12 Dec 2020. I’m on a much-needed one month break after completing my first semester at med school! Boy oh boy, did I need this time off. This semester (July 2020—December 2020) I took: Biochemistry, Physiology, Anatomy, Microbiology, Histology, Foundations of Research, Immunology, and Nutrition.
I’m not here to sugarcoat a damn thing: it was TOUGH!!! In undergrad, I was in the Honor’s Anthro program with a minor in Psych. I then attended a 2-year grad program at Harvard where I conducted research and took specific science classes (i.e. a few organic chemistry courses – orgo is my favorite sci subject!). While I’ve been deeply involved with research since 2011 (yes, high school!), pre-clinical sciences were never part of my vocab.
Some reflections: -I loved Foundations of Research. Our blessing of a professor emailed us all test content before our exams. Content-wise, biochem was by far my favorite.
-taking Anatomy was a *DISASTER* at first. I remember sitting at my desk after my 3rd lecture of the semester, researching backup careers online thinking I’d have to drop out of med school. Tears rolled down my eyes thinking about how hard I’d worked to get here and perhaps I did not belong (I know, the drama. Spoiler alert: I got over it an hour later). Fast forward to the end of the semester, where, thanks to a TON of help from my parents & classmates: anatomy became one of my strongest subjects 🙂 We love a happy ending.
-Nutrition is actually called “Basics of Nutrition” but LET ME TELL YOU that last nutrition exam was anything but ~basic~. Sentiments are similar with physiology. Immunology was even worse. I don’t even want to talk about it, so moving onto…
-Somehow, I’ve been so happy this year despite periods of academic overload, and I mean it when I say overload- we had “integrated exams” every few weeks that took up the whole day (IMO, integrated exams are NOT COOL – they consisted of ~6 subjects being tested together, in random order). We had a harsh grading scale; scoring below 70% = fail. We had no days off, and I’m pretty sure the majority of my classmates also spent 12-15 hours a day studying. Despite the aforementioned… I rolled by without much stress or anxiety. I attribute this to my lifestyle which incorporates a shitload of meditation, yoga, and prioritizing time with family and friends (which yes, meant I had to take some L’s on exams. 100% worth it). When I think of how far I’ve come in just 4 months, I feel genuinely proud of myself. This sounds cheesy, but we always say the best is yet to come and I wholeheartedly believe this gives hope – however, my secret sauce is waking up each morning and thinking, “I wonder what beautiful things are going to happen today?!”
Fun facts: I love saying “Schlemm’s Canal” (vessel in eye through which aqueous humor passes). Coconut Oil has more saturated fat than other oils! Americans over-consume protein. Infants are born with immature immune systems and rely on IgG antibodies transferred by mothers in the last 3 months of pregnancy for protection. The human body has more microbes than cells!!
Alright, I’m over discussing the semester. Luckily, I did not have to remediate nor retake any classes. I’ve been chillin’ on break, having way too much fun destroying my brain cells with wine, sleeping 9+ hours a day, loving hard on life (I’m actually on a flight from NYC -> Cali to visit my friend, who I met in Thailand in 2017!), & creating new yoga and meditation routines. If you have any questions about anything, I’m happy to chat your ear off, always! Here’s to hoping next semester I have my sh*t together a bit more, while staying just as happy as I’ve been all of this year. Here’s to also hoping that 2021 kisses ‘rona goodbye.
P.s… a very big RIP to this —>
Med for the Mind 