The block 5 exam is looming.  This block has been over GI and Renal- not my favorite topic thus far.  My summer is so close I can taste it.  My oldest child is already out of school for the summer.  My middle is doing a summer school program which is only 3 hours long.  This new dynamic has made these last couple of weeks difficult when it comes to childcare and my need to study.  Having the kids home more, and them already bored by noon only compounds the fact that I am BURNED OUT completely.  This year has been harder than I could have ever imagined.  My unplanned cholecystectomy…

So unfortunately for me, I didn’t pass my first exam.  And due to my health issues extending my Block 2, and the back to back nature of Block 3 and 4, I didn’t have anywhere to place the retake in my schedule except for following Spring break.  At our school, you have ONE opportunity to retake a block exam.  If you do not pass the second time, you face the dismissal committee.  In other words, you will more than likely either be dismissed from medical school, or you will have the opportunity to repeat your first year.  So when I tell you the pressure was on- I am not kidding.…

In another blink of an eye, two more blocks are done.  Block 3, musculoskeletal wasn’t too bad.  I think because it was a great deal of rote memorization.  It was also a shorter block – only 5 weeks, so the amount of material wasn’t nearly as much when it came down to exam time. Block 4 was cardiovascular, which wasn’t too bad, but thanks largely thanks to my ICU nursing background- a lot of the concepts and pharmacology I was already familiar with.  Next stop is studying over my Spring break for my Exam 1 retake and then onto Block 5!

A week in the life of a med student, mom, and nurse. 620a – Wake up.  I usually wake the kids up (10, 8, 2) right after I get up.  It was hard to get them (and myself), out of bed because I completely forgot it was Daylight savings last night.  “Spring ahead” did not fall in my favor. All the morning things – breakfast for the kids (protein drink for myself). 730 – Out the door with the kids.  Drop off the boy first, then the girl (two different schools because of course there is.  And they are ten minutes apart and yet start at the same time.  I…

Match Day was today at the school.  For once I was glad that we had mandatory classes because otherwise I might not have made the commute to see this amazing ceremony.  The excitement is palpable. I stood on the upper level, peering over the railing, with a pretty good view of the stage.  Right before the ceremony, the fourth year students go pick up their envelope.  Such a light object that holds such a heavy decision.  At our school they are given the option to open the envelope before going onstage, or to open it onstage.  One by one, the nearly-doctors read off on stage where they would be spending…

One of the things I hate most about being a parent is the never ending guilt that comes with it.  Feeling guilty that you fed them McDonalds…. Again.   Feeling guilty that you didn’t take them to the park. Feeling guilty that you let the TV or Ipad babysit them while you took a nap because you are just.so.tired. But as a parent that is going to med school and still working, the guilt seems to be on another level.  It’s easy to say, “I’m doing this for them” and “it’s going to show them that they can do anything!”  But the reality is, I’m doing this for me.  And I…

Rereading my last post made me laugh a little.  In a oh-it-only-gets-worse maniacal kind of laugh.  These first couple of blocks have been a lot more trying than I anticipated.  Blocks being kind of like quarters/half semesters.  They are 5-8ish weeks of classes at a time.   So the vehicle situation only got worse.  I decided to trade the large green paperweight in for a van.  I had been wanting to go back to a van (three kids and all).  I paid an outrageous amount for it given the year and mileage but all vehicles were extremely expensive at the time so…. Whatever.  Fast forward a couple weeks and the motor…

Well, I didn’t really finish my last post because I had to go to class and then you know, commuting back, kids, exhaustion.  I’m not one to get stressed easily but I am freaking the f*** out and extremely overwhelmed.  We have mandatory and non-mandatory classes, meaning you have to be there for the mandatory ones, but the non-mandatory ones you can watch on your own time via the online course system (Blackboard).  So in my head, I’m thinking that watching all the non-mandatory sessions that night or the next day will save me time, as I can watch them at 1.5 speed.  Sounds good in theory right?  Except it’s…

Well, the day is half over for most of my fellow students but my day more or less just started.  I worked until 11pm last night and when I got home, I had to get everything ready for my two older kids for THEIR first day of school so I didn’t get to bed until 1am.  Then, I’m guessing because of first day jitters, my daughter woke up at 430am, waking up her brother and the baby in the process.  I was able to get the two older ones to go back to bed but alas, once the baby’s up…. She’s up.  Everything went off without a hitch getting everyone…

I met up with my mentor today before work to glean some last nuggets of wisdom before starting school tomorrow (a week long orientation rather, which is then followed by the official starting of classes).  As always, he delivered, with tips for studying and retaining the vast amount of knowledge that med school offers up.  “You need to study for medical school like you’re drinking Lake Michigan from a straw.”  He elaborated by explaining how necessary it was for someone in my position, with the immense responsibility of raising children and having a career on top of med school, to continuously take in and review the material, little by little,…