what's in my bag: rotation edition

I absolutely love what's in my bag posts, and here's an updated look at what's been in my workbag for rotations the past six months. My post about what I carried in my bag during the first  couple years of medical school can be found here.

pepper spray - cosmetic pouch - cell phone - card holder - allergy bag 

face powder (great for keeping your eyeglasses on your nose too!) - water bottle - diabetic foot checker - planner - pens - small notebook - eyeglasses

Cosmetic bag: 

hand sanitizer - mirror - floss - perfume - concealer - heavy duty lip balm

ponytail holder - bandaids - my favorite lipliner

PS : my super comfortable turtleneck that's been living in all winter is 50% off at nordstrom! It's linked at the bottom of the page!

Click here to shop the planner. 

day in the life: family medicine

I absolutely loved my family medicine rotation. I'm not sure that I will become a family physician someday, but the rotation was a great way to practice my history taking, physical exam skills, and critical thinking to form a treatment plan. I also had some great opportunities for hands on experience and loved helping remove skin lesions and injecting knees! Some of the most beneficial pieces of knowledge I learned on this rotation were understanding the job of rural care providers, the challenges they face daily, and the huge amounts of information about a patient's healthcare that they are responsible for. 

I learned a lot about the psychosocial aspects of medicine It's not always as easy as telling the patient the best drug and treatment option, because each patient has different beliefs, financial situations, and experience with illnesses and the patient and physician have to work out the best plan of action. This was something I didn't think much so far in medical school. 

I also had an awesome opportunity to work with a physician that is extremely loved by his patients. In almost every room each patient would tell me how much they love their doctor. I was able to learn what traits and actions he did so well to build such great relationships with patients. 

In clinic we saw everything from the sick and dying to newborns. We even took care of four generations in one family! Since I was there for two months I saw some of the same patients over and over and it was nice to build relationships with them. 

I was sad to leave this rotation because I finally felt like I was getting the hang of how the clinic operated, and the patients were starting to know who I was. But as with each rotation in medical school, as soon as you get comfortable it's time to step outside the comfort zone again! 

My days varied and each day had it's own highs and lows and unique challenges. That's one of the awesome things about family medicine. Here's what my typical schedule looked like.

5:00 AM 

Wake up and study because I hated studying after work

6:50 AM

Pack my bags, and leave for my hour commute to clinic

8:10 AM

Begin seeing patients

5:30 PM

Head home 

6:30 PM

Study, relax, eat, and watch tv

10:00 PM

Bedtime

Check out other day in the life posts: transplant surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, NICU, second year med student, first year med student, and studying for step 1

daydesigner mini review

It's almost 2017, which means it's the perfect time to shop for a new planner! 

I think this planner is the best one that has ever been made!  Each day is on one page, and in addition to the hours of every day to plan it includes a to do list, dinner plans, financial goals, workout goals, a motivational quote, and a spot to sneak peak at tomorrow's schedule.  I have been so much more productive, and I absolutely love these planners! Thanks to the productivity these planners allow, I can easily balance everything and remain the least stressed as possible 

During surgery rotation I didn't use my DayDesigner, and it was obvious. Jake would even say things like how irresponsible or forgetful that I'd become. I knew it was because I wasn't using my planner, buuuut I just blamed it on the stress of med school.

For 2017 I'm using the DayDesigner Mini from Belle and Blush in Pink Painterly. 

Click here to shop for your own day designer!! 

Click here to see my post that shows the specifics of how I have been using my planner during the first two years of medical school studying.

For more fun gift ideas, check out my gift guides: For the men, the athletes, the snugglers, the chefs, the jet setters, and the beauty addicts!

day in the life: cardiothoracic surgery

I finished my surgery rotation a few weeks ago and really loved both of the specialties that I had the chance to rotate on. (my transplant surgery post is here) While with the cardiothoracic surgeons I was able to not only see amazing surgeries and meet many patients, I also had a great experience talking with the cardiac anesthesiologists and watch them work through each case. There was a lot to learn, and I didn't learn as much as I'd like to since I only had three weeks there and I had my shelf exam looming over me the last week, but I still had an incredible three weeks. I am very interested to learn more if I have some free time...

We started the day with surgeries that began at 7:00 a.m. The surgeries usually lasted until the afternoon. Sometimes we would have another surgery after that. I enjoyed following the patients after surgery the most, especially while they were in the ICU and learning a bit more about all of the machines and medicines they needed. I followed some patients each week and typically had the chance to follow them from surgery until they left the hospital, it was really awesome to see patients that had open heart surgery one day walking up and down the halls the next day!  After surgeries and rounding on patients, I usually went home around 5:30-6:30 p.m.

day in the life: transplant surgery

I had the best time on my five week transplant surgery rotation. I started off nervous every single day and was always worried about what questions I would get asked during rounds and if I would know the answer or if I would be able to actually help anyone or if I was presenting my patient correctly. This anxiety made me work so much harder outside of the rotation and I learned so much about post op complications, surgeries, and disease processes in general. 

I will always remember assisting on these major surgeries, seeing the incredible patients and following them after surgery, the selfie a patient wanted to take with me after visiting her after her liver transplant every day until she went home, and holding a beating heart in my hands before it was off to be transplanted to another person. I was extremely fortunate to be assigned this specialty for my surgery rotation.

Assuming there were no donors in the middle of the night or early that morning (it happened any time and any day, but usually every third day), my day would begin at 5 a.m. I tried to get to the hospital by 5:45 or 6:00 a.m. so that I had enough time to research my patients that I had been following each day, and learn about some of the complications they might be having. 

We had time every day where we rounded on patients with a particular attending. That time was in the morning for pediatric rounds and the afternoon for adult patient rounds. 

While one attending was rounding with a team of transplant surgery pharmacists, dietitians, students, residents, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, the other attendings were usually in surgery. Surgeries varied in duration based on the type of surgery and the complications that could arise during surgery. A simpler surgery could be 1-2 hours and a long surgery like a liver transplant could be eight or more hours. 

I would come home at different times depending on the day. If surgery went into the evening I could come home after supper, sometimes students stayed into the middle of the night. I was worried initially about late hours but every time I worked "late" I had an awesome experience and didn't regret it. 

When a donor operation occurred, the surgeons, resident, and a student would travel by plane or car to operate and bring the organs back to the patient in our hospital. 

This rotation allowed me to be very hands-on and I was able to actually assist during surgeries, which was very cool. I saw many very sick and terminally ill patients and also had the chance to see patients go home healthy.  I am so thankful for those who choose to donate their organs, the surgeons who dedicate so much time to help extend the lives of others, and the patients and their families who inspire so much hope. 

day in the life: NICU

(this is an old post that never was posted from months ago)

I loved my NICU rotation! I only spent one week there but it was amazing watching how to care for the newborns and watch how the providers saved their lives immediately after birth. The NICU is very serious but the staff are kind and were always willing to teach. I don't think I had enough time to really learn how to fully formulate plans for all of the cases in the NICU but I had a great experience learning about what it means to help newborns survive and transition to life at home.

The NICU uses a lot of machines and life sustaining equipment such as tubes for feeding and breathing. It was cool to learn about those too and how they are transitioned through different levels of care related to eating and breathing. 

I would arrive around 6:00 a.m. and start researching my assigned patients in the computer system. I am new to the electronic medical record system so this took me a long time. 

I would record data for each patient such as:

 -amount of calories, protein, lipids the baby had in the last 24 hours

-number of stools and urine output 

-heart rate and episodes of elevated or slow heart ratet-respiratory rate and episodes of slow breathing

-blood pressure abnormalities

-temperature abnormalities

-how the baby was getting nutrition : g button? NG tube? breast feeding?

-what was the nutrition and how many calories?

-how is the baby breathing: room air? ventilator? nasal cannula? what flows? etc.

-any labs or imaging the baby had in the last 24 hours?

-medications the baby is on

Next I would do a limited physical exam on my assigned infants and record any findings.

Then I would try and assess the information and formulate a plan for the next 24 hours for each patient. I would present this information to attendings, residents, nursing staff, other providers, pharmacists, and social workers  in a group where we would discuss the appropriate plan and care for each patient.  

day in the life: Step 1 studying

To continue with the "Day in the Life" series, here's how I spent the last month studying for Step 1. I'm so glad to be in the clinics this year and away from my desk! To some of you this won't mea

7:00 a.m.  Wake up and catch up on social media

7:30 a.m. : Firecracker Questions, then review schedule for the day (this planner)

8:30 a.m.  : USMLE World Question Set (40 questions) and review

(didn't want UWorld to sue me...so it had to be blurry)

10:00 a.m.   :  Read through <subject(s) of the day> in First Aid

12:00 p.m.   : Lunch and watch SketchyMicro or Pharm videos

12:45 p.m.  :  USMLE World Set (40 questions) and review, then break if any time

2:30 p.m.   : Finish reading about the subject of the day, read Pathoma and watch videos

4:00 p.m.   : Firecracker Questions, maybe workout

5:30 p.m.  -  7:00 p.m.  : Talk to Jake, cook dinner, watch a TV show

7:00 p.m. - Bedtime : Review the day material, do questions, review UWorld Journal

10:30 p.m. : Peek at tomorrow's schedule, check social media, and then sleep

4 lessons learned before turning 24

I'm turning 24 on Friday. Here are four big lessons that I've learned this past year:

1. It's never to late to live healthy a life.

I have been fortunate (so far) to not have to worry about what I ate or if I exercised. When I started doing Piyo as a way to relieve stress and do something fun this past year, I noticed my body changing. I may not look that different on the outside, but (as I like to describe it) I now have "normal human strength", and to me that's a huge difference.  I've become addicted to exercising simply to maintain and keep growing the strength I've worked for months and months to build. The change in my body also has sparked me to eat healthier and be conscious of the foods I'm consuming. (Might as well get rid of the fat surrounding those muscles so they can be seen!) Twenty-Four will be my healthiest year yet! 

2. We all have different levels of talent

This sounds like common sense, I mean, you can be the best football player in your high school (or college) but no matter how hard you train you may never be a star NFL player. This was news to me, at least as far as school was concerned (you study the longest and hardest you are the best - isn't that how it works??).  Compared to most people, I'm good at memorizing things that I read, recalling facts, and solving problems related to science and math. Put me in a room of 100 other people that are also outstanding at those exact same things and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't figure out how to be the best. Trust me, I tried studying the longest and multiple study methods, and although I saw improvements in my personal performance and class standing, I wasn't the best. Then I was forced to realize ....we all have different capacities for memorizing as many things as we can in a certain amount of time. If we all study the same amount of time some people will remember more than other people. If you are truly doing all that you can do then that's it.

If I'm doing my best, and it's still not the best then I was never intended/created to be the best. Learning and accepting this was one of the best lessons I've learned, because it allowed me also to celebrate other people's bests and not hold onto any envy. 

3. Sacrifice

Medical school consumes almost every day of my life, and it has the past two years. Don't get me wrong, I've set aside a few hours some days in my schedule to see friends and family but it's nothing like it used to be. It's definitely been harder on me than it was for them. Priorities are set and each week in school is different so I have a little flexibility but not a lot. Some say that med school isn't as bad as they thought it would be - honestly, I wasn't expecting this degree of sacrifice (time, personal hobbies, family and extended family, and friends). I was used to doing whatever I wanted whenever I wanted and so it was definitely an adjustment for me.  I've learned what I can and can't handle by now, but it still breaks my heart to say "no" to some things and hear about how much fun other people are having. I don't sacrifice everything of course, this isn't supposed to be a whiny post!  We all make sacrifices in life, and learning to choose and live with those has been another learning opportunity for me.

4. Life gives you lemons and there's nothing you can do about it

This is a lesson I think we all learn every year . We all get lemons (I'm talking lemons not tragedies), my largest this year was definitely my life-threatening experience with no epinephrine on me, doctor appointments to figure out the cause, a new change in my diet, and still trying to keep school high on my priorities. Time has healed that, and I don't stress really about food anymore unless I don't know what's in it, of course. 

This upcoming month and a half is a very structured month of preparing for the first test of my boards licensing exam. It's most likely going to determine what residency (what specialty) I can or can't apply for. I set aside an appropriate amount of weeks to study, made a schedule, and am ready to begin in one week when school gets out - there not much "extra" time really between then and the exam.  Cue the painful wisdom teeth that are trying to break through (all four need removed), then Jake and I decide we are moving downtown, and I'm not rescheduling the vacation I have planned (see I don't sacrifice everything). I'm sure something else will pop up between now and then that will stress me out impacting my study time for that exam but there's nothing I can do about it. Jake's helped me come up with a plan to have surgery, study time, the exam, move apartments, and go on vacation all in the same time frame. 

It will all work out, cheers to the lemons.

time saving study tips

I think I can speak for most med students when I say if there's one thing we've nearly perfected it's how to study, remember, and take an exam. Here are a few of my study tips that get me through each day. If you do this in undergrad you will likely save so much time that you won't know what to do with yourself because you will have freed up so many hours by putting quality study time in and not necessarily quantity. In med school there's always something to study so each person really decides how much time they want to study that day.

1. Form a Plan

Decide how much time you want to spend studying before you begin a study session and sketch out some goals you have for that time period. Be realistic with these goals. Most days I write way too much down, and set myself up for failure- don't do this. If you have a great planner you can write your notes in that. 

2. Eliminate Distractions

If you thrive on constant distractions, then set a timer or know that if you devote 25-30 minutes of "good focused studying" then you can let yourself check Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, News whatever. If you have a LOT to do, I would only let myself get distracted every hour not every 30 minutes. Make sure you limit yourself with the distractions too - decide if it will be 10 minutes every 30 minutes or 15 minutes every hour being distracted. 

(Keep in mind the more you focus the more free time you will have later!) 

Focused studying now saves you time in the end!

3. Location, Location, Location

Do not study in a place where your friends will walk by and you'll get distracted. You can talk to them after you put in your focused studying with that extra time you'll save by doing it right the first time. I prefer silence and keep my noise canceling headphones with me at all times. If I'm at school I find a study room or go to the library, otherwise I study in my office. I like to study in silence because that's how I take my exams - and so why not be used to focusing like that. 

Now that we've set the environment. Here's my takes how to study and save the most time, and I realize that everyone learns differently.

Step 1: Review the Material 

This usually means reading through the material and really focusing. For me this is the most painful part, but it has to be done. Highlighting what you think is important can help. I like to highlight my notes the 2nd time I read them because I may have "learned" something during my first read-through and I only highlight things that I don't know so I can reference them later.

Step 2:  Flashcards

Take that highlighted material and make flashcards. Do this quickly, don't waste time creating them - yes, you learn a little by creating them but I've read studies that show that actually using the flashcards is way more beneficial. My advice is use Quizlet (even if it is incredibly boring to study flashcards on a computer/ipad/iphone). If you use Quizlet you can then blast through 100 flashcards in no time and star the ones you don't know. If you like pictures to learn, put pictures on them.

Are flashcards necessary? In my opinion to save the most time and learn the quickest - yes they are. They are also boring when you make hundreds to do. But if you set aside and hour and just do them, you'll be so happy you did. Studies have shown that "spaced repetition" - doing the flashcards every few days or 2x a day or whatever - significantly help you learn and form long term memories. They've also shown that answering questions (and maybe getting it wrong) improves memory formation too because you also have to "think" to answer the flashcard. 

Step 3: Now What?

Mix it up so you don't get bored:

• Skim your material again and highlight in a different darker color what you don't know after reviewing your flashcards) or skim just to skim
• Run through the flashcards daily 
• Watch a youtube video about a concept you don't understand - type the concept in youtube so many people have made great videos and then increase the speed of them talking to 1.5 or 2.0 to save time!  (I've probably watched this video so many times throughout college and med school - love it. )
• Take a look at the things you really don't understand or don't have memorized and rewrite them in bright colors. Is it some seemingly useless list that your teacher pointed out but you can't ever remember it? Take time to write it out. Don't do your entire notes or you will waste time - trust me I learned the hard way. 
• Talk out loud. I used to talk to myself in my office and pretend I was teaching the material. Sometimes I explain the info to Jake while he watches TV. Recalling the information off the top of your head and saying it out loud is a great way to learn. 

Hope these tips can help you prepare for your next exam! 

Comment below on your favorite ways to study!

day in the life: second year med student

Second year of medical school is almost over, and I wanted to share another day in the life post to remember what's it like. (You can see my first-year med student post here <- that one has photos.) 

Something important to keep in mind is that my schedule certainly doesn't represent everyone in my class!  One important thing I've learned by being around such great people is that we all study differently, and our memories all work differently (for example, I have to put a few more hours in studying to remember as much as so and so does) . I've also started making time this semester for some board prep to get me started recalling the info I've learned this year and last.

6:30 a.m. Wake up and get ready

6:50 a.m. Leave the house to get a good parking spot at school (so I don't have to walk far haha)

7:15 a.m. Review flashcards 

8:00 a.m. Small group - or class - or whatever I had to do at school

10:00 a.m. - 12:00p.m. Do board review questions

12:00 - 12:30p.m. Lunch Break

12:30 p.m. - 4:00p.m. Listen to the morning's class material and make flashcards

4:00 - 5:00 Piyo workout and shower

5:00 - 7:00 Review Class Material, or watch SketchyMicro if I'm tired of studying

7:00 - 9:00 Jake's home, dinner, TV time

9:00 - 10:30 Review Flashcards (for review of boards or for class) since Jake's working anyway 

10:30 - 12:00 Read, Sleep

See a complete review of my entire year as a first year med student here.

what's in my bag

I think it's fun sometimes (when I'm really bored) when bloggers share what they carry around in their everyday bag. It gives me new ideas, so here's a post dedicated entirely to what's in my daily school bag.

I really like sorting and storing everything off in compartments with little zip pouches (two of these are technically cosmetic bags), but being able to switch from purse to school bag is so easy when you can just grab the little bag with the stuff you need.

my favorite apps

Besides snapchat and instagram, here's a list of my most used apps at the moment.

1. iBotta

Jake and I both love using this app. It's easier than coupons (works well for busy people) and it's free money for buying things you already planned on buying. The deals each week vary but any brand frozen pizza, tomatoes, onions, milk, eggs, bread, toilet paper, beer, and wine are a few examples that are there to earn some money back with those purchases. We have also got a deal for buying a Budlight with a dinner at any restaurant. We've made about $40 so far, and didn't go out of our way for this. We just scan our receipt after we shop and each week our earnings accumulate. If you want to go out of your way you can browse the app and product brands before you shop and really get some money back. 

If you want to check it out and MAKE $10 by just joining (applies after you use your first rebate) use this code as a referal link: ovvqhkn (Referal Code goes in the last box when you register - see below)

Become Jake's friend on ibotta and we can get team goals (I operate under his name). The more our team earns the more we make! 

*this is not sponsored! It's an app we use and it just gives you an incentive for joining from the company

2. Quizlet and Firecracker (flashcards)

Both of these are flashcard apps and I spend a few hours every day going through them. Firecracker has spaced repetition material from the last 1.5 years and also really helps reviewing material from class. For Quizlet, I use flashcard sets other people have made and a few I've made to remember random specific details from class.

3. Buddha Quotes

I'm not quite sure what gave me the idea to download this app but I enjoy reading the little messages each day. It probably would be great if I read a daily Bible verse on my phone, but some of these messages come from the Bible as well. 

4. Merged!

This was just one of those top apps in the app store I downloaded to kill time when I was waiting for things and didn't want to do flashcards. I ended up becoming addicted. It's very mindless, sometimes I listen to pharm lectures after I've already studied them while playing this.

5. Audible

This app is an old favorite that I haven't used lately, but I included it because Jake enjoys his audible app still. Audible is a Amazon.com company that has audio books. I never thought audio books were that interesting but I loved listening to them on the treadmill (time flew by) and on long car rides. Jake likes listening to his during his commutes. I signed up two of my e-mails (and two different credit cards), downloaded my two free books, and then quit the program but I still got to listen to my books. (So if you want to try it and don't want to pay that's the way to go!)

The only audio books I like really are the ones that are autobiography of funny people because they narrate them and it seems like a conversation with a friend not like a book. Amy Poehler "Yes Please" and Tina Fey's "Bossy Pants" were both hilarious and interesting when they narrated the book themselves with special guests. They actually both have really interesting stories from their childhood!

Here's another tip: If you subscribe for the $14 a month  and then cancel after paying the first month or two , a message will pop up that says "Are you sure you want to quit? Continue now for only $7 a month" (or something like that) and then you get a cheaper rate the rest of the months. That worked for us anyway. Enjoy!

6. Safe Eats

Okay this app is really only useful if you have a food allergy and even then it comes with some limitations. Basically it has my allergen info saved and I can scan any barcode at the grocery store and it eads the ingredient list for me and gives me a green success message or a red no message. The drawback with this app is that it doesn't know all of the cross contamination from factories possibilities, but it's still helpful. Also, sesame can legally be labeled as a "spice" so it would only pick up on that allergen if it's clearly stated on the label. 

Do you have any favorite apps? Comment below if you have a favorite - I'll want to check it out!

neurology core reflection

To continue with my tradition of posting a reflection after each core, I'll share a few things about the short neurology core that we ended the year with. In this core we covered the functions and anatomy of the parts of the brain and spinal cord.  This was my favorite core so far because it incorporated some lab dissections, plenty of cross sections, enthusiastic professors, and I genuinely enjoyed learning the material. 

During the last six weeks of school, I got a little stir crazy and wished I was outside instead of stuck inside most of my days. As with each of the other cores, I used a different study tactic. I spent most of my time this core reviewing the notes and looking up online tutorials, videos, and resources. 

my first year in medical school

What a year it has been! It was full of ups and downs. Here's a look back at my first year in school. 

My school year began with the completion of one of my proudest accomplishment at that time, climbing higher than 14,000 feet. I still can't believe I made it, and thanks to Jake's kind words of encouragement, "Al, med school will be harder than this," I kept climbing.  Check out more of this climb here.

During orientation week we were informed on how to manage stress and the workload to come. 

The very last day of orientation they presented us with our white coats. We certainly didn't feel like doctors, and I definitely didn't feel like I needed a white coat, but at the pace this school runs, it wasn't long before we were out in clinics and hospitals.

The first few weeks of school I was more nervous and anxious than I had ever felt in my entire life. I mean, my family and friends assured me I'd be fine, but that's hard to believe when none of us knew what it would be like. I was so excited on the first day of school.

It wasn't long before that ^ turned into this.

My snapchat friends, husband, and classmates (unfortunately) definitely saw me looking my roughest this year...and those greasy, messy moments were not captured. 

It also wasn't long before my spotless and organized office ( seen here and here ) turned into this:

That ^^ horrifies me, but you have to do what you have to do. 

(Clean up days were Saturdays after exams) 

Time flew when it was spent studying.

Below is a lecture where we learned to draw the locations of heart landmarks on our anatomy partners.

Yes, we were required to undress, do this for the exams on our partners, and in only 60 seconds.

Yes, I practiced timed drawings of anatomical landmarks on Jake. 

Another class had us tested by using patients they hired in a simulated clinic room with cameras and microphones. Jake had CPA exams to study for, but he let me practice when he could.  

And when no people were there to practice on...

And then came exam days, which were some of my favorite days because that meant I would have an entire afternoon off, and usually the day after the exam I only had a few things to do! In the fall Jake was even home to make me a good breakfast before I left.

And in the fall when he was home, we always celebrated after exams!

Then winter came, and I was alone every week except a couple. Luckily Jake came home from traveling on the weekends, and so I tried to get most of my work done working longer hours during the weekdays to have more time "off" when he was home. I won't lie, adjusting to being alone day and night each week was very hard, and studying wasn't much fun anymore. 

Part of the loneliness was my fault, I studied in my office and watched almost all lectures online. I did attend campus a few times a week for required activities, but I saved so much time (a couple hours a day since I also had a longer commute) watching the lectures online and speeding up the lecturer's voice. So, I just couldn't justify attending class each day.

When he did come back, we made a new weekly tradition trying out restaurants.

To keep sane, I worked out regularly, went on walks when it was nice, did some light reading, started watching Keeping up with the Kardashians and Friends, indulged on fast food, and enjoyed meeting up with friends. 

School required a lot of sacrifices that weren't clear right away. The dishes and laundry had to wait, my workouts were shortened, and most heartbreaking, time with my family and friends was dramatically cut down. There would be times where months would pass by until I even make a phone call or scheduled a coffee date with a friend. On multiple occasions I had to tell my family they couldn't stay with me on the weekend while I was studying for an exam, or that I just couldn't come home. Everyone understood, it was worse on me because I felt like I was missing out on the fun they were having. I am so grateful for the times I did have with family and friends this year, I certainly took as many breaks as I could to see the people I love.

My family was wonderful for support and encouragement when I needed it this year, but this guy was there whenever I needed him no matter what else he was doing. In the fall he was up late quizzing me, and in the winter and spring he would stay up late to talk to me on the phone. At one point I was having a complete breakdown, and although he was hundreds of miles away, he left dinner to call me and made sure that I could pull it together and study a few more hours for the exam I was worried about. I know he'll be there for what's to come, I'm so thankful for him. 

Other support came in the form of beautiful flowers to brighten my study space:

We ended the year with Med Prom.

Overall I loved this first year of school. I never knew that I was capable of learning this much information in such a short time, and I've met so many great people. I'm so happy with what I'm working for, and I know it's all worth it to be able to help my patients in the future.

This summer I am working on a small research project, volunteering, relaxing, going on a vacation, a little reviewing, and I'll be in Fairbury at the clinic learning from the physicians there during what UNMC calls our Rural Care Block. I'm so excited to be back home for a few weeks, and learn from the people who first exposed me to this career. 

To those interested in staying in touch from Jake's perspective, lately he's been pretty good at putting together weekend MyStorys on SnapChat. Add bakejell33 if you'd like to check those out.

If you haven't already, subscribe by e-mail on the right column of this screen to keep up with summer activities. If you are on a mobile device you'll have to click "view web version" and then find it. Otherwise, explore the links at the top to see if there's any posts you've missed - I've updated them.