Whew

Glad that's over. My first neurology exam made my brain hurt. Literally. In the end I was getting super tired and confused. I wonder what type of neural lesion that is?

Your Profiles

I'm thinking of starting a page with profiles of non-trad pre-meds... depending on what type of response I get. If you are one, and you'd like me to post your story, write me a paragraph or two about your journey (and add a name, real or fake, you want me to post it under)... and I'll include you in the post.

Just send it to my email (sidebar).

Ok, fine. I've just been informed that people don't like writing about themselves... (who knew?)... so here's a format you can use interview style... just answer the questions.

1) Name (fake or real)

2) Age (real age please)

3) What's your sign? (curious and contemplating, pre-med, med-student, resident, fellow, god)

4) Briefly describe your career and or academic history. Including your pre-doctor life (if applicable) and bouts of time in between school. What makes you non-trad?

5) What propelled you to switch into the medical field?

6) Family status... married? children? how old are they?

7) What's your experience with the MCAT? If you are a successful applicant will you share your academic stats and application highlights?

8) Biggest hurdle getting to med school

9) Are you going MD or DO? Why?

10) Best advice to other pre-meds (non-trad or not)?

11) Anything else you'd like to say... or something cool about your story you'd like to share?

Spontaneous Combustion

So our Neurology class, in previous years, has been taught over 15 weeks and is a 2nd year class. This year, just for kicks, the curriculum committee got together and decided to change it up. They decided to move it to the end of 1st year, and shorten it. Now one would think that shortening it would mean to 12 weeks. Or maybe 10. Oh, no... they decided to really go for it. Neurology (a full course) is now taught in 5 1/2 weeks. Yes folks, it's true.

The professors keep watching us and eyeing each other with every new topic as if to say "Well, lets see if THIS puts them over the edge? No? Try cranial nerve nuclei. Any luck?"

I'm just telling y'all this in case I abruptly stop writing on this blog you'll know that I spontaneously combusted from Neurology overload.

Pros and Cons of EM

Old MD Girl posted an awesome rundown of the pros and cons of Emergency Medicine... if you are so inclined, take a peek.

Is it Just Me Or....

Ok check this out. I know this girl who is a 4th year med student (not at my school). She's a nice girl but definitely on the weird side. Weird as in she looks a little disheveled most of the time, and has kind of an odd personality. But nice enough. So she wanted to match into anesthesiology... but despite a handful of interviews she didn't match anywhere, and now she's desperately trying to secure a family medicine or peds spot somewhere.

Now here's the kicker. She has Tourette Syndrome. Not super severe, but significantly more than mild. With motor and phonic tics. Now maybe I'm crazy, but isn't it completely possible that she didn't get a spot because of that? I mean, an LP and a motor tick are not friends, folks. So the question is, shouldn't her academic dean or advisor (somewhere along the way) have mentioned this to her... instead of letting her totally sink on match day?

Or am I being a complete insensitive bigot? I don't mean to be. But seriously... a blind guy can't be a fighter pilot. What's the difference?

Fingers

Just found out that the annoying prof's nickname in the department is now "fingers". Ha. ALSO... that same prof found out I was a first year (I guess because they saw me in class)... and told a group of residents that they never would have been "so rude to me if they knew I was a med student". My question is, why be that rude to anyone approximately 30 seconds after meeting them. I mean, we were talking about cooking... it's not like I offended them.

Fingers. I love it.

My deficit

Is down to $5,025. Yay!

Something Terrible Has Happened

I think surgery is cool. NOOOoooooo!!