First Day of Classes
An exciting day of classes to kick off my new career. The fundamentals lectures started with amino acids/proteins and lipids/biological membranes. These lectures were mostly review from biochem and molecular cell classes which I happened to take. Looking back, I really lucked out with my class selection. Although they aren’t required and there are a number of recommended classes, the three that will help you out the most in the first few weeks of medical school are biochem, molecular or cell biology, and genetics.
Early in the day, I got the feeling that never again would I think that class was going slow. However, the next lecturer did a good job of explaining things in multiple ways, which did seem to me to drag on a bit…although it really does help the material sink in when professors do this. The first lecturer did have a lot more material to cover, which was also a little less conceptual. I really like our lecturers.
This afternoon was our clinical course which started off discussing professionalism. We started with a brief overview of professionalism and several principles of medical professionalism. Most of the rest of class was a series of case studies in which a medical student would face a situation and a dilemma between two or more of the principles which drive a medical student or physician.
I’m pretty exhausted from the ride home. I purchased a number of books from students. I’ve basically decided to pick up the books which cover subjects which I am not as familiar with. Most of these, I will also probably sell on to future students. I’ve already one of these books already has a new version which has come out. However, I don’t really feel bad spending money on the clinical textbooks because I know this is the area where I will need to focus more. The clinical books will also be used for both first and second year. A lot of books now are being often as paperbacks and are only around $50 (which can add up), but can easily be found for around $20-$30. A lot of the books that I am getting now are required for the first module. Going forward, I plan on getting the best deal possible online by hitting Half.com and Amazon and giving plenty of time for shipping.
Looking back, I wish I had dropped a little more weight before starting. Of the medical schools that I interviewed at, this school probably stresses a dress code and professional attire the most. Especially in a month when I’ll be in the hospital or in front of patients a couple of times a week. We are required to wear professional attire while in the hospital, and I’ve unfortunately outgrown a number of my business clothes. I also don’t own a lot of ties or shirts that lend themselves to being worn with ties. If I can manage to drop another 20 pounds, I’ll get into most of my old work pants, and will only need a small amount of additional clothing to supplement my professional wardrobe. The bike, I’m hoping is helping out.
Alright, we have a social event here in a little bit and I’m going to try to track Wife down so that I don’t have to walk there.
Ed. Note: Going forward, I won’t have the opportunity to proof these quite like I have been, so I apologize for any typos, etc.
