Medical Ethics

Throughout my time here at St. George’s we have a medical ethics/clinical skills class that run over the course of 6 semesters. So far we’ve learned about ethical reasoning in the context of patient care, disclosure, informed consent, and medical research. We’ve had small discussion groups over topics ranging from patient assisted suicide, abortion, religious practices and beliefs, and intersex babies. The discussions were always very stimulating, and it’s interesting to hear other people’s opinions and assertions on the various topics. There is one thing (okay, well two, but one is a minor complaint) that particularly bothers me about some of the strong religious opinions some of the students have had in my small group. I can honestly say that I do respect everyone’s opinion, but I have a difficult time accepting some of the reasoning (or lack thereof) behind the more extreme religious beliefs. For example, last week, we were discussing our thoughts on patient assisted suicide. There were a couple of students who out right said absolutely not, they do not believe in it, or would they ever even consider a patients request for it, no matter what the situation was. This part was fine, that is their opinion, and I respect that. I don’t think that as a physician I would be able to participate in patient assisted suicide either, BUT, depending on the situation (and law for that matter) I can’t definitively say that I be opposed to it. I would have no problem recommending my patient to somewhere that did endorse patient assisted suicide, and had a criterion in place for the decision. My problem with these very religious opinions is that these people would not even endorse disclosing to their patients other physicians/centers that would support it. In my opinion, I feel that this physician would be forcing their own beliefs and values onto their patients. Alternatively, maybe it’s these same type of people that keep a balance to our society….

On a lighter note, I finally made it out to the beach today and the waves were gigantic! Okay, maybe they were not big enough for surfing, but definitely big enough to dissuade me from going for a swim. I waded in couple of metres, and attempted to keep my balance but I was repeatedly knocked over and sucked under, only to resurface as a walking sand creature. I think I'll be trying to wash out this sand for a few days....

A Side of Cheese

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING POST CONTAINS CHEESE AND OTHER CHEESE ADDITIVES. IF YOU HAVE AN AVERSION TO CHEESE, STOP NOW AND CLOSE THIS BLOG. If glanced at, side effects should not last longer than 1 week, if your condition persists consult your second term med student.

Ode to the toaster oven

The frying pan had lost it shine,
The foreman grill was bland
there’s only so much one can do
with a plain black pan.

And then it came into my life
This miniature little toy
My culinary skills were honed
My tastes were wrought with joy

Chicken tenders, fish fillets,
Stuffed peppers with some thyme
I haven’t tried the chocolate cake
I’ve heard it is sublime.

For those of you all missing out
It heats up like match
If this toaster was a boy
He’d be a fire-ey catch.

And so I must return again -
to study, its so mundane
and if I continue with this rhyme
I’m sure to go insane.

Okay, but seriously, this toaster oven is awesome! I’ve been cooking with it almost everyday the last week, and I get excited thinking about new things I can make in it. I guess this is what happens when you don’t have much outside class and studying…..okay, lets see what else has happened this week in Grenada:

New in exotic fruits this time of the year is the carambola aka starfruit (known for its star-like shape when sliced). It’s definitely a favorite – so much so, that I have chopped and frozen a bag of them. One never knows when something is going to go out of season around here.

Recent advances in the class schedule this week brought on the introduction of immunology, featuring the so-called professor “Wacky Jackie” – I have yet to form an opinion of her. I usually appreciate (rather than complain about) the eccentricities of a charismatic professor.

Women in Medicine organization has started up again this semester, and I’m expecting more events and involvement than last semester (we have a new executive council with a little more time on their hands).

Weather has been partly cloudy with scattered showers, and highs reaching 28 C. I’ll go test out the water temperature this weekend when I get a chance (just in case this was what you were skimming the post for).

Man of the House?

Yes it’s true. When living with roommates I find that you create a microenvironment reminiscent of the family. There’s always the ‘mother-hen’, the ‘father-figure’, and the ‘annoying brother/sister’ (no one has adopted that role yet). Anyways, the other night while studying I was interrupted with a knock on the door to open a jar of pickles. I thought to myself – why wouldn’t you just run the jar under a hot tap, instead of interrupting me (not that I mind being able to display feats of strength). But then I got to thinking about when I lived at home, if my father or brother were around I would just ask them for the same thing.

The other day I tried to remove the thermostat, and put it in a better location at the suggestion of my father (the settings don’t function and the thermostat is sitting right on the AC unit). So I pulled out my multitool (20 tools in 1 – beat that), and began to try to pry it off without any luck, and a lot of trepidation about ripping the wires completely out of the thermostat (you never want to be stuck down here without AC). So I screwed the thing back on, and began putting away my multitool when I heard a roommate incredulously ask – ‘what is that?’ (Reminds me of childhood days, when I would have a little ethnic food in the lunchbox). Okay, so maybe I’m not that useful in my ‘family role’. Another incident occurred in trying to tape up the AC vents which are situated so high along the wall, that even while standing on a chair, I still wasn’t high enough (and I’m the tallest roommate). So with no ladders that we could borrow, moveable tables to fit through our door, or anyone around that had excess growth hormone in their childhood, there was only one thing left to do: squat one of the other roommates while they’re standing on my shoulders so they could reach it (make sure you do your squats, you never know when they may come in handy).
It’s funny though, because if my father, brother, or Raz were here, I would simply leave those problems for them to solve. I guess when you know there is someone there to depend on for certain things; you subconsciously take advantage of it.

Alright, enough of my fluffy reflections. This week was definitely better than the last. I’ve gotten into ‘study mode’, have begun developing somewhat of a routine (I’m addicted to routines wherever I can make them). I am going to be a tutor for the Department of Educational Services, facilitating biochemistry for 1st semester students (I get paid a whopping 5 USD an hour), and I’m getting certified this weekend to be a CPR instructor so I can make a little cash on re-certs in hospitals when I go to the states (this is really annoying because my Canadian certification as an instructor, apparently doesn’t count for anything!). Anyway, I'm off to a physio study group yippee!

Back on the Rock

Well, I’m back. I apologize to those (mostly Nick) who have anxiously been awaiting my next post. In my defense though, we currently do not have internet access in our dorm. This week has possibly been one of the longest weeks ever. Thank God its over! When I arrived back in August for my first semester, there were so many new things to take in, people to meet, beaches to go to……well, this semester I arrived with the ‘been there, done that’ attitude, and the nagging thought of “Oh God, I’m going to be here for 6 months” (perhaps this is what has prolonged my first week). Anyways, to those that are interested here is a run down on the courses I will be taking for the next 4 months:

Neuroscience – supposedly very challenging, has been rumored to fail even the honour students.
Physiology – I was so excited to start this course, until we started the first few lectures and the prof started bringing back some nice physics and chemistry equations from undergrad (I thought I would be done with this stuff!).
Genetics – this course runs for only 4 weeks. Its interesting, but way too general, so in trying to work out the basis of certain concepts, often more information is needed than we have been provided with.
Immunology – this begins a few weeks in, right before genetics ends.
Parasitology – this course is also only 4 weeks long, but is the last 4 weeks of second semester.
Clinical Skills/Professional Development – Not bad, but the department is poorly organized, which leaves the class constantly questioning “what are we supposed to do? Where are we supposed to be? What does that test cover?”

So, on Friday night we went out to celebrate a friends birthday at the Beach House restaurant (excellent food, although a little pricey). This was followed by a party at ‘the White House’, which is just a white coloured house located right outside the campus gates, and is rented out by a number of our friends. I almost did not go out on Friday, but I know from experience, that staying in by myself would make me even more miserable. In retrospect, perhaps it would’ve been a better idea for me to stay in, as I had my first encounter with the effects of excess tequila……and let me say that Saturday, I felt as though I had some sort of stomach virus, complete with chills, sweats, porcelain worship, and bed confinement. So needless to say, I am completely ready to study hard, everything is out of my system – literally.

Torus Palatinus

Two down, two to go. I just finished my biochem final. It covered about 50 lecture hours of material on everything from molecular techniques to keratin synthesis. So when I get home, don’t ask me about some obscure pain you’ve been having wondering what it is. But, if you are interested in talking about what your pee may smell or look like if you have a certain enzyme deficiency, I’ll be more than happy to explain to you which enzyme it is, and what pathway its involved in.
On another interesting note, I’ve learned that I have a minor anatomical anomaly. The professor was showing the class a few pictures of the palate in our last day of anatomy lecture. I thought he was just showing us a normal ‘roof of the mouth’, turns out he was showing us some common abnormalities patients often don’t realize they have until later on in life, and then think its cancer. It’s called a torus palatinus – basically I have a benign slow growing bone running down the centre of the roof of my mouth (geez mom, what were you doing while you were pregnant with me……JUST KIDDING). I’ve taken the liberty of including a picture of what I’m talking about (its not mine or anything……). Oddly enough, when I told Raz about it, he got confused too, and asked what was weird about that. Turns out, he has one too (well I’ll be the judge of that – a lot of my classmates thought they might have one till I showed them mine)! Draw your own inferences about us from it…..

Enjoy shovelling the snow, and scraping your cars. I'll be there to join you in a week or so.

There's no place like home

14 more days, and I’ll be home. It’s so close I can almost taste it! We have one more day of formal lecture left, and then a few review classes. I just want to get the exams over with! I cannot wait to be able to sleep in a room by myself, go to the mall, get my hair cut by a professional, go to the movies…..the list could go on and on. The one thing I am not particularly looking forward to is freezing my *$$ off. Sure, I like a crisp cold day as much as the next person, but once that wind gets going, the only place I want to be is inside next to the fireplace (or in my case, on the beach).
While you guys are suffering from the burning cold winds, that accompany the lovely morning frosts, and snow-slushy rains – just know that I am suffering too. It’s hard to study so much when I look outside and see the sun shining brightly, and the palm trees swaying in the wind. It really gets to be a pain every morning to wake up and put on sunscreen to protect me from the harsh climate. While you all have to bundle up to stay warm, I too must do the same, as the AC is always running in our buildings. Although I am grateful I don’t have to scrape frost off the windshield of a car in the morning, its very taxing to make sure that I wash all the sand off of my shoes so I don’t schlep (is that how its spelled?) it around the dorm.
So ask yourself now, where would you really rather be? For myself, I cannot wait to be back at home. I miss everyone so much - and as it has always been said, it’s not where you are, it’s whom you are with. Give me the snow frosted burning winds of Canada with my family and friends any day over the grating sun-filled warmth of Grenada.
On another note, I made a delicious cabbage soup to remind me of my childhood days when Tata was home to cook (didn’t taste that delicious as a kid, but as the tastes mature, the memories don’t seem so bad). Anyways, I went out to dinner on Friday night, sort of as the last little break I’d receive from studying over the next couple of weeks. I gave in and had a burger made from……BEEF! Omigod it was so good (although I think they just mashed together meat without any seasoning)! The meat was so lean it just fell apart when I bit into it - that, or it wasn’t cooked enough (doesn't matter, prions aren't inactivated by heat anyways). I really haven’t eaten red meat my entire time here – and coming from a European family, this is almost sinful. That reminds me, (as a mental note to myself) I am planning on bringing dried meat back when I return here in January. There’s no place like home…….

Mosquito Musings

WARNING: the following post may contain descriptions of graphic violence. Read at your own discretion.

- On average I kill 4 mosquitoes in the dorm/day
- This is my 15th weekend, which means I have killed ~420 mosquitoes.
- On average I incur 4 mosquito bites/week, this means 14% of the mosquitoes I’ve killed bit me first.
- The most frequent place I’m bitten is on the backs of my calves (the worst was 3 on my face at once).
- I consume approximately 4 bananas/week (I see a connection, don’t you, there’s supposed to be something in bananas mosquitoes are attracted to).

But……perhaps this is my secret weapon to lure them in before I kill them.

Mosquito killing techniques I use:
- the two-handed clap (squashes them without mercy).
- the air snatch (this one took a while to perfect, as I grab them out of the air with one hand).
- the mirror smear (I like to use this one on the particularly fat ones so I can see exactly how much blood they’ve taken).
- the stunner (I slightly cup my hands during the two-handed clap, and stun them without killing them, then after I’ve picked them up by a leg, I rip out the stinger and really hope that they have pain receptors).

Just as the time of Buffy the vampire slayer has ended, there’s a new girl in town: Dana the mosquito masher (kind’ve has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?)

Germans and the Moonlight

I certainly had my fair share of ups and downs this week. We had a quiz in biochem (no problems there), and our final exam for Clinical skills (I can’t even think of sarcastic comment to go with this test – that’s how ridiculous it was). We also seemed to accrue three times the amount of information this week in our courses (which means I am behind, and am playing catch up as fast as I can). We do have a new biochem prof – a German lady (very German looking, think retired 1970’s Olympic swimmer…..) Just to give you a mental picture – our lecture hall is like a movie theatre, as are the projector screens from which they instruct. So, Frau _____ enters in black pants, a red shirt, and red shoes to complement. Then, out comes a long, thin, metal pointer – from which she proceeds to try and point at things on the projection screen (obviously not working). Then, with the pointer, she began to do demonstrations of how certain enzymes function, using it as a prop. Anyways, I had a hard time keeping a straight face during lecture – so many funny images pop into my head……(choose which one you’d like).

Well, since I haven’t done anything that interesting, I’ll talk about one of the geeky little things I like to do. I brought a nice white A-line skirt with me to the island, and every now and then I get a little cleaned up and wear it. And then I put on my big white sunglasses as I walk up to class. As I am complimented on my nice look, I smile politely and reply “why thank you dahhhhhhhhlling”. I call this my 1950’s hollywood glamour style. Well, this time while I was buying my produce, the vendor told me I looked as though I came from - “not a well-to-do family, but a well-bred family” (whatever that means). So I just smiled politely, and paid for my cucumbers, lettuce, and ginger. (Okay, that was my story – I call it a “Raz story”, as often times he will tell me a story which has no ending, and that is the story).

So last night, after an evening of late studying, Julie and I decided to go for a little dip at the black sand beach (don’t worry Mom, there were some people around, and security guards patrol the campus, I was safe). The moonlight was so bright here that the water appeared more lucid than during the day. Anyways, definitely something I’ll have to do more often (plus how many people can say that they wear their bathing suit under their clothes to study!).

These were the high points of my week, maybe if I get some mail this week my blog will be even more interesting.

My Rants

Well, I have found my plan B in case this med school thing doesn’t work out. I gave Megan a haircut this week, and I have to say, I’m pretty pleased with myself. She has thick wavy hair, so there was a lot to cut. But I was able to layer the back, and frame the face – and it looked as good as a professional cut! I always used to say when I was a kid that I was going to work as a doctor during the day and run a hair salon from my house at night……hey it could work….She paid me in a chicken vegetable stew, which was well worth it. I finally made it to the beach this week! Although, while studying in the sun I was intermittently rained on (even with the sun was shining brightly in the sky). It felt good though, definitely put a bounce in my step. We have two tests this upcoming week; biochem (on everything since the midterm), and our Clinical skills class (mostly stuff on medical ethics).
Today we had to attend a presentation on financial planning and budgeting at 9:30 am this morning. I was so irritated by the woman giving the presentation. She was nattering on about how ‘St. George’s is here to make sure that your dreams come true’, and ‘we are going to do everything we can to make sure that happens’. Bull$#@! This school makes a killing off the students. They work hand in hand with an investor company that happily finances many students’ education here (that was probably why this meeting was mandatory). Yes, they do provide us with a great education (our profs and facilities are excellent), but damn, I am going to be paying for this education a long time after I’m done school. Rumor has it that SGU was offered a placement (or something) with the American medical school association providing that they reduced their class size. Guess whose best interest was at heart for that decision – it certainly wasn’t the students and their ‘dreams’.
I am happy to say though, that I am well below the allocated budget they set out for the weekly spending habits of an average student. Basically any money I spend here is on groceries, and there is too much studying for entertainment, so….. Thank you to my parents for a) making sure I can cook, b) teaching thrifty spend habits, and c) teaching me that mouldy food is still edible, you just have to scrape off the mould (okay, that was mostly from my father). Also, I think that my open-mindedness to local foods (not opting for American brand labels as some students do), and a great undergrad education (I saved ~$800 USD on books for next semester because I already own some reference texts) has definitely helped me cut some corners.
Anyways, I have to get back to my books (my class notes and own textbooks I brought with me that is – as I don’t use 8/10 textbooks they MADE us buy for first semester). Alright, you can probably tell I’m only a little peeved (these people are crooks!). Okay I feel better.

One more quicky - I am reading Breakfast of Champions - by Kurt Vonegon - what a weirdo! This guy was definitetly on drugs when he was writing it (highly not recommended).

Okay, I'm done my ranting, till next time.....

There's no daylight savings time here...

Just limited hours of daylight - 6:00 - 18:00, EVERYDAY, 365 DAYS A YEAR.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (redefined) = confusion of what time of the year it is. For some reason I thought it was late spring time, because I was looking to see if Juventus had any exhibition games in July, and I couldn’t find them. I then realized it was only October. This is what can happen to you when your living in a climate that makes you think it’s July all the time.
The cloudy weather hasn’t cleared, so I was forced to make-due with the haziness. I decided to go to blacksand beach, despite the sub-par weather. I have made up my mind, if it is sunny either Monday or Wednesday morning I am going to make it to Grand Anse beach, I have been blasphemous to the sun gods! (Just kidding Tata – I believe in one God the Father Almighty……).
The final countdown is beginning (I wish I could I knew how to put audio clips in here) – 4 weeks till finals, 6 weeks until ‘homecoming’. We have so much more to memorize in the two most difficult courses – anatomy and biochem. There are some non-academic things I would like to do though, before I leave the island this term (I’m sure many of them can be squeezed into the last weekend right after I’ve finished my exams, and before I leave for home). For example, I really want to go snorkeling. Apparently you can rent a catamaran (with a tourguide/driver) that will take you out for a few hours. Some students got scuba certified over their first few weeks on the island, but with the amount of work we have, I’m not sure how much scuba diving they actually get to do.
I have finally got a nice little study group going. Every Sunday night, Megan (my roommate), Julie (my roommate for next semester), and I do a review of what we’ve learned in our classes for the week. It has actually been working out very nicely, as we each assign ourselves what lecture we are going to teach to the other two. We are definitely going to be ready for our exams. Anyways, I have to go prepare for what I’m presenting tonight – fatty acid biosynthesis (I love metabolism!!!).

Stormy Weather

I smell like cadaver, its raining, and I haven’t seen the sun in the last five days. If this continues, I think I might just get seasonal affective disorder! I haven’t been able to go to the beach at all, and this was my weekend to go to the beach (we had Friday off, and today off). Also, every time my hands come remotely close to my head, I smell the bodies – totally gross. Okay, I’m done complaining for today.
On another note, while I was at the gym this morning I saw one of my professors (an older gentleman – maybe early 60s?) lifting freakishly heavy weights – the guy was a force. He had three 45 lbs plates stacked on an entire set of cable weights (like 200 lbs +), and he was doing some sort of lat exercise. It was motivating to see how focused the guy was though, because after one of the sets, I think he started to clap for himself (I was the only other person in there – and I was only mid-set, so it wasn’t for me).
So needless to say, because of all of the crappy weather we’ve been having down here, I guess that means I’ve had more time in doors to study. My housing is arranged for next semester; I will be living in a three bedroom apartment/dorm with a larger kitchen that has a table (I’m excited for the table – I hate eating at my desk all the time). Fortunately/unfortunately it is on campus. The reason I say this is because fortunately it is very convenient being on campus, especially since next semester I’ll have 8 am classes. Unfortunately, I really wanted to get away from campus just because sometimes I feel like I'm in a box, but none of my girl-friends felt the same way. Oh well, maybe for 4th semester I’ll be off campus. I have found a new spot that sometimes I go to before classes. It has a nice view of the sea, and overlooks the rooftops of some of the dorms. It’s great, because I haven’t seen any other students that have been sitting up there.

- - - -

One day has passed since I wrote those last paragraphs - and I can't get this cadaver smell off of my hands (the worst part is, we've been dissecting around and in the perineum area - not to gross anyone out too much!). Of course, on the day we have classes, its beautiful, hot, and sunny! Oh, well hopefully this weekend will be nice. I have to say that there are definetely some weird characters in my class, and I truly start to wonder to myself how these people are going to make good doctors. I know that they're smart, but man, the personality is downright scary for a future doctor....
Anyways, hopefully I'll actually do something remotely interesting besides studying between now and the next post, so I can write about something! I leave you with a picture of the view from my 'new spot on campus'.

Sandblast

Well, yesterday was the big Sandblast, and I had a great time! I forgot how beautiful Grand Anse beach was and how amazingly warm the water was there. Although it is supposed to be ‘wet season’ here right now, it has not rained very much at all. So of course, as we were leaving for the beach (even though it hadn’t rained for the past two weeks) a downpour began. Fortunately, with living in the tropics, you never have to worry about it being crappy all day because it won’t rain for any longer than 15 minutes. And so we began our day under a tent in the rain, waiting for the bus. The bus ride over to the beach was an adventure in itself though. We had packed the maximum number of students possible on the bus, and while it was going up the steepest hill on campus, it stalled! And then again halfway to the beach! We made it though without having to kick anyone off of the bus. We were greeted at the entry to Sandblast with drink cups that we would be using for the day that had ribbons on them so we could easily carry them around our necks.

The beach was packed with students from all terms, and there were games and contests going on throughout the day for added entertainment. A few of the professors were there as well, and water-balloons could be purchased to ‘take revenge’ on the professors that were sitting behind a barbed-wire screen. My favourite prof was one of the ones sitting behind the screen getting wet, it was funny seeing some of the students faces as they threw the balloons (seriously, you could see looks of contempt). Anyways, I was able to get a pic with the prof I so idolize. You’ll see in the picture how geeked I look (like one of those fans that have just gotten a picture with their favourite celebrity….).

Down here, my beverage of choice is called a vodka ting – the ting part is a grapefruit flavoured carbonated water. Because the drinks were made by med students, and I have a low concentration of alcohol dehydrogenase in my system it didn’t take much before the party turned from great to even better (all the water and alcohol reminded me of my days as a lifeguard….). So I definitely had some ‘fun in the sun’ yesterday. Well, not to forget about the after-party, I had a nice siesta to regenerate for the night ahead I almost decided that I didn’t want to go (I have a really bad habit enjoying waking up early to the point that I will sometimes skip out on anything that requires staying up really late). I knew I would kick myself later while studying furiously for exams for not going out previously. Plus, I brought a great t-shirt with me for the event (you can read what it says in the pics). I’m glad I decided to go out, because I had a great time hanging out with my fellow Canadians at the party. So enjoy the photos, and its okay if you feel a tinge of jealousy over the weather....

Click on the link to access the photos: http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dseslija3/my_photos

And life goes on...

My wildest dreams and fantasies just came true today in the local hardware store. As I was walking though the kitchenware aisle, my eyes met with the most beautiful, gorgeous……stainless steel espresso maker!!!! The best part is yet to come – it was only 24.95 EC (that’s like $10.00 USD). It was most surely my lucky day. I’m not a big espresso drinker, but I just wanted something that I could BREW coffee in. Basically, you put the grounds in the filter section, put water in the base of the canister, and it works off of a pressure system. The brewed coffee collects in the top, and – voila - freshly brewed Tim Hortens coffee (yes, I brought lots of ground coffee, I can’t wait to have the hazelnut blend I brought). My life is now complete down here (although, they didn’t have lettuce again at the supermarket….but I can’t complain – I have brewed coffee!). Okay you make think I’m crazy to be so excited over such a little thing, but seriously, down here you really learn to appreciate the little things that you probably don’t think twice about at home.
So I made it through midterms, I haven’t gotten all of my marks back – but so far so good. My biochem midterm was the last one on Monday, and after it was over my brain literally crashed. It just shut down. I’ve never had to think more intensely for a test than this one. So to reformat my brain I’ve been watching movies, and downloaded t.v. episodes that people have on their computers.

Here are a few things I would do while studying for my various courses:

In anatomy, I liked to think about where bullets would go if I shot them through different places in the body, or if you stabbed, or sliced the body somewhere, what would happen (I know it sounds morbid, but it really tests if you know your stuff).

In histology, I liked thinking about fruit, because it seemed like every different cell type we learned about could be compared to looking like grapes and bananas on a slide.

In biochemistry (my favourite) I loved learning about metabolic regulation and hormonal control. And every time I got hungry or ate, I thought about what was happening at a molecular level. Then while I was exercising I would reflect on which muscles I was using and what type of fibres they were, and how my lactic acid was being carried to my liver….okay okay, I know I’m a nerd, but seriously, this is the most applicable stuff to everyday life.

Lastly, in embryology, I got feelings of nostalgia, and I would reminisce how great fetal life was – just joking that was the worst course to study for.

Unfortunately, it is not wise to fall behind around here, so I have to saddle up and start studying again. We have a full week of classes and then, this weekend there is the biggest party of the semester – Sandblast. It starts on Saturday, around noon at the Grand Anse beach (the best beach on the island). There is a cover for all you can drink and snacks. It moves on at night to a local restaurant/bar called the Aquarium (supposedly a posh place for dinner), for more drinking and dancing. I’m not a big drinker at all but I am excited to spend a carefree Saturday afternoon at the beach. I haven’t done that since I’ve first arrived here. Okay, maybe I’ll have a few cold ones....

I leave you with a pic of what Megan and I like to do in our spare time (that ball was the best thing I packed).
P.S. I changed some settings, so anyone can post comments, you shouldn't have to sign in for anything.

Top 10 Reasons Why I've Felt Like a Prisoner...

1) There are guards with dogs, surrounding the ‘campus’.
2) I spend 99% of my time in a small room (cell).
3) I am always within 10 feet or less of my “cell-mate”.
4) We are transported in and out of the ‘compound’ in white vans.
5) I have (self) scheduled exercise time (outdoors).
6) Contact with other ‘prisoners’ is limited.
7) I’ve been eating these weird soy pellets as a protein substitute (lately).
8) At night there have been unusual displays of rowdiness by the other ‘prisoners’.
9) Toilet paper is rationed (seriously – 2 rolls per week).
10) I spend 99% of my time in a small room (did I already mention that?).

2 down, 2 to go

This is nuts! For those of you who aren't sure if you really want to be a physician don't do it, its way too much work. Its been midterm week, and so far I've written anatomy (thank God that one's over) and embryology (pure blatant memorization). Tomorrow I have histology (I'm getting bored studying it), and Monday I have biochemistry (rumored to be the most difficult). I've been making sure that I get enough sleep every night, and have well-rounded meals (lots of greens - I definetely don't want to be sick at this time). I've been continuing with running/lifting, to keep my stress levels in check (boy can I run fast the night before an exam). I think I've already figured out for some courses how I would like to modify the way I learn things for the finals. Anyways, sorry for the lack of posts, but I hope you all will understand - if not, too bad! I have to go study.

Another year older...

Well, another birthday has come and gone (I can't believe I'm 24) and I woke up the other day feeling a little melancholy, especially after I opened a slide show sent to me by Raz of old pictures of us together, and pictures of my family. Plus, since midterms are really close, everyone is really busy studying all the time (our tans our fading). Anyways, the other night while I was studying there was a knock on the door and in came my friends with a birthday cake and candles singing “Happy Birthday”. I was so touched, my roommate had bought a cinnamon coffee cake that morning, and everyone had signed a card (which read you’re 12 x 2!) it was so cute! Megan had also got me a magazine and some French vanilla coffee (it almost tasted like Tims french vanilla cappuccino). So my first b-day away from family and friends definitely was a good one (the first time anyone has surprised me on my b-day), thanks to the efforts of my great roommate.
And of course what is a birthday without documentation of candle blowing ability....

Health Fair

Yesterday I volunteered to help with a health fair put on by AMSA out in the community. Wow, this experience certainly put some perspective on things in life. The community we were in was on the north end of the island (it took about 50 min. to drive there). Along the way, I got to see a good amount of the green and mountainous countryside while we drove on narrow winding roads. There were houses in place with their foundations built into the sides of cliffs. Looking around you could only see lush green forest, or the sea (and a few chickens here and there). The area we were in looked poor, and remnants of the hurricane disaster from last year were still prevalent around certain areas of the island we saw. There were about 15 St. George’s med students that had volunteered, and a few local doctors. Once we arrived and set up ‘camp’ at a local grade school, it looked like the entire community had lined up to be checked. It was a great hands-on experience in that I learned how to test blood glucose, take patient histories, and do breast exams (no pun intended).
Well, midterms begin a week from tomorrow, and we’re still covering a ton of material for biochemistry. In terms of course material this definitely seems like the most intensive class. In comparing it to my undergrad courses, this class is covers three courses in one…only we take it in one semester. As promised, here are some pics from yesterday’s health fair. Enjoy.

Food for thought

I’m sorry that I haven’t posted for a week or so, its just that nothing eventful has happened. I finally got my bankcard, after about waiting a month! After doing so I really stocked up the pantry with plenty of food for the next couple of weeks. In case any of you are wondering what the food is like here, its pretty much the same as at home. Some people try to only buy name brand American labels, but you really limit yourself with what you can eat, never mind that they’re more expensive. I find that I’m eating a lot of salad here because you can put basically anything in it (providing you can get the lettuce). My favourite mix is lettuce with corn, chick peas, kidney beans, raisons, onion, avocado, and sometimes some feta cheese. I haven’t eaten any pork or beef since I’ve been here (I’m not sure exactly where the beef is from), so I can’t wait to get home and go to the Keg for a big juicy medium rare steak! An exotic fruit that I usually eat almost daily are golden apples. Their texture is a cross between a mango and a pear. I can’t begin to describe their flavour, but the core of the fruit is this round spiky pit. They actually look a little like small mangos, but you can eat the skin.

So like I said, nothing is really new. Midterms are two weeks from tomorrow, so its study time all the time – only with the intensity ramped up. I was selected as one of the ‘peer group leaders’ for my biochemistry class – I think we get paid a little bit too. I definitely know what that money will be going towards…..vegetable rotis. I could seriously eat them for every meal three times a day. There is an Indian food stand at the top of the hill outside of our class everyday that sells an assortment of samosas, rotis, these chick pea things, coconut balls…..everything is so flavourful. Okay since I’ve just rambled on about food for my entire blog, I think I will make some lunch. . . .

P.S. I promise to post some new pics next time.

It's Official

Well I am officially a med student, we just had our first test yesterday for all of our subjects. It was sufficiently challenging, but I was sufficiently prepared. I do feel that I have a better understanding of how to learn the material. While I was studying I didn’t really participate in any of the casual group studies my friends had put together (I had really bad group experiences all throughout high school and some in university which has always put me off from studying with a lot of people – I’m more of an individual learner) – so I was worried that perhaps I had missed out by not doing so. I don’t think I did. So, last night after our test a group of us went out to dinner at the True Blue Resort. The food was a little pricey for a student’s budget, so I had some veggie tacos which were quite tasty (although I really wanted to try the catch of the day). It felt so good to relax at dinner, but today I had a full day of lab and classes, and one definitely does not want to fall the slightest bit behind…
Okay, enough shop talk – I have a new favourite pastime here: running. If someone had told me six weeks ago that I would be running 3 – 4 times a week I would’ve laughed at them. Put me on a basketball court and I’ll do suicides ‘till I vomit, but don’t make me jog distances. It was mostly a mental block for me, but now I love running here! The area I jog in is surrounded by water on both sides, really nice houses, and devoid of traffic. The hills are great, but I’m still waiting for the incessant pain in my hams to go away (could be from the deadlifts too). So if any of you come to visit, bring your running shoes - just make sure we don’t run at 2:00 in the afternoon (I did once and though I was going to spontaneously burst into flames afterwards)!