Aorta tell you I'm quite stressed.
With all this Robbins left I haven't gotten much rest.
Overdosing on Folger's coffee,
I run to the bathroom quite often to pee.
Renal dysfunction, heart palpitations,
please Winter break give me much needed relaxation.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
#29: Turkey Day
I would like to thank for all the crappy, painful, exhausting, disappointing, and simply shitty stuff and all the mistakes, the foolishness, and embarrassment that has happened. I want to thank all the people who made those shitty stuff possible. Because without it and without them, I don't think I would be as grateful for all the good stuff, even the tiny good stuff, that has happened. I've learned a lot this past year about what to do, what not to do, who I am, and who I am not. I believe I've grown and become ever so slightly better because of my experiences.
I'm happy and proud to be a medical student. However much I bitch and moan about med school, I am truly happy to wake up each day and learn about what I love, medicine. I don't care if you think that sounds cheesy because I know it's true. Even when I want to shoot my brains out learning about psychiatry or the different Hodgkin's lymphomas, I love what I learn.
I want to thank my parents, my sister, my cousin, my aunt, and other family members. Even when things were rough, they stuck by me, especially my sister. She's awesome.
I love the close friends I have. I can call them up when I'm flustered and stressed out from studying and they would talk to me about random things to get my mind off of med school. I can call them about how to wash wool or how to buy car insurance. One friend in specific actually welcomes me to talk about my med school issues, and that's a great friend right there.
Definitely not last, I'm tremendously thankful for my friendship with my med school buddy, or just simply buddy, Jesse and his wife Jackie. They've taken care of me when I felt like absolute shit because of med school and when I don't feel like shit. Plus, I can fall asleep on their couch when I'm a lazy bastard to walk 2 minutes back to my apartment.
It might not always be awesome every day, but I'm thankful to be where I am and with the best people I can think of and without those who I couldn't care less about. Thanks.
Question
Let's not focus on all the happy puppies moment. What "bad" thing are you actually thankful for? Why?
I'm happy and proud to be a medical student. However much I bitch and moan about med school, I am truly happy to wake up each day and learn about what I love, medicine. I don't care if you think that sounds cheesy because I know it's true. Even when I want to shoot my brains out learning about psychiatry or the different Hodgkin's lymphomas, I love what I learn.
I want to thank my parents, my sister, my cousin, my aunt, and other family members. Even when things were rough, they stuck by me, especially my sister. She's awesome.
I love the close friends I have. I can call them up when I'm flustered and stressed out from studying and they would talk to me about random things to get my mind off of med school. I can call them about how to wash wool or how to buy car insurance. One friend in specific actually welcomes me to talk about my med school issues, and that's a great friend right there.
Definitely not last, I'm tremendously thankful for my friendship with my med school buddy, or just simply buddy, Jesse and his wife Jackie. They've taken care of me when I felt like absolute shit because of med school and when I don't feel like shit. Plus, I can fall asleep on their couch when I'm a lazy bastard to walk 2 minutes back to my apartment.
It might not always be awesome every day, but I'm thankful to be where I am and with the best people I can think of and without those who I couldn't care less about. Thanks.
Question
Let's not focus on all the happy puppies moment. What "bad" thing are you actually thankful for? Why?
Thursday, November 17, 2011
#28: Oh Lawd
Dear Person Who Got 97FreakingPoint5% on the Pathology Exam,
What are you smoking? Because I want some of that. Have your people contact my people.
Sincerely,
I Can Pay You Handsomely
What are you smoking? Because I want some of that. Have your people contact my people.
Sincerely,
I Can Pay You Handsomely
Sunday, November 13, 2011
#27: Dork Alert
Last night I played Risk, only the most awesome board game of all time. Throughout the entire game, instead of thinking about world domination, all I could think was, "How can I metastasize?" Teehehe.
Question
Have I gone off the deep end?
Question
Have I gone off the deep end?
Sunday, October 23, 2011
#26: MD vs. DO, DO vs. MD. Stop it.
I met up with the friend from post #4. Let's call her Mandy (not the real name of course). She's applying to med school right now and was asking about the application process and med school in general. At one point during the conversation, Many asked, "Would you have considered applying to DO schools?" My response, "No. Definitely not." It was not because I do not respect DO schools. It was because of what I believe to be hypocritical to my beliefs of what medicine is about: care for the patient. Let me explain.
This post may be a Pandora's box, but let's open it to discussion. Don't flame me, please.
Hold on, now. Chill out for a minute before you reach for the pitchforks and torches. I understand and know that this whole MD/DO issue has been going on for decades. It's a touchy subject among the professionals, med students, and even pre-meds.
In the States, we have two types of med school: Allopathic and Osteopathic. Allopathic med schools are the ones that grant MD (Doctor of Medicine) degrees. Osteopathic med schools grant DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) degrees.
First, as an MD student, let me say that I respect DO physicians, students, and interested pre-meds. I wholeheartedly respect what they do, study, and aspire to become. DO colleagues have the same goal as MDs: to serve, treat, and care for patients. Both take the Hippocratic Oath. Both have the same medical responsibilities to patients.
Second, I understand that MD and DO schools have different teaching philosophies as allopathy and osteopathy have different medical philosophies. MD students have to take the USMLE and DO students have to take the COMLEX. DO students also learn Osteopathic Principles and Practices (OPP) and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) and Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy (OMT).
I have absolutely no issue with different degree, different medical philosophies, and different teaching philosophies. Historically, Dr. Still broke away from the MD crowd to establish osteopathic medicine. That's absolutely marvelous in my mind. Hey, Dr. Still clearly had a different medical ideology and he had every right to teach it. Coolios.
With respect to core basic medical science courses and a huge overwhelming majority of clinical courses/rotations, MD and DO students learn the exact same material. The only different is the addition of OMM, OMT, and OPP and the emphasis of osteopathy in other courses at osteopathic schools.
But, the rift between the MD and DO communities has been tense although it is calmer now. I have heard and talked about the disdain one group for the other whether it be about standardized exam scores, application stats, education styles, jealousy, paid grades, residency site competitiveness, whatever. I do not even want to go into comparing the prestige battle about medical schools and residency sites.
What I have a problem with is this: DO students can take the USMLE in addition to COMLEX and apply for allopathic residency positions. However! However, MD students cannot take the COMLEX in addition to USMLE and apply for osteopathic residency positions. Look, I understand that MD students cannot take the COMLEX because they do not have the education in OMM, OMT, and OPP. But, allopathic residency hospitals have extended their welcome to DO graduates. Yet, DO residency hospitals have not reciprocated. I understand that OMM, OMT, and OPP and the osteopathic education in general give another dimension to DO physicians and graduates that the MD counterparts do not have.
Above the disparity in applying for residency, I have a bigger problem with this: Since all physicians, regardless of degree or education, are dedicated to care and treat patients, why can't we all just be doctors? One type. Make one medical doctor degree? If you got osteopathic education and training, then why not make it an additional credentials to the end of your name? There was a report out there that states that DO physicians use OMM/OMT about 5-15% of the time. (Can someone please look for the stats of this?) Do those percentages really make that much of a huge difference to cause a division in the physician community?
Question
So, here are my concluding questions: If DOs historically wanted a split, then stick with your guns. If DOs now want to work alongside MDs, then reciprocate by opening your residency positions to MDs too. If you got osteopathic education and training, great! You're a physician, too. You're out there to treat and care for patients, too. With the healthcare crisis bubble about to burst, why care if you are DO or MD? Why not just care about being a physician? Why not train as many physicians as possible and put aside the schoolyard tomfoolery? If you got osteopathic skills, use it, and as I suggested, tag on the osteopathic credentials to your embroidered white coat.
Think about the patient, not about which kind of physician you are. Really, like, for real, which of the following sounds better to you if you heard it from a patient?
a) My physician is awesome!
b) My DO/MD physician is awesome!
Since I'm in the MD community, I will honestly admit that I am MD biased. Really, DOs, it is time to open up your residency doors. Or better yet, MDs and DOs, can we all get along? Medicine has advanced a very long way. Heck, even medical education for both allopathy and osteopathy has advanced with all the integrative clinical education in the first two didactic years. We as a community of physicians should too.
This post may be a Pandora's box, but let's open it to discussion. Don't flame me, please.
Hold on, now. Chill out for a minute before you reach for the pitchforks and torches. I understand and know that this whole MD/DO issue has been going on for decades. It's a touchy subject among the professionals, med students, and even pre-meds.
In the States, we have two types of med school: Allopathic and Osteopathic. Allopathic med schools are the ones that grant MD (Doctor of Medicine) degrees. Osteopathic med schools grant DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) degrees.
First, as an MD student, let me say that I respect DO physicians, students, and interested pre-meds. I wholeheartedly respect what they do, study, and aspire to become. DO colleagues have the same goal as MDs: to serve, treat, and care for patients. Both take the Hippocratic Oath. Both have the same medical responsibilities to patients.
Second, I understand that MD and DO schools have different teaching philosophies as allopathy and osteopathy have different medical philosophies. MD students have to take the USMLE and DO students have to take the COMLEX. DO students also learn Osteopathic Principles and Practices (OPP) and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) and Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy (OMT).
I have absolutely no issue with different degree, different medical philosophies, and different teaching philosophies. Historically, Dr. Still broke away from the MD crowd to establish osteopathic medicine. That's absolutely marvelous in my mind. Hey, Dr. Still clearly had a different medical ideology and he had every right to teach it. Coolios.
With respect to core basic medical science courses and a huge overwhelming majority of clinical courses/rotations, MD and DO students learn the exact same material. The only different is the addition of OMM, OMT, and OPP and the emphasis of osteopathy in other courses at osteopathic schools.
But, the rift between the MD and DO communities has been tense although it is calmer now. I have heard and talked about the disdain one group for the other whether it be about standardized exam scores, application stats, education styles, jealousy, paid grades, residency site competitiveness, whatever. I do not even want to go into comparing the prestige battle about medical schools and residency sites.
What I have a problem with is this: DO students can take the USMLE in addition to COMLEX and apply for allopathic residency positions. However! However, MD students cannot take the COMLEX in addition to USMLE and apply for osteopathic residency positions. Look, I understand that MD students cannot take the COMLEX because they do not have the education in OMM, OMT, and OPP. But, allopathic residency hospitals have extended their welcome to DO graduates. Yet, DO residency hospitals have not reciprocated. I understand that OMM, OMT, and OPP and the osteopathic education in general give another dimension to DO physicians and graduates that the MD counterparts do not have.
Above the disparity in applying for residency, I have a bigger problem with this: Since all physicians, regardless of degree or education, are dedicated to care and treat patients, why can't we all just be doctors? One type. Make one medical doctor degree? If you got osteopathic education and training, then why not make it an additional credentials to the end of your name? There was a report out there that states that DO physicians use OMM/OMT about 5-15% of the time. (Can someone please look for the stats of this?) Do those percentages really make that much of a huge difference to cause a division in the physician community?
Question
So, here are my concluding questions: If DOs historically wanted a split, then stick with your guns. If DOs now want to work alongside MDs, then reciprocate by opening your residency positions to MDs too. If you got osteopathic education and training, great! You're a physician, too. You're out there to treat and care for patients, too. With the healthcare crisis bubble about to burst, why care if you are DO or MD? Why not just care about being a physician? Why not train as many physicians as possible and put aside the schoolyard tomfoolery? If you got osteopathic skills, use it, and as I suggested, tag on the osteopathic credentials to your embroidered white coat.
Think about the patient, not about which kind of physician you are. Really, like, for real, which of the following sounds better to you if you heard it from a patient?
a) My physician is awesome!
b) My DO/MD physician is awesome!
Since I'm in the MD community, I will honestly admit that I am MD biased. Really, DOs, it is time to open up your residency doors. Or better yet, MDs and DOs, can we all get along? Medicine has advanced a very long way. Heck, even medical education for both allopathy and osteopathy has advanced with all the integrative clinical education in the first two didactic years. We as a community of physicians should too.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
#25: Importance of a Physician
This post is not about seeking self-pity or even pity. It's not about being self-absorbed or demanding recognition. Take it as an explanation of part of why I want to become a physician.
We expect our physicians to be smart, charismatic, efficient, understanding, accommodating, prompt, careful, considerate, communicative, accessible, honest, dignified, altruistic, confidential, attentive, dedicated, hardworking, caring, informative, right, proactive...the list goes on. Those are a lot of expectations. It's rightfully so that we expect so much from physicians. And, physicians know this. They took the Hippocratic Oath the moment they graduate from medical school. At my school, I took the Hippocratic Oath at my White Coat Ceremony in my first year. Physicians understand not only their duty, but their value to their patients.
Why so many expectations? Why are they justified? Because physicians don't necessarily handle things in your life. Physicians handle your life. Not your money, not your car, not your house, not your work, not your schedule. You. Your money can come and go. But, you, you can't. You can't die and come back. (Well, maybe give science and research a few more years...)
Without you, you can't have the things in your life. Imagine not being able to buy a home, marry the person of your dreams, drive your favorite car, read a book on the porch, travel the world, see your parents or kids, talk with your friends, walk, occasionally indulge in your sins and vices, live long enough to see your grandkids, have sex, and all the other little joys of life.
You seek physicians when you're in pain, sick, and/or distressed whether it's because of your volition or of the encouragement of others or when it's your last resort or whenever you want to. Physicians are bound by an oath to treat and care for any patient who seeks them. Now, when I say treat and care, physicians must consider the medical benefits and costs, your personal beliefs and feelings, resources available, and ethical principles. All of this biosocioethical consideration on top of the intellectual demands of figuring out what is medically wrong with you.
The burden of integrating the nuts and bolts of scientific medicine for a diagnosis, the patient's feelings and views, and the physician's own feelings and views can be overwhelming at times. Treatment and care encompass all these factors, which ultimately leads to handling your life. It's not easy. Being a physician is extremely and exorbitantly demanding.
I wouldn't want to be anything else...but, check back with me when I actually have that MD title if I survive the onslaught of 2nd year.
We expect our physicians to be smart, charismatic, efficient, understanding, accommodating, prompt, careful, considerate, communicative, accessible, honest, dignified, altruistic, confidential, attentive, dedicated, hardworking, caring, informative, right, proactive...the list goes on. Those are a lot of expectations. It's rightfully so that we expect so much from physicians. And, physicians know this. They took the Hippocratic Oath the moment they graduate from medical school. At my school, I took the Hippocratic Oath at my White Coat Ceremony in my first year. Physicians understand not only their duty, but their value to their patients.
Why so many expectations? Why are they justified? Because physicians don't necessarily handle things in your life. Physicians handle your life. Not your money, not your car, not your house, not your work, not your schedule. You. Your money can come and go. But, you, you can't. You can't die and come back. (Well, maybe give science and research a few more years...)
Without you, you can't have the things in your life. Imagine not being able to buy a home, marry the person of your dreams, drive your favorite car, read a book on the porch, travel the world, see your parents or kids, talk with your friends, walk, occasionally indulge in your sins and vices, live long enough to see your grandkids, have sex, and all the other little joys of life.
You seek physicians when you're in pain, sick, and/or distressed whether it's because of your volition or of the encouragement of others or when it's your last resort or whenever you want to. Physicians are bound by an oath to treat and care for any patient who seeks them. Now, when I say treat and care, physicians must consider the medical benefits and costs, your personal beliefs and feelings, resources available, and ethical principles. All of this biosocioethical consideration on top of the intellectual demands of figuring out what is medically wrong with you.
The burden of integrating the nuts and bolts of scientific medicine for a diagnosis, the patient's feelings and views, and the physician's own feelings and views can be overwhelming at times. Treatment and care encompass all these factors, which ultimately leads to handling your life. It's not easy. Being a physician is extremely and exorbitantly demanding.
I wouldn't want to be anything else...but, check back with me when I actually have that MD title if I survive the onslaught of 2nd year.
Friday, September 23, 2011
#24: Facepalm
So, this whole to vaccinate or not to vaccinate fiasco. Michelle Bachmann told a possibly false anecdote about a mother whose child became mentally retarded because of a vaccine. Ok, well, not fine. I'm tired of this whole sensationalized crap about anti-vaccination. For Pete's sake, the study linking the measles vaccine with autism was debunked by the medical profession. Heck, some participants even reported of data/observation fabrication, collaborators eventually jumped ship, and the principal investigator of that research had his license revoked.
I understand why, in discrete cases, individuals would object to vaccination. However, I don't understand why people would preach anti-vaccination when a ton of epidemiological data indicate not only has vaccination nearly eradicated several diseases, but also show that not getting vaccinated has increased the incidence of these diseases.
Question
I would like to hear stories of the opposite. Stories of misfortune, regret, and we-told-you-so. Have you ever heard of stories or anecdotes or read literature or news articles about parents who decided not to vaccinate their child(ren) who consequently suffered the same diseases for which they should have been vaccinated?
I understand why, in discrete cases, individuals would object to vaccination. However, I don't understand why people would preach anti-vaccination when a ton of epidemiological data indicate not only has vaccination nearly eradicated several diseases, but also show that not getting vaccinated has increased the incidence of these diseases.
Question
I would like to hear stories of the opposite. Stories of misfortune, regret, and we-told-you-so. Have you ever heard of stories or anecdotes or read literature or news articles about parents who decided not to vaccinate their child(ren) who consequently suffered the same diseases for which they should have been vaccinated?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)