing and working on breath, relaxation, and meditation, I have been able to better cope with things that piss me off. It is essentially practicing a state of acceptance, peace, and tolerance (both of yourself and the smelly neighbor on the mat next to you). And the effects are long lasting. I cannot go to class for 2 weeks and I still feel the presence of calmness and respect what I have learned. I am not saying we all need to be yogis but I merely offer that we need to practice these states of tranquility somehow and that the overall sympathetic tone of our lives needs to be turned down a notch! By practicing one can prepare for the time that he/she wants to throw that chair, flip that driver off, or rant about waiting in line. People need to practice peace. Parents need to take the video games and TV away. We have got to spend less on war and military. We are sick.
So what's in it for you? How about a simpler, happier life? How about better health? (click)How about not becoming the next victim of violence?
7 go ahead and call me a dirty hippy. I dare you. I still got the mohawk!
Well....since I found (read: irresponsibly devoted)the time to close down the local brew pub tonight with over 100 medical students and other folks on Halloween night, I guess I can take the time to enlighten you all with some of my deep thoughts of the day.
1. I felt guilty tonight handing out little candy bars (did you know one tiny almond joy is equal to 20% of one's daily saturated fat)to poor little kids who are likely doomed to be obese Americans with type 2 diabetes.
2. Watching the show House is much more fun, as a medical student, with Wikipedia in front of you. You actually learn something. Tonight I learned about William's Syndrome because of the story line: Williams syndrome (WS; also Williams-Beuren syndrome or WBS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a deletion of about 26 genes from the long arm of chromosome 7.[1] It is characterized by a distinctive, "elfin" facial appearance, along with a low nasal bridge; an unusually cheerful demeanor and ease with strangers, coupled with unpredictably occurring negative outbursts; etc.
3. This time of year really makes me produce a lot of large, dry boogers. I am going to miss picking my nose once I get into the MRSA filled hospitals next year. Despite my love of digging deep, I don't think injecting Staph or neisseria meningitis into my brain and airways is worth it in the long run. It is going to take some time to break this life long habit.
4. Today, I sculpted a sic mohawk. I will be sporting it for the next week or more. Sadly, the only reason I know I can pull this off is b/c I don't have any preceptorships in the near future. It sucks that I will have to be, act, and look professional for the rest of my life. I always enjoyed mixing it up.
5. I need to see and listen to more live shows. Tonight a local band rocked the house and it was great. I need to seek out shows and get back into the groove.
6. "Joe the plumber" needs to go back to snaking toilets and removing large chunks of feces from porcelain rather than spouting his pathetic theories on world politics. Watch this:
7. Please to god, let those in the DRC survive this new wave of insane and useless violence. We need to prevent another genocide.
So I was exiting the main entrance of a big hospital tonight and hardly anyone was around and it was cold (Winter is setting in already)when I looked ahead to see a bunch of teens loitering outside, smoking, and sitting up on a retaining wall that had just been built as part of a new addition. I thought surely I would get some wise-crack, smart-ass comment thrown my way as I walked towards them in my tie and white coat.
them: "Ummm. Sir. We are just waiting for my father who is in surgery. I promise we are not loitering. I swear."
me: "uh, guys...I wouldn't give a shit."
Laughter.
them: "Ah, dude just wants to get home. He don't care."
Guess this white coat thing really does influence the way people see you.
I have been fortunate thus far in medical school. I have been working hard and killin' the grades (not something to discuss with classmates and since no one really reads this, who cares?)but it ain't easy. So when I prepare for exams, I am stressed and tired. And when I go to pick up those grades, I typically get anxious.
Lately, however, I have become a bit more complacent. After battling through the first year and making it, I now feel pretty confident that I will at least pass. I also don't really seem to care about high-passing (>90) anymore either.
So it was a bit of a shock the other day when I strolled into the curriculum office to pick up my Geriatric course grade and opened the stapled piece of paper to find a 63 accompanied by a big fat F! For the record, Geriatrics was suppose to be a side-liner of a course, a little annoying monkey on your back while you dealt with the gorilla in the room: Neuro. We had had 2 test, 5 assignments, and had an attendance requirement and I had not gotten one grade back yet. Therefore, I had no clue where this 63 was coming from: was it the final exam? The paper? Did they miss that I had attended? WTF? HOW COULD I FAIL GERIATRICS? Yet, I believed it. I had hated the lectures, not paid attention, begrudged the monotone nature of the course director. I could have missed something. I could have spaced because of my complacency, distraction, and hatred for the 8th lecture on the same frickin' thing.
I came home pissed and bummed. I sort of fretted about it in bed for an hour before I could fall asleep. I felt sh#tty. I was sort of a dick. I was going to have to restudy, retake an exam, and lose one of my 2 precious retakes that the school allows us before they throw us on the 5 year plan (an extra $70,000). Failing= pride hit, potential money disaster,extra work, and having to re-read the 10 page document on multiple reasons for urinary incontinence.
The next day, I showed up to class and informed my close friends. They assured me it was an error and that I could not of failed Geriatrics. I felt better. Maybe they were right? I emailed the course director and stopped by offices. Noone. Anxiety prevailed for another day before I finally contacted the assistant course director. She had failed to include my final paper on restraints for the elderly- 25% of my grade. I felt like suing for mental anguish. She corrected the grade and announced that yes, I had indeed HIGH passed. WTF?
The point of this post? I have got to handle failure better. It is going to happen in this process again and again, regardless if it has not happened quite yet. There is no way I am going to avoid failing some test, getting yelled at by an attending, failing to make a diagnosis, or screwing up a procedure. The practice of medicine is laced with failure and the clinical years are going to be heavier than these didactic years. I need to become familiar with failure and accept it when it comes my way.
Learning about Rheumatoid Arthritis right now and guess how fun the pharmacology part is? Non. Zero. Pain.
• Acetaminophen • NSAIDs • Corticosteroids
• DMARDs-disease modifying anti-rheumatoid drugs o Methotrexate o Antimalarial drugs o Sulfasalazine o Leflunomide o Etanercept o Infiximab o Adalimumab o Rituximab
For one disease. And ohhh...their names make no sense? No sh@t! Plus, for every drug name, there are 1-10 trade names that are unrelated. Talk about a pain in my arse.
To all of you out there that tuned in to see the feisty, "sexy" Palin in the VP debate but have been skipping the Presidential Debates (you know the debate between the guys that will actually run this country), I say this:
After a long day at school including 2 hours of patient encounter scenarios complete with video, timed SOAP notes, and patient feedback (read: kind insults), I went for a run along the ocean.
The ocean was unusually calm. I mean almost glass-smooth which it almost never is here. It seems that the lack of any waves for 24 hours allowed for anything dead in the ocean to show up on the exact beach I was running on. I mean it was a carnage run.
1 dead dog (I think), 3 dead seagulls, 1 dead seal, 2 dead big fish, and lots of crustaceans that seem to have had better days. It was certainty entertaining.
I have always advocated for a little sound proof room in the back of our tiered classroom in our medical school... little speakers could keep the lecture flowing into the students while the walls could keep the machine noise out of the classroom. Would be rad!
Here at 7 years, I plan on having tribute posts for my commenters. They mean that much to me.
First up: Dr.J
What can I say? A liberal, intelligent D.O. student? I mean, does it get better than that? Yes. It does. A liberal, intelligent D.O. student that has a farm, cooks like a mad woman, and still finds more time to do great things during medical school than anyone else I know. You should see this woman's Macbook calender. Holy crap.
Well, because this is an anonymous blog of sorts and because I don't have any video of you anyhow, I am posting a great video of a another tall minority that shares your name. Dr. J.
so, get an alias and start commenting so that you too, can be featured here on 7 years. (anon comments suck)
love 7
ps. please do scroll down for more interesting posts from tonight below including a librarian scandal!
I could not help but sound off. Here is what I posted in his comments. Where do you stand?
7 years comment:
"First of all, I would like to thank the cosmos that I have found a liberal Doc blog. For the past year of medical school I have been floating around the blogosphere reading horrifically conservative med blogs. I will not name names but I believe that although so many Docs are annoyed by the system, at the end of the day they go home to a comfortable living situation, add to their savings, and enjoy the lifestyle of the top .5% of the world.
I have seen too many people write off Universal Healthcare and chose to vote conservative just because they don't want to shell out taxes and are afraid a big change will rock the boat. Their boat. Case in point: Nurse K's comment. She does not want to lose what she currently has. She is fairly set. She works hard and does not want any compromises in how she lives. This is a moral standing point that she is not likely to change although it is one, that in my opinion, is constructed on FEAR and insecurity. (As a sidenote, I am suprised that a nurse would have such confidence in a private health insurance company. Has she not gotten sick yet and have them deny her claims with every slick trick in the book? Good for her.)
Well, this debate comes down to a moral standing point. Am I willing to risk my lifestyle and make sacrifices in the hope that more can enjoy basic human rights and humanistic benefits like healthcare, disability, and other social gifts? I am. It is called social progress and it is what has gotten us from roaming, feuding tribes of primitive men and women to the societies that exist today. If conservatives were left unchecked we would most certainly still have slaves, a domineering church, and not be making strides in the rights of gays/lesbians. While every group, including liberals, need their checks and balances, I believe social conservatives such as McCain and Palin constantly just keep us 50-100 years behind in social progress.
I think there is a lot of complacency and apathy that goes on within conservative thinking. It is short sighted. What goes around comes around and when the top tier gets too high above the populaces, it will equalize eventually. Why not begin with a new wave of social projects that does not leave the historically marginalized and the unfortunate in the cold?
We have an inefficient, unequal, shitty health care system that needs an overhaul. Insurance companies rape and pillage. Docs give away services. Primary care nurses have to spend their days calling in preauth's for medications. Patients get treated by overwhelmed and overloaded docs. Nothing works here. What are we trying to preserve?
Why the f@ck are we all afraid to change?
Wall street just ran people into the ground. Their savings, their retirements, their homes... Why trust health care to the same people? Why corporate care and overpaid CEOs? The government may not be perfect but 1 system, social equality, and money spent on people instead of battling with health insurance companies sounds like a good plan from where I sit as a humanist, future doctor, and social liberal.
Please pardon the rant grammar, I need to skip the proofreading and get back to studying."
So, I was watching this video of McCain that the AP has deemed sarcastic and irritable and all I could pay attention to was the giant "Abortion" Book just to his left ear. Did a feisty librarian place this book in a strategic location to make a point? McCain is commenting on Palin with an Abortion book next to his head. Just seems a little fishy.
Word to that librarian.
Also, notice a Sacrilege book on his right? I won't go there.
You heard it here first people.
ps. use the "enlarge" feature on the player to see the book more clearly.
Well, the final neuro test went alright. It was hard and I feel sleep deprived, fat, and grumpy but another hoop has been jumped threw.
Saw this in an email today and sort of made me wonder, why bother?! If one can lead the free world with sub-par grades, random college courses, and a beauty pageant history, I could surely be a doctor by achieving just the bare minimum grades right? Unforuntely, I am just not built like that. Wish I was.
Candidate Educations:
Obama: Occidental College - Two years. Columbia University - B.A. political science with a specialization in international relations. Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude
& Biden: University of Delaware - B.A. in history and B.A. in political science. Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)
vs.
McCain: United States Naval Academy - Class rank 894out of 899 (meaning that, like George Bush, McCain was at the bottom of his class)
Palin: Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in journalism
Now, which team are you going to hire to lead the most influential nation in the world?
So sad that some of these kids hardly had a chance to live. Cancer truly is evil.
Well...it is 3am and I have a test at 8am so I better finish up here and get some zzzzzzz
As a sidenote: I have a friend who has been working as a democratic campaign organizer in the northeast. He was invited to go on a bike ride with John Kerry. THis kid is 28 and he is what 60? Kerry crushed him like a little bug. I guess the ol' man can ride. (see pics)
McCain: "I would start a spending freeze except for the military, veteran affairs, and existing entitlement programs."
Umm dude. The country still needs social services. Mental health, health care, poverty programs, and education are important. Not only that, but we need many of these EXPANDED. Why is it so hard to believe that money spent on our citizens is some of the best spent money? Why keep funding shitty wars if we are financially strapped? You can't have a conservative view of birth control/abortion issues and then have families with 5 plus kids that are not supported by our government if needed. Having a girlfriend who is a therapist working for a government funded mental health group, I am scared of McCain's views on government spending and social programs. He sucks. And he is really a robot.
Voters against robot-rule!
I made this! Talent...
I had a chat with my next door neighbor, a McCain supporter now that hillary is out of the running, and here is what she had to say about Obama post debate! She would of chatted longer but she had to run as the 2 guys and the goat on the four wheeler wanted to start the orgy!
"Recently, the AOA has been contacted by members experiencing discrimination in hospitals in Boise, Idaho (St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center and St Luke's Boise Medical Center) and North Carolina (Carolinas Medical Center and Moore Regional Health Center). These hospitals and health systems have denied hospital privileges to DOs with osteopathic training and board certification, rather than ACGME/ABMS credentials.
The AOA is here to help educate health care facilities about osteopathic medical education to ensure that DOs are treated fairly. If you are currently experiencing discrimination or have experienced discrimination in the past regarding hospital privileges, whether at the hospitals listed above or elsewhere, please contact the AOA....
The AOA is committed to protecting DOs' practice rights. "
Frankly, I think this kind of discrimination is bullsh@t. As a hard working Osteopathic medical student, I find this highly offensive. D.O.'s are playing a critical role in supplying not only this country, but the world, with highly qualified, well trained physicians. We took the same stinking MCAT and challenging college courses and subjected ourselves to the same brutal admissions process as M.D. students.
We also learn the exact same things as M.D. medical students plus some. Want to come by and visit my classroom for a day, Mr. Discriminator? Our school year is longer. My days in the class (8-4 or 8-5 often) are long and vigorous. I have an extra thousand plus hours in hands on manipulative treatment and anatomical study. Our program is 4 years plus residency (3-7). I will take both the COMLEX and still kick ass on your little USMLE as well. I will likely, due to location issues, work at an allopathic EM residency. So whats the deal? We can do the same things as M.D.s, we can practice is over 55 countries, and we will constitute 1 out of every 5 U.S. physicians by 2020. So please, NC and ID hospitals, spare me the elitist M.D. "good ol' boy" mentality because, I can tell you right now, I am going to be an awesome Osteopathic EM physician and you better believe I am coming to a hospital near you, maybe even yours.
oh, and yes, I am taking on the same $380,000 in debt to become a doctor. A little respect please.
7
ps. I was working in a highly respected, regional level 1 EM dept. last week and there were an 1:1 ratio between D.O.s and M.D.s at the time. Guess what? They were all doing a good job.
On my way back from a meeting with the State EMS bigwigs (which was way cool), I stopped by my favorite cafe in my local favorite city (keeping it vague here). I was looking around at all the tattooed young folks, coffee sippin' poetry readers, guitar players, bike commuters, and couples of all shapes, sizes, and orientation. Then, I looked to the one place on the wall that I had never really thought to look in the past (this section of wall is not right next to all the art) and there it hung...
The plaque entitled "______'s Best Lesbien Bar and Wifi Hotspot" given out by a local magazine.
NPR's World Cafe introduced me to one of the finest talents on the planet tonight.
Her name is Jessica Lea Mayfield. She is out of control excellent and rivals some of favorites, Cat Power, Iron and Wine, Jolie Holland, etc. She is only 18!
I just downloaded her Album White Lies off itunes (glad they had it) and the best part is that she has a new album coming out Sept 16th so I wont have to wait to get a second fix.
If you are at like me you have moved 16 times since the last election. I found this website very easy to register to vote and even check if I had already done so. This works regardless of your party but please disregard this resource if you were planning on voting for autobot McCain, his joke of a VP running mate, and more war ;)
Palin makes me sick. SHE WILL LEAD TO WAR. So you are Pro-war, pro-georgia/isreal, pro-bush, just got a passport, think you know about russia because you can see it from your home coast, focused on "terrorism", pro-drilling, and deny anti-climate change Mrs. Palin? Wooaaaaa, you do sound like a real reformer, change-focused vp candidate. Or just george bush with tits and stupid ass glasses. Thats enough for now. rant off.
I survived my 2nd of 3 neuro tests. It was the hardest test I have taken since entering medical school. The shear knowledge you need to acquire just to answer some of these questions is crazy. I have been in school just a month since second year started and I am deep in it. Battling it through and pushing myself...
As a younger lad, I was a competitive ski racer. I spent YEARS racing downhill in freezing conditions and training all winter and summer (glaciers) long to battle the elements, my mind, my competitors, the mountain....if I can contribute any of my success thus far in medical school to anything, it would be my 20 years competitive ski racing. I can deprive myself of sleep, battle through anxiety, endure physical and mental pain, and push myself when needed. I really can't imagine where I would be without these experiences.
In other news, I made one of my first financial contributions to a political candidate. After Obama lost 5-10 points this week, I decided to contribute to his campaign. I CANNOT sit here and watch as the autobot McCain and his useless bitch brainwash the country. America can be so stupid. I sure hope we can initiate some positive energy and progressive programs for environmental health, human health, jobs, and peace in the upcoming presidency. I just don't see an old, white male with 20 years of political experience in Washington and some extreme conservative vp doing any of these things.
I liked this video.
...not only for its substance but for its aura. Its passion. I don't think there is passion in the republican party. I think there is an agenda of fear. An agenda of maintaining a status quo. Its scary to think there are so many of us who want the world to freeze. For social progress to halt. I doubt McCain would campaign on a racist, anti-black platform in this day and age but I bet he would of 80 years ago. Also, I think the republicans will be backpeddling on social issues such as gay rights in 10 years. Soon it will be socially unacceptable and political suicide to speak of unequal marriage rights and to belong to chruches that oppress and kill.
I spent the evening with some friends who are heading to India for 2 years to do some powerful and amazing work. They will be working on PhD dissertations and working for think tank NGOs to help India and the world. Sometimes, actually all them time, I wish we had academics, social theorists, and/or philosophers running our countries instead of money bag rich kids and lawyers. It is no mystery that the rest of the world would love to see a conscientious, intellectual leader in the whitehouse. If we are going to live in a world with billions of other people, I believe we should value their opinions on this important presidential race as well.
I hit a mild depression tonight. Depression is a common word these days and I don't mean "depression" in your prozac commerical kind of way but as in a dip in the road kind of way. I felt down and I know the wine I had drank contributed. One good thing resulted though. Iron and Wine tixs. I was listening to this epic group and decided that it was time to throw down the cash to finally see them. nov 15th. Mass. I will be there. http://www.ironandwine.com/tour/
unlike real depression, there is a certain comfort in my ability to feel emotions such as sadness so intensely. Means I am not an autobot yet.
Lastly, throw some good vibes out to my bestest buddy, Pombe, my dog who will be in surgery in the morning.
For the past month my upstairs neighbor has been scraping to get by due to recently being laid off. He is a nice man and appears to always be looking for a job or walking somewhere to investigate opportunities (he has no car). I truly believe he has come under hard times because of a stumbling economy and a lack of skilled training.
Anyhow, my girlfriend and I have been occasionally providing him with tomatoes from our potted plants, bread, a few dollars, meat, and an occasional brew (essential during a down time!).
So today I was headed up there to give him a few of the aforementioned items when I was caught by another neighbor as I exited my apartment. This neighbor, an old woman with an accent of some sort, and her husband live in the house next door and have lived there for about 50 years. They are truly some of the nicest people I have encountered since returning to the northeast. She is always yelling over to us and keeping up on our lives and news. She also likes to scorn me for riding my motorcycle since her own son was paralyzed riding an old crotchrocket of sorts.Well, in her hands she appeared with 2 nice lobsters that she wanted to give my girlfriend and me. To say the least, I was taken back as I have only had 1 since my arrival on the eastcoast over a year ago due to their cost.
I thanked her and all I could think was, "what goes around, comes around." I feel like the universe knew we were sharing (even though I am floating on loan money right now) and that she (both the universe and my neighbor)had reciprocated. It was an unprovoked, kind gesture and I appreciated it. I ate lobster, local corn, and a glass of red wine as I sat studying Neuro.
Without ruining this nice experience with too much political thought, I want to briefly mention that I believe their are too many Americans who don't want to help each other out. Everyone bitches about taxes, programs, bureaucracy, large government but in my mind these societal elements are essential to building a society where people's basic human needs are met: food, shelter, health care, and opportunities to grow. The republicans are building yet another political platform on reduced taxes, cut programs, and selfish ideology. I watched one woman speak at the DNC who claimed to have been a lifelong republican until a year ago when she came onto hardtimes because of joblessness and health issues. Shee could not pay her bills or get the medicine she needed. Her statement was, "I can't afford another 4 years with a republican in the Whitehouse." My question to her is,"where were you when you had the funds and your fellow citizens were the ones that needed your tax dollars, government programs, and health care aid?"
What goes around, comes around. And I don't mean it in the revenge kind of way!
Remember to share and elect the most progressive, socially minded politicians you can find on your national and local ballets.
edit: ok, I am going to taint this post with politics after all.
listen to this Michael Moore interview on Larry King Live: They have two quick clips of McCain and Obama on healthcare and then he says some interesting things that echo my post above: GO TO minute 19 sec 17.
in case you dont see the embedded video click here
I also liked how M.M. commented that Obama's plans are not perfect either.
"His (Obama's) plan still leaves insurance companies at the table. Ah...they should ont be anywhere, private-profit making companies, around a universal healthcare plan b/c they are there to make a profit. We whould never talk about profit when we are talking about helping people that are sick." Min 22 sec 10
As a medical student who is taking on about $350,000 worth of debt to go to school, universal healthcare is a huge gamble for my professional life and career. But...I still support the idea of attempting to construct such a system in which insurance companies have no hand in determining how one gets care. I don't understand, as a non-healthcare professional, why universal healthcare would not be on one's list of things they would like to see happen in short order.
Neuro is definitely a bitch. The more I study, the more I realize we are just encountering the tip of a very large iceberg. Test on Monday and once again I am feeling a little "special" today.
Video Here This is really McCain's pick? Thanks for shooting yourself in the foot dude.
Does this mean I can still live my lifelong dream of being a sports illustrated swim suit model? I mean if this woman, Sarah Palin, can be McCain's pick for VP after a couple years of political experience, shit, I could probably throw on a g-string and be on the cover of SI in no time.
Hockey mom in the Whitehouse. Fucking great.
And please don't give me any crap about how her story is merely symbolic of the "The American Dream" and how she is living it and is all for it. I have heard that jargon so many times in the last week (including the Dem convention) that it makes me nauseous just to hear the phrase. To me it screams over-consumption, oppression, ignorance, blindness, and idiocy. The American Dream has been narrowed down to being able to have 5 kids and still afford to feed them denny's and provide them with ample Flatscreen TV time. This country is heading in the wrong direction and everyone just wants to have the things that the people at the top, the ones leading us in the wrong direction, have tucked in their 10,000 sq ft homes. It is a sad state. And if you do support "the dream", it will surely not be coming to your home town with Republicans like Palin, capitalist extraordinaire, sitting in the White House. Keep the rich, rich and the poor, poor.
This woman stands against woman's rights, is pro-gun, anti-gay, pro-drilling, and is rumored to be sympathetic to the creationist movements within school systems. Sounds like an idiot to me.
Ohhh? This is a medblog? Sorry. Lets quickly nab a healthcare clip from M.D.O.D.'s positive review of this wonderful VP candidate.
"On healthcare: “I support flexibility in government regulations that allow competition in health care that is needed, and is proven to be good for the consumer, which will drive down health care costs and reduce the need for government subsidies.”"
On the economy: “I am a conservative Republican, a firm believer in free market capitalism. A free market system allows all parties to compete, which ensures the best and most competitive project emerges, and ensures a fair, democratic process.”
http://docsontheweb.blogspot.com/2008/08/i-think-im-in-love.html#links
Yeah, cause capitalism is really working out in the healthcare field. I personally love my insurance company. They never screw me over. Oh. And the millions of uninsured that can't even afford the crap I get to buy? Clearly market forces will help them out. Brillant MaCain/Palin. Sounds just like the Bush team.
And McCain's little lady.
Yeah, she was campaigning for daddy by heading over to Georgia for a little goodwill tour. Seriously, John, I don't mind another Cold War so that you can get elected. Really.
Why has he sent his lady friend over there?
Well religion and oil of course!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26396020/
John gives us a little history on how Georgia was one of the first Christian nations. Who cares?
Oh, and also it has massive oil pipelines.
Maybe Cindy and the Republicans can start another war over oil.
Is this a fricken joke? Are these people for real? This country now stands for
overdependence on oil without disregard or responsibility
international disapproval
fat people
ignorance
wars
shitty healthcare
environmental destruction.
yeah.
lovin' it
ps. neuroanantomy is going well. Having a little issue with sorting out all the Thalamus stuff but it will come. Lots of tracts rolling through the ol' "gateway to consciousness"
