Long day is over

The last couple weeks have been trying. We made it through 10 exams in 14 day and I apologize that I haven't written sooner. Our last exam had two pages from the wrong test on it; however, nothing is being done to help any of us. We won't know our final grades until at last the end of the week. It is always nerve-wracking. I'm passing everything, but there is still a lot up in the air so I'm always nervous until the final grades come out.

I've been sleeping, eating and reading novels by the beach for fun since our last exam. However, today wasn't so fun. Farley and I had to do surveys about the semester, register with the state department for our trip to Argentina and complete loose ends for the trip. We leave in about 12 hours and I haven't packed yet. I'm getting SO excited. For one, I have a million mosquito bites and I'll be glad to be in a cooler climate, where hopefully there will be less blood sucking insects. We are going to drink great wine, eat great food, maybe see an opera and enjoy the culture and wonder of Buenos Aires!!

I'm not sure why, but I think half of the first semester class for September is already here, even though they don't need to be here for at least another week. They were all over during finals and they are just about the only people here now. I overhead a couple parents saying that the insects and were disgusting and I thought, if they only knew! I'm glad that the parent wasn't starting medical school because I suspect that she wouldn't have been able to handle our little island. Let's be frank: it is beautiful but it is known as the nature island and not the resort island for a reason!

Well I better go pack!! I'll be writing soon...

Some times there is too much of a good thing.....

We are nearing the end of the semester and I am so sick of sitting and reading books! Who ever decided that having ten exams in fourteen days, six of which are comprehensive over the last two semesters, would be a GREAT idea obviously did not have to take all of these exams. I guess it will be good practice for the stress and sleepiness to come, although it won't compare to actually having peoples' lives in our hands. Anyway, I should get back to studying, even though it is the last thing I want to do. I'd rather watch the Olympics and practice my Spanish, as it is only a little over a week until I'm doing the tango!

A few lopsided pictures:

Long Time, No Blog

It's been a crazy few days. We had three lab exams last week. I did very well on two of them and okay on the third. I should be celebrating my triumph over head and neck anatomy, but I have another exam on Friday--my chocolate cake and dinner date with Farley will have to wait.

We also started the shelf exams this week. They are standarized subject exams written by the National Board of Medical Examiners for medical students. They are not involved in licensing, but are a measure of your knowledge (and the school's instruction) for each subject. Thus far, I think they have been okay. However, it is difficult to gage as the exam covers things, such as pathology, that we (and I think basically all) medical students don't learn until the second year. Obviously, we have learned about some diseases and some pharmaceuticals, but that isn't the main focus until the second year. More than anything, the exams are reasoning exams. There are a few questions that you either know or you don't know but many questions I'm sure I could figure out IF I had more time to ponder the question. Also, we ended classes last Thursday (had three tests between Thursday and Friday) and had our first shelf on Tuesday. As the shelves cover the last two semesters, that doesn't leave much time to review. The best part of the shelves is that the questions are so well written. Some of the questions ask you to take the information and answer a question that requires you to make several steps. I think Grandpa Vic would have loved them--he always loved those reasoning, brain-twister games!

I should go study the histology of the eye and ear. After we finish the shelf exams, we have the exam the last third of the semester. There are some tricky question writers in the group of professors who taught us, which means I've just got to know this stuff inside and out so that they don't trick me!

ARRRR, It's about time, Matie!

On Thursday, it finally happened: we discussed pirates in class. That's right this medical school in the Caribbean, where the "Pirates of the Caribbean" was filmed, finally did the inevitable and mentioned pirates in class! It was so exciting that I thought Farley was going to jump out of his seat, but he managed to control himself--barely. Not only do they have one of the three pirate movies playing on t.v. at all times (or every time I turn on the t.v., which isn't very often) sometimes there is even a pirate ship in the bay. If we didn't discuss the priates, we would obviously be disrespecting them. Note: the above picture is of the fruit man from St. Luica. I know I have a picture of a pirate ship either form here or St. Lucia, but I can't find it so I just had to make due with this great ship!

Dr. Ernst, of our neuroscience department, was the rock star of a professor who was creative enough to intergrate priates into a lecture! (I usually don't mention names of professors but he, as well as the rest of the neuroscience department, are excellent and I don't really have any complants, except that the subject is difficult but that is the nature of neuroscience). At any rate, we were reviewing the eye and the accomidation when going from light to dark or vice versa. It can take approximately 20-30 minutes for the eye to completely adjust to the dark. Apparently a few semesters ago student asked if this might be why pirates wear an eye patch. Obviously, Dr. Ernst needed to reflect on this important questions. He said that yes, if you wear an eye patch, you would have one eye that is ready to go when you have to go below the deck for important pirate matters. Moreover, you would be able to hop right back up top (it doens't take as long to adjust to from dark to light as it does from light to dark).

On another note, Nordstrom called my parent's house on Saturday. Mom and Dad got the message right after Grandma's funeral that Nordstom misses me and wants to know if everything was okay since I haven't been by in a while. They also wanted me to know about the upcoming sale. I guess this wasn't the first time they've called and it always gives Mom and Dad a good laugh. I always knew Nordies loved me as much as I loved them!!! I'll have to pay them a visit in December!!!

Sergeant Moo Moo

Does this cow look innocent to you? From a distance, the cows are great. However, lately the cows have been hovering around the trail between school and my apartment and they have been hanging out around the sidewalk to the study space. I just really don't like walking two feet away from the cows--I don't want to scare them---they have HORNS!! Here is a picture of the trail with cows nearby from a few weeks ago. Lately, they' ve been eating the grass right next to the trail. Note that the cement ends after a 100 feet or so then it is just dirt---they've been eating on the trail too.

Last night, we were leaving our apartments to go to the study space. Before leaving, Farley warned me that there were flying bugs, I don't know what they are, outside my door. I had a plan of attack: I put on my glasses, turned off the lights had everything packed and ready to go, then I rushed out of the house, while pursing my lips, and ran toward his door. I managed to get inside before too many bugs did. After we made our escape plan, we exited his house and ran with the fury of a t-ball player, who after making contact with the ball was rushing to first base. I thought we were safe, however, I was wrong. The cows were out. There were two (with horns) about 15 feet from the sidewalk leading to the study space. As we walked past the Ross University Housing toward the study space, we noticed about ten cows walking toward us--probably five feet from us. I would, under oath, tell you that these cows appeared to be in formation. Do you remember the movie, "The Mighty Ducks"? I think these were the mighty cows in slightly flattened out version of the "flying V"--perhaps it was the "walking M." Now, Farley on the other hand, says I'm being silly and that cows are not in the military nor do they move in formation. But, I still think there is a Sergeant Moo Moo out in my back yard.

After we dodged the cows, and their new calves--which makes cows extra feisty, we had to walk under a short light and again had to resume the closed mouth, closed eye run to avoid the insect. YUCK! Upon finally reaching the study space, we realized that there were insects ALL over. Just buzzing around and flying into people. I say that they were attacking, but Farley likes to remind me that these bugs don't bite people and suggested that they are just stupid and fly into people by accident. None of this matters to me: I hate insects! Farley kindly suggested that we should go home because I wouldn't last even ten minutes in the study space (he is correct--I'd probably last two minutes). This means that we had to cross the insects and cows again!


We managed to get through the insects using our time tested approach of pursing lips, closed eyes and running (it is one of the few times I have run in my adult life). If you want a complete visual image, remember I'm caring a 20Lb backpack, carrying a travel coffee mug, and I've never been graceful. Anyway, we passed the swimming pool and were in the homestretch, when I saw the heard of cows lining the sidewalk. Yes, about a dozen cows were all two feet from a two-foot wide sidewalk. I'm not afraid of the cows, but I respect them. They are HUGE and just had calves, which they are very protective of. So I begged Farley to walk around to the other entrance of our apartment complex. By the time we walked around, some of the cows had moved down towards us. We stomped, shook our keys and made a bunch of noise as you really don't want to accidental sneak up on a cow, especially one with horns and calves!


Farley didn't see this, but two of the calves were playing after we walked past them and bumped into their Mom. When the mother cow bumped the two little cows away from her with her hip. I just about fell over laughing (while not opening my mouth, as the bugs were back). I really don't want a several hundred pound cow bumping me with her hip so I will happily keep my distance form them.


Okay, back to my studies. The ten tests in two weeks starts this Thursday, August 7, 2008. Keep me in your prayers!!