Fall Semester: Weeks 1/2

Ah, a much needed 3 day weekend.  Things have been quite busy around here.  So busy, it took me a week to write my last post and another week to get around to writing this one.

Fall semester began last Wednesday, and they didn't waste any time getting down to business.  We've already had 32 hrs 15 mins of lectures, 2 hrs 40 mins of lab, a 4 hour AHEC Tobacco Training and Cessation-Initial Training (ATTAC-IT) seminar, 2 quizzes, and a Dermatology exam.  It makes me tired just writing about it.

This semester has been pretty cool though.  Here's a run down of the classes I'm taking and what we've been up to these past couple weeks.

Medicine 1
This semester is comprised of Dermatology, Ophthalmology/Dental, ENT, Hematology/Oncology, Endocrinology, Pulmonology, Cardiology,  Urology/Nephrology, and Gastroenterology.

So far, we have completed the entire Dermatology section...in 1.5 weeks.  One girl in the class had printed out all the lecture powerpoints (two slides to a page) and it took up an entire 3 inch binder.  It was because of this class that I was in library until about 8 or 9 PM most of last week.  I think I have learned that I do not want to go into dermatology.  They make great money and work great hours, but it was kind of boring.  Besides, those lectures had some of the grossest pictures we'll look at all year.  But, we had our exam on Friday and I think it went really well.  They haven't posted test grades yet, but I feel good about it.

Physical Diagnosis
PDx is the class where we learn how to do a physical exam, using all the tools you see in a clinic setting.  We have one lecture and one lab a week.  Last week, we talked about a general assessment and vital signs.  This week, we learned how to examine the eye using the ophthalmoscope.  Those things are really hard to get the hang of.  I really couldn't see much through it.  They have newer ones called panoptic scopes (these are the ones that are gun-shaped).  They are soooo much better.  You can see a lot more clearly the structures inside the eye.

Pharmacology
So far, we've just gotten into learning the basic conceptual stuff behind pharmacodynamics (how the drug interacts with the body) and pharmacokinetics (how the body interacts with the drug i.e. - absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion).  In the next week or so we'll start getting into specific drugs

Physiology
Membrane transport, action potentials, muscle physiology.  Stuff we've all already seen in undergrad, but a necessary reminder.

Behavioral and Community Medicine
I think this is kind of a misnomer.  Really, it's just a general topics class where they couch all the lectures that don't belong anywhere else.  For instance, we'll have lectures on end of life care, preventative medicine, disparities in healthcare, ethics in medicine, etc.  This week, we just had an intro to the "biopsychosocial" model of medicine.  Basically, that it's more than the disease itself that contributes to a person's health.

And that's how my semester will shape up.  There is a ton to learn and a ton to do.  But, I'm excited about learning it all...or at least as much as my puny brain can soak up.

Oh, and I mentioned that ATTAC-IT seminar above.  Sometime this semester we will be going out to middle schools with other health science students to teach kids about the evils of tobacco use.  So, this Thursday, we had an "Afternoon of Learning" to become familiar with the program.  Well, this picture of me was taken during that seminar.

I look totally bald in this picture.

Yes, I slept through much of the large group portion.  I was tired and it was kinda boring, plus my brain was fried from all the studying.  So, no, I don't feel bad about it :) 

It's great to be back in school learning what I've looked forward to learning for so long.  I really do love PA school.

 I'll post again sometime tomorrow about my very first Gator football game.  Have a good night.