Gross Anatomy and the Thalamus Club
Yesterday in gross anatomy, we got an idea in our heads that it is possible our cadaver might have died of cancer. She had a mastectomy of her left breast. This week, we start dissection of the axila, chest and quadricept. It's nice that people are so enthusiastic about sharing what they've learned on their cadaver with other people. We all walk around to see whether we can identify the same muscle in other bodies. Then we quiz each other. Memorizing all the nerves, muscles, bones and arteries is certainly proving to be a challenge! The hardest part for me is when we are working on the left side of the body and the Netter's Anatomy book shows a diagram of the right side. I am sure it will get easier and it will be a rather cool thing to overcome!
This Saturday morning I will attend my first Thalamus Club meeting. How corny is that? It's from 9am until 1pm and it involves second year students working with us and the cadavers. That's really generous of them to come in and help us. In a few weeks they will start preparing mock Practical Exams for us... starting at 7am... on Saturday mornings!
Two weeks through medical school
What a fantastic experience. This morning I am tired. So far, I've stuck with getting to the gym before my 8am classes. I get up at 5:45am. But over the weekend I stayed up late and partied with new friends. So I need to catch up on sleep. I can feel it. It is time to start studying. We're all having a tough time battling study inertia.
Orientation week is filled with group activities: silly games, scavenger hunt all throughout DC, community day at Marvin Gaye park where we picked up hyperdermic needles, met our big sibs, met our cadavers, bought scrubs and a stethoscope, went bowling, went to McFaddens, went to Karma, took a night time boat ride on the Potamac, went to The Improv for a comedy show, bar hopped Adams Morgan and of course we had our white coat ceremony.
Gross anatomy is an invigorating experience, at times. I felt brave in making the first cut and dissection. I think I know what I am doing, without really knowing my way around the body. I actually enjoy cleaning through the fascia and looking for the borders of muscles and underlying bones. To me, parts of it are really beautiful. I want every cut to look like art. I want a picture perfect dissection. That is fun for me. But learning all the muscle names, ligaments, nerves and what they do, will be a huge challenge. Our professor made animated Flash movies on every section of the body and I try to use them, but it is extremely time consuming. In our dissection group, I am the only girl of 6 people. Pretty amazing for a class of 166, where a hundred of us are girls!
Microanatomy isn't freaking me out in the least. So far I know everything all ready. If anything makes me nervous, it is that I already feel comfortable with the material. I am sure it will change! So I just sit back, relax and learn a few more details.
Neurobiology started yesterday. Again, it was all review for me. But I do not know all the fissures and gyri of the brain. Again, anatomy. Even as a visual person, it is a challenge for me because the names are ridiculous. The parts of the brain called "uncus" or "mammilary body"... wah? Are you kidding me?
Today we start POM (Practice of Medicine). The lecture is titled, "Medical Decision Making". This should be a very thought provoking course. I like my group of people. There are 9 of us. I am not the only girl this time. In fact, one of the girls I hung out with a lot this weekend, is in my group.
Tomorrow we are back to Micro Anatomy and will study connective tissue and fertilization. This is all a review of my work at Penn last year. From 2pm until 5pm, we have Gross Anatomy, which will be a lot of new material. Ending the day with dissection can be tiring. Everyone is ready to run out of the lab, after two hours are up. But I am sure we'll acclimate and spend three times that in a day, before too long!
Cutie Patootie!
This is my friend from SF. She and I know each other because we were rock climbing buddies at Mission Cliffs gym. (We met through Daniel because of MySpace.com. Daniel set us up.) Then she went through my MySpace friends and messaged one of my friends from Rochester, NY. He and I were climbing buddies when I lived on the East Coast. He since moved to Seattle and the two of them started to long-distance-date! Well, as it turns out, now he just moved to SF to be with her.
Go MySpace and climbing buddies! That is my best match-maker story. They are very cute together!
Joe is getting MARRIED!!
It had been ages since I hung out with two of my oldest buddies in SF. We actually go back to Rochester days. We've been there for one another through tough times and they feel like family to me. Joe announced the exciting news that he is GETTING MARRIED! I couldn't be happier for him and it couldn't have happened to a more deserving guy. Brad vouches that the girl is as wonderful as he is. So, I approve, of course! CONGRATS!!
We ate at our old spot-- Magnolias at Haight and Masonic. Good food and beer. Nice atmosphere for catching up. This was one of my favorite nights, just because it had been years and years since the three of us got to hang out. Shoot... I should have gotten a picture of the three of us. It was awesome to hear about their plans and career advancements. Two photographers. Two very talented and passionate photographers, at that. I feel like a proud sister!
Gymming, walking, shopping, etc
Tuesday morning I woke and went to the gym with dTodd again. I did about 45-minutes of cardio and it is a good thing, considering all the foods and rich treats I indulged upon. I had an It's-It Pie after lunch... yummy SF treat. Steph and I met for lunch at Harvest Urban Market. We visited for an hour or so. A lot to catch up on! Her poor Vespa had just been smooshed by a massive truck and I must say she was handling it well. Poor Steph and Ed!
I walked all the way down to the Ferry Terminal and sat out by the water in the sunshine, making a few catch-up phone calls to friends back East. Emily is in Peru and Ryan is still up to his residency duties. Amanda sounds like a happy camper and Taner is complaining, as usual! So I call whenever I have something to complain about and it seems we have a reciprocating thing going on. It's brilliant! I never have to feel bad about it.
Jenifer called and I met her at her office building. She gave me the coolest housewarming gift ever... it was a gorgeous stainless steel tea pot... all shiny and stylish. It was a wooden handle and blue marble lid topper. What a sweetheart. Afterwards, I went to Good Vibes for a friend and had fun toy shopping for her. Success! I can't wait until she sees it. It is so cute.
I finally got to see Justine for a quick visit and then I went to dinner with Joe and Brad, in Upper Haight at Magnolias!
On our way to dinner...
We were on our way to dinner at Bodega Bay, when Miss Manda sent me the cutest pix message... so I sent this one in reply to her. And YES... I DID GO SHOPPING FOR YOU, sweetheart! Just wait until you and Taner come down for your little visit. ;)
Ed is sad, because his car was stollen today, while we were at brunch and his golf clubs were in the trunk.
Here is poor Ed, on his couch. Doesn't it just make you want to say... awww!
Post ramp, housewarming party
After the Ramp, I went over to a housewarming party, where I ran into some friends. With a little guidance and encouragement, I tried the Asian tea-eggs. I guess they are pickled or marinated in sugar, tea and vinegar. There was quite possibly the most delicious and beautiful cake there, ever! I met a chiropractor there, who evaluated my lower back by noticing how I stand. I favor my left leg and have to shift my weight around. He sugggested I find someone in DC who practices under Sorsi. Peraps I will look into it. Such interesting details, I know it!
After the housewarming, I think I went back over to Duboce and hung with Ed, who was still dealing with the car mess. The next day I can't remember what I did... probably got my haircut, wandered SF and met JD for dinner. Oh yeah... because he and I ran into Julia at Bodega Bay. It's a vietnamese place with great food. I tried the squab, which was quite delicious! We went up to Twin Peaks afterwards and I got to catch the pretty SF vistas, from way up top. The moon was peaking through the clouds. I have pictures to upload at some point! It was a memorable evening.
Brunch at the Ramp
Ahhhh... brunch at the Ramp with Jenifer, Alicia, Amy, Diana, Alex, Ed, Leslie, Bud and me. I had their stuffed avocado salad with Bay shrimp and fresh fruit. Oh... and a margharitta. Yum! Another beautiful afternoon... that is... until we left and realized Ed's car was stollen! yeah... super bummer.
Hiroko's Garden
One of my favorite pasttimes is to spend sunny days in Hiroko's garden. We picked flowers, took pictures, had coffee and chatted all afternoon. Then we had a little craft night, making cards and stamps. It was a very girlie and relaxing afternoon. Perfect on a summer holiday, such as this!
Sunny Dolores Park
A stroll into the park, on my way to Noe Valley, and I watched "Duck Pond" camp do their annual Burning Man fundraiser-- complete with slip n' slide and temporary airbrush tattoos. Oh yes, and grilled food.
I walked over to Noe Valley to Perfect Ten salon, which changed their name to Church Street Salon, where I got my lashes dyed and had a pedicure with foot massage. It was a beautiful and relaxing afternoon!
Morning Dew cafe
A quick stop into my old "post-bac-study-cafe" to see the owners and other regulars, revealed that not much has changed in the happy little neighborhood. That round table is where most of my studying hours were racked up: chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, etc.
Zeitgeist on a sunny Friday evening.
There is nothing quite as classic as sitting in the backyard of Zeitgeist, getting pitcher after pitcher of beer with friends. This is where the hipster scene in SF bums around, getting drunk. For the first time, I experienced a tamale from the Tamale Lady! It's the perfect little snack to balance out a pint of Great White heffeweizen. Ed, Ann, Jennifer and I stuck around until Amy picked me up to whisk me off to HANABI... mmmm! (don't forget the guy Ann slipped my number to, before we went out the door... slick Ann! he was cute, huh?) We had our sushi experience and then I went back over to my old place in Dub Triangle. It was just like old times, sitting in the ski chalet of an apartment, except that Justine wasn't there. She's back East because a family member of hers got a scary medical condition. I think everything will be okay and I hope I get to see her before I leave on Thurday. It was nice to stay the night at my old place. I woke before everyone else and am sitting here updating my blog. Daniel is finally up now, so we'll walk over to Dolores Park with Nala for a bit of breakfast. What a perfect relaxing Saturday!
Waiting for Hiroko, over by the Mission
After my afternoon nap, I walked over to Hiroko's house, for a visit in her backyard. She lives on one of the prettiest and most famous streets in San Francisco, right next to the Mission Dolores. My friend Jennifer came over, too. We chatted and caught up on old times and discussed who is doing what, and how long it has been since anyone has seen so-and-so. Next, I walked over to my old place in Duboce Triangle to meet up with Ed and Ann. It's nice to see that some things never change. They still have my kitchen table and chairs. In fact, my old cell phone is still sitting on their shelf! They have a piece of art work that has been waiting to get hung, forever. I think I will bring it over to Daniel's for him to hang. OK... off to Zeitgeist. It is so great to see everyone!!
i love flowers. so pretty!
I love Bougainvillea! One of my dreams was to live in a place where I could grow it. And I DID! It is so beautiful the way it contrasts with bright blue San Francisco skies.
Pancho Villa oh how i missed thee!
after my date to the gym for some spinning, d-todd and i went to pancho's in the mission. ahhhh! i missed these super simple sensible and delicious lunches. some things just make a lot of sense in this town, you know?
now i'm off to hirokos to see jennifer and then later on it will be off to zeitgeist with ed and anne and later on dinner with amy. I LOVE SAN FRANCISCO! it feels great to be home again!
Gym at UCSF for some spinning.
D-todd brought me to the new mission bay campus to use the UCSF gym. it is fancy-scmancy nice! great views of the city. and have i ever mentioned how good looking the men are in san francisco?! yeo-zah! i am on cloud nine and quickly booking up my week with visits and friends.
Jet blue to SF BABY!
i'm leaving, on a jet plane... YEP that's right! the condo has running water and i decided that made it safe enough to take off to SF, before starting to medical school in two weeks. i quickly found some flights and got right aboard. how thrilled am i?!?!
