The Really Real Actual First Day of Class

Today was the real first day. I know I keep saying that its the first day, but this time I mean it. We actually had class, so this is the first really real day. Really!

This weekend was a little fun and a lot of work. More festivities and a lot of time spent on an essay I had to write for my MPH class. The essay was on the socio-ecological model for solving public health issues, and my focus issue was adolescent obesity. So I learned a lot and wrote a four page paper. I also had a LOT of reading for my MPH class, like 200 pages or more. I spent all day Sunday in the library with my MPH classmates and some over-achieving MD students (studying IN ADVANCE!) and we had fun goofing off and joking around with eachother. I didn't accomplish much during the group study, but I finished the paper and the readings and had a really good time and got to know my MD/MPH crew better. I really do love them, and am so happy that I get to spend extra time with them this year!

Sunday night a bunch of us also ordered Chinese from our favorite Chinatown place (Great Dumpling House - its soooo good!) and hung out at a friend's house. These three girls have two kittens, and we had fun eating, feeding the cats, and playing BOGGLE!! I suck at Boggle by the way, but it is a really fun game!

Monday came and we had Biochem, then Patient Presentations on Cystic Fibrosis, then Cell Biology, then a lunch break, then a student organizations fair, then an MPH presentation on summer opportunities by the MD/MPH class above ours. Looong day! The good news is my professors are all really nice and funny and legitimately good teachers, so the lectures weren't too bad. Plus I have already learned a lot of the material we are doing from undergrad (not that I actually remember much, but everything is familiar). The issue is what I've heard it was going to be - there is waayyyyy too much material. The analogy I have heard from second years is that med school is like drinking water from a firehose... I looked over the material for tomorrow and its almost everything I learned in a month at UCF - as in a month's worth in all 15 credits - in two days of med school. Its quite a lot. But I am VERY on top of the studying (its only day one, I know, but let me be positive here!)

The study plan: read and highlight handout material before class, take notes in class, transcribe notes into handouts after class, go to the gym, write outlines using the handouts with the notes. Good plan, but it involves about 3-5 hours of studying a night. And the gym. Probably not a sustainable plan. But a friend from Maryland is visiting this weekend (yay!) so at least for this week I need to stay on top of things. And I have succeeded for day one, even with the extra MPH coursework! So there, med school!!

My dad broke down my med school costs and told me that each day of school I am basically spending $220 to be there. Today, I got at least $220 worth. I heard from a doctor and her patient about the complications of cystic fibrosis, had two amazing lectures from really cool professors (one who lives on a boat in the Boston harbor while he's here!), got involved in a bunch of clubs, learned about summer abroad opportunities and grants, and even went to the gym (well kind of, it was closed so the roommate and I went up and down the 9 stories of stairs twice...). So Dad, today was a success!

I also hung out with a non med school friend from Gainesville, the roommate and I made dinner, and I studied with three classmates throughout the day. Because my apartment is so close to school, it seems that people will be coming over a lot to study or chill. We have had at least 6 house guests so far! It is fun to have people over, and good to spend time in smaller groups rather than the overwhelming mess of orientation last week.

Overall, today was crazy. Tomorrow is looking equally hectic (MD class 8:15 - 12, MPH class from 1:30 - 5:30, and then I am going to volunteer at Sharewood, the free clinic!!!) I am so excited to volunteer at Sharewood and really hope I like it (these days the plan is to work with under-served populations, and if I don't like the free clinic I am going to need to change the plan...). I also am now a member of almost all the student orgs offered here at TUSM (including Hillel!), and will see where that takes me.

Goodnight friends! If you want a more personalized update, feel free to email / facebook / call me and eventually I will get back to you!