On My Differential

Hello! Oh my goodness, I can't believe it's been so long since I've taken the chance to make a blog post, but I'm sure we all know what the usual culprit is. I am about a month away from reaching the half-way mark of M2 year and it's crazy to think that 7 months from now I will be half-way done with medical school and on to the wards! This past week has been a bit crazy as I took a lot of time off to celebrate my birthday. But thankfully, I'm not terribly behind schedule and this current week will have plenty of downtime for me to catch up.

1. M2 Year

     I seriously can't believe how fast this semester is going. Like I mentioned above, we are about to enter our final stretch of the semester and I feel like the past couple months have just been me getting used to the new course material and incorporating more of the doctoring part of medicine. As we approach January, Step 1 is going to be very present as it'll be time to get down to business. Thus far, I mustered up the courage to select my test date and now I'll just have to get my schedule ready to start the Step grind. Overall, I feel like I've enjoyed M2 year more than M1. I would say mostly because we've had way more downtime than we did last year and also I feel like I know what I'm doing more so than last year. 

2. Thinking about specialties

     I know it's rediculously early for this, but this semester I've been thinking a lot about what I want path I would like to pursue. I've had the pleasure of working with a neonatologist in the NICU and I've really enjoyed it. I feel like my heart is still pretty set on peds, but I want to keep my options open until I go through my clerkships next year. So far, I feel like the pediatric environment just fits who I am and I'm excited to see more of it next year.

3. Turning 25

     So, I swear I've been on the mindset that I was 25 since January, but last week I officially turned 25. Talking to my friends about it, it feels like a good age. I am still young enough to feel like I still have my whole life ahead of me, but old enough to feel wise about the places I'm going. There's definitely a lot of learning still going on, but I feel I've become more confident in doing the things that I need to do for myself, so that has been really nice. 

4. Gratitude

In my last "On My Differential" post, I addressed mindfulness and that is something that I've been working on. One of the main things that comes up with mindfulness is gratitude and with the thanksgiving holiday coming up, I feel this has been on my mind. I am very thankful for the place that I am in my life and even on the crappy days I try to remember that I am exactly where I need to be. That and I am defintely feeling very blessed for all the great people I have in my life and the opportunities I have been given. So, I just want to carry that with me as I continue on in to the trickier parts of this school year.

I know this was a short post, but I feel like I will want to do separate posts about some of the topics above as well as other things that have come up as I've been going through this academic year. I am still working on what I would like to have on this blog, and I'm hoping I can be a bit better about posting!

Take care,

Genesis<3

How to Survive Your Anatomy Course in Medical School

     Whenever I thought about medical school, one of the first things that popped into my mind was Gross Anatomy. I personally thought that it was the one class that set medical school apart from undergrad because it was so hands on and I actually felt like I was training to be a doctor. Now, many of you might've taken anatomy courses during undergrad, but this post is for those that are just about to delve into the cadaver lab life. So, I wanted to share my tips on how I made it through this course and how to make it a bit more enjoyable.

The Experience

     If you have never been in a cadaver lab before, the first time can be a little unsettling. The room is typically on the cooler side, right when you walk in you're greeted by the stench of formaldehyde, and oh...there are dead people everywhere. I remember my first time I was a little nervous, but I kept telling myself that I had to get comfortable with this because this would be a huge part of my education. So, as with many things that scare me, I just jumped right in. As my peer educator was explaining various structures, I made an effort to touch things and to follow along, so that this could feel like something completely normal. By the end of the lab session, I had pretty much gotten over my initial hesitation and was ready to take on future anatomy sessions.

     Preparation

     Although anatomy is an amazing class, it definitely takes plenty of preparation to make it through. If your lab sessions are anything like ours, you'll most likely be spending 2-3 hours (possibly more) hands-deep in a cadaver and let me tell you, that everyone will know that was the case when you walk past them. Eventually, you get used to the smell and you don't even notice it, but there were a couple things that I did to make it better.

1. Plan your showers around lab sessions.

     I know this seems a bit crazy, but trust me, the formaldehyde smell sticks to you. I would always aim to shower when I got back from lab and would plan my hair washing days for the days I would have to dissect. I also suggest putting your hair up so that it's as far away from the cadaver as possible. 

2. Get good lab wear

     You're not going to want to wear the clothes you wear to dissect again afterward, so getting a pair of scrubs (or old clothes) dedicated for lab is a must. You can find them on amazon for a pretty good price and in fun colors, so you don't have to give up being stylish to be a killing the medical school game. After dissecting for a while, the formaldehyde will start to seep through your gloves and then you'll be eating dinner with the stench of formaldehyde all over them. What I found worked pretty well was to wear two pairs of gloves and when possible, to change them out midway through the dissection. Also, the sleeves on my lab coat were pretty long, so I ended up rolling them up and just bought a longer pair of gloves (like these) for protection. Inevitably, there are going to be some dissection mishaps (Our lab professor accidentally got some tissue in my hair one time...), but in general, the only real casualty I suffered was walking out of lab smelling like a cadaver.

3. Know your limits

       

       Anatomy lab is a whole new beast for many of us and as such you should know that the fumes can do crazy things to your body, especially when you're sleep deprived. You'll notice that quite often you'll get hungry. No, you're not a cannibal. The fumes just tend to make you hungry. But, something to watch out for is that they might also make you light-headed. I remember one day during a particularly long dissection, this started to happen to me. I took a step back, told my dissection partner that I needed a second, and I stepped out to get some air. This happened well into the semester and was probably one of my last few dissections. But, regardless of how used to the fumes you may be, don't think you need to stay in these situations to prove anything. You're not benefiting anyone if you pass out in the middle of your lab session. So, I always say take care of yourself first. The professors will understand.

How to Study

    For anatomy, I think it's really important to not only know where things are but also to understand the relationship it has with surrounding structures.  What really worked for me, as a visual learner, was to draw things out whenever possible.  This worked wonders for tracing blood vessels from their origin to their target organ and also to help you get a clearer picture of how things are related. But, I would have to say that something else that really helped was to go into lab and touch things. Usually, before an exam, I would go in and point things out from memory. Being able to see how things were situated in the body allowed me to solidify my mental picture and also helped me recognize things come test time. Another suggestion is to buy yourself an atlas and study the pictures in there. The pictures in the atlas are going to be the pretty versions (Which, unfortunately, won't be what you'll see on test day),  but they'll allow you to form a good base to build off of. But as with any other subject, the key factor is going to be repetition. The more you review the material, the easier it'll be for you to remember. And the more time you spend with your cadaver, the easier it'll be to recognize the structures. When you're in lab, also try to check out a variety of bodies. Every body is going to be unique, so it'll help you to better understand where things can vary and how to recognize a structure when it isn't exactly where it should be.

     Otherwise, Just have fun! Anytime, that I was seriously stressing about the volume of material I had to learn, I reminded myself that I was one of a select group that got this opportunity. Many people will never get the chance to hold an actual heart in their hand, and that to me was incredible. So, approach it with positivity, and I promise you'll make it through. Good luck!

-Genesis

On My Differential

     One of my favorite bloggers, The College Prepster, does a series on her blog every so often that she titles, "On My Radar." It's usually more of a laid back post where she details what's been on her mind or what she's really been into recently. I really loved the idea, so I've been wracking my brain to think of what I could title my own version of this series, and magically when I started typing this post, it came to me-"On My Differential." For my med followers, I'm sure you got a giggle out of that one, but for my non-medical followers, I'll give a brief explanation. The term differential is shorthand for "differential diagnosis" which is the list of diseases, conditions, etc. that physicians have running in their heads as they are listening to their patient's symptoms and history trying to pinpoint what the diagnosis for this particular patient may be. My friend and I have been using this term in a bit more of a casual manner, such as when we are trying to figure out where we want to go for dinner. He'll ask me, "What's at the top of your differential?" Meaning, "What's at the top of your list of ideas?" So, for my series I will be giving you what's been on my mind for things in life.

1.  MS2

     With M2 orientation starting this upcoming Monday, it's hard not to think about the impending school year. I've been out of school since May 4th, so at times I forget that I'm even a medical student. But, with the days creeping closer and closer to the beginning of the school year, I've been thinking a lot about what is coming up this year, and how to tackle it. I've been slowly trying to get myself back on a good schedule and also doing some prep work so that I can start the school year with a bang. The first semester should be a bit more laid back than what I was typically accustomed to, but from what the previous class has told us, spring semester comes back with a vengeance as we will all be preping for our USMLE Step one exam. So, for now, I'm trying not to freak out, and to just enjoy the calm before the storm. 

2. Goals

     While I was working with my last summer program, we were doing an exercise with the kids where we gave them M&Ms and for each color they had to answer a question associated with that color. For one of the colors, they had to tell us one of their goals and that really got me thinking. What are my goals? In general, I have the same couple goals floating around in the back of my head (live a healthy lifestyle, succeed in medical school, etc.), but what are the goals that go beyond my day to day? Well, one of them (also, inspired by the same summer program) is to share my experience with others. The whole purpose of the program was to expose kids to the medical field, and when I started this blog, I had a similar idea in mind. I wanted to share my experience, so that other people could see what it's like to be a medical student and possibly be inspired to pursue medicine. And although it can be challenging at times, I want to make more of an effort to keep up with this.

3. YouTube

     Going with my goals, something that has been on my mind has been my YouTube channel. It has seriously been a minute since I've posted anything, but somehow I keep getting subscribers. Lately, I've come across quite a few medical vlog channels and for me, it's really cool to see their medical school experience, and it makes me want to share mine. For the longest time, I've been putting off making videos because I don't have my nice camera here at school with me, and I keep thinking that my life isn't interesting enough to film. But, these other medical students are just recording their day-to-day activities and that's surprisingly entertaining for me to watch. It allows me to relate to what they're going through as we are all in the same boat.

4. Mindfulness

     As someone who is borderline type A and needs to know exactly what is coming next, I really struggle with staying in the present. And I'm even worse with meditation. But, recently I've been trying to make more of an effort to take a step back and just be still. Sometimes, it's so much easier said than done, but that's why they call it a practice. I've been testing out some guided meditations and other ways to be present and I think it has helped a bit. But, I'll keep you posted. 

     I have a ton of other things floating around in my head, but in the interest of time, and possible future blog posts, I will end the list here. I hope you enjoyed getting a peek into what's been on my brain recently, and I can't wait for future "On My Differential" posts. 

Take Care,

- Genesis<3

A letter to The Incoming M1s

     At our school, the incoming M1 students will be starting their first week of medical school next week. So, I wanted to write a few words of advice as they start their new journey.

    Hello, my new future colleagues!

     I know that it's a different way to start this letter, but know that you are now the newest members of a prestigious club, and that is such a great honor. I know that it has taken a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get to this point. So, congratulations to be standing at the gates of the beginning of your futures. Every day that you walk this journey, you will be faced with new experiences, new challenges, and new opportunities. I urge you to take every one of them and see how you can use them to help shape you into a better doctor and more importantly, a better human being. I can't promise that this journey will be smooth sailing, and more than likely it won't be, but know that you have it in you to make it through any storm you may need to face.

     You are now among some of the brightest and most accomplished people and in some cases that might make you feel inferior. But, don't compare what you have to bring to the table with those around you. You are a unique individual and what you have to offer is just as valuable as what anyone else has to give. The people around you are not your competition. You are all on this journey together, so my best advice is to try your hardest to support one another as you climb to the top. This journey is not one you can fully do alone, so never be afraid to ask for guidance. But with that in mind, medical school is also a very personal experience. Make sure to cater it to fit exactly what you need and don't worry if that looks completely different from what the person next to you is doing. Don't be afraid to change things up as you are figuring things out, because eventually you will find exactly what works for you.

    Savor every second. Good times, bad times, and all of the above. Because, before you know it, you'll be standing at the end of the journey wondering to yourself where the time has gone. This is a very special time in your life. The time that you are shaping yourself into who you need to be and that in itself is magic. And although this journey is challenging, I promise you that it is filled with so many beautiful moments. So, don't get too caught up in the chaos that you forget to appreciate the moment that you are in. And whatever it is that brought you to choose this path, don't lose it. Use your passion to help drive you to the finish line and you'll see that nothing will seem impossible.

     I wish you the best of luck as you start this journey, but know that you don't really need it. Everything you'll need to make it through is already inside of you, and don't ever forget that.

~Genesis

What Have I Been Up to This Summer

 

     Hello! I feel like it's been a seriously hot minute since I've given you any updates on my life. As I was progressing through M1 year, I realized that my monthly recaps weren't as doable. For one, I don't always take pictures when I'm out with friends, because it's my down time and my main focus is just connecting with the people around me. I was also getting busier and my outings weren't frequent enough to have content for a monthly recap. So, I figure that going forward, I'll try to check-in every so often. That way you can see what is going on in my life and get updated on my progression through medical school.

Summer Projects

     Unfortunately, my summer break is creeping to an end and I feel that it has felt just that much faster because I've been very busy. If you read my post about how to to spend your summer after M1 year, you'll know that trying to find things to build your skills for residency applications over the summer is a big one with medical students. I'll admit, Spring semester I was seriously stressing about what I was going to do. Although there was nothing wrong with taking it easy over the summer, I felt like I just needed to do something. I had applied to tutor for the SPP program (The Summer Prematriculation Program my medical school offers). I unfortunately didn't get it, but then I got asked to be the program assistant, and that was way better than what I had originally wanted.

      I spent the seven weeks of the SPP program helping with the background logistics of what needed to keep the program running smoothly. I reserved rooms for the tutors to have sessions, made sure the participants were coming to class, helped in setting up for testing, created surveys for feedback, organized payrolll for the tutors, helped handle mishaps and did pretty much everything you can think of when it comes to running a program. I practically lived at school for the duration of the program, but my dedication paid off when the program director told me how thankful she was for everything that I had done and that all my work helped the program run without a hitch. I had a great time doing what I was doing and it was so crazy to be on the other end of the program that I had participated in last summer. It was a great leadership experience and I am more than prepared for every "Tell us about a time.." interview question. But at the end, I was so ready to get back to having my freedom.

     Thankfully, that is true for the most part, but I was asked to take on another summer program right after SPP ended. But, this one was more laid back and a bit more fun. The emergency medicine department at my school runs a summer program for high school students that focuses on getting the students exposed to the medical field early on in hopes that in the future they'll be able to go into healthcare careers. In the program, we review some of the systems of the body and do activities where they can practice their clinical skills. A few of such skills were a CPR certification course and a suturing class. Both of which were really great hands on experience for me and really fun to participate in. I also helped lead some of the anatomy sessions which was really fun and showed me just how much I really have learned in the past year of school. The program wraps up this week. And after that, I will be free until M2 year starts in a couple weeks.

     Apart from helping out with programs, I also volunteered at a couple health fairs. I haven't really discussed the things that I am involved with at school, but I am one of the Community Health Committee Co-Chairs for our Latino Medical Student Association Club. Part of what we do during the year is to host health fairs where members of the community can come and get free health screenings (Such as blood glucose, BMI, blood pressure, and cholesterol). Another organization contacted our committee to see if we could help out with some of their fairs, so that's how I got involved. Volunteering at these health fairs allows me to put my skills into practice and it helps to make the whole becoming a doctor thing feel a bit more real.

Life

    If I could only tell you all the personal growth that has happened this summer, you'd seriously be amazed. But, unfortunately, a lot of this has to do with my private life, so I don't want to post it for the world to see. Just know that I've had some life lessons that are setting the stage for how I want to proceed with my life and I'm very content at the moment. 

     I really have been trying to take advantage of all the free time that I currently have and spending time with the people that I don't get to see as much when school gets hectic. I've been making trips down to the suburbs to see my family. And when I'm in the city, I try to spend plenty of time with my chicago squad. We have had some pretty great outings and we've also been trying to try out some new experiences (Such as kayaking on the Chicago River!).  Otherwise, I've just been trying to practice self-care and enjoying what the summer has to offer.

     So, although M2 year is right around the corner, I feel like I've enjoyed the summer to the point where I feel recuperated enough to jump right back into the ring and face another year of medical school. This year, we have to take our first board exam (USMLE Step One), so the stress is going to be pretty high come second semester when we enter our studying time. But, I am doing my best to mentally prepare myself and getting ready to take the year on at full force.

Blog

     If you haven't already noticed, my blog has gotten a completely new look. I am really loving the simplicity of it and it has been inspiring me to create new content. I'm still playing around with some of the features (like the little tabs at the top), but I'm hoping that it'll make the blog easier to navigate and help people find resources. For me, this blog is mainly my creative outlet. But, if anyone benefits from the content that I put up, I am very thrilled. Currently, I know that it has a very medical focus because that is what my life revolves around, but I'm hoping to start posting about other areas of my life as well. Apart from the blog, I'm hoping to share more of my day-to-day stuff on Instagram. So, if you are interested in seeing what I do, go follow me on there.

     I hope you enjoyed catching up with me. I'll be talking to you soon!

- Genesis

Visiting Nicaragua

     Growing up, going to Nicaragua during our summer break was one of my highlights of the year. It was an opportunity for me to visit with family, see new places, and gain a different perspective on life. Sadly, as my sister and I got older, it was harder to coordinate trips due to our busy schedules. So when my parents surprised us with a trip this summer, I was elated. I hadn't been to Nicaragua in quite a few years, so I didn't know what I was going to find. I didn't know if it would be just like I had left it last or if it had completely changed on me. Well, let's just say that leaving this time, left me more in love with the country than I had ever been and very proud that I am able to call this beautiful place my second home.

     I remember quite a bit of our travels when we were younger had the same themes. We'd visit family in different parts of the country, eat our favorite food, and of course, make sure we had a couple trips to the beach. But, for this trip, I wanted to do something new. I wanted to see the history, the parts of the country that maybe we hadn't been to before. So, with twelve days, my sister and I hoped to balance a bit of traveling around and spending time with family, and it worked out very well.

Site One: Granada

If I imagined my dream home in a Spanish style building, this would be it.

     The city of Granada is known for its beautiful Colonial buildings. Walking down the streets with brightly colored buildings intermingeled with modern cafes made this such a fun place to visit. Everywhere you looked, there was something beautiful to look at. Unfortunately, this was only a day trip for us, so all we really did here was walk around looking at all the pretty buildings and stopped for some fish and chips. Something that is apparently newly popular in Nicaragua is the craft beer scene. As a Chicago girl, this is right up my alley, so I had to try some of what Granada had been brewing. Just as I expected, it was delicious and really refreshing after walking around in 80 degree weather. 

The old cathedral

The new cathedral

Site Two: León

      This trip had many memorable moments and visiting León is certainly at the top of my list. Before heading out of the country, I was looking up ideas for things that I wanted to do and something that I came across on several travel blogs was to climb to the top of the cathedral in León. 

     For a small fee, you buy a ticket to visit the top of this gorgeous cathedral. I am not quite sure how much it was because our cousin's bought our tickets (you get a discount for being a Nicaraguan citizen), but the experience is so worth it. You take a set of stairs up the side of the cathedral and when you get to the bell tower, they ask you to take off your shoes before stepping out onto the roof. The guard will go through the rules with you (basically, don't step on the domes, don't sit on the ledges, and don't put your shoes on) and then you are free to roam around. Honestly, walking around felt like I was in a completely different world. The views were breathtaking and I just felt so free. We took a ton of pictures and just enjoyed the experience before going back to the real world. If I can recommend something to do in Nicaragua, it'd definitely be to come and check this out. 

The inside of the cathedral.

Fun fact: I played Veronica in our stations play in 8th Grade. So Naturally, this is my favorite scene.

With my travel buddy<3

Pretending she didn't just take a tumble down these stairs before posing for a glamour shot.

Sadly, there was a fine for ringing the bells.

Site three: San Juan Del Sur

     Visiting this beautiful beach town was one of the main focuses of our trip. Last time I was in the country, we had just stopped in for a brief visit to the beach, so this time I wanted to make a weekend out of it. I searched online and found this cute little resort called Villas de Palermo where you can rent little one- or two-bedroom villas. Each villa has a kitchen and living area, so it served as a perfect homebase for our weekend trip. We packed up the car on a Friday morning and made the three-hour drive from Managua. 

   

The master bedroom that I shared with my sister.

The view from our deck.

     Our first night, consisted of relaxing in the villa followed by dancing the night away at one of the local bars. Iguana Bar on the beach front had an amazing D.J. and not to mention a super tasty piña colada, so you can only imagine it was a great time. We made it back rather late, but we still decided to go for a dip in the pool before ending the night.

Getting ready to take on the day!

     The main plan for day 2 was to make a trip to the Cristo de la Misericordia statue. It is quite a long hike if you decide to do it entirely by foot, but thankfully they do have an option where you can at least drive up most of the way, which is what we decided to do. Even so, I would say the hike would've been well worth the view. It was an awesome way to see the whole bay. The view was so stunning that I swear I could've stared at that view all day, but the beach looked way too good to not take a dip. 

The pic doesn't even do the view justice.

It was definitely "booty day" with all the stairs we had to climb.

View on the way up.

     The remainder of the day we spent at the beach followed by more dancing at Iguana...If you couldn't already tell, I really like to dance. It was our last night there, so we wanted to soak in all of the party vibe that San Juan has to offer. We only stayed out for a little while before heading back to the villla to just drink and chat with our cousins. My cousin Chris and I got the idea to stay up, so that we could drive to the beach to watch the sunrise. Of course, as a med student, being a night owl is in my blood, so we decided to go ahead. Unfortunately, we didn't get the exact view we wanted, because we were looking at the wrong side of the bay, but the view was still pretty. That and there's just something so special about the dawn. So, I took a moment to just soak it all in before heading to the villa for some well deserved rest.

Sunrise at the beach

 A couple hours later, we took a little trip to the pool before getting our stuff ready to head back to managua. I really wanted to check out this cafe called Dale Pues that I had come upon while doing my pre-trip google search, so we decided to grab brunch there. And let me say, omg was it amazing. The place itself was super cute, and the food was amazing. Sadly, I ate my breakfast burger so quick I didn't get a chance to take a picture.

I got the mug version of this.

Saying goodbye to all the fun we had over the weekend was pretty rough. That and we had reached what I called the "down hill" portion of our trip as it would be our last couple of days before heading back to the U.S. on Friday. We snapped the pic below on our way out of town and with heavy hearts and full tummies, we made our way back to Managua.

Site Four: La Laguna De Apoyo

I was living for the geofilters.

     The lagoon is part of a national reserve nestled between Granada and Masaya. There is a whole bunch of cool stuff to do at the reserve, but we only headed for lunch and a swim on the edge of the lagoon. The lagoon is the remnant of a volcanic crater, so if you go past the edge, there is a very steep incline, making it a very dangerous place to swim. Since we just hung out on the edge, it was perfectly fine. I'm sad I didn't get to snap a picture from the water because the view from where we were sitting was amazing. You could look off in the distance and see the smoke rising from Volcan Masaya and the water was so crystal clear making for a very zen experience.

The National Palace

Catedral Santiago de Managua

The remainder of the trip we spent doing last minute shopping, hanging with family, and just soaking in as much of managua as we could before heading back home. On our last night, we went out to the national palace to take pictures and to revel in the fact that we had just spent such a wonderful time in such a beautiful country. The memories I brought back with me filled me with so much love for the country that I am proud to call part of my heritage and a desire to make it back there really soon. 

-Genesis<3

How to Spend Your Summer After M1 Year

    One thing that you'll realize shortly after starting medical school, is that it is a bit like undergrad all over again. Of course, you have already started in the profession of your choice (hopefully, your dreams), but the notion that at the end of your four years you'll be putting out your residency applications definitely hits hard. And of course, just like undergrad, your grades won't be the only thing that residency applications will be looking at.

     I don't want to scare you. In medical school, the need to have your C.V. filled to the brim with activities isn't really necessary, and a lot of what you have to do depends on what specialty you are thinking about going into. If you already have your heart set on being the next Cristina Yang, you might have to start thinking about how you can get yourself involved in research. But, if you know that your specialty of choice isn't as competitive, you have a bit more laxity in what you can do. 

A couple areas that I think are worth exploring over the summer are: 1.) Leadership 2.) Shadowing and 3.) Self-care.

Leadership

     

     As a physician, you are often going to be the head of a team, so being able to show residency programs that you are able to do that is really important. For me, I have quite a bit of leadership experience from this past school year (that will come in a separate post), but for this summer I am helping coordinate the summer program I participated in last summer. I can already tell you that come residency application time, I have plenty of examples for when they start asking me the, "Tell me about a time..." questions. But, just because my leadership opportunity is within the realm of medicine, doesn't mean that yours has to be. You can always seek leadership in other areas, such as your community. The most important goal is just to prove that you can take responsibility and how you handle your responsibility. Also, that you can work on a team. The medical field is very team-oriented and residency programs will want to know that you have the ability to be a team player, so being able to prove this works in your favor.

Shadowing

     If you have the free time, this is a great time to look into the things that you are interested. Have you always wanted to be an emergency medicine doctor? Go shadow one! The unfortunate part about your 3rd and 4th year rotations is that you only get a brief glimpse of things before you make a a decision about what you'd like to practice for the rest of your life, so if you have the chance to get exposure to your field of interest early on, that's great. You'll already have an idea of what to expect, but you'll also start building connections for the future. That and like medical schools, residency programs what to see that you know what you are getting yourself into. Being a doctor isn't easy and each specialty has it's own unique challenges. So, having the opportunity to get to know what your future job would be like can give you a bit more certainty about choosing a specialty and will allow you to confidently speak about why you are choosing it come interview time.

Self-care

    

     Medical school is hard and making it through a full academic year takes a lot out of you. So, if you want to take the summer to recuperate before prepping for M2 year, that's totally okay. I know that there's always pressure to do everything that you can to make yourself a competitive candidate, but at the end of the day, you won't be able to do your job well if you're burned out. One of my favorite quotes is, "You can't pour from an empty cup." And I feel like this is so true in the medical field. If you don't take care of yourself, you won't be able to effectively take care of others, so remember to make it a priority. If residency programs ask you what you did for your summer, all you have to say is that you took the summer to focus on self-care. I would say that anyone in this field will understand that this is completely necessary. So, don't be afraid to keep this as an option.

     Regardless of what you decide to do, remember to enjoy your summer. I know the pressure to add things to your C.V. will be there, but if you are going to spend your last "summer break" being miserable, is it really worth it? So, remember to keep that in mind when you are planning out your summer following M1 year. 

- Gen<3

The End Of M1 Year

As always, I feel that I'm constantly apologizing for being absent on the blog, but hey, I'm a medical student. I'm not perfect and I'm trying to balance everything on my plate as best as I can. So despite not being the most consistent, I certainly love to check in every now and then. Like now:)

Let me just say that the first year of medical school feels like a blur. Fall semester seemed to trudge along, but then it picked up in full-force spring semester, and in the blink of an eye, I was in the midst of finals. It's actually a tad frightening because it makes me realize that before I know it, I'll be graduating and going into the world to actually take care of patients, which at this point in my training, seems crazy. But yet, somehow it'll happen. 

Looking back on M1 year, I can say it wasn't exactly what I had expected. When I imagined medical school, I envisioned being constantly miserable, overwhelmed, and possibly having regret over making this decision. I'll admit there were some trying moments, but for the most part my experience was positive. I do believe it has a lot to do with my approach to school. You see, our curriculum is pass/fail. So, at the end of the day I always told myself that as long as I passed, I was okay. I would always set my standards as high as I could, but if it didn't go as planned, I wouldn't beat myself up over it. We all have our off days and medical school isn't easy. So, if you don't get an amazing score every time, it's okay. I'm incredibly thankful to say that I passed all of my exams this past year. Sometimes I did incredibly well and some exams got the best of me. Regardless of the outcome, every exam was a step closer in my journey. Another tally I could etch onto my sheet of accomplishments. And having successfully come out on the other side of the year, I know that I have it in me to keep going. 

Now that I have the chance to look back, I'm pretty content with the year. Of course, there are some situations I wish I could've approached differently, but I think overall I did a decent job balancing what I could, especially second semester. I always tried to make time for myself, squeezed in time for my friends and family when I got the chance, and I made it a priority to keep myself healthy. I'm not going to say doing all of the above was easy, because it wasn't. There were many times that I would rather have spent with my friends at our Sunday dinners or at home enjoying time with my family. But, I know that the profession that I have chosen will come with a lot of sacrifices, yet will yield many rewards. So, I held on to that notion and kept pushing through. And somehow, it has worked out. 

Getting to the end of the year felt amazing and you better believe we celebrated accordingly. Our class rented a boat for us to cruise around Lake Michigan, and let's just say that mixing an open bar and medical students can lead to very interesting times. But spending time with my classmates and some of my closest friends celebrating the end of the struggle was a great way to close out the year and get ourselves set for our last summer break.

Looking forward, I know that M2 year is going to have it's own challenges (ahem, Step 1), but I'm excited to see what the next phase of my medical training will bring. From what the upperclassmen have told me, it'l be way more clinically focused. We will be learning all of the skills that will be put into use during our clinical rotations come M3 year and we will also be tested on how to perform a physical exam, diagnose patients, write prescriptions...you get the idea. It'll be scary because doing things for the first time can be nerve wracking, but exciting because this is exactly what I signed up for. Hopefully, by the time I finish step I will feel more like a doctor-in-training and not just a student, but I still have plenty of time before that time comes around. 

So, if you like following me on this crazy journey, stay tuned. It's about to get way more exciting. 

Coming Up For Air

     Hello, Hello! I am sorry that it's been seriously a hot minute since I've posted anything, but school got a tad hectic. We just ended a 6-week exam stretch last week (we had an exam every monday for six weeks...), so I've been crazy busy. But I still wanted to check in.

     When I was thinking about how I would describe the past couple months of med school, the first thing that came to mind was swimming. You start off on the shore where the water seems inviting and you know you know how to swim, so you dive right in. You soon realize that the water is pretty deep and the waves are crashing pretty hard. Sometimes, they crash a little too hard leaving you gasping for air. And if you've been swimming for a while, your muscles start to ache with the weight of the water enveloping your body. The depth of the water below you making it even harder to stay afloat. But, you've been pushed away from the shore and you don't quite know how you're going to get back, and all you know is that you have to just have to keep swimming. So despite everything, you keep going. And when you finally make it back to shore, out of breath and knowing that you just conquered what you thought was impossible, the rush that comes over you is electric.

     The past couple months have been a combination of days where I felt that I didn't know how I would make it back to shore and many days where swimming felt comfortable and I was just happy to be in the water. And that's the crazy thing about medical school. There are days that you feel that you don't have what it takes and others that you know you are in the exact right place. What keeps you going is knowing that even on the bad days you are working towards what you love to do and telling yourself that you know how to swim, so why are you going to let the water scare you?

     When I started out the semester, I expected a challenge and although I had some trying moments, it wasn't as bad as I expected. The consectutive exams kept me busy, but I am pretty good about making time for myself, so I did have some fun thrown into the mix. But it's crazy to see how much I've changed since I first jumped in and now have made it back to shore. I'll probably talk about it a bit more when I do a recap for the end of M1 year (I can't believe that'll be in a couple weeks!), but for the most part I feel that this semester has shown me just how much I am capable of.

     Again, I'm sorry I've been absent for so long, but summer is upon us, so I'll have more time to write about some of the things that have been on my mind as I've been going through the year.  Overall, I'm very happy at the moment and just gearing up for the end of the semester. We're about to have a five-exam stretch to finish off the year, but knowing that summer is at the end of it, will make it all the more bearable. 

I hope you are having a great week and I'll talk to you soon!

-Genesis<3

Where Are My Boss Ladies At?

     I'm not sure if it has to do with my newfound awareness but lately, I've been incredibly inspired by the women around me. As a woman pursuing the medical field, I am fortunate to know many incredible ladies that are on this journey with me, but the strong ladies are not limited to the future doctors. I am also happy that I get to call some of the most incredible women my friends. 

     For those that aren't sure what exactly a boss lady (a.k.a girl boss) is, I believe the concept is best defined by Sophia Amoruso, author of the book #GIRLBOSS. She defines the term as, "someone who's in charge of her own life. She gets what she wants because she works for it. As a #GIRLBOSS, you take control and accept responsibility. You're a fighter --you know when to throw punches and when to roll with them, but always on your own terms. You know where you're going, but can't do it without having some fun along the way. You value honesty, over perfection. You ask questions. You take your life seriously, but you don't take yourself too seriously. You're going to take over the world, and change it in the process. You're a badass." When I read this, I was like, "Heck yeah, that's exactly what I am" and that is the attitude that I've been keeping these past couple weeks back. Every time I see the women around me succeed, it truly inspires me and gives me hope about all the change we can bring about. But, I firmly believe that the only way that we can do this is by supporting one another. Another quote that I read recently (Thanks, Megan) was, "Behind every successful woman is tribe of other successful women who have her back." I identify with this so much because my friends have been incredible at this, and I am also surrounded by so many incredible ladies in my class that make this true as well. Individually, we are a spark, but together we can set the place on fire. 

     So, these past couple weeks, I've been rockin' and rollin', trying to make the most of my time, and reminding myself that I don't need to be perfect. I just have to give it everything that I have. I am on my own path to being a badass, but I am also cheering on the ladies on the journey with me.

     I hope everyone is having a fabulous week, and I shall talk to you soon!

- Genesis<3

Practicing What You Preach

     I don't know about you but for me, my bed always seems to be exceptionally comfortable between the hours of 6 and 11 A.M. I am not quite sure what it is, but it is like a force is pulling me into the sheets and despite my best efforts, I am always sucked into the snooze cycle before I quickly need to drag my butt out of bed. I unfortunately fall victim to this more often than I would like to admit, but I am amazed to say that these first two weeks back at school, I've been pretty successful at getting up early. And today, as I grudgingly silenced my 7:30 alarm, I thought to myself, "Practice what you preach."

     I am on this journey to become someone that spends their entire life telling other people how to take care of their bodies and what they need to do in order to keep them healthy. So shouldn't I also be held accountable for this as well? How many times have we heard our doctors talk about regular exercise and about eating healthy? We respectfully listen, but often times it is in one ear and out the other because who has time for that? I agree completely. Who has time for it? With last semester being ridiculously busy, I definitely fell into not having time for the gym, even though I really enjoy working out ( I know it sounds crazy, but stay with me here). But this semester, I told myself that I needed to practice what I preach, and most importantly what I will be preaching. How can I expect my future patients to carve time out of their day to fit in exercise if I can't fit it into mine? So, with that mentality, I've been lacing up my Nikes and telling myself, "Yea, you're obviously doing this because you feel great once you've run that mile, but you are also doing this because one day when you are asking your patients to do this, you will know it is possible." I do understand that in some cases this is not always possible, but for me it was a matter of poor planning. 

     I have plenty of medical school friends that made it a part of their routine and I'm pretty sure that we all have the same amount of time in our days. These past two weeks, I've made going to the gym a priority and I'm proud to say that I've kept up with it. How did I do this? I built it into my schedule. This is something that I used to do in undergrad. I would pick a class or a time slot and I would designate it as my "gym time." I would treat this like any of my other priorities and I'd stick with it even if it was tempting to take that time to go back to my apartment and nap. It was difficult at times, but as I've read it somewhere, you never regret a work out. How my body feels when I've been consistently working out is incomparable to any nap. And actually, I need less naps when I've been following a regular workout schedule. I feel more energetic through out the day and it's even easier for me to fall asleep. But, something to keep in mind is that you don't have to be perfect about it. Of course, I'd love to be able to fit into my schedule every single day, but if I can only make it to the gym three days out of the week (heck, even if I can only make it one day), that's still better than not going at all. Health is not an all or nothing situation and nothing works out perfectly every time. So, my goal is to keep that in mind as I try to plan my time and make the most of it, even as my days get impossibly busy.

     I know everyone has different reasons why they wish to live a healthy lifestyle, but I hope I have inspired some of you to think about why you'd like to implement healthy choices and how you can get fit it into your day. 

     I hope you guys are having a wonderful week and I will talk to you soon!

- Genesis<3