Tetanus Induced Fake Smile

... due to facial spasms, aka Risus Sardonicus. I am just two weeks away from Step 1 and on my third pass through First Aid. Every once in awhile I notice or learn something new, not sure that you will find it as interesting as I did but I just wanted to say I'm still here. I promise to finish my Grenada reflections once the exam is over so until then, or until the next random fun fact. Back to USMLE World I go...

Different view, same thing

-my view while studying from a hotel in San Francisco. I'm here with Dr. Boyfriend while he is at a conference. A change of locale is as exciting as my studying gets but at least my lunch break involves a new city block to explore and I am taking this weekend off to enjoy Napa so I have that to look forward to. (Plus wine is always a good thing.) One month to go. Sigh.

A Walk in the Park- Bunnies on Leashes and Lazy Lion

Week three, day two of studying. Nothing really to report. I plan to take a practice exam at the end of the month and see how much progress I've made. Until then it is just review, questions, First Aid, repeat.

Because I've been studying at home more than not my breaks have been walking to the park. And well the most exciting part of my day is usually found on these walks. I don't know why but a guy had three bunnies on leashes but it made my want to take a picture.

Also last week we had friends in town so I took a study break and went to the Wild Animal Park with them. Lazy lion napping on random car in his exhibit.

Now it is time to get back to chicken-wire and fried eggs. (Hats off to you if you can name the pathology to which I am referring.)

A Boston Love Letter (aka- 4th Term Antidote)

So if you know me then you know that I love, love, LOVE Boston. As Dr. Boyfriend points out it was my first real city to fall in love with so it has a special place in my heart. (And bonus we met and fell in love there too.) Anyhow, I spent the weekend in the Boston area and got to relive all my favorite Boston memories with a good friend from undergrad. Drive down Charles River.... check. Blueberry Ale from Boston Beerworks.... check. Red Sox game at Fenway.... check. Hands down the best frozen yogurt anywhere (and I would know, I've looked- no one else makes carrot cake blended fro yo) from Angora Cafe..... CHECK! Rewatching "Good Will Hunting" after a local grown veggie meal and nice bottle of wine with good friends..... Priceless. (Thank you K and R!) It was a wonderful, nostalgic, blissful weekend.

And as if it can't get any better it was sandwiched between camp which deserved its own post and my family coming to California to visit. So in short, life it good.

I have not studied half as much as I had planned to but I still have 2+ weeks until I go back to the rock and there is something to be said for downtime and enjoying life outside of medical school. I'll be back to the grind soon enough so I'm really not beating myself up about not doing First Aid Questions every day as I had planned.

So here is to summer, great friends, a loving family, Boston memories and new beginnings in California. I am truly blessed. Life is good.

Passing the blog

I'm 1.5 days away from my first path exam. I'm a little excited and I think by Monday AM I'll be ready too.

So, if you are looking for something interesting to read, this is probably not the place for you. But never fear, I have a link. It is a blog (not even medical), it is funny and it won't take as many brain cells as my explanations of tissue bridges, hypersensitivity reaction or the steps to neoplasia... So without further ado: read this, and enjoy!

Check back after Monday. I do want to post all my wonderful CPD patient stories and I'm sure I'll need a study break from micro as some point....

Halloween Hash Happenings

So, I did it. I went on my first Hash. For those of you reading along at home who might not know, a Hash is a hike or a run and kind of race, except it isn't... Let me explain.

(If you know all about Hash Rules then skip this paragraph.) The Hash Trail is set (there are typically two, one for runners and one for walkers with the runners trail being slightly longer) and by set I mean someone first creates a trail through mountains, hills, streams, beaches, etc. and leaves shredded pieces of paper along the way. However, there are also "forced" trails- circles that signify branches in the trail and you have to guess which one is correct. If you guess incorrectly you will find yourself upon a big X at some point and thus have to turn back, return to the circle and take the other trail. Now there are some other Hash pointers. At any forced trail you can call, "Are you?" and others will reply, "On, On" meaning they are on the correct  trail, or "Checking" if they are exploring the forced trail and not sure or "On, Back" if they have discovered an X and are on their way back to the circle. There is also the spraying of "virgin" Hashers at the end with beer and then lots of beer to drink. For the entire history of the Hash, read here.

We went with the Grenada Hash Hound Harriers (the local island Hash club) and they have Hashes pretty much every other week and sometimes more. This one was at La Phare Bleu in our own Parish of St. Georges, it was beautiful, a nice hike complete with swimming and party afterwards. There was a pool, Carib Tent, good food, lots of families, locals, fellow SGUers and it was a nice way to spend an afternoon/evening. Plus since it was Halloween there were plenty of costumes (I went as Static Cling- socks and dryer sheets stuck to to me, hair sticking out) and even a haunted house towards the end of the Hash. Cost= $2 EC + food/drinks. Well worth it. Something I recommend and will absolutely do again. The ultimate way to see the island and enjoy a study break.... speaking of studying I guess I had better get back to that, ON, ON!  (oh and enjoy some pics from along the Hash.)

Study Break link of the Week: Cultural Competency in Practice

Read this article about an interesting new policy at a California hospital: A Doctor for Disease, a Shaman for the Soul.