“Sometimes doing your best is not good enough. Sometimes, you must do what is required.”

-Quote and Title of Post credit to Winston Churchill.

So, pathology starts tomorrow. I'm all in. If you don't hear too much from me here, you know why.

But before path begins I just want to take a minute to reflect. I'm more than half way done with Grenada. (News Flash: I go to medical school in Grenada!)  Yesterday I was sailing on a Catamaran around the island with stops to snorkel and swim and eat lunch. Life is hard, I know... I am so happy I decided to come to SGU. Was it my first choice? Of course not... but I'm making the most of it and I don't think I'll ever look back on these days in Grenada and bemoan my decision to be here. My classmates are amazing. I have made lifelong friends and I think I'm getting a pretty good education.

My path group met tonight at Prickly Bay Marina for pizza (the best on the island by the way) and Stags and we had a nice time socializing about life other than medical school. Tomorrow I'll be a full time 4th term medical student dork, and that is okay, but for the moment I'm going to finish my John Adams novel and then talk to my husband and family via Skype before I go to sleep. I'll try to keep you updated. I'm sure it won't be very exciting but if you want to hear about types of cellular injury or neoplasias I'll be here!

That was fun....

So, third term is over- 6 weeks, 6 credits, done! Now just a weekend stands between me and the start of fourth term. There has been so much build up, I just want it to get here already. Bring on pathology (and microbiology and clinical skills and and nutrition and I might be leaving something out!)

On an unrelated note I just read another great piece by Dr. Gawande in the New Yorker regarding the cost of medical care. I'll save you my commentary, read it for yourself...

Time to figure out what to do with my no study weekend. Cheers!

Birthday Morning Muffins~ Recipe

Classic Rock, aka Nutmeg is a year older today and in honor I made muffins. My mom use to always surprise me on my B-day with a gift or card by first thing in the morning and it made my day. Since it is too early to serve cake so I figured muffins would do the trick- I needed something to put a candle in!

Birthday Morning Muffins-

Ingredients:
1 cup granola
1/2 cup apples-diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup flour
1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
3/4 cup applesauce
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted butter

Directions:
Cream applesauce, oil and egg together and set aside
Mix dry ingredients adding the granola last, stir in the apples and cranberries
Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients and spoon into muffin pan. Bake in pre-heated oven at 350 for 18-22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins. Enjoy!

Where the Oranges are Green

Reflecting upon my shopping trip to IGA, I always find it odd that the oranges on the island are super green. While they do change a little bit but never get to be Florida looking orange colored. Random thought for the day...

Have been having first term dejavu lately. I think it must be the time of year.... blizzards at "home" and sunny here, it is a strange juxtaposition. I forget what month or season it is, instead time is simply 3rd term, the deep breath before the marathon that is 4th term: pathology, microbiology, nutrition, clinical/physical diagnosis. It is strange to see the first and second termers studying for exams I've already taken. I remember the unease, the self doubt, the joy. It is different being an MS2 and definitely better!

I'm enjoying the quiet and the island. Since Term 3 is 50% review for a psych major, so I'm finding myself with time to bake, lounge, read and enjoy my surroundings. Today I became a foster parent to a baby corn plant and a toddler pumpkin. The goal is to nourish them (keep them alive- I don't really have a green thumb so wish me luck) for two weeks until the are big enough to be planted in a garden.

I went river tubing last weekend and got to float down the river and enjoy the rainforest canopy. The Superbowl was fun Grenada style.  Powder Puff football is a great excuse to run around the stadium lights with my fellow amazing colleagues and there have been a few B-day dinners. This weekend I am ushering for Vagina Monologues. I owe an entire post to my visit to Mt. Gay Mental Hospital... I am enjoying Grenada, my friends and school. I miss Dr. Boyfriend but even that is okay as I have decided  that I'm going home for a long Easter weekend.

The oranges may be green and my thumb not, but regardless- life is sweet!

Morning Edition (aka Links)

So, third term in a nutshell:

Mental Illness - one case

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/health/02case.html?em

The Power of Placebo

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/medicine/article6877064.ece

(I am loving third term by the way. It probably helps that I majored in psych and/or appreciate applying the non-science aspects of medicine.)

Other stuff (random):

I want to read- http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/health/02seco.html?em

Can the debate stop now?  http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/02/02/health/AP-EU-Britain-Medical-Journal.html?_r=1&em

Happy to be an American! http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/03/world/asia/03dissident.html?hp

That's it, have a good day, I know I will....