Honesty is Key*

Hello All!  I am sure you have been waiting anxiously to see how my semester ended and what exactly happened during MD3.  Well, .......Life happened.  I must admit that it was a very tough semester but I pulled through without letting it break me down.

It began with a peer and me working on a project to educate Anguillians in CPR but it didn't end that way.  There was some resistance from the community that we did not anticipate.  Luckily, we were still able to educate the students at school.  Because it was a student-run project, we were able to log some tutoring hours because the certification is a requirement for the AICM semester that is currently held in Chicago.  If you want to see a video I made about the project, you can look here.  Never mind the music.  It was my first one.  A better quality video is to be uploaded shortly.  The information about the project is also to be updated as well.

Also during MD3, I lived every moment in the library.  There were some naps, tears and laughing that may have occurred but mostly studying to say the least.  I say all this to assure you that although I did have my outlet by teaching CPR that I also made time to study.  And here's some proof!

I still ate well and lost some weight through the semester but I assure you that it wasn't stress.  I was supposed to be preparing for the annual 5K event that is held on the island by the Red Cross but that didn't exactly happen because I wanted to sleep a little bit.  But I can sleep when I'm dead right?  Plus sleep is overrated.

So even after all the studying and writing to memorize drugs and pathologies, it still wasn't enough.  I when I say that, this wasn't enough.  Yes this is as bad as it looks to learn.  But I  prevailed with this material.  Life was a juggling act and unfortunately two things fell out of place.

So what am I saying?  I am saying that I did not pass two classes during the regular semester.  I did not plan to put myself in that position but I must say that things happen beyond your control.  What could have contributed to this?  It could be many things.  It could be the added stress of having class until 5 pm each day and taking a break until 7 pm or it could be the time that I stayed up late to bake and eat chocolate chip cookies.  Or from having to write a 5 page paper for Walden University or completing my vRx assignment for pharmacology.  As you see, it could be a number of items.

So what now?  Well I went home for break after my exams.  My family and friends were very supportive and demanded that every moment be dedicated to studying.  Honestly, I did not want to study.  I was becoming content with the idea that if I had to stay a semester longer that I would be okay.  After some thought, I began to develop the confidence that these exams were to be conquered by me.  So here at Saint James, currently, there is an opportunity to "redeem" yourself if you fail the course during the regular.  So there is a cumulative exam that you have the opportunity to take.  In order to pass the course of which you must score a 70% and that allows you to pass the course.

So after the endless hours of being told to study, it is safe to say that.............


I PASSED!!! Woohoo!!!  I am now in my final semester of Basic Sciences!  So let me catch up on what I missed in the last 3 days.  So I will run now to study hard and make all of you proud!  Oh what can this semester bring?

And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself: That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.

-1 Kings 2:3-4, KJV 

Again, Another Look to See Changes in Culture

Hello readers, I am a classmate of Ariel’s and I will be telling you my perspective on our current situation.

The clear sky above me, the silky white sand gliding between my toes, the salty cool breeze that passes through me, and the sun rays that warm my skin. Those are all the elements that collectively paint a vivid image of what life in this tropical paradise may consist of. And to be honest none of the above is exaggerated. Anguilla is actually one of the most beautiful places on this planet. I’ve done my share of international travel and so far no place has compared to the serenity that is felt here in nature’s utopia.

That being said, it’s so unfortunate but living here brings upon a set of burdens otherwise not endured. This could be due to the fact that all of us medical students are from the United States or Canada and we have become conditioned to a certain lifestyle. Fast internet, reliable electricity, a home free of lizards and centipedes, drinkable tap water, and proper traffic laws are just the basics that we are accustomed too. Establishments such as shopping malls, movie theaters, or even fast food chains that once upon a time were part of our everyday lives are now luxuries we must do without. All of us students have become extremely adaptable and over time have adjusted to everything like champions. Initially, the lifestyle change was brutal but like the saying goes, out of sight out of mind.

Mentioned above are the tangible compromises one must make when living in the Caribbean. Believe it or not but that isn’t even the most challenging part about being here. The part that will break you down and keep you up at night is actually an internal struggle. Living on this island and dedicating all your time to learning the art of medicine dominates all aspects of your life. While you are spending all your time in class, at the library, in lab, at review sessions everyone else is going through human experiences typical of their age. For example, I can not tell you how many holidays, birthdays, weddings, funerals, baby showers, graduations, and seasonal changes I have missed by being here. It feels as if everyone else is truly living and we are merely existing. We wake up and go through all the same motions, our routine never changes, and we start to seek pleasure in our work such as getting an A on an exam or presentation. We become so indulged that we forget to reply to texts or return phone calls and then our loved ones become accustomed to our absence as an inevitable consequence.

So you see, being a Caribbean medical student is not for the fickle. It takes all mind, body, and soul to be successful in this lifestyle. You must be so dedicated to the Medical Sciences that you willingly sacrifice life’s precious moments that can never be earned back. No one truly knows what to expect until they themselves actually experience this chaos of holding on and letting go, accepting and adapting. On the bright side, time waits for no one; good or bad it will pass and one day it will all be worth it. So while living here brings about the essence of summertime sadness it does so with a view. And all you can do is stare out into the various shades of blue ocean and see the bigger picture, you will be a doctor and you will save a life.

Xoxo

- M

“It is not the eyes that are blind, but the hearts.” – Qur’an 22:46

Mead's Bay at Sunset

MD2 Details and Tribute for a Friend

Hello All!  You don’t have to remind me that I am a little late in posting because I have been trying to get myself to do so for a while now.  It has been a really awful week honestly.  My dad was hospitalized for stomach pain but unfortunately the doctors wanted to treat his high blood pressure.  That is a conversation all in its own but other than that, he went home on Sunday.  Thank God for that.

So continue on with the car situation, I only had to pay $265 EC or $100 US to transfer the car to my name.  So the rumors of it will be $500 US were false.  I must thank my step father #1 for that because I didn’t know how I was going to get that paid for.  And I promise I will get that oil change you told me to get.  But now, no more stranded at the library when it closes and I don’t have to stay until midnight.

On to new things, I need to describe the classes that I have this semester.  Well, there are some students in my class that rely solely on watching videos of this professor but that is not my style.  I don’t even like sitting through lectures of our teachers sometimes so why would I want to sit through another?  Whatever works for you is how you should proceed through your classes.

Biochemistry seems a lot easier than it should be but I am not complaining.  It also may have to do with the fact that we don’t have to know as much information as we had to learn in undergrad.  The course seems more of a review from undergrad.  The method I am using to get through this class is reading the slides repeatedly as well as redrawing the pathways and identifying rate-limiting enzymes because those are the steps that heavily influence your reactions and where most pathology come from.

Physiology is the hardest course that I have this semester.  It uses the anatomy on steroids we took in the first semester and begins to tell us how the body functions.  Today we will start the kidney and from what I’ve heard, it is NOT your friend.  This class is all concepts.  The formulas that you are given in class are not usually for solving but more of explaining how structures work within the body.

Genetics is very difficult to describe.  It seems way too easy but I will not discount it because it has some challenging things to remember as well.  It is also review from undergrad if you took this course.

Neuroanatomy is probably the most interesting class we have this semester.  The teacher uses a teaching style that is different from every other teacher and I think it is the most effective.  He rarely uses powerpoint and draws on the board.  It is useful because you can draw everything and not have to study as hard.  This method of learning should be used in other courses but I am not the teacher for these courses.  Also, the professor commented that Caribbean medical schools should have better teachers due to US schools employing teachers based on how much research money they can contribute.  When the teachers do teach, it may be a teacher’s assistant or they may do so while focusing on their research.  It is a valid point but who knows the truth?

CCBS is similar to what I had in the first semester except this time it is primarily presentations this semester.  It is mostly review from last semester in combination with new information we are learning this semester.  Still, it is mostly a review course for repeat exposure to material.

Finally we have RHM or research in health and medicine.  While we are on the island, they ask that we perform research to ensure that we understand the importance of research.  The research must be feasible for the budget that they provide which is not a lot from what I hear.  A lot of students usually continue research that other students have done previously.

So those are the classes.  Since last week we finished our Block 1 exams, we had our usual Scilly Cay party sponsored by White Coat which is a committee for the final semester students to raise money for their white coat ceremony.  This semester, I decided to partake even though I would rather sleep.  They also had a beauty bar where you could nails, hair and make-up. I decided to let my friends give me a makeover and I’ll let you decide on how I looked and you can scroll through other pages if you want to see a difference.  It was really nice to be dolled up and prance around for a few.  I didn’t get a chance to take pictures a Scilly Cay because it was so dark.  I should mention that it is another island that just so happens to be used for partying.

My Attire for Scilly Cay

Tribute for a Friend

One last thing to add before I close is that I have a friend that would like some prayers and donations for her cousin.  Her cousin who is in India is experiencing some health issues where she will need a heart and lung transplant.  She has a Go Fund Me page and I will provide the link below.  Any support would make them happy and I am sure there are plenty of prayer warriors out there.  Her name is Deepika and she is only 23 years old.  There is more information about her condition on the link below.

Deepika's Go Fund Me

Finally, I leave you all with:

“Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”

-NKJV Psalms 55:22

What I wish I brought to Anguilla....

Hey so today is a holiday so therefore we don't have class.  Again.  I should really be studying but hey I need a break.  So what if it's a 5-hour break?  Well, maybe that does matter and I will definitely regret it later but it's a beautiful day.

So this weekend has been very eventful and unproductive (meaning a lack of studying).  Friday night, I went to a Bonfire with the church members I met an that was really fun.  They fattened me up with chicken wings, very sweet watermelon and some sandwiches.  It was really good.  They also had some games including musical chairs and such but I was just watching.  It was still a lot of fun I would say.  Going on that night was also a White Coat party that I didn't have the energy to attend.

Saturday, some students picked me up to go eat brunch at a restaurant called Gerardo's.  The food was tasty but not cheap in my opinion.  Maybe I am just too cheap.  Probably so.  But I think of breakfast as less than $5 and $9.77 made me break a $20.  I'm just saying.  It was fun to hang out with my classmates.  The food was pretty good although the service was sub-par.  I'll explain later.  After eating, we went looking for a store to buy our classmate a backpack since hers broke.  Well, first stop was Zazaas outlet that was more of a boutique.  Then we were informed of an Indian store across from the El Dorado mall.  After going there, we all purchased something because it was a pretty cheap store for toiletries.  Needless to say, when I got home, I attempted to study at 10:00 at night but I only got an hour in.  And I will also say the the third season of Orange is the New Black attracted my attention for the remainder of the night.

Sunday, I got up and got ready for church.  The minister picked me up and I came back home after service to cook some lunch and watch some more Orange is the New Black. To be really honest, I went to sleep around sunset after talking to my boyfriend for an hour.  So, no production there either.

Monday, since it is the Queen's Birthday, we have no class.  Not a problem with me but why did I wake up at 7 am this morning?  This is torture to myself I would say.  Either way, I got up and studied anatomy and histology for two hours like a good little medical student but after lunch, I did not study hence why I am writing this now.  I tell all of the future students reading this, you probably should study every waking moment.  Who am I kidding?  At least live a little while you're here but that does not constitute partying a lot either.

Okay, so back to the title of this post.  So the general consensus is that people wished they brought more food.  I will say the same.  I do wish that I brought more food although I don't where I would have put it!  It also seems that a lot of people brought a lot of items on the suggested list from admissions which it doesn't even appear we need.  This is all information based on the Anguilla campus which cost an additional $2000 compared to the other campuses.  The items such as the dissection kit, shoe covers, gloves, and face masks are all provided by the school.  I'm so glad I didn't buy that stuff.  It is useful to have more than one pair of scrubs and I brought 2 pair.  The stethoscope, blood pressure cuff and other instruments used for patient assessment are not used until MD 4 so it is no point in having them now.  The stethoscope and blood pressure cuff are useful if you plan to join Red Cross.

The organizations that are present include the Red Cross, AMSA, Cover 2 Cover and Student Government.  Red Cross is just like the Red Cross organization we have in the United States but for the school, they are involved in having health checks for the community.  It is also an easy way to start learning basic patient care.  It costs about $25 the first semester and you are expected to have 25 hours worth of activities completed by White Coat which is held in MD 4.  They also have initiated a pin that you can earn to put onto your white coat.  AMSA or American Medical Student Association is club that has a one time fee of $75 for membership of an organization that offers discounts for USMLE preparation.  I am not too sure how useful it is but that seems to be the only benefit in my opinion.  I will try to learn more about it.  Cover 2 Cover is a club that takes books donated by previous students and rents them to students for a charge of $10 of which you receive back in MD 4 after returning all books.  Student government is just like any other student government at any other school.  I would say that ours is really effective because we have many other amenities that other campuses currently don't have that I've heard of.  These are all my perspectives and in no way can be used as complete knowledge of these organizations. (Just covering my butt!)

All in all, I would like to leave with scripture about doing good even when no one is looking:
For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.

-2 Corinthians 8:21, NIV

Finally, I went to church

Okay, so the main reason I think I did not feel at home the most was because I couldn't go to church so today, I was kind of on a quest to try and go.

Just know that it worked in my favor that after warming my breakfast, a roommate came downstairs and said they could take me.

He dropped me off at the Church of Christ in Blowing Point, not far from the ferry.  At first, I was concerned because the driveway looked sketchy but I am usually a trooper for things.  After going up the hill, I saw a car next to a building.  This building looked very big from the outside and it wasn't as I expected.  The church was not air conditioned although with the windows open and the fans going, you could not tell the difference in my opinion.  I knew as soon as I was brought here that there was no need to ask my roommate to come back and get me because most Church of Christ members go over and beyond for one another.

Everyone there was very welcoming and I could feel the warmth.  The sermon today was about God still having more for us.  I agree wholeheartedly because He wouldn't bring me this far to leave me.  I will admit that I needed that after my Block 1 scores.  I must admit that the sermon gave me a sense of hope for the rest of my time here and that school will be fine.  If I continue to study hard and stay focused, everything will come together.

After service, I was informed that there will be a bonfire on Friday night that I will definitely rather go to than the party that happened this past Friday.  My roommates went by the way and they didn't sound like they had a lot of "fun."  Maybe another semester but not this one.  But back the bonfire, I am definitely interested in doing that plus it is a chance to actually hang out with the locals here.

Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures this time but I will the next time that I go.  And for the scripture reference:
You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today. Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors, if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Deuteronomy 30:8-10, NIV