week one - check

I'm taking a quick study break to let you in on some fun facts about the first week of medical school:

1) My new perfume is formaldehyde and I've learned more information in a week than in any college class ever. It feels as if it should be December finals week already. First exam is Saturday at 8:00 am,  I know I'll be okay :) , but prayers are always appreciated. 

2) Studying never will end. When people used to tell me "Oh, medical students have to study all the time" I was skeptical....all the time , really?? Yes really. I've never had to literally take a day "hour by hour" in order to not be stressed out and my breaks are no longer "whenever," they are now scheduled so time is not wasted. You'll literally get behind if you don't study. Of course, fun activities are occasionally okay, and activities relating to health (exercise, sleep, showering, and small breaks between studying) are necessary, but really when they say that med students study all the time, they are completely right. Unfortunately, when I'm not studying I feel so guilty because there's so much to learn. 

This was last taken last night, well technically it's how I looked all week. (Who has time to fix hair or for a change of clothes anyway??.........joking) and on the plus side, sushi reverse happy hours starts at 10:30 pm so it's a perfect way to end the day and reward myself for the hard work ;) 

3) Schedules are necessary. I'm officially joining the "filofax community" next week when my new planner arrives and I couldnt' be more excited. (I'll probably have to contain my excitement until after the exam Saturday, but still.) This week so much information about studying methods and all of the different "to dos" that formed in my mind really stressed me out. I started writing all of the hourly/daily study goals out on notebook paper, because my planner simply did not have room for it all. One of my favorite bloggers (who also happens to be a doctor),  reviewed an amazingly customizable filofax planner and convinced me it would help organize my life, so I'll do a post about that eventually too.  

*I also made a trip to Joann's for some decorating materials during my morning study break.

4) Living anatomy is awkward. Taking off your clothes in front of 135 of your new best friends while they poke at you is not my idea of fun. (Not to mention if you get called up to the front and get put on the ginormous video screen as big as a movie theater). Ask Jake if you don't believe me, I prodded at his armpit and back for an hour yesterday.

5) I'll end with a positive note: one week in, and one of the thousand things that I've already learned is that the effort I put in will only be helping my future patients, 

and I don't know what could be a more rewarding way to spend my life.