Tuesday, May 25, 2010

I Am Medical Student!

Hear me YAWN!

My brain is feeling sore. I have been completely absent minded today. So much sad news and good news coming from home, makes me feel like I am just living in this pseudo-reality that is medical school. People are born, people die. There are floods and earthquakes and civil wars and hockey games and movie festivals yet I seem to be floating just below the surface of all of this. All I am thinking about is the different causes of neutropenia and the histology of a nephron.

This morning I woke up and wondered what day of the week it was and then realised that it didn't really matter because my day would be unfolding in the same way no matter what. The only difference would be if I would wear my really ratty sweat pants (no classes) or my <1year old sweat pants (classes).

I went to the market and bought a green pepper (I hate green peppers!) and when the woman who sells brownies told me she couldn't believe that I ate brownies because I was so "flat" (compliment?) I told her I had an obsessive exercise disorder (I don't). Seriously! Is that the appropriate way to respond to a nice remark about being in shape?

Feel like I am starting to go a little c-r-a-z-y!! But it's almost a nice crazy. I actually don't mind the long days of studying except that it reminds me off the pseudo-euphoric-daze that I'd fall into after too many night shifts in a row, when you get a little giddy and a little nauseated.

My first thought yesterday when I woke up was "What are the three branches that come off the aortic arch??"

That is just not normal.

16 comments:

Cate said...

my anatomy prof gave us a mneumonic for those arteries- BCS (apparently some football championship is called that?)
I definitely know how you feel, hang in there!

Albinoblackbear said...

Thanks Cate! :)

Yeah my study buddy gave me the ABC'S trick:
Aorta
Brachiocephalic
Common Carotid (L)
Subclavian (L)

but you know when you wake up in that cold sweat and the question somehow plants itself in your mind before you even realise it's happening?

The Irish use rugby/football player analogies from time to time that are completely lost on me as well! hahah

OMDG said...

That mneumonic is AMAZING!! When do you finish ABB? Soon?

Albinoblackbear said...

OMDG--Define 'soon'! Hahahah
I am done exams at 1700h on the 17th of June.

I plan to have a very good bottle of wine open by 1701h.

(I know, it is the only way I can keep it straight in my head--it was one of those things that I just seemed to have a block on remembering until she gave me that trick).

Grumpy, M.D. said...

I remember having a dream a few nights before an anatomy test in 1989, and still remember it quite clearly.

I was looking at a HUGE map of arteries, and their infinite branches. In the dream it was on yellowish paper, like an antique map. And I didn't remember most of their names.

And through these images the opening violin piece from the song "Pictures of Matchstick Men" by Camper Von Beethoven played repeatedly.

Really.

Albinoblackbear said...

A twisted look into the mind of IBG.

:)

I had a nightmare a couple sleeps ago where I Eileen and I were walking across the bridge to our clinical skills exam and were rationalizing all the reasons we didn't study for it at all. I got more panicky as the door approached thinking "WHY DIDN'T WE STUDY?? ARE WE COMPLETE IDIOTS?"

Cold sweat. Well actually it was a hot sweat because it's been so bloody hot here for the past week.

Grumpy, M.D. said...

Is this the Eileen from "Come on Eileen", by Dexys Midnight Runners?

Albinoblackbear said...

God she'd punch you right now if she could. Hahahha.

Josiah O. Morris said...

Every time I look at the heart, thanks to a particular TA in my anatomy lab, I instinctively think, "Remember your 'ABCs!'" Same guy told us a story to help us remember bits in the base of the skull, but I've forgotten most of it (whoops). It was something about a cowboy riding on a Turkish saddle (sella turcica), and so on. It was quite clever and helped on that particular practical.

Anyway, try not to go too terribly batty from all the revision! Absolute best of luck to you on your exams!!

Anonymous said...

I think that thought is perfectly normal ABB. For a medical student anyway. :P

Bongi said...

after exams for some time i would wake up early thinking i've got to study. still now if i sit around for a while not doing anything i often get a sudden adrenaline surge because my mind keeps telling my body i must study.

a cold beer helps then.

Albinoblackbear said...

JOM--Hahah, I've been riding the Turkish saddle for about 3 weeks now, really hoping I don't fall off before the finish.

Is it a bad sign that when you said 'batty' I thought 'sphenoid!'?

I really need to get out more! ;)

Thanks for the luck.

Ninja--Thanks! I feel validated.

Bonji--Mentioning the cold beer...

Now that was just cruel.

Funny you should do that though as today during a 2 min break from studying I ran into one of the admin secretaries from the medical school. She commented on the lovely weather and I pointed out that I was in a cement bunker studying.

She then proceeded to tell me she was on her way to a patio to enjoy a cold beer.

That is just NOT on. Evil.

Grumpy, M.D. said...

This is not a new phenomenon.

In med school my roommate, Enzyme, noted that while you are locked up studying the weather is gorgeous. As soon as the test is over it rains, or snows, or hails, or whatever.

My favorite movie line EVER was from the mostly forgotten film "Skin Deep", when John Ritter yelled "There is a God! And he's a gag writer!"

So true.

Albinoblackbear said...

It is true. Or a 'Murphy's Law' writer.

The summer I studied for the MCAT (and by 'studied' I mean that I had the books open and was staring at them) there was a heatwave that lasted about 5 weeks.

I remember the looseleaf sticking to my arm every time I'd go to turn the page.

AMIT said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Albinoblackbear said...

AMIT--I started writing out the list of good and bad things but it just didn't seem right to list them in such an offhanded way.

My apologies for deleting your comments but due to the ad in them I had to do it. I get really irritated when people use my comments section to link to an ad--so I delete them.

Feel free to comment anytime sans ad and I will happily leave it!