Island Med Student

My outfits in Dominica always consist of a pair of shorts, a tanktop, and a pair of flip flops. There is very little variety. A few days ago I went through some of my boxes packed up inside a barn on my parents’ farm to find some clothes to keep me warm for the next few weeks. It was like shopping at a store where I like everything I see! As much as I hate the cold weather, I am enjoying wearing all kinds of warm weather clothes.

Anyhoo, happy new years everyone!!

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• My MD Journey
  (tags: blog)

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Check out my post on Medscape about coming to the States, only to find it even larger than when I left.

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It’s official–I just got my score back. I passed the Comprehensive Basic Science Examination! This means that I’m now eligible to sit for the USMLE Step 1. I did not rock it, which would have been nice, but I did pass, and that was all I needed to do. I’m hopeful that if I study my little toosh off, I’ll be able to get a pretty decent score on the Step. It’s time to celebrate! Wait, I’m on vacation, and I’ve been celebrating every night!

I just wrote an entry for the Differential, which should be posted soon, but in the meantime, know that I am in the States, eating and drinking excessively, and enjoying the company of my friends and family.

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I posted this last year on my blog, and I’m posting it again. Reading it always sends shivers down my spine. It’s why I also believe in fairies.

This letter to the editor appeared 109 years ago:
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A few days ago, my friends and I got together for a goodbye Dominica party. They have almost all left now, and none of them will be returning to Dominica. I am actually in the States now, but I will be returning to Dominica in a month for my fifth semester at the hospital.

Anyway, it was a time for crying and celebration. I’m going to miss all of my friends so much. The party culminated in a “packet” burning bonfire on the beach. I have all my notes electronically anyway, so I didn’t mind setting them on fire. We all brought our notes that we’ve been collecting for the past four semesters and lit them on fire. I must say that it was one of the most fun and cathartic experiences of my life. It really felt like the end of one journey, and they beginning of another. I highly recommend it to all of you. After the fire, we watched the moon set over the Caribbean Sea, and gave each other hugs and kisses farewell.

Paulina, Ginger, Chris, Kevin, Neha, Anna, Emily, Andy, and Manny:

I will miss you all so much!

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It’s official, I’m a third year medical student. I got my grades back yesterday. I was one stinking point away from all A’s! I got an A in microbiology, pathology, and introduction to clinical medicine, and a B+ in pharmacology. I just took the Comprehensive Basic Science Examination this morning, which will allow me to sit for the USMLE Step 1. I definitely got a spanking. It wasn’t easy, but all I needed to do was pass. We shall see how I did. Today is for packing, doggy re-assignment, and celebration. Tomorrow I will get on a plane to Baltimore to begin what shall be a fantabulous celebration in the States for almost a month. I feel like I earned this break, and I’m not going to take anything for granted.

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Check out my post on Medscape about studying for big exams. And if you desire more, check out this longer post I wrote a while back on studying in general, which has some of the same tips.

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Micah and I threw a housewarming party on Saturday night. Sadly, a lot of students have already left the island. However, all my fellow soon-to-be-fifth-semester friends were still around. The party was a lot of fun, which you can tell by the pictures that you don’t get to see. Today, I have a BBQ party to go to, and then it’s back to the real world of studying again for the comp exam later this week. In the meantime, I feel like I’m on vacation!

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Tomorrow is my very last regular exam. I only have to take the comprehensive NBME exam next week. I finished studying today at noon. I then went to the gym and had an awesome workout. When I came home, I decided to have a pampering party. Since Micah wasn’t interested in partaking, I’m doing it all by myself. Basically I’m celebrating the fact that I finished studying and that I have had just about zero pampering in almost four months. My party involves things like dyeing my hair, shaving my legs, a facemask, a manicure/pedicure, eyebrow plucking, and even a teeth whitening session. It’s amazing how relaxing a pampering session can be. I think it’s the perfect pre-exam preparation. I mean, how can I do poorly on the exam when I look this good?

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