The Time Has Come

for you to PRAY!!! Now back to my last day of studying :) Hooray!!!

Future Career Choices

USMLE World breaks down where your strengths and weaknesses are by how many questions you get correct in each subject. It's displayed in every possible way - by percentage, using colors (red and green), etc...

Here's what I'm good at:
Behavioral Science (psych)
Histology (what stuff looks like on a microscopic level, CELLS!)
Reproductive System
Musculoskeletal System
Genitourinary System

Looks like I'm going to end up being a sex therapist for athletes. Not sure what the job market is for that.

Now I Know

exactly how long it takes me to get a caffeine withdrawal headache. It's 36 hours, in case you were wondering. On the upside, I slept pretty good last night and was actually sleepy and wanted to get in bed before midnight. Not sure if it's worth it.

Just heard from a friend who took the STEP. She said it was really weird. It mostly tests things you may or may not have learned in the last month while studying - things you were likely to actually learn along the last 2 years. It made me feel a bit better. I have absolutely NO motivation to study today. Don't think it'll get much better tomorrow. Just ready to get it over with and then it's BEACH time! Wahoo!

Sleep

Sleep is one of my favorite things. I've never had a problem falling asleep. Now, oftentimes I choose to go to bed very very late, but once I get in bed, I fall asleep. Enter my friend the STEP. He has different plans for me. It started about a week ago. My mind would race a little before bed, but after about 30 minutes I was out. Sunday night I took 1 benadryl and it took me 2 hours to go to sleep. Last night I took 2 benadryl and it took me 1.5 hours to go to sleep. Normally 2 benadryl will knock me out in about 5 minutes. I'm beginning to worry about how well I'm going to sleep the night before the STEP. I'm thinking I may have to go to dinner, play tennis or run, then watch a movie and do some yoga. Then maybe some nice calming tea. I don't know. Open to suggestions.

Now it's back to USMLE World. I'm so sick of reading First Aid that answering questions is a welcome relief. It's a sad, sad life.

Runner's Log (a day late)

Leisurely walk, then run. Guessing about 2 miles in all. Kris walked with me for about 20 minutes, then I ran for 10.

And Then I Told Him...

Actual quote from 3 minutes ago:

"You know Kris, the hard part of doing laundry isn't putting it in the fridge."

I was attempting to make a smart-butt remark about how the tedious part of the laundry process is the switchover and folding bit, not the initial loading of the washer. Instead I just looked like an idiot. STEP study is starting to wear on me.

Motivation to Study

Just listen to this. It'll make you smile :)

I think

my left leg might fall off... It'll disconnect right at the hip area. Also, noticed a nice swelling on my right 2nd toe and had fun running through the differential diagnosis in the kitchen with Kris last night. It's noticeable, right below the most distal joint. It's not really painful and definitely not inflamed. That rules out gout and pseudogout. I also started thinking - osteoid osteoma, chondrosarcoma, etc... and then realized it was a little squishy. That led me to...

BURSITIS! Bonus points if you knew it before you read the answer. I just think it's a little comical to get bursitis in the tiniest of joints. How much work does that toe do while I'm running? Weird.

Also, for your entertainment. I've been having some pretty vivid dreams since all this STEP study started. My dream last night was that Kris and I were vacationing somewhere like the Hamptons. We get to a 4-way stop. Kris kind of rolls through it and cuts off the other car. Then he nonchalantly says, "Sorry Kanye!" and waves. I look and sure enough, it's Kanye West in a white Rolls Royce. How funny is that?

Scheduling Conflicts

Man, this is a toughie. I start my surgery rotation June 9th, right? Well, that weekend I have a tennis tournament (which means 4 games spread out over 2-3 days, and my team might have to forfeit without me)and half marathon (which I've already registered for, which means I've already coughed up $65). The next weekend Kris's little brother is getting married, so I'll need to be at the wedding Saturday. I e-mailed the surgery administrative assistant to ask if it would be possible to be off both of these weekends since you know, the surgery rotation is 12 weeks long and you know, 3rd year med students DON'T ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING besides hold back fat and answer ridiculous questions. I also told her I would be happy to keep my butt up there every weekend for the rest of the rotation.

Her reply was this: It'll be difficult. It won't be fair to your team members. Pick one weekend to be off and I'll schedule you for that one. If you feel comfortable asking your attending for the other weekend off you can do that on your own. Oh Lordy, I knew the actual surgeons were tough to deal with, but even the secretaries? Come on!

I'll be the one stewing in the corner if you need me...

Runner's Log

~11 miles; ~2 hrs; ~1100 calories burned. Once again I forgot/couldn't find my nike plug-ins. Grrr...

Finally

starting to feel a little more prepared for that big 'ol test. I took my 2nd practice test today and thank goodness I was able to see that the studying is paying off. I know it sounds silly to say that, but it's possible for me to study 6-10 hours a day sometimes and feel like I've learned absolutely NOTHING. So it was nice to see that I'd learned at least a little something since the last time I took one of those practice tests. If any of the rest of you feel like you're in a studying slump and not feeling very motivated, just take a practice test. I swear it'll make you feel better. I have realized, however, that I know almost nothing about pharmacology and biochemistry. This isn't really news to me, but it just really sucks when it's confirmed.

Also, I'm supposed to run 11 miles tomorrow with my cousin A. Hmmm... I haven't run at all this week since our 10 mile run last week, so she might have to drag me.

Hope everyone's studying is going well. Ready to get this stinkin' test OVER with!!!

I Just Walked Outside

and got really cold. I thought it was mid-May in Mississippi. What the heck?

Time to get the TSH Checked...

because I ran 10 miles yesterday and somehow GAINED a pound. WTF???

In a Funk

I feel like I need a day off from studying, but unfortunately there's JUST NO TIME!!! Aaaahhh! Freak out ensues.

Mostly I'm just in a funk because I did a bunch of questions on U World (a set of questions that simulate the STEP) yesterday and my overall percentage dropped 4%. And then it made me want to cry. But I was too exhausted to cry. And now I'm supposed to get up and be happy to do it all again today? Me thinks no... Perhaps I should spend some time reviewing all the notes I've painstakingly made for each section since I learn by repetition. Let's do that. Okay, pep talk over. Going to study now.

Hoping everyone's day is better than mine!

Runner's Log

I might fail the STEP, but at least I can run 10 miles :) Ha ha
10 miles; ~2'10" ~1000 calories burned

I forgot my nike+ equipment today, so those are guesstimates. You burn about 100 calories for every mile you run. My cousin A had her watch, so we used that for the time. It made me a little sad because I was at 98 miles last time I plugged in my nike+, which means today would have made 108. Oh well, guess we'll hit that 100 mile mark sometime this week. Now it's time for a bath and then...

NEURO. Blah. Good luck today everyone who's studying!

Those Pancakes...

are piling up, and I'm going to bed. I can always eat twice as many tomorrow, right?

Confession

I still have 1662 unworked questions on USMLE World. Let's see how much I can decrease that number in one day...

Runner's Log

4.14 miles; 43'36"; 405 calories burned

Now it's back to World questions.

Also, favorite quote from Grey's finale:
"If you're not scared, you're not paying attention." Just so freakin' true about where our whole class is at this point. This test in 2 weeks could take out some of us, none of us, the class president, the #1 student, anyone. It's been done before - as in last year. So that's my motivation right now. FEAR.

Study Breaks of the Day

*A nice little run at some point

*Grey's Anatomy Finale at 8!!!

Other than that, I've got some major ground to cover. Let's hope it's a productive study day. Good luck to everyone :)