I guess we'll just have to adjust?

After finishing my first 5k

A group of classmates that ran too :)

 I started running in March. I injured myself and wasn't able to get back in to things until May or June. I started running a lot. But I didn't run my first race until September. It was a 5k. I had a good time and I did ok... I could get in to this. A month later, I did another 5k that my neighborhood put on. It was a good way to meet neighbors and people to run with. (Lesson learned: people in my neighborhood are fast. And they're all 20-29.) Now I'm training to complete a 5 mile "Turkey Trot" on Thanksgiving. Philly is such an active city that people are always out running. My neighbor and I are joining a running club in our neighborhood too which I am excited about. Lately my life has had a lot of negativity in it and I have gotten wrapped up in it. I went on a long run yesterday to sort my thoughts. It was a perfect day - aside from being freezing - not a cloud in the sky, autumn colors everywhere, and bright sunshine. A song came up on my ipod and it reminded me that 
things can suck sometimes but you are alive, loved, and healthy, so get over it.  


Somethin’ filled up
my heart with nothin’,
someone told me not to cry.

But now that I’m older,
my heart’s colder,
and I can see that it’s a lie.




Here's a link for you all to get inspired by the same song on your next run. 

   

I also ran past this guy on Saturday's run: local news anchor and all-around-good-guy Brian Taff ......... such swagger!

Be Careful Out There

This block in school (Microbiology and Infectious Disease) has been really interesting but has taught me some valuable life lessons. Such as:

Literally every bad virus and parasite or protozoan are endemic in Africa. It's freaky. But Africans probably have serious immunity built in to their bodies or they would be getting sick all time. Well, the adults anyway. The kids do get sick.... and die.

Also, being a kid, pregnant, HIV +, a transplant recipient, or cancer patient makes you able to catch ANYTHING. And if you do, it could kill you.  

Parasites are smarter than you. They change your behavior to benefit them without you even knowing you have it. BRAIN CONTROL. (They do it to mice, cats, racoons, and dogs, too.)

This block has also added many things to the "Things that I want to be put down for if I get diagnosed with" list. 

Basically, it's a miracle we're all still alive.

L

Year Two

It has been a minute since I posted anything on here! Let me recap the Summer...

I was given the opportunity to work in Philadelphia during the summer in the STEP-UP research program funded by the NIH. It was a great experience overall and I am very happy I did it because it gave me the flexibility to travel a bit as well as work and add to my CV. Considering this was my last summer, I am pretty happy with how it turned out!

In July, my person moved halfway across the country. So instead of wallowing, I spent the 4th with family in Arlington, VA and loved every minute :) Returning to work was not fun after pooltime and nap time every day! 

I worked until the first of August when I went to Kansas City, MO for the American Academy of Family Physicians National Conference. I went with a classmate (we are co-presidents of the Family Medicine Interest Group at our school) and we stayed outside the city at our other classmate's house. It was an awesome experience! The conference was cool and we have a bunch of ideas about how to get 1st year students excited about Fam Med and primary care. Hanging out with Max and his family was awesome - super nice and welcoming. Loved it. 

From Kansas City, I flew two more states over to Utah! I was only there for 6 days but it was a good visit. Saw two of my best friends a lot and got to spend lots of time with family, which is something I am seriously learning the value of being so far from home. 

I flew back to Philly from SLC and two days later started my second year of medical school at Temple University School of Medicine! I made it through the first week (barely)! I am so excited for this year to get underway - the focus of our curriculum is pathological states of everything so we learn the cool diseases an how to diagnose, treat, or manage them. 

At the end of this school year I am taking the first medical licensing exam and moving to Pittsburgh where I will be completing my clinical years of medical school. I can't believe how much has happened in just one year and how much I have learned in school and about myself. School makes everything else seem trivial but luckily I am living with two if my best friends this year (and Morty of course) so we will all pull through together. 

So that's it! You will be hearing more from me this year I hope :)

hasta pronto
L

At the Jersey Shore before moving day

Who is the real alpha?

I wanted to study. Morty had other ideas for what I should be doing.

Winner

A Circle for Valentine's Day

This story begins with me.

To get a better idea of what medicine is like in practice, I started shadowing several in the Salt Lake Valley.

This led me to the man seen below, Dr. Louis Borgenicht

  

"Dr. Lou", as he is known by his patients, is a pediatrician in private practice on 900 E 200 S. I shadowed him a handful of times and got a good dose of what I look for in a physician - using physical medicine. Dr. Lou is old-school in the best way. He doesn't jump to tests that are unnecessary, he uses experience and H&P to treat his patients, all of which love him. As I was talking with him, he recommended a book to me:

 

This book.

This book is amazing. It rang so true with everything I saw in El Salvador, about the coupling of poverty and poor health, and it inspired me to do more good as I returned to El Salvador in 2011. It follows Dr. Paul Farmer in his quest for equality and access in global medicine. It influenced me in both my essays and interviews for medical school in the fall/winter of 2011. Which led me:

 

Here, to Temple University School of Medicine. Where I study, learn, and am tested every day with something new and fascinating. Yesterday while I was waiting to enter my OSCE exam, I read an announcement on one of the many electronic bulletin boards in our beautiful building. An announcement that Dr. Paul Farmer would be the speaker for the annual AOA conference. 

 

 

     This is Dr. Farmer. He revolutionized treatment protocols of HIV/AIDS, MDRTB, and other illnesses of global public health. I have counted him as one of my heroes since I started reading about him, which was after a suggestion from Dr. Lou, who I had shadowed to get a better idea of medicine was like. It is always interesting to see how things will come full circle in our lives. I am so excited to hear Dr. Farmer speak that I almost can't take it. 

Just one more reason why I love my path, I love my school, and I love medicine. 

Happy Valentine's Day.

Feel it start to Permeate

Can't help myself but count the flaws
Claw my way out through these walls
One temporary escape
Feel it start to permeate
We lie beneath the stars at night
Our hands gripping each other tight
You keep my secrets hope to die
Promises, swear them to the sky
The bittersweet between my teeth
Trying to find the in-betweens
Fall back in love eventually
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
As it withers
Brittle it shakes
Can you whisper
As it crumbles and breaks
As you shiver
Count up all your mistakes
Pair of forgivers
Let go before it's too late

I love this song. It's sad but I love it. It was the song playing when Lexie was confessing that she was still in love with Mark in the season finale last year. It's so sad and reminds me of something sad, but right now, it's all I want to listen to. 

Now you can too :)

 

 

Keeping my word

"I will try to be better about posting photos and posts over the next month. Even if it is to count down until I go home for Christmas."

Famous last words. I was terrible at posting in December. But since it is a new year I plan to do better. My resolutions are as follows:
1- Not let med school ruin my life
              In block one all I did was study, and missed out on getting honors because of a peer review grade I had no control over. I had not been going to the gym and was unhappy with how I looked. So basically, I sacrificed with no benefit - in the end my grade had been out of my control. I made a change starting in block 2 that I would get back to my routine of a 2 hour gym session every day and so far I have done a decent job maintaining it. I want to be better about getting enough sleep and managing my time so that I can do the things I want to do and stay on top of my school work.

2 - Stay in better touch with friends and family
           Which includes posting on this blog.

3 - Be less forgetful
           This one is hard because I am even forgetful in close relationships. Like when we talk and they tell me something, but I forget it, then when they have to repeat themselves they get frustrated and think I don't care, which is just not true.

4 - Love more
            Self explanatory I think

5 - Explore more
           At Christmas, my aunt suggested that I get a book about Philadelphia because I would learn all sorts of cool facts and history about Philly. I am going to take her advice because even though I have lived in Philadelphia for six months, I do not know a ton about it. I am still learning things, like the Flyers' nickname is the Broad Street Bullies, all the time and I like that but I can do more.

So I hope you enjoyed my resolutions. They aren't serious until you write them in some form. I hope that everyone reading this will help me keep my resolutions, and if you write yours I will return the favor. 

Lastly, I would not have survived the last few months without the people featured below.
So thank you

My Favorite Goofball Part 1

My Favorite Goofball Part 2 (but notice I am still able to keep posing - pure talent)