Happy Friday!
Hope everyone is doing well. I figured I would check in.
Since last time I wrote here, 1/4 of the semester has gone by! I know I say this all the time, but this semester is really flying by. No joke, I cant believe it. Part of the reason might be due to the business of the semester, and a big part of it I think has to do with the fact that it really is a lot of fun.
To start off, I guess Ill talk a bit about blocks. Last Monday we finished block 1 exams! I feel like I wasnt as nervous as most people going into them. I think the stigma is that Med4/EBS5 is the big bad semester. The make it or break it. The truth is really, that every semester is make it or break it. If you don't pass a class, you redo a semester essentially. So stressing yourself out over the fact that it is the last semester is pointless. If you have been successful thus far, keep doing what you are doing. If you have been able to make it to the final semester, you have been doing something right. At this point in the game, the tedious stuff is done. We are using our knowledge and applying it to big concepts, something that I absolutely love. Like I said in previous posts, I am taking three classes this semester. Pathology, Pharmacology, and ICM. Ill talk about my experience with each one thus far.
Pharmacology
-This class is no joke. The thing about pharm is that its a new language that you have to learn. For the fist block alone we have around 90 drugs that we needed to know. It is broken down into systems in a way. We started out with general pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamics followed by some general classes of drugs like Cholinergic's and Adrenergic's. After that it gets a but more specific. We just finished Heart failure drugs, anti arrhythmic drugs, anginal drugs, anti-hypertensives etc. Up untill this semester, there hasn't been much emphasis on treatment of diseases and disorders in terms of pharmacology. So that means this semester It's all new. Its really neat to see how it applies with all the disease processes and pathologies we've learned so far. It really brings it back full circle. As for the block 1 exam, I did pretty well. I have a nice buffer going into block 2. Things picked up a bit more today, so I have my work cut out for me this weekend.
Pathology
-Pathology is the real deal. We are doing system based path now and are about half way through respiratory. Just when you thought you knew everything there was to know about emphysema, asthma, bronchitis, you learn real quick that there is much more to take in! I love it though. For block 1, we finished Cardiology and blood vessels. We also had a few respiratory lectures. The exam was tough. It was my worst mark this block. It was acceptable, but I would say 45% of the class failed the first midterm... The professor who teaches us path is quite an interesting guy. He will not let you pass the course unless you know 100% what you are talking about. Im sure some of you have experienced this before in university or wherever. You learn something superficially and assume that it is enough to get by. It might work for certain classes, but not Path2. You have to know the concepts inside and out. He will ask a questions in class, you answer it thinking you know what you're talking about but if he has even an once of doubt that you don know it to the level he wants, he will annihilate you. Its fun in a way, because you make sure you know it for the next time. You could probably imagine from my description of him, that he writes some pretty tough questions. So Path will be the course that makes me put in the time. Its very interesting to me, so I think it should be doable.
ICM
-This course has been nothing but good. It is all real world application. Each week we cover a new system so to speak. There will be two days where we talk about theory / clinical exams, then the rest of the week is spent in the lab doing examinations. In ICM we have real people acting as our patients. When we arrive to lab, we go straight to a patient and conduct the exams for that week. After the examination, we get together as a group and discuss our findings and go over differential diagnoses. This is a great opportunity to learn. We also have simulations with ICM. The week before block exams we have our first one. It is similar to the simulations we had in Physio, except way more intense. Our first case was an Acute Myocardial Infarction case. With our knowledge now, we are required to perform to a much higher standard. We are in a group and coordinate how we are going to run the simulation. We would do an initial assessment, order lab tests, start Iv's, draw blood for blood work, get chest X-ray, run EKG's etc. When the patient evidently goes down hill, we then jump into action. I ended up working airway on this simulation, so I got to intubate which is good fun. We are expected to know the Cardiac arrest protocols, give the appropriate medications and therapies. We saved the patient. It was great. Looking forward to the next simulation!
The nice thing about ICM is that the midterm wasn't too bad. It was just a theory assessment, so not to intensive. This Monday, I do my first practical assessment. I think I'm prepared enough for it, so this weekend will just be a bit more practice. There are two components to the exam. One component is where we take a history on a real patient and gather all the required information to make a diagnosis. We don't have to do any examinations here. The second components is the physical examination part where we are given a case and expected to do the appropriate examination. Right now we have to either do Cardiac exams, Respiratory Exams, Abdominal exams, or Peripheral Vascular exams. They all have different components to them, but we need to be able to do each one if asked. 20% of our grade comes from our ability to answer any questions that the examiner might ask post examination. So its not enough to know how to perform, you have to have all the theory to back it up. Will be exciting.
St Kitts living
-The island still remains about the same. Its hurricane season right now, but we have been very lucky. Hurricane Matthew which is pretty troublesome right now passed just south of the island early last week. It was just a tropical storm when is passed by, so the most we got was a bit of wind. Didn't even get rain. There is still another month and a bit of the season, and historically the worst storms come in October, so fingers crossed! I don't suspect anything too crazy will happen.
-Its hard to believe that I only have a few more weeks here. I will have mixed emotions for sure when It comes time to pack the bags. Its been a tough year in terms of academics, but the island has certainly made the journey exciting. There are things that are frustrating, but I think I will definitely miss it here.
Clinicals
-Today we had a orientation to the clinical rotation we are starting next week. In your last semester, part of the ICM curriculum is to rotate through different areas of medicine At JNF hospital. This is one of our first introductions to real hospital clinical practice. We do 5 different rotations. 2 Internal Medicine, 1 Surgery, 1 ObGyn, 1 Paediatrics. You are placed in a group and are given a schedule indicating when you will be doing each rotation. My schedule starts with Internal Medicine, followed by Surgery, then Peds, then ObGyn. I'm excited to see what is in store for the next few weeks! Essentially what we do is meet with the Doctor, do some patient histories and examinations, report the findings to the doctor and determine a diagnosis. You then compare your own diagnosis with that of the doctors or the pre diagnosed condition. We are then required to document the examination which will be used in a presentation we have to give at the end of the semester. I will be sure to give you more info after I start next week.
Thats about it on my end. I will be sure to keep you posted towards block 2!
Hope everyone is doing well. I figured I would check in.
Since last time I wrote here, 1/4 of the semester has gone by! I know I say this all the time, but this semester is really flying by. No joke, I cant believe it. Part of the reason might be due to the business of the semester, and a big part of it I think has to do with the fact that it really is a lot of fun.
To start off, I guess Ill talk a bit about blocks. Last Monday we finished block 1 exams! I feel like I wasnt as nervous as most people going into them. I think the stigma is that Med4/EBS5 is the big bad semester. The make it or break it. The truth is really, that every semester is make it or break it. If you don't pass a class, you redo a semester essentially. So stressing yourself out over the fact that it is the last semester is pointless. If you have been successful thus far, keep doing what you are doing. If you have been able to make it to the final semester, you have been doing something right. At this point in the game, the tedious stuff is done. We are using our knowledge and applying it to big concepts, something that I absolutely love. Like I said in previous posts, I am taking three classes this semester. Pathology, Pharmacology, and ICM. Ill talk about my experience with each one thus far.
Pharmacology
-This class is no joke. The thing about pharm is that its a new language that you have to learn. For the fist block alone we have around 90 drugs that we needed to know. It is broken down into systems in a way. We started out with general pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamics followed by some general classes of drugs like Cholinergic's and Adrenergic's. After that it gets a but more specific. We just finished Heart failure drugs, anti arrhythmic drugs, anginal drugs, anti-hypertensives etc. Up untill this semester, there hasn't been much emphasis on treatment of diseases and disorders in terms of pharmacology. So that means this semester It's all new. Its really neat to see how it applies with all the disease processes and pathologies we've learned so far. It really brings it back full circle. As for the block 1 exam, I did pretty well. I have a nice buffer going into block 2. Things picked up a bit more today, so I have my work cut out for me this weekend.
Pathology
-Pathology is the real deal. We are doing system based path now and are about half way through respiratory. Just when you thought you knew everything there was to know about emphysema, asthma, bronchitis, you learn real quick that there is much more to take in! I love it though. For block 1, we finished Cardiology and blood vessels. We also had a few respiratory lectures. The exam was tough. It was my worst mark this block. It was acceptable, but I would say 45% of the class failed the first midterm... The professor who teaches us path is quite an interesting guy. He will not let you pass the course unless you know 100% what you are talking about. Im sure some of you have experienced this before in university or wherever. You learn something superficially and assume that it is enough to get by. It might work for certain classes, but not Path2. You have to know the concepts inside and out. He will ask a questions in class, you answer it thinking you know what you're talking about but if he has even an once of doubt that you don know it to the level he wants, he will annihilate you. Its fun in a way, because you make sure you know it for the next time. You could probably imagine from my description of him, that he writes some pretty tough questions. So Path will be the course that makes me put in the time. Its very interesting to me, so I think it should be doable.
ICM
-This course has been nothing but good. It is all real world application. Each week we cover a new system so to speak. There will be two days where we talk about theory / clinical exams, then the rest of the week is spent in the lab doing examinations. In ICM we have real people acting as our patients. When we arrive to lab, we go straight to a patient and conduct the exams for that week. After the examination, we get together as a group and discuss our findings and go over differential diagnoses. This is a great opportunity to learn. We also have simulations with ICM. The week before block exams we have our first one. It is similar to the simulations we had in Physio, except way more intense. Our first case was an Acute Myocardial Infarction case. With our knowledge now, we are required to perform to a much higher standard. We are in a group and coordinate how we are going to run the simulation. We would do an initial assessment, order lab tests, start Iv's, draw blood for blood work, get chest X-ray, run EKG's etc. When the patient evidently goes down hill, we then jump into action. I ended up working airway on this simulation, so I got to intubate which is good fun. We are expected to know the Cardiac arrest protocols, give the appropriate medications and therapies. We saved the patient. It was great. Looking forward to the next simulation!
The nice thing about ICM is that the midterm wasn't too bad. It was just a theory assessment, so not to intensive. This Monday, I do my first practical assessment. I think I'm prepared enough for it, so this weekend will just be a bit more practice. There are two components to the exam. One component is where we take a history on a real patient and gather all the required information to make a diagnosis. We don't have to do any examinations here. The second components is the physical examination part where we are given a case and expected to do the appropriate examination. Right now we have to either do Cardiac exams, Respiratory Exams, Abdominal exams, or Peripheral Vascular exams. They all have different components to them, but we need to be able to do each one if asked. 20% of our grade comes from our ability to answer any questions that the examiner might ask post examination. So its not enough to know how to perform, you have to have all the theory to back it up. Will be exciting.
St Kitts living
-The island still remains about the same. Its hurricane season right now, but we have been very lucky. Hurricane Matthew which is pretty troublesome right now passed just south of the island early last week. It was just a tropical storm when is passed by, so the most we got was a bit of wind. Didn't even get rain. There is still another month and a bit of the season, and historically the worst storms come in October, so fingers crossed! I don't suspect anything too crazy will happen.
-Its hard to believe that I only have a few more weeks here. I will have mixed emotions for sure when It comes time to pack the bags. Its been a tough year in terms of academics, but the island has certainly made the journey exciting. There are things that are frustrating, but I think I will definitely miss it here.
Clinicals
-Today we had a orientation to the clinical rotation we are starting next week. In your last semester, part of the ICM curriculum is to rotate through different areas of medicine At JNF hospital. This is one of our first introductions to real hospital clinical practice. We do 5 different rotations. 2 Internal Medicine, 1 Surgery, 1 ObGyn, 1 Paediatrics. You are placed in a group and are given a schedule indicating when you will be doing each rotation. My schedule starts with Internal Medicine, followed by Surgery, then Peds, then ObGyn. I'm excited to see what is in store for the next few weeks! Essentially what we do is meet with the Doctor, do some patient histories and examinations, report the findings to the doctor and determine a diagnosis. You then compare your own diagnosis with that of the doctors or the pre diagnosed condition. We are then required to document the examination which will be used in a presentation we have to give at the end of the semester. I will be sure to give you more info after I start next week.
Thats about it on my end. I will be sure to keep you posted towards block 2!