This week has legitimately flown by, and I cannot believe I am sitting here writing another blog. It feels like every week passes in a few seconds, and I barely have time to catch my breath. I fear this may be what the rest of my life is going to feel like, but that’s why I have this blog, to help me process the week and share it with the world.
Since I last wrote, our class started with the Musculoskeletal block (MSK 1), meaning we are focusing on the upper limb before transitioning to the lower limb in MSK 2 in a couple of weeks. The amount of anatomy that needs to be memorized for this block is insane (do not even get me started on drawing the brachial plexus). Even though it feels overwhelming, I do feel like I am learning and (hopefully) retaining the information. We also have many anatomy labs with this block, which is helping solidify the information we’re learning. It’s pretty cool to take what we learn in lecture and see/interact with it in lab. This block, we also have our first anatomy lab practical exam on top of our normal block exam, so I am trying my best to use lab time as best as I can, as I am quite nervous for these two exams (that happen on the same day!). Luckily, they are in a couple of weeks, so I have some time to learn.
Beyond starting MSK 1 this week, we also had some fun Foundations in Medicine lectures and activities. It was nice to have these as they help break up the week. In one of the FiM sessions we had, I learned how to administer vaccines and TB tests. We also had another session where we talked about principles of harm reduction and got to learn how to recognize the signs of an overdose and administer Narcan. Tulane is very big on working with the community to improve community health, so there are a number of student-run clinics that we will get to be part of throughout our four years. In these clinics, we will use the skills we learn in these sessions to provide care to the most vulnerable people in our community. I am honestly super excited for these, as I feel like learning a skill is one thing, but doing it is another. Plus, talking to people is something I love, so talking with community members is something I am really looking forward to.
I am also part of the Social Contexts in Medicine Program (SCiM), which is an add-on program we had to apply to in the summer that allows us to have extra education about the social determinants of health in New Orleans, and then work directly with a patient over the course of a year to support them in overcoming and navigating some of these barriers. This week, we had our first presentation talking about nutritional disparities in the NOLA area, and how we can support patients in accessing nutritional and accessible food. It was interesting to hear about the paradox between the current administration wanting to improve nutrition for Americans, while simultaneously cutting programs that make food affordable for many and axing critical surveillance systems that monitor the quality of food, agriculture, and processing in the country. It was also fascinating to learn about the local programs that are working tirelessly to support people in accessing healthy, high-quality nutrition, as well as the Goldring teaching kitchen that provides classes to the community to support them in learning how to cook using simple, high-quality, affordable ingredients. I am really grateful I am part of SCiM, as I know it will help my future patients. Side note, I often find myself comparing and contrasting the disparities here with those at home in BC. As the program goes on, I will compare and contrast them more.
We also had our club fair this week, where the clubs T1s can join were presented to us by their respective T2 leaders. For someone who has no time as it is, I think I joined way too many clubs and interest groups. I even tried to say no to some, and still found myself with a huge list of things I had signed up for. I also plan to start a pickleball club, so pray for me and my time management skills. I feel like there are so many specialties to choose from in medicine and so many things interest me, so I am trying to do my due diligence in learning about them without stretching myself too thin. Examples of interest groups I joined were internal medicine, endocrinology, neurology, OB/GYN, family med, and pediatrics. There were way more than this, but just to give you an idea of how many options there were to join. Speaking of specialties, I also went to an interventional radiology talk this week. I didn’t realize how surgical-esque the field was. It does feel very interesting, but not sure if it’s my top choice of things to explore (at least right now). I also received my stethoscope this week!!! I ordered mine through the Tulane school order, so it finally arrived. I tried to order one before school started, and unfortunately, it burned down in a warehouse fire, so it never came. I actually love my stethoscope and got it engraved with my name.
Outside of academics, my gym routine took a hit this week. I only made it there once. To be fair, I had a lash lift appointment and was not able to work out for 2 days while they settled, but honestly, my time management is still struggling big time. I genuinely feel like I have to choose between being social and going to the gym. I am not sure how people manage to do school, gym, and social stuff in one day. I also played pickleball this week for 2.5 hours since we had the long weekend. More and more people are coming, which is awesome since we can get some competitive games in.
Now to the fun social life parts of my week. This week, I really did a lot socially. First of all, I turned on my TV to watch the Love Island Reunion. This was actually my first time watching something on my TV, so it deserved a shoutout (only took over a month). On Tuesday, a few of my classmates and I went to Urban South Brewery for Trivia. If you know me, you know I love a trivia night. I suck at them, but they are so fun. We ended up coming third out of about 9 teams! I met a few new friends and got to know my classmates a little better. I also managed to answer a few questions, so I was proud of myself for helping my team.
On Friday night, our class had its annual MedFrat luau, which is essentially a pool party at the MedFrat house. I hosted a little pre-game with some friends before we headed to the actual party. As you can imagine, it got pretty wild. I felt like I was in one of those old American house party movies, like Neighbours, with Zac Efron in it lol. I had such a great time being around my friends, swimming in the pool, and listening to some classic house party music. The party culture here is so different from Canada, and it’s pretty cool to see it and experience it, because again, it does feel more in line with what they reference in movies. Somehow, after the party, I was convinced to keep the night going by some friends, so my night ended up at a super cool bar that reminded me of Stranger Things. Although I was out way too late, I had a great time. I also saw a cat chilling on top of a car before I left my house and had to get a photo.
On Saturday night, I hosted a board game night with a few friends. We played Pick Your Poison, Cards Against Humanity, and Mario Kart. It was awesome to host again and play silly games that don’t take any brain power. I hope to host more throughout the semester and bring more of my favourite games down from Canada next time I go home. There’s something so wholesome and fun about laughing with people about a game.
Sunday was super chill. The only social thing I did was pickleball, as I had to mix in some studying this weekend. I also made it to Trader Joe’s after pickleball and picked up some fall staples like the butternut squash mac n cheese. I haven’t tried it yet, but I have heard all over the internet and from friends that it is really good. My landlord also made Louisiana Red Beans and rice the night before for the LSU football game and brought me some to try for lunch. It was genuinely one of the best things I have ever tasted, so I highly recommend befriending a real Louisiana native, as it tastes way better from them than any of the restaurants. I ended my night with a phone call with one of my best friends from undergrad, so all in all, I would say my weekend has been pretty awesome so far.
Photo of the Louisiana red beans!!!
Thank gosh for the long weekend, though. Having an extra day off is amazing to catch up on studying and sleep, so you’ll find me in the books for the rest of it. I hope you all enjoy your long weekend, and thanks again for reading this week’s blog. See you next week for another recap of a week in my life as a T1.
