Spring is in the air, the worst pollen season ever seen in North Carolina is over, and all that is left is the beautiful, oh so beautiful, sunshine. The Finley Forest pool opens in eight days, and so all I can think about is summer and working on my perfect tan. The last thing on my mind is hookworms, tapeworms, and pinworms. Monday we will have our last exam before the final, 2 weekends from now I will be in Atlanta with Keith and Brandon - grilling out and drinking the King, and 3 weeks from today I will be in Amsterdam, sailing off on a 10-day cruise. I have much to look forward to.There are a few very important checkpoints on the way to becoming a doctor. The first is getting into medical school (check); the second is Step 1, the first licensing exam at the end of the second year. Then come your surgical rotation, residency interviews, match day, graduation, etc. But as a well-bred, type A, goal-orientated individual such as myself, I have to set "little" checkpoints in the middle. Getting to summer is a major one for me; finishing this first year is going to feel absolutely fantastic. And my summer plans have turned out splendidly. For eights weeks starting mid-June, I will be working at the Sheps Center here at UNC on comparative-effectiveness research. My first task will be to read the entire health care bill (yes, yes - the thousands and thousands of pages of it), and write a memo on how it will affect comparative-effectiveness research in North Carolina and at UNC-Hospitals. You may think this sounds tedious, but little Robby is in heaven. During the year, I have had no time to read the bill on my own (a little light reading?), but I definitely will do it if I'm getting paid (and, of course, if there's no class!). Not only am I funded for the summer, but I also will be receiving third year credit, a huge bonus. A 2 week vacation in Europe and then policy research? This going to be a great summer.
And yet I still have these two pesky exams hanging around. The test covers gastrointestinal bugs (virus, bacteria, parasites and the like), as well as sexually transmitted infections and central nervous system diseases that are caused by these tiny microbes. The best part is seeing all the pictures of the different organisms and pathogenic manifestations: plenty of photographs of 20 foot tapeworms, larva currens (an itchy, cutaneous condition of Strongyloides stercoralis where you can watch the larvae move across your skin, annoyed as the migrate to a new locale), plenty of rashes, gonhorrea, etc. My personal favorite is Giardia. They are very cute with their little flagella and two nuclei which makes them look like they are smiling (I suggest typing that one into Google Images). And they probably are smiling as these little bastards colonize and reproduce in your small intestine, giving you explosive diarrhea, excessive gas, and nausea.
EMS tonight, studying tomorrow. Much to look forward too...
And yet I still have these two pesky exams hanging around. The test covers gastrointestinal bugs (virus, bacteria, parasites and the like), as well as sexually transmitted infections and central nervous system diseases that are caused by these tiny microbes. The best part is seeing all the pictures of the different organisms and pathogenic manifestations: plenty of photographs of 20 foot tapeworms, larva currens (an itchy, cutaneous condition of Strongyloides stercoralis where you can watch the larvae move across your skin, annoyed as the migrate to a new locale), plenty of rashes, gonhorrea, etc. My personal favorite is Giardia. They are very cute with their little flagella and two nuclei which makes them look like they are smiling (I suggest typing that one into Google Images). And they probably are smiling as these little bastards colonize and reproduce in your small intestine, giving you explosive diarrhea, excessive gas, and nausea.
EMS tonight, studying tomorrow. Much to look forward too...
Congrats on being almost finished with first year. You're right- it's a HUGE accomplishment!!! I was in Ukraine with your sister, and found the link to your blog on Facebook. I keep a blog in medical school too (I'm finishing my 2nd year), and it's interesting to read your perspective from 1st year at another school. I bet you never knew how many helminths could colonize the human body, and I hope you don't have to memorize their life cycles (laying eggs in the lungs, etc.). I'm staying tuned for your summer and second year adventures!
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