Dominica - VaCaTiOn?! Whaaaa...

Here I am with one exam down and three to go.

And what do I hear BEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEEP!!! What could this rustling noise be??? A giant cruise ship leaving Dominica's port. I saw it earlier today during the day but am looking at it now at night all lit up. Such a sight. Sounds like nothing really that exciting but it makes you wonder what the people are doing on the ship here. Are they on family vacations? Honeymoons? Kinda funny because all I wanted to do was run down to the shore and swim to it to take me back home. I wonder what they thought of the island. Did they even know they were next to a medical school? Hahaha, they probably didn't care if they were on vacation. But let me tell you, there were some students here drooling over seeing that ship. We all wanted to jump right on it! It's just about past my window out of site to head either to another island or back to the states. I don't know why seeing that ship makes me think so much. I remember our senior spring break in high school - wow was that cruise fun. But I never once thought about the culture that I was stepping into - psh - I was on vacation!

Well, there it goes... Sigh, that is almost as neat as hearing a plane go over the island - talk about excitement! Who is the lucky people leaving? Is it newbies coming to Ross? Ah well. My turn in 2 weeks right?

So, today went pretty well. I had my anatomy lab exam today at 1pm. It wasn't so bad but the bodies are just about to be cremated and given back to the families and these bodies are in BAD shape. Our professor even covered most of the body so all we could see was the small area to identify! Talk about ruining our orientation of the body. Oh well. Next up - histology lab exam tomorrow at 9am. Working on that now and will probably be up late but that's alright. Then I have the weekend, granted all studying, but it will be relaxing none-the-less.

I better get back to the books but I will write again tomorrow.

Hugs and Kisses! XOXO
Jessica Lynn

Last stretch of first semester begins tomorrow...

Listen America! Tomorrow it begins (Ma, I thought you'd like that ;))!

1pm is my last anatomy lab exam and I am just about ready. I am feeling pretty confident about it. I am definately going to work out before, take the exam, then head back home to work on my last histology lab exam which is Friday at 9am.

After that - and before I know it - it will be December and 2 exams away from home. I get nauseous thinking about those tests. But I have a feeling mini #3 will go well! The final - well it is a final - so everyone is a little freaked but hey - 12 hours after that exam I am on my way to the airport!!!!!!!!!!!!

Soooo, here we go. I am REALLY looking forward to working out tomorrow - I have been stressed the past couple days but kinda beat to want to workout - guess I should have. Oh well! Ugh I want to type so much more but I know I have to keep chugging alot - I got momentum!

Love you all! I'll post again real soon!!!!

Jessica

Quick vent...

Yikes, okay quick venting then back to the books. I am in the library now studying but what a morning! Nothing seemed to go right but it was mostly mental - I worked myself up into the biggest frenzy, haha. Oh well, I am getting over it. Sana and I had our own little spot with our cubicles but now people are invading our place and moving in - of course because there are a million other spots they have to sit by us. This one guy just saat next to me and is making enough noise for everyone to hear. It is like he wants to sound important and busy by thrashing his stupid pens and papers around. Whatever.

Soooo, I am in the library for the day and will probably be here most of it. I want to get through pulmonary again and go over a little biochem again (will be going over that alot because I am so worried about it) and then Sana, Jackie and me are going to go over some anatomy for a bit. Then I will be going over todays lectures but they aren't much. (This guy is insane - he is getting up walking to a new friend, comes back sits down - OH WAIT - new friend, has to get up say hi - sigh...) Anyway, alright I guess today will be a busy one - just trying to keep all the information from leaving my head!

I have 2 days of classes but to me class is over. There's just a few easy lectures left and I just watch them anyway so yeah...

OKAY - back to studying, maybe I'll put on a Christmas tune :)

Love, Jess

Last week of classes is underway...

It's so wierd hearing professors finish off their lectures - one in particular "see you in semester two". Yikes, no pressure. Today has been pretty productive - anatomy lab exam in coming up quick! Here we go!

I am really not too concerned about the exams - I think I will be ready - just that stupid biochemisty. I found out what I should be around to average to be in the clear for the semester. Even though, I think everything will be just fine - knowing what I need to get is nerveracking! It's completely do-able but still!!! It's nice knowing if I can just get this off my mind and done well - the rest should be alright too!

I am getting so excited to come home!!! 2 weeks from Saturday!!! Oh, I have soooo much I want to do. Dumb, simple things like baking, playing in the snow, singing songs around the house :)!

I have a rather large grasshopper (I think it is) living with me in my room. I named him Kermit. Hopefully he won't abandon me like Herman did (my rat). Kermit is so cute he is up on my window sill all day and night watching out for trouble!!! :-P

Well tonight I guess I will do some more physio and anatomy. I already did some DPS and biochem so things are moving along... Alright back to it!

Love ya'll!

ME :D

Tomorrow hits the teens :D

Last days of classes are upon us - finally! We have 4 days left! They are very light too so it seems like classes are already over! We have 2 exams this week: anatomy lab and histology lab exams. I am not too worried about those so this week should hopefully be great! We have our last mini a week from Wednesday! I am glad they didn't have the mini on Monday like they usually do - so much extra time to study! 10 days later is my final and then I am homeward bound!!!!

I have finished reviewing my cardio physiology and my anatomy. Probably going to work on some biochemsitry and some respiratory stuff... but today is pretty relaxed! Just snacking like ALL day and studying. Tomorrow is the same thing but I am going to go the gym... but that's about it!

I want to think about home so much - shopping, things I want to do - but I have so much studying to do I just can't - at least I will be spending abotu 20 hours traveling so I can worry about it all on the planes, haha.

Everything seemed (sadly) to get better after Thanksgiving. I have never had to be away from home for the holidays and it was really hard on me - as it was on alot of people. Anyway, so I better get back to studying. Tomorrow is now 19 days left so time to really work hard :D!

I love you and will SEE YOU ALL SOON!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jess

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Hi everyone, I just wanted to make this post as soon as I could. Just wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

I'm pretty bummed out today. We still have class, still have studying to do... I guess this is what I asked for but I am still pretty sad about not being home today. I love watching the parades, being with family and friends all day, eating so much I feel like I could pop and passing out on the same place on the couch at grandmas... None of that this year. Everyone is coming home to Ttown too and am so upset I can't be a part of it... At least I can really be appreciative and truly be thankful for all of you because missing you today is probably the worst day since I left. You all make me so happy and all of your love and belief in me are what got me here - so thank you. I love you all so much and am going to try to study as hard as I can so I don't think about today as much. Three more weeks...

Happy Thanksgiving! I love you all and miss you so much.

Jessica

Celebrating Thanksgiving in my own widdle heart this year...

Hi! Well it's almost here! Classes end a week from tomorrow. Crazy. So much still to do but I am getting so excited I can barely study!!!

Haven't written in a few days but things are good. I had my DPS exam Monday. Not bad at all. We just got a patient chief complaint and had to draw up a differential and come up with abotu 50 questions to put in their HPI (history of present illness). Fun times. But that went just fine. Next up: anatomy and histology practical exam. That is next Thursday and Friday. :D I'm excited for those - of course, I am going to study but I am not too worried about them.

The mini #3 and the final come up right after and is what I am most nervous about obviously! Comes up so quick! Pulmonary physiology is pretty tricky (even though it was my major in college - haha). It is more clinical based so maybe that is why it seems some of this is new and deeper. We finished cardiovascular physiology last week. That wasn't so bad either. I just really have to do as much as I can for that and biochem because I want to really kick these last exams butts!!!

Probably going to work on physio tonight and some anatomy? There are so many things I could study that I dont' know which to do! Anyway, I am SO bummed about tomorrow. I wish I was home for Thanksgiving so bad. I love the turkey, cranberry sauce, parades - FAMILY & FRIENDS. Ugh. At least I have you all for Christmas, right? Ah well, I guess this is worth sacrificing a few holidays... I guess. :-P! Haha... We don't even get the day off class! Sigh... Oh well!

Well, I will write more soon but I have to get scootin' and studyin' if I ever want to get home in 3 weeks!!!

Love you!

Jess

I'll be home for Christmas...

Yay, I finally downloaded Amy Grant's Christmas CD! I am sooo excited listening to Christmas music to come home!!!! So yeah, I am listening to that now before class!

Less than 2 weeks of class now! Classes end a week from Thursday! Ooooh and lab - oh my - lab was fantastic! It was by far my favorite lab of the semester! I think it was the perfect end to the semester to do the inside of the heart. We just finished learning ab out cardiovascular embryology (where every structure we have in our hearts came from originally) and to see it in an adult heart and know where it came from was pretty incredible! I was smiling the whole time. Of course, yesterday was the last day that I will be working on my body. Second semester we get a new cadaver. Anyone for the squeemish I'd stop reading until the next paragraph (sorry) but it was so strange looking around lab yesterday and remembering what the bodies looked like before we started. They looked obviously like anyone of us. Now everything is dissected (second semeter does the internal organs), the brain has been removed, parts have been removed in order to see deeper structures. So much has been removed that the person isn't even recognizable anymore. I thought about my grandpa and how he did this and it made me sort of sad but proud at the smae time because it is invaluable to us as students. Seeing the real thing is NOTHING like the books. I stopped reading my anatomy books forever ago because the body taught me so much more.

Okay, gross part over people. Anyway, I was happy to be done for the semester but sad too a little. I know just as we were waiting to get grandpa 's ashes back, that the woman's family was waiting to get her remains back too. So, I left lab only to return next semester to finish up my first year. Silly as it may sound to others but I didn't leave without saying a little prayer thanking this woman and her family for allowing me to work on her. I was and will always be truly grateful.

As for today, I am just finishing up some lecture till noon then heading oer to the gym to get out some studying stress, haha. Then PBL at 3, ugh, only one more left after today - thank goodness!!!!

Alright, well I better get back to studying! Talk to you all soon!

Love, Jess

Competition isn't always good...

Well I am here in Classroom 1 studying all day/night. I love it here. I am so much more relaxed doing it this way. No one is really here to bother me and I just can be in my own thoughts. I also thought it was pretty cool that I was sitting in here and the scholar meeting started. I thought I'd get to see what they do and if it held any advantage. Yeah, not to me. I was appauled by the horrendous bickering going on. It annoyed me very much.

This is now what I see as my future. Not just the competition of doing well in class but trying to tread the water of all these people in my class that just "can't be wrong". Everything was so nit picky! See, the "scholars" make up practice questions to go over in a quiz during the meeting. I thought that was a very good way of cementing in class material but - wow - everyone had a correction to make to the questions, saying they should be more specific or needs to be re-worded, yada yada... I understand that a question can have many answers if worded poorly but come on. If you know that, the answer can be 'X' if the question means this and 'Y' if the question means that - just just leave it at that. So many people I see just "have to be right", or have to make their point, or have to maintain their ego and it frustrating to me. I am so excited of what I have learned so far and thrilled for what I have yet to learn but this is what I couldn't stand about "pre-meds" in college. The undying ego.

I see myself frustrated in the future, even when I get into rotations because I will be surrounded by people like this. Anyway, I'm getting over it but am definately left wondering about how things will be in semesters to come...

BUT my last lab is TODAY! I am dissecting the inside of the heart! After that, so long lab for a good 2 months! Anyway, this entry is kinda ill-toned and I need to change my mood. So I am going to finish my fruit salad that I got for lunch :) study a bit more and head to lab!

I love you all and miss you so much!!! But I will be seeing you really soon!!!!

Jessica

So Full!!!!!

So tonight was OLAS's night out, like an appreciation type dinner for the board. Wow, so much food. We went to a place called Tomatos, it's just about as close as you get to a restaurant here. Really tiny place that sits above a couple apartments. I have to get pics of some of these places! But yeah, I haven't eaten that much since I have been home! I got grilled salmon, iced Starbucks coffee (how they get Starbucks I have no idea - don't know if it was real Starbucks but it was good), pistachio ice cream and oh yea - VINO! Yes, I had one glass :D Such a tease. But that's okay in a few weeks I can have as much as I want so that was just a warm up, hahaha. But wow, was that food good. Compared to my rice/cheese/tuna/veggie medley that I make LITERALLY EVERYDAY - it was like going to the fanciest restaurant :D!

I really had so much fun though! I'm gonna miss the 4th semester people they have been so nice :). We found a stray kitten outside too without a mother so we are adopting it as our club mascot. We aren't sure if it is a boy or girl so we are naming it after the restaruant either Tomato or Tomacita :-D! Sounds like we are naming it after Tommy T! Hahaha.

Well now that I splurged on some good eats and good times, it looks like it is back to the books for me. Today was pretty productive. Tomorrow is a short day thank goodness so I will be up early and here late to work my buns off! Back home now finally but am looking to be on campus early. Oh yeah trying a new method of going to class - I'm not, haha. Well they air the lectures live for those "scholar" students but I can watch them on campus right when everyone is in the annex. I rather do that because it is too stressful for me to sit among 350 first semester students in the morning. I like having my own space and feeling like the prof is talking to just me! Ah well only a couple more weeks of class so I will just try it out to finish off semester one.

Good times tonight OLAS-crew :) Thanks for a great semester! I had tons-o-fun!

Welp, I'll write again probably in the morning when I remember anything else I did today. I miss you all so much!!! XOXO

Jessica

Week 11 here we come!

Morning everyone! Its about 6:30am on Sunday. I feel asleep pretty early last night so I just thought I'd get up early to make up for it.

This weekend has been pretty productive. I got my mini 2 scores back and overall did pretty well. Biochem went up (thank goodness) but still needs to go higher for sure. Hoping everything works out with that for the final. I decided to listen to all the lectures again, take notes and then read the book for it. So I think that will solidify it. Mini 1 kicked my butt in that and was worth a good chunk so I want to do awesome on the final.

Everything else looks pretty good so far! Not sure how my grades will end up overall because the classes continue into second semester. We get a 'progress' note after the final to tell us where we stand but no grades. So, just still working till mini #3! That will be 3 weeks from Tuesday I think? Also, classes are going to be over 2 weeks from Friday! Oooooh yea! I am so happy. I just have to keep telling myself - only 2 more weeks of material to learn! My brain is telling me NO MORE - I NEED A BREAK! :-P

So excited to come home!!!! I got a ride back from campus and the driver had to take someone back home before me. He lived far down the road that I have to take to get to the airport... I was thinking to myself, "Just keep going!!!!" Hahaha, but he didn't. Tease.

Yesterday, I actually managed to go to the gym - gasp! I am sore today:-P. I have done alot of calethetic stuff in my room but I guess not as much as this! I am looking at my coffee mug wanting a coffee bad now but I think me and Sana are going back in about an hour or two so I don't want to get all hyped up on caffiene. Ah well. Water it is.

Today I am going to review more of this week and continue on with reviewing biochemistry. I think it is good that I am starting to prepare for the biochemistry final now. I think it will save me ALOT of stress at the end. Everything else for the final shouldn't be as bad. I have cardioascular physiology in my lap - which I am really enjoying. I went to a great 2 hour review session yesterday morning which helped and he also went ahead in what we were doing this week in class so that way it doesn't seem as hard. I was really grateful. Took only about 20 minutes but I know this week wont' be so bad on that.

Hmm, what else... So what's going on for New Year's guys??? LOL. Ah, well. Alright well I am going to get back to studying before Sana gets up and we go to workout. Maybe I will write again later today - because I know all of you just keep hitting 'refresh this page' ;-) hahaha.

Love you all and you know what? I'll see you soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*muah* :-*

Jessica

Class is over in 3 weeks!

Wow, funny to think a few months ago I was posting saying I was leaving home in 3 weeks - now it's 3 weeks until class if over for 1st semester! Incredible!

Tomorrow should be the day our test results come in! I am more excited then nervous but I am sure that will change when I get the email! This next week should be pretty easy. We don't have that long of days, so that is nice. But starting a week from Tuesday - exams start back up! We start of with our DPS practical exam. I'M SO EXCITED! I'm gonna be on that plane before I know it!

I can't believe tomorrow is the 10th... wow. Pretty much today I am in shock at how the time has flied. Today was pretty good. Went to class and then I went to Portsmouth Hospital with some girls from OLAS to give them one of those huge cardboard checks! It was for $1000 US or about $2700EC. I was shocked when we walked in. This was nothing like hospitals back home. There is a bigger one, Princess Margaret Hospital in Roseau but this one was extremely tiny. No bigger than an urgent care center we have back at home. Wards for women, men , children and even ICU were just one small room each. We got the chance to look around for a minute while waiting for the head nurse. Very eye-opening. We handed the check over to the nurses and took a couple quick pics with them and headed back to campus.

Later today, I went to a good meeting on how to study for my USMLE Step 1 exam. Of course, not taking it till around next May/June but can never hurt to know! Not much to do to prepare while I am in 1st or 2nd semester except to follow along with my classes with the First Aid book. That's about it for now. No sense of doing practice questions when I don't know the material yet. Crazy how much more I still have to learn before I take this exam...

Goodness! Alright, well I am going to hit the books! Make sure the clotting casade is solid in my head!!! :D

Love,
Jess

Whew so much going on!!!

Busy, busy, busy is the life of a med student :-P. Busy but so exciting! Of course there are more specific reasons that I wanted to go into medicine but as far as grad school in general - I just love new challenges. I really think I would get bored if I just picked something in physiology right out of college. After a while, I think it wouldn't seem like a challenge and as the years go on I would just become bored. Boy did I pick a good one! The challenges I know will always be there and that is alot of the reason why I know I will LOVE doing this.

Today was alright. I am still drained from the exam but no time to rest!!! I gotta bust my bottom so I can head home!!! I know I will be home so soon but - boy- still so much to do. We have 3 weeks of class after this week, a DPS practical exam, anatomy lab exam #2, histology lab exam #2, my mini #3 and my final exam! Whew!!! Yikes! It was so cool, I bumped into an accepted student that might be comin gin January. She was just here with her parents to check out the island. I walked them to the bank to open an account and what not but she kept asking me questions. It felt so strange! Jessica the veteran? LOL. I did my best to help but I didn't have many negative things to say about here. I told her that I was still on my "high" from getting in, so I loved it here. But then I saw her and her parents again the next day by the annex, lol. I gave her my s/n so if she has any other questions but it was so strange to know that new people are on their way next month!!!

Yesterday, I dissected the thoracic wall. We removed the whole ribcage to show the heart and lungs! Lungs feel sooo cool! :D I couldn't stop squeezin' em! Gross/wierd, I know. Sorry. But we could even see all the damage due to city life/smoking. I could even feel the tiniest of little carbon pebbles in the lung. Very interesting now I see why smoking is bad lol. ONLY ONE MORE DISSECTION! Next week is the dissection of the inside of the heart! Then anatomy lab is all over. I just with PBL was over as quickly. Still have 2 more sessions after this week. Ah well!

Okay it is time to get studying... I'll write again probably tomorrow!

Love you all!

Jessica! :)

Onto the final stretch of first semester!!!!!

MINI #2 is done! I am just going to say this now even though I don't know my scores - but I feel good about this one! I am beyond happy! I had such better timing! The first mini I was pressed for time but this time I finished close to an hour early! :-D Of course, I stayed to go over my 'questionable'. So tonight - I am sitting n' smilin'. I even bought a Coca-Cola to treat myself - funny eh? But it was goooooooooood...

I just got back from decorating for the OLAS/ISA Black and White Party. Everyone, obviously has to wear - black or white - but it looks soooo cute! Candles line the walkways, we made black and white baloon arches, streamers, signs, etc. The fridges are stocked with booze ready to have some fun. I SOOOO wanna go. But still, I am tired and I still say - not yet. Ah well. I am just going to relax tonight and try to enjoy my night off.

Well time for a shower then who knows. I hope I don't end up doing studying or organizing - but I still might. It is hard to just RELAX when there is so much that could be done.

We'll see. But I just ran back home (literally, why I don't know) so I need to shower!!!

Talk to you tomorrow ;-)

Love, Jess
'

Mini #2 tomorrow!

Hi everyone! Well it is here - Mini #2! I am just about as ready as I could ever be. Feeling very confident and trying not to let any negative thoughts come in... This test is going to go great!

Okay, I hope so lol. But that is as negative as I get! Studying this weekend was very chill but went well. I am just ready for tomorrow to be over with because then its all working towards the end of the semester and more importantly COMING HOME!!! I can't believe these months have passed this fast but I feel like I have still been away from home forever! I just want to hang with my family and I want to go out with all my friends!!! Oh, how I miss it! Especially now as we are all getting older things are changing where we won't always be having these vacation times to be with each other. I am just going to be so happy coming home! Happy tears all the way back!!!

Sippin' on a cup of joe now just relaxing going over some biochem in my head. I have to do really well on that portion of the exam. So I am trying to settle the nerves on that one. Then there is teh after-mini blowout down by the Caribbean Sea at PBH (Portsmouth Beach Hotel). Once again, not going. Still not quite time to celebrate for me... But it's coming soon. :)

I just keep looking in the giftshop of Ross with all their t-shirts and stuff and think about what I am going ot buy to bring home - item #1 - a coozie!!!! Yes, they have can coozies! Hmm, pink, purple or green... :-P I am thinking purple :D! Hahaha.

Alright well I need to get reorganized - I wish I could show you my bed - papers EVERYWHERE!

Wish me luck tomorrow, prayers, anything... I will be doing the same but hopefully just taking this test slow, well-paced, and confidently!

MISS YOU ALL!!! Wow, I miss you so much!

Love you!!!
XOXO

-Jess

Almost time for mini #2...

Well I feel a little better. Been an exhausting week, that's for sure. My moods are going up and down lately but I am sure it is just because of the second mini. After Monday I will be probably THEE most excited person on campus. Because we will be working towards the end of the semester!!!

After the mini, we have 4 more weeks of class and we are done! Classes end the 30th of this month and then we have our mini #3 and our final after that, 10 days apart. Then home the next day!!!

Basically, just worried about biochemistry this Monday. All I need is a little more confidence! Did an old mini today and did just fine in biochem questions so that helps.

Ah well, alright back to it! Tomorrow I think I am going to the library - change it up where I study - plus it is hot here still and I want some free a/c ;-)!!!

Alright, talk to you tomorrow!

Love,
Jess

Can't shake it off...

Tonight has been rough. I have gotten a good amount of work done but I just felt so sad. I wish I was home so bad. I have met such great people here but have just been homesick the past few nights - the worst being tonight. I just kept on crying and I know I still have to study tonight. Not once since I have been here and drempt of home. I don't know, I am just a little sad tonight but am going to try to shake it off so I can keep on studying...

I really miss you all so much and know doing this was good for me, but I just need a good day I guess. Just feeling a little sad tonight.

Sorry for the bummer post but I am hoping this help me get motivated again.

Love you!

IT'S NOVEMBER!

Finally - it's here! I can finally officially say that I will be done with class this month! I am so glad. Today I got up a bit later than I wanted. But I'll do my lectures and then study all day and all night. Exams start back up tomorrow! First up - histology lab exam. Basically being tested on slides from muscle, nerve, connective, blood, the list goes on... So that will be tomorrow at 1! Then the mini will be this coming Monday! I am so excited - which sounds funny but I am!!!


I'm alot more relaxed for these exams which is good - but worries me at the same time haha. Ah well. So many people are talking about home, new students are just about on their way down here! Ooooh, and they are now starting to take reservations for taxi rides to the airport!!!!! I am so excited! There are some other people on my same flight so we are going to take a taxi together. I think I will be leaving around 5:30am for the airport (4:30am to you - Dominica doesn't do the Daylights Savings Time).

It's crazy to think in a few weeks I will be half way done with my first year of medical school... already! I knew it would fly by but wow! No longer an MS1 but and MS1.5! Haha. I also decided after my 3rd mini I think I am going to let myself go out with everyone and have some fun. After that we aren't learning anything new and have 10 days off to study for the final. So, why not. I've waited long enough! So that will be in about 4 weeks or so I think. So that excites me! Hmm, what other countdowns... Probably in about 2 weeks I am going to stop to pick up my visa so I have that to look forward to!

But first mini #2. Hoping I can kick this exams butt! But for now back to studying as hard as I can today. I probably could have stayed up later than 1am last night. Feel a little guily about that but oh well...

I'll probably write again later today!

Love you all :) See you next month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jessica Lynn