It's true, winter quarter is mighty. Neurobiology, neuroanatomy, head and neck anatomy, immunology, microbiology are incredibly fascinating courses, but also completely foreign to the vast majority of medical students, including me. I am very thankful for the 3 courses of neurobiology I took in college, but quickly I realize that I learned the tip of the iceberg. Long class hours and short days do make it difficult to get sunlight when all our lecture halls lack windows.
There is a shining light of this quarter, the physical exam. In one week I learned how to do a basic pulmonary exam and cardiovascular exam. While last quarter we practiced our medical history-taking skills, now we are beginning to breakdown a big transition that happens for all physicians, the transition from a normal person, to specialist of the human body. Someone who can read the external signs of health and disease, who uses their eyes, ears, hands, and some fun tools to inspect, palpate, percuss, and auscultate a patient to understand what it really is that brought them to see the doctor. I really enjoy this part of medicine, even though it is the most challenging for me. I already know how to study -it's not always fun, but I know I will do well in my science classes, because there is a formula for studying that I think I've mastered. Learning how to practice medicine is totally new, how do you learn to quickly differentiate a normal lung resonance from disease? See the internal jugular vein undulating at the surface of the neck as you're staring at a real, live person who probably gets nervous, scared, annoyed, and angry just like I would if someone stared at my neck for too long. How do I learn to correctly identify normal heart sounds from irregular sounds? I am now beginning the process of developing my senses, touch, hearing, visual, and smell in order to help others. It is very cool. In our introduction to health and human disease class, Dr. Parsonnet and other physicians told us that the number one skill that medical students need to develop first is the skill of determining if someone looks sick or not, and now I begin to really hone and develop that skill. Very cool.
I miss winter break. After Christmas, I did so much wonderful hiking, running, and javelin throwing. I realized that I had not devoted a good enough time to doing things I loved last quarter, so I will be trying to be better this quarter. I found several incredibly gems of nature right in my backyard, including Purisma Redwoods Open Preserve, Skyline Ridge Open Preserve, and Big Basin State Park. These hikes were incredible, memorable times I spent with my family and I can't wait to explore more... Alas, time to review immunology. Thanks for listening.
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