Ohhh... hello again!

Hi! Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. Time really has been getting away from me here which I guess is a good thing. Things are going well. I'm just sitting on my bed studying away. Trying to get through all of the material this weekend. I am not behind but want to make sure I see everything again before next week starts. I guess Mini #1 is two weeks from Monday! Crazy!!! So I am trying to work hard but am also really resting up because this week killed me.

I did alot of working out this week which definitely helped with the stress. For some reason I started timing myself to see how long it took me to run five miles. Hahaha. Well Monday it took me 49:45, Wednesday it took me 48:42 and Friday it took me 47:40!!! I was like WOW... I dont' know if I can beat that but I might try again next week. I think it hit me today that I ran 15 miles last week (over a 1/2 marathon lol). What was I thinking? Now I am all sore haha but I am in good spirits so that is good. I also talked to my professors too about leaving in 3 weeks from Thursday. My anatomy prof was nice and excused me from my anatomy demo we have. They recently started to periodically take attendance and I didn't want to be marked down over one time. I love going to those too so he kinda got that idea and told me I wouldn't be marked down for missing! How nice. My PBL prof on the other hand too was quite nice about it. To miss a PBL and to get points (the most you can get is like 6 points I think if you miss anyway) you need to contact the dean and get a letter from her excusing you. Well I told my prof Dr. Larsen that I don't think the dean would go for my excuse (I'd really just be coming home to come home... no emergencies or anything). He told me that while I will lose points that I wouldn't need the letter to get them and really that losing the points isn't that big of a deal. This class is out of 100% like all others and whatever you get in there only counts towards 5% of each of your class grades. Of course losing points bothers me but I know that it really won't hurt me.

Anyway, so I am awaiting my other check which migh tbe here next week then I can buy my ticket to come home in a few weeks. Now I am at about 99.5% sure I'll be back lol. Not looking to be crazy busy with stuff to do at home that is what April will be for. I just want to relax mostly. After that weekend I'll only have like a month and a half till my next semester break so that's not bad at all.

Studying is crazy though. My 4 inch binder is already full and I have to start using another. I didn't print out everything last time er but I kinda wanted to this semester and maybe fix up last semester a little (if I can EVER find the time). But yeah, so much material! The learning curve has steepened alot but I am LOVING it!!! We just dissected out all the abdominal vessels (SOOO MANY). I never thought the human body was so complex. I was thinking 'Ooooh second semester anatomy is just organs' - hahaha, no no. So many ligaments, arteries, branches of arteries, veins, anastamoses (connections between them). But it is fun. There is TONS of clinical things we are into now too! Diseases, metabolic disorders, differentials (you see a symptom and this is a list of everything it could be) - this is everything I have been waiting for! But I just hope I can keep up like I have been. I get so nervous, like I said, about one day being in rotations and forgetting things! I don't want to forget this stuff - IT NEEDS TO STICK!!!

Anyway, what else - sorry this is long but I haven't written in so long!!. Umm, OOOOH! Well the papers for clubs and their budgets had to be in this week. I had NO idea how to do it. But if I didn't the Dominican Health Foundation would pretty much be non-existant. SOOOO, I did it! I even found a professor (who I have never talked to before) to be the faculty advisor. I made out the budget and turned it in. From last semester we raised funds for a refurbished neonatal ventilator. After meeting with the faculty advisor, Dr. Burnett, I found out it just came in from the States! So since I am pretty much the only one involved in this project this semester I get to go with her and deliver it to the hospital! They only had one of these and really needed another for all the newborns that died because the only one they had was taken up. BUT, I get to go and Dr. Burnett said she would introduce me to the administration of the hospital to discuss what projects we can work on for this semester! Just to see what they would need and all. So I am a little nervous but excited too! I have to also start stopping into all the semesters and make annoucements for a general meeting so I have more involvement (can't do this alone - well I might be able too but I am sure more people would love to help, after all this country has been so warm and welcoming to us all and really made us feel like Dominica could be called out temporary "home").

So last week was PACKED so I am sure you can see why I haven't written but I will work on that - sorry! So what is new at home??? I miss you guys sooo much. I talk about you all alot down here and all the good times we have! We are almost at about 10.5 months till I am out of here! BUT in order to get back home - I have to pass - soooo I better get back to it!

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! xoxoxo

Jessica