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