A day in the life of a 5th semester student...

Well, here I am! All settled in 5th semester now and in the middle of week two in Michigan! Let me tell you, it is really a treat to be doing this semsester here! Everyone is so kind and welcoming to all of us and for once - we really feel like we are wanted! Since I have started we went through a 2 day orientation followed by great lectures that were so clinically based, practiced pelvics with speculums for the first time (are told that hopefully soon we can start on real patients) and surgical scrub training! Very exciting things happening. This week has been nice as well. The only criticism I have (if you can call it that) is that I don't think that some of our teachers this week really know how much we have learned up to this point. Some have hesitated to take it the extra step because they wanted to go over the basics (e.g. the neurological examination). This is so new to everyone and far be it for the lucky 10 of us to say something wrong - we just let it go - heck, it was a nice review anyway.

Tomorrow starts our clinical time, which will be held in a nursing home every Thursday. I think some were bummed that it was not a "real" hospital but they are working out getting us in on weekends to get more experience so I think it is great. Not only that, but they are hand picking patients to see in the nursing home that have real pathologies - Parkinsons, Multiple Sclerosis, Huntingtons, etc. So it won't be just yet another examination but ones which I am sure we will remember forever, much like the VSD and upper motor neuron lesions from the island.

Our weekly schedule is just wonderful! Mondays are full days of lecture but they are held in the hotel where I am staying so that is so nice to just get dressed and head downstairs! Tuesday are usually a half day with lecture or on certain weeks psych and peds rotations. My psych will be on this coming Tuesday where I will be giving a psych evaluation to a patient, make a diagnosis and then meeting with the doctor to talk and help prepare my writeup for the case. Wednesdays (like today) are our off days - so this is nearly two days so far that we are getting off to study! So wonderful because we all want to do so well on the Step and this above all is what will make it possible! I have gotten SO much Kaplan done in the past 10 days (actually less). I have no doubt I will be able to get through all the lectures well before this semester is over. It is really sinking in too - not lazily studying at all. I am definitely making my time here worth it.

I am very excited for this weekend because Tony will be coming up to see me! I am so glad we can see alot of each other this time around. It is still a little under two hours from home but it is better than being out of the country! There is talk about the new 2 year program here at Synergy starting in September and it is starting to be something I am considering. After being here so far - I am so impressed and think it could be a great thing. I am torn though because while it would be stress free and I wouldn't have to worry about EVER leaving Michigan for rotations - it is still not home. Trying to get my own rotations is slow and while I am scheduled to start in Detroit in July, I am not sure if it is something I will do. Without having them lined up it is hard to do because I have no idea where half or more of my rotations would be coming from. I just hate the idea of not being home until graduation. It is just going to have to be something to think about. Applications do not come out until June or July so there is still plenty of time to try to do that.

Anyway, I am going to get back to Kaplan and hit the hay. Clinicals from 8am-5:30pm tomorrow - oy. At least after it is happy hour in the lounge under us, then maybe we might go to Timbers. Have a great Valentine's Day! I am considering Friday V-day for me since Tony won't be up until then, haha! :)