This past summer, I spent a great deal of time working on several research projects. One project involved surveying physicians about wasteful practices. I, also, am trying to develop a tool to reduce some of these practices. In my spare time, I researched everything I could about wasteful testing in medicine and now I can […]
The Struggle is Real
I am officially 5 days out from my first anatomy exam and I am slightly terrified. My studying will be more hands on review and quizzing myself than I’ve been previously doing as grasping the concepts were most important to me. 5 days from now, I will be removed from the step stool that prematric […]
The Histology Exam
Identify the image to the right. Deep breaths, this is going to be alright. So what do I see here? Nothing that’s very clear. Circles, purple and pink, Come on girl, time to think. These circles, they are cells With many organelles. This stain is H&E, But that part is easy. I have to look […]
Domestic Abuse
I would say one of the most difficult experiences in my medical school experience was during one specific “standardized patient” interview. We have actors come into our small group sessions to simulate the patient-student interaction. I had made it through most of the year with fairly straightforward interviews: throat pain, chest pain, and making a […]
How to Juggle
Lately, medical school has felt like a balancing act. This past week has been very busy, and featured an eclectic mix of activities. First there was the school club fair. I’m co-president of an organization at AMC called Prescribed Books for Kids, through which we send students out to the pediatric floors to read to […]
Game of Perseverance
A lot of you may watch Game of Thrones. For those of you who do not, it is a television show construing the success and demise of seven kingdoms that compete among one another for the iron throne. I just finished watching Season 3, Episode 9, and I really wanted to write about it. I […]
Anatomee-Oh-My
The human anatomy is one of the only guarantees in medicine. Year after year, anatomy will never change. Structures may change names, but names won’t change the structures. At UCLA, we integrate anatomy with our current curriculum. Anatomy is learned in small bits, throughout the year, instead of all at once. The first day of […]
My Life Has Changed… Almost Overnight…
My first experience with the community in white coat came today while volunteering at a festival not too far from my school. One of the student organizations had a booth taking blood glucose and blood pressure readings. Having never taken a blood pressure before, I was really nervous about doing it but the second years […]
Exercise is more effective than caffeine
I have been trying to train for a marathon for the past eight months. However, since studying for Step 2 CK overtook my life for the past two months, I have been really putting off running. From running four times/week, I slowed down to two times/week and finally to not running at all. I will […]
Ohana Means Family
Medical school is tough, we all know this. Making your way through all the lectures, flash cards, notes, books and exams is beyond arduous. You must always remember that you are not alone. There are at least 60-180 individuals going through the exact same turmoil as you are. These people, also known as your classmates, […]