Here we go again!

Today is my last day of winter break and the shit is about to hit the fan...second semester of second year. WOW did that come around fast!

I had a really enjoyable break and did not study one bit (well actually I did try to listen to some audio Board exam study stuff on my drive from San Diego to LA but I turned it off after 15minutes :) )

During break I slept a LOT. I know I was stressed during last semester but I really saw how much of it I had built up because for the first week or so I could sleep 10 hours each night no problem and then still take naps during the day. My brain and body needed to get rid of all the stress hormones I had built up. I caught up on lots of TV shows, read some books, went snowboarding, worked out, caught up with friends, etc etc Now I am going to sit under a blanket for another day and then head to class tomorrow morning to begin the Reproductive System [we begin with histology of the penis tomorrow at 8am...surely a great way to welcome us back...]


Last semester seemed to get harder and harder as it went by...I hope its the opposite for this semester. Our schedule is as follows:
Reproductive System until beginning of February [and it is back in normal lecture format like last year!!]
Gastrointestinal System [digestive system] until beginning of march [this is back in case-based learning format like all of last semester]
Dermatology [skin] and Emergency Medicine [different courses but at the same time] until April [with a week in the middle of March for spring break!]
Pediatrics for 2 weeks
Geriatrics for 1 week
Then the first week of May is blocked off for Orientation to Clinical Rotations where we are introduced into what our hospital rotations will be like. During this week we also get to learn how to suture [stitch], get CPR certified and other stuff like that.
Then we have the rest of May until June 17th to study and take our board exams and then we begin clinical rotations on June 20th!!!! Only 6.5 months away. I wish I could fast forward until then...

This is my rotation schedule:
I start with my Obstetrics and Gynecology rotation (June 20th-July 29th) and do not know which hospital I will be in yet
then Pediatrics at Arrowhead Regional Hospital from August 1-September 9th
then i have an elective from Sep 19 to October 14 and VACATION from October 17 to November 11 -- I can switch my elective and Vacation if i want
after I have an OMM rotation at a private practice in San Dimas from November 14 to Dec 9
- Internal Medicine at Downey Regional Hospital from Dec 19 to January 13, 2012
- Internal Medicine at Chino Valley Medical Center from Jan 16 to feb 10
- Psychiatry at Chino Valley Medical Center from Feb 13 to March 9
- Surgery from March 19 to April 13 at Citrus Valley Health Partners Hospital
- Family Practice at Arrowhead Regional from April 16 to May 11
Then Endocrinology at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital from May 14 to June 8 of 2012!


But before all of this I have to pass my first board exam!! i have no idea how i feel other than scared. panic hasnt come in yet but i assume that will come later, i have not registered for them yet but i will be taking the COMLEX [Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination- the DO board exam] and the USMLE [United States Medical Licensing Examination- the MD board exam]. I have to take both because I will be applying to both DO and MD residencies and need the appropriate one that corresponds with each application. These exams which i will take in the middle of June will be the 1st of 3 that I will take in order to get licensed as a physician. I have to pass all of them to be able to practice. If not, I will have a degree from Western but I wont be able to use it!

This is some basic info about the exam:
It is administered in one day and consists of two, four-hour exam sessions separated by a 40-minute break. Each four-hour session also includes a ten-minute break. Candidates are expected to know the basic mechanisms of health and disease process. Specifically, level one covers basic medical sciences, including:
anatomy
behavioral science
biochemistry
microbiology
osteopathic principles
pathology
pharmacology
physiology

I will take level two during my fourth year of school and then level three sometime during residency. These two are more focused on clinical medicine [knowing disease and treatments in detail]. Annnnd, each test I take [both COMLEX and USMLE] are $500 each for each level. So I will be spending $3,000 just to take all these tests. AWESOME.

I KNOW i can do well on these exams but its just going to be so much extra work on top of classes. I should be studying an extra 10 hours a week for the exam alone and then starting in May I will be studying around 10 hours a day.

here we gooooooooooooo.....