Five years ago, just before my birthday, I decide to try a Biore deep cleansing pore strip. Yes, it came with all the promises: "instantly remove dirt, oil and blackheads!" or "actually diminish the appearance of your pores!" For someone blessed with noticeable pores, this was a promise of freedom. Diminish the appearance of my pores? Instantly ( Read more... )

Mindlessly flipping channels can actually be educational. My last night of TV freedom before knuckling down with the books, I came across an interesting documentary on PBS last night called "Country Boys" directed by David Sutherland. He first became well-known for his film "The Farmer's Wife", the story of a rural Nebraska couple struggling to ( Read more... )

I was Doctor Number 8. Yesterday, with 24 other examinees, I took my Step 2 Clinical Skills exam. Being part of our Step 2 of the boards (the other part, the sit-down-in-front-of-a-computer-for-9-hours exam), this exam assesses whether an examinee can display the basic clinical skills necessary for effective patient care. It was first initiated ( Read more... )

Ahh, two weeks of vacation. So far it has consisted of running outside in the cold (what a rush!), movies, and homemade cookies with tea. And, of course, my almost 5-month old niece's kissable cheeks. Yum ( Read more... )

there is a blizzard tonight, making me happy i'm stuck in the hospital overnight. looking out the windows, i see the chicago traffic is horrendous along I-290, even after 9PM. all is quiet for me and my team right now: potential patients are stuck at home not wanting to brave the weather, apparently ( Read more... )

why are men so stubborn and insecure? i'm so sick of this crap. if you find some strange woman wandering the streets screaming frustrations, it's probably me or someone in my shoes. arrrrrgggggghhhhhh!

i so totally should be working up another patient, finishing the note, and reading something about renal function to look smart tomorrow morning after getting virtually no sleep. i do this for a month this year. it will be 9 next year. (please god, give me strength!) i'm going to bury myself in anemia, renal insufficiency, and thoracotomies for the ( Read more... )

why is it that being on call is such a drag? i hate waiting to be paged for patients. why can't there be an online sheet that shows me what to expect? maybe there is but i, the student, am not privy to it. being the dilettante requires patience. i just want to get some work done, get on with the afternoon, deal with things early and then attempt to ( Read more... )

my thanksgiving menu consisted of baked chicken, stuffing, roasted potatoes, chestnut soup. now the chicken bones are cooking for soup -- yum. i went to whole foods today to pick up something for a light lunch. on our way out, i noticed a sign for free day old bread, french baguettes. i asked how many i could take, and an employee said "as much as ( Read more... )

I like this analysis of "Lost." Just something to think about since the show itself is so full of mystery.

http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001168.cfm