The Anatomy of a Busy Week

This week was another busy week in my life. I mean, is a med student’s life never not busy? But I feel like even though it was very busy, I was extremely productive and made the most out of my time. I think part of this is because I stopped going to class/lectures in person (sorry mom). I now watch the lectures live on Zoom from the comfort of my own home, so I am able to sleep a bit more, save time on commuting, and not have to worry about packing a lunch. I also find that I focus more at home because I am less distracted and use this thing called a Brick that locks every app on my phone, so I cannot use it. Even though I do most of the lectures from home now, I still go to campus a lot for all the in-person things we have to do. This week, I was there 4 out of the 5 days, but usually only in the afternoons, which again, feels more manageable than being there 6-10 hours per day, every day.

 On Monday, I had to go to campus because we had our second Social Contexts in Medicine Program session. This time, we had a talk given by a local pediatrician who works primarily with immigrant patient populations, often from South America. He talked a lot about the various challenges he has to deal with when working with this patient population to ensure they get the best care possible, often with limited resources, language, insurance, etc. He is also super unique because he did his medical schooling outside of the US in Mexico and got to see a lot of the differences in care between the two countries. He told a lot of interesting stories, which made it a super fun talk to listen to.

 On Wednesday and Friday, I had to go to campus for Anatomy Lab. These were our last couple disections before our practice practical on Monday and the actual practical exam happening on Friday. I am actually so nervous for the practical because I am so bad at deciphering what is what, especially with the muscles, nerves and vessels. I can tell you all their functions, how they connect, etc., but seeing it in-person is a whole new challenge. Luckily, I have an awesome lab group, and we’re going to go in together later this week to walk through all the challenging things. Keep your fingers crossed for me as I try not to fail my anatomy practical exam later this week. I also want to mention that before my anatomy lab on Wednesday, I attended a cool lunch and learn session about PM&R, which stands for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. This is a super cool and relatively new branch of medicine that deals with helping people to improve function after an injury, for example. It is super cool and very often intertwined with sports medicine. I hadn’t heard much about it before coming here, and it is a field I am super interested in, so I hope to shadow a PM&R doctor soon. If you know of any PM&R docs, please let me know!

 Jumping back a little, I was also on campus on Thursday because we had another standardized patient session. Genuinely, SP sessions are my favourite part of our curriculum so far because I learn so much and interact with a real human ‘patient’. This week, we went through a head-to-toe Musculo-skeletal exam, meaning I can now check for injuries to all the joints in our bodies using the various tests and techniques we learned. One thing that really surprised me is how challenging it is to verbally describe a test or motion to someone, since you have to explain what you’re doing/what you need the patient to do to perform the test. I think it’s super hard right now because I am also in the process of learning it, so sharing it with someone else in real time as you’re also processing it in your head is so hard, but I am sure with time that it will become second nature. Props to my family doctor back home for making it look so easy. Anyways, if you suspect you tore your ACL or something, let me know so I can check (obviously see your actual doctor too since I am in training lol).

 After all the class and academic things I did during the week, I also managed to stay on top of my gym grind! I made it to the gym on Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday, as well as to the pool on Saturday, and played pickleball on Thursday and Friday. I am so proud of myself for prioritizing physical activity because I feel so much better and feel like it really helps me focus. Also, I feel like my pickleball is improving a lot since I am playing so much more consistently. It’s also awesome because I am often playing with the same classmates, so we’re getting closer and closer. On Thursday, I played at the same courts we always play at, but on Friday, I got to play at the new Tulane pickleball courts since I was at a pickleball grad-student mixer hosted by the Grad Student Association. There are four courts at the new Tulane pickleball complex, and they’re super nice. The only issue is that they cost money to rent if I were to use them on my own outside of this event. I wish they were free because they’re so much closer to get to, but I guess I will have to keep making the trek out to Metairie each week to play pickleball. After the mixer, a few of my pickleball friends and I tried Ruthie’s frozen custard for the first time. That place is so good!!!!! I decided to try the peach frozen custard, and the cashier convinced me to add strawberry puree and shortbread cookie chunks, and she wasn’t lying when she said it is delicious. I am definitely going back there soon, but more importantly, it was awesome to hang out with my friends and spend the evening talking and laughing.

 This week was also the Dancing With the Stars two-night premiere. On Tuesday, I watched the night one premiere at my friend Jordan’s place with a few of my classmates. We’re going to watch most episodes together this season, which is awesome! We’re all super excited for the season, and night one of the premiere did not disappoint. This is my second season watching the show, and I absolutely love it. It’s so fun to see the amazing dances and cheer for some pretty incredible people. I watched night two of the premiere alone, since lots of us were busy studying, but we will reconvene our group post-exam to watch together. This season I am cheering for Giada De Laurentiis (fun fact, she was my favourite Food Network Chef growing up) and Alan, Pasha and Amber Glenn, Connor Wood and Riley, Ezra Frech and Daniela, and Jackson Olson and Emma. Let me know who you’re cheering for, and if you haven’t started watching, this is your sign to start.

 Looking back on all this, I really did a lot this week, and we haven’t even talked about the weekend. Most of my weekend was spent at the uptown library grinding for my exam. In two days, I spent over 15 hours there. Thankfully, a few of my friends were with me on both days, so I had company and didn’t feel totally alone. We all got lots of work done and are going to crush our exam. Post studying on Saturday, I also threw on the LSU vs Ole Miss game as I did Anki. Watching the game amplified my desire to go to an LSU game at some point during my time in Louisiana. The SEC college football vibes are unmatched, and being so close to it feels like a once in a life time opportunity to experience it. If you would like to come with me to an LSU game, let me know so we can plan it. I barely know football, but I do know that it will be a great time. My landlord is a huge LSU fan, so it was entertaining to hear him and his family cheer throughout the game. I will definitely be going to some Tulane games, but if you know anything about college football, you know LSU games are in a tier of their own. After the game, my friend Orsula and I went to a super cute bar for a drink. We talked for a couple of hours and called it a night. It was a great way to cap off my first study day. Then Sunday came around, and I did my weekly grocery run at Trader Joe’s (I got more maple butter and pumpkin brioche), before heading back to the library for more studying. I stayed way longer than I thought I would before going to the gym and going home.

 Just like that, the weekend is gone, and the countdown to the exam is getting closer and closer. I am nervous but also so excited to hopefully pass this exam and enjoy next weekend since we won’t have to be studying. Next weekend is also a huge weekend for me because I have my fantasy hockey draft on Sunday. If you know me, you know I love fantasy hockey. I have been playing with my ice team friends for the past couple of years. I am the league manager, so I take it pretty seriously. I will share my team next week post-draft (pray for me so I get the players I want). It’s also a sign that hockey season is almost here, which makes me so happy. I know the Canucks will suck again this year, but I’ll cheer for them no matter what. Anyways, I hope you all have an amazing week and talk soon!