Exam weeks are fun jovial periods of my medical school career. They are simultaneously awesome displays of masochism, sleep deprivation, emotional eating, crankiness, and moments of pure hilarity. The last one usually takes place at 11pm right before recognizing that the 17 hours of studying I've done that day are probably enough and I should go home.

Yesterday afternoon, I may have hit a new high, or a new low... you decide.

The further into block week you get, the more likely going home becomes very dangerous. The temptation of not leaving home becomes very great. As such, I have found that I just avoid doing that until it's time to go to bed for the night. So, yesterday, upon realizing that I needed a powernap, I went in search of a couch in the library to do just that. Given that the undergraduate population is also in exam mode, the library was swamped... not an open couch to be found. So, I did the next best thing. I grabbed my fleece, and StudyBuddy's fleece, and curled up on the floor in the corner of our study room and took a nap. That was an amazingly brilliant nap. I woke up 45 minutes later, rejuvenated and energized to tackle the next seven hours of studying.

Given that my next practical is in an hour and a half, I should probably get back to the books.

Here's a little distraction for everyone else:

Anatomy Scrubs

How to wash Anatomy Scrubs:

1. Place scrubs, lab shoes, and any other article of clothing from anatomy lab in a metal drum.
2. Add lighter fluid, gasoline, or any other accelerant.
3. Ignite with match.

Warning: Do NOT inhale.

ohai debt.

I am embarking on an expensive journey. Wholly overwhelming. This looming cloud of gloom and doom that accompanies monetary affairs is *seriously* detracting from my excitement of my acceptance and my anticipation of what's to come.

A few days ago as I walked past my car in the driveway, on my way to the train, I noticed an unusual surging river originating from under my car. Upon further inspection, I discovered that it was transmission fluid, the likely cause of peculiar shifting of my transmission I had noticed recently. It took a whole two quarts of fluid to restore the level to a satisfactory state of operation. I had staved off the inevitable--the purchase of a new vehicle. At least for now.

The next morning, the same thing had occurred.

Today, I signed paperwork for a new(er) car.

Today, I also received the paperwork for my student loans.

ohai debt.

Closing a door to open another

So today was(is) my official two year anniversary at my first post undergraduate job. Cliche as it is, it feels like it just flew by... two years... and to commemorate this momentous occasion, I quit. Actually I wasn't planning on resigning officially today, and had been postponing the inevitable "official" resignation. Everyone in my lab knew I was leaving, but I had yet to fill out the paperwork and do the whole HR rigmarole. But, when my PI got my annual evaluation today, he figured that he would get out of checking some boxes by having me resign.

So I set my official last day for the first day of classes (to ensure insurance coverage), while my unofficial last day is 31 July 2009. I'll just eat up some vacation time to carry me through, and then cash out the rest.

I guess I can check quitting my job off that list of things to do...

I will be heading to the school region this Saturday to check out a few residences, so that is quite exciting. Hopefully by next week I will have a place to live! (YAY!) In the meantime, I have a number of online courses/training to take before 1 Aug 2009, but I have not received my logon information to take them. *That* should be interesting.

Tonight is an unofficial mixer/meetup for people in the incoming class that live in the area. Should be a great way to get a jump start on forming cliques. I can't wait!

Things are winding down in the lab for me following my PI's bombardment of "last minute, critical experiments" that suddenly appeared on my "to-do" list five minutes after he found out that I was leaving at the end of this month. I appreciate the decline in my workload as my "senioritis" has progressed to dangerously high levels of apathy. This corresponds to my belief that I may currently be transferring my last series of western blots as we speak. (Hopefully).

A little on western blots: I loathe/detest/despise/HATE them. They are the bane of my existence for a myriad of reasons that anyone who has ever done one would agree with... and today, I may have poured, run, and transferred my last gel. (excellent). Tomorrow is the simple task of blocking/probing/washing/ and visualizing followed by biweekly work-sponsored beer hour. (affectionately named beer-thirty).

I will miss this little comfortable life I have lived for the last two years, but I will admit that it has been a little *too* easy...

I can't wait for the challenge of medical school...(at least now anyway)

Post 1

Medical school: undoubtedly the hardest thing I've had to face so far in my life, and it looms barely more than a month off into the horizon.

I have known that I have been accepted for less than a fortnight, and I have yet to fully accept that this is happening. I am a blur of sublime excitement and extreme fear. I have yet to procure funding for this endeavor, or housing, or anything of substance aside from a Netter's Anatomy coloring book... but it's a start.

Rough list of things accomplished:
FASFA submitted
School Financial Aid Forms submitted
Navy HPSP paperwork submitted to Committee
Car loan procured
Roommate(s) found
Deposit sent

I've never been one who enjoyed not knowing things whether it be where I'm going to live, what I got on a test, or why the sky is blue. This is both a blessing and a curse as I find myself constantly compelled to solve these unknowns, to find answers.

While a week ago I did not know where I was going to live (or with whom), and was beyond frustrated with the housing options available, things have changed dramatically. My roommate(s) and I have found several promising places that I will be checking out this weekend. (whew.)

Got a whole slew of paperwork last night that needs to be filled out and submitted, online courses to take (HIPPA training, and so on), vaccines and titers to have done, and yadda yadda yadda.

I am so proud to be here, as much as a pain all of this red tape is. I would trade this for anything in the world.

Just thought I'd put one foot forward here and get this rolling.