Okay, I realize that waxing on about getting spam on web-based emails is a sort of late 90s complaint that's getting as dated as comedians referencing crappy airline food, but lately, my spam filters have been failing spectacularly, because I've somehow wound up on someone's "paraphilias for people that have become bored by the internet's normal range of WTF" mailing list.
I'm guessing/hoping that googling "zoonotic microbial infections" is the way that I've ended up on the radar of someone who would send me an email with a subject heading "extreme cat rape" (I swear to Random Chance I'm not making that up), and it is not an actual website depicting such (my faith in humanity requires me to believe that) and instead is a helpful person's one line answer to the question "how in the world would you ever contract *that* disease?" which, when you're studying for the USMLE, is a question that comes up more than you'd think.
Anyway, that's my random topic update since this predominance of disgusting subject headings is sullying the normal joy I receive at checking my email 600 times a day to see if there's any Facebook updates that could delay returning to my books by 17 seconds.
Speaking of studying, I've moved on from zoonotic infections onto the entire physiology, pathology, and pharmacology of the heart. Basically, there's tons and tons of channels, a lot of lines that move around, and if those lines move too much, you die suddenly and violently. The end.
Feb 22, 2009
Feb 15, 2009
Happy belated Jason Voorhies Day
And no, haven't seen the remake yet.
I drove to Catawba yesterday to see my good friend Krash and get some much needed study materials. Sadly what would have turned out to be a nice lunch of Chinese food was turned on its head when I decided to unexpectedly get ill, a steady state which continues, so I'm going to be passively studying videos while lying on my bed feeling sorry for myself.
That state also carried over to dropping by Winston Salem to see my dad, whom I'd promised a nice dinner at Nawab's Indian cuisine. The thought of stuffing my fatigued, overdriven, congested body full of delicious curry; however, wasn't to be, so we headed to Wendy's so I could bring some nice safe chicken nuggets back to his place. But he did get to see my pretty artwork of the HIV virus, since I've taken to drawing stuff that's confused me since first term, so I have quite the notebook put together.
Then it was a drive home coupled with a massive crackdown, giant police wagon and lane shut down and full of police cards drunk check. Thank goodness I finally found my driver's license (in my wallet where it has been glued to the back of my insurance card, thus I didn't find it for six freaking months, figured I'd dropped it in Europe, and only found it when I was pulling out my insurance card to see if they'd cover my physical).
Then I got home and discovered my awesome boyfriend, despite being in Grenada, had arranged to have flowers and a card sent to me for J-VD, oh, okay, just VDay. I generally hate this Hallmark-contrived holiday (yes, and Thanksgiving; I'm a grinch), so why did the sight of flowers and a card make me go all croonie and cooey? What can I say? It was thoughtful; they're pretty, and I miss the guy like crazy. Sniff. Naturally being a complete emotional cripple, I sent him a facebook hockey mask for Friday the 13th...
I drove to Catawba yesterday to see my good friend Krash and get some much needed study materials. Sadly what would have turned out to be a nice lunch of Chinese food was turned on its head when I decided to unexpectedly get ill, a steady state which continues, so I'm going to be passively studying videos while lying on my bed feeling sorry for myself.
That state also carried over to dropping by Winston Salem to see my dad, whom I'd promised a nice dinner at Nawab's Indian cuisine. The thought of stuffing my fatigued, overdriven, congested body full of delicious curry; however, wasn't to be, so we headed to Wendy's so I could bring some nice safe chicken nuggets back to his place. But he did get to see my pretty artwork of the HIV virus, since I've taken to drawing stuff that's confused me since first term, so I have quite the notebook put together.
Then it was a drive home coupled with a massive crackdown, giant police wagon and lane shut down and full of police cards drunk check. Thank goodness I finally found my driver's license (in my wallet where it has been glued to the back of my insurance card, thus I didn't find it for six freaking months, figured I'd dropped it in Europe, and only found it when I was pulling out my insurance card to see if they'd cover my physical).
Then I got home and discovered my awesome boyfriend, despite being in Grenada, had arranged to have flowers and a card sent to me for J-VD, oh, okay, just VDay. I generally hate this Hallmark-contrived holiday (yes, and Thanksgiving; I'm a grinch), so why did the sight of flowers and a card make me go all croonie and cooey? What can I say? It was thoughtful; they're pretty, and I miss the guy like crazy. Sniff. Naturally being a complete emotional cripple, I sent him a facebook hockey mask for Friday the 13th...
Feb 11, 2009
Day 133: Today, Nothing Happened
It's hard to blog about studying. It's hard to blog about being locked inside studying.
Um... I had my favorite teacher like, ever, die, so that's sucktastic.
I took my day off cleaning out the storeroom and losing at mini golf. So that was cool.
I've been studying immunology and finally feel like I have a grasp on it, since it's one of the less tangible subjects taught in SGU and the classes for it are really what kicked off my "never attend lecture again" rule. Hooray Chediak Higashi syndrome.
Now, I'm doing preliminary pathology, which is cool since I actually like the subject. I'm trying to work out how exactly I'm going to work in anatomy since I've let it go so many times that now it's a "needs work" area, but it's also somewhat low yield for the boards, so I'm trying to find a happy medium.
So... fascinating? Not really...
Um... I had my favorite teacher like, ever, die, so that's sucktastic.
I took my day off cleaning out the storeroom and losing at mini golf. So that was cool.
I've been studying immunology and finally feel like I have a grasp on it, since it's one of the less tangible subjects taught in SGU and the classes for it are really what kicked off my "never attend lecture again" rule. Hooray Chediak Higashi syndrome.
Now, I'm doing preliminary pathology, which is cool since I actually like the subject. I'm trying to work out how exactly I'm going to work in anatomy since I've let it go so many times that now it's a "needs work" area, but it's also somewhat low yield for the boards, so I'm trying to find a happy medium.
So... fascinating? Not really...
Feb 4, 2009
Steampunk Taxidermy
Hallo all!
After my brain imploded from an hour and a half of reviewing antivirals. "Reviewing" means "seeing for the first time ever because you skipped those lectures in both micro and pharm because the names had a minimum of five syllables, a mishmash of Qs and Zs, and all end in 'vir'. Damn you, drug companies!), I got to Stumbling as my break, which like all random-find internet engines, introduces you to a subsubniche of weird just when you thought you'd grown jaded from every bizarre fetish Japan had to offer. And there's a lot of them!
As a result of my newfound tour into sub-subcultures, I discovered my new "if I wash out of medicine career": steampunk taxidermist!
I mentally ventured into being an Alaskan crab fisherwoman because I like the ocean and they make serious bank, but the last election left me less enamored with Alaska, plus I get seasick and am a giant chicken. Plus, living in the Caribbean has destroyed my years of nerve-numbing ice skating talent, so now I shiver when there's a cool breeze. I'm told all of these traits would affect my earning potential as an Alaskan crabfisherwoman. So that's out.
I've also played with being a Tahitian pearl diver, but I've kind of had my fill of living on small islands for a while, and see above about being a green-gill coward. So probably not. Oh, and I'm not wild about pearls.
But with steampunk taxidermy, using only the family dog and parts from a rusted out car engine, you can be a master.
I was uncertain about what "steampunk" was, since Grenada doesn't exactly have a huge variety of subcultures, I'm guessing due to the small population, huge price of importing anything, and the climate's proclivity to make wearing anything more interesting than "shorts and a t-shirt, possibly not the t-shirt" ill advised.
Fortunately, google prevailed:
For some reason, probably due to intense bouts of cabin fever wrapped insomnia, I find this all absolutely fascinating.
So what's new? Uhhh... let's see... I started having sleep problems again, though fortunately not psycho ones, which have been alleviated by a nice doctor in Aurora as a bonus to my mandatory physical/titers/TB test/anal probe (just kidding, or AM I?? yeah, I am... maybe)/questionnaire that the school makes us do so they won't be releasing foam-dripping consumptive suicidal typhoid marys on the unsuspecting patient population. Nope, just scared, book-smart, experience-dumb twelve-thumbed medical students. Mwa ha ha ha.
Anyway, Aurora is a town which is dropped in the middle of scenic nothingness, thus I was confused as to *why* there is a town there, until the phlebotomist informed me that there's a phosphorus mine where they dig up tons and tons of fossils.
So my dork-radar fully turned on, and as I jabbered about bones, she directed me back to the nurse who had done my vitals who has an extremely extensive fossil collection, which she gently explained to me in idiot mode because as an anthro major, I am to her what archeologists are to physical anthro people. "Oh... you like NEW stuff. Well...", and she showed me all the pictures and a few of the real deal that she has at work, AND gave me a sand tiger shark tooth to make into a necklace.
Yeah, so I'll definitely be going back to Aurora. Nice! Oh, and they were all very colleague professional cool, with the doc (who had actually taken the USMLE versus the one I went to before who apparently got certed back in the days of state boards, and genuinely asked "well, why would you be stressed about taking that?"), who gave me the time honored advice: "After you take the test, you'll feel like you failed, so try to stay away from sharp objects".
Hmm, expert medical care, short wait times, fossil museum adjacent, and appreciative of irony? Oh, Aurora.
Oh, but speaking of that whole make you or break you test, what have I been doing? I'm still embedded in micro, but on the last night of it, FINALLY, which has honestly been hanging on me for so long that I'm looking forward to immuno. I've been doing USMLE World practice questions, and am finally getting good at the micro area, since apparently phoning it in during fourth term to focus on path didn't really score me a lot on the "long term recall" scale. Whoda thought?
That, and of course, googling "steampunk". Cuz you gotta prioritize.
Remember kids, if I don't pass the boards, come right back here for your own modded out family pet. The longtime readers will get a half off special.
After my brain imploded from an hour and a half of reviewing antivirals. "Reviewing" means "seeing for the first time ever because you skipped those lectures in both micro and pharm because the names had a minimum of five syllables, a mishmash of Qs and Zs, and all end in 'vir'. Damn you, drug companies!), I got to Stumbling as my break, which like all random-find internet engines, introduces you to a subsubniche of weird just when you thought you'd grown jaded from every bizarre fetish Japan had to offer. And there's a lot of them!
As a result of my newfound tour into sub-subcultures, I discovered my new "if I wash out of medicine career": steampunk taxidermist!
I mentally ventured into being an Alaskan crab fisherwoman because I like the ocean and they make serious bank, but the last election left me less enamored with Alaska, plus I get seasick and am a giant chicken. Plus, living in the Caribbean has destroyed my years of nerve-numbing ice skating talent, so now I shiver when there's a cool breeze. I'm told all of these traits would affect my earning potential as an Alaskan crabfisherwoman. So that's out.
I've also played with being a Tahitian pearl diver, but I've kind of had my fill of living on small islands for a while, and see above about being a green-gill coward. So probably not. Oh, and I'm not wild about pearls.
But with steampunk taxidermy, using only the family dog and parts from a rusted out car engine, you can be a master.
I was uncertain about what "steampunk" was, since Grenada doesn't exactly have a huge variety of subcultures, I'm guessing due to the small population, huge price of importing anything, and the climate's proclivity to make wearing anything more interesting than "shorts and a t-shirt, possibly not the t-shirt" ill advised.
Fortunately, google prevailed:
For some reason, probably due to intense bouts of cabin fever wrapped insomnia, I find this all absolutely fascinating.
So what's new? Uhhh... let's see... I started having sleep problems again, though fortunately not psycho ones, which have been alleviated by a nice doctor in Aurora as a bonus to my mandatory physical/titers/TB test/anal probe (just kidding, or AM I?? yeah, I am... maybe)/questionnaire that the school makes us do so they won't be releasing foam-dripping consumptive suicidal typhoid marys on the unsuspecting patient population. Nope, just scared, book-smart, experience-dumb twelve-thumbed medical students. Mwa ha ha ha.
Anyway, Aurora is a town which is dropped in the middle of scenic nothingness, thus I was confused as to *why* there is a town there, until the phlebotomist informed me that there's a phosphorus mine where they dig up tons and tons of fossils.
So my dork-radar fully turned on, and as I jabbered about bones, she directed me back to the nurse who had done my vitals who has an extremely extensive fossil collection, which she gently explained to me in idiot mode because as an anthro major, I am to her what archeologists are to physical anthro people. "Oh... you like NEW stuff. Well...", and she showed me all the pictures and a few of the real deal that she has at work, AND gave me a sand tiger shark tooth to make into a necklace.
Yeah, so I'll definitely be going back to Aurora. Nice! Oh, and they were all very colleague professional cool, with the doc (who had actually taken the USMLE versus the one I went to before who apparently got certed back in the days of state boards, and genuinely asked "well, why would you be stressed about taking that?"), who gave me the time honored advice: "After you take the test, you'll feel like you failed, so try to stay away from sharp objects".
Hmm, expert medical care, short wait times, fossil museum adjacent, and appreciative of irony? Oh, Aurora.
Oh, but speaking of that whole make you or break you test, what have I been doing? I'm still embedded in micro, but on the last night of it, FINALLY, which has honestly been hanging on me for so long that I'm looking forward to immuno. I've been doing USMLE World practice questions, and am finally getting good at the micro area, since apparently phoning it in during fourth term to focus on path didn't really score me a lot on the "long term recall" scale. Whoda thought?
That, and of course, googling "steampunk". Cuz you gotta prioritize.
Remember kids, if I don't pass the boards, come right back here for your own modded out family pet. The longtime readers will get a half off special.
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