away

I've been away. Hiding in my new found spot... the library. Studying for the upcoming exams on monday has taken up all of my time. (I even realized that I've forgotten to eat 3 meals a day this week... I know, I know. That will change after these exams).

I just wanted to let you know that I am alive :)

.. and to expect lots of postings after exams! I have a back log of topics to share as our classes are getting more interesting - especially psychology. It's started up my curiosity in researching and questioning rather than just rote memorization and learning. BUT, that's going to have to wait.

In the meantime, I would like to send a virtual "hello" to Nemo's mom! I meant to do it earlier and let you know that your hug was transmitted - it was actually the first thing he did ...before introducing himself. Ha ha ha. So, thank you for reading my blog.

3.1 - done!

Don't have a lot of time tonight so I will make this short.
Block 1 exams are done and they just seem to be getting harder every semester. Although not worth a whole lot of your mark, they definitely used the scare tactic on our class again. not fun!
Anyways, they are over and done with so on to the next challenge...

Ethics class is officially done and we started Psychology/Behavioural Sciences on Tuesday. Really interesting class thus far and I love how the Prof. is making it interactive (we have audience participation cards, with numbers on them for choosing an answer. It's kind of like the old-school version of iClickers for those who are familiar with them).
Here is a video to leave you with a glimpse of the class... needless to say that I am wide awake all afternoon :) It's great to have professors that know how to connect with the class.

Friday.

Sorry I have not been back on until now but as you may assume they have thrown us into the deep end once again! Great. Thanks Saba. I would've thought we've proven ourselves by third semester...

A lot of things have happened last week so here is a 'high yield' summary. (hehehe, can you tell I am back into study mode?)

So friday was that time of the semester; we got to meet the incoming class, attend their white coat ceremony and speak to our assigned mentee about life at Saba. I really love this tradition because it reminds you of what you are here for and that you are definitely not alone in taking the unbeaten path. Met some great 1st semesters and I would like to thank those of you who came up to me (or screamed "blog girl!") - really made my day :).
We also had our welcome back party that night and needless to say it was fantastic to see everyone out... I think pictures will give you a feel for the night better.

a local came up dressed like this,
no clue why but it was entertaining

Half-way through happiness

the usual gun show!

potential roomies next semester :)

LASTLY, the construction in front of my house seems to never end. Every morning I literally step out into a construction site full of dust clouds, newly poured concrete, metal bars, drilling and hammering. Awesome! *rolls eyes*. Really hoping this ends soon...

my house is what you see in the bottom left corner. Isn't it a great view?!

EDIT: still waiting on the Hawaiian Friday class picture - will post once I get it :)

Aloha

Aloha. A-lo-ha. A-lo-haha. A-lo-hahaha. 

This is how we started our ethics class on the first day. Our professor taught in Maui for a while and has really embraced their culture so every time he wants to greet us he says aloha and we respond back!

It means…

Alo – to share an experience

Ha – the breath of life, a channel

Loha – to listen carefully

Oha – spreading, thriving, affection, love, greetings, healthy, something which grows of something else.

As childish and insignificant as this sounds our whole class is laughing and smiling after we greet him back. It really works.

I dare you to try it when you need a boost from a not so great day.

Ethics, so far, has been an unusual class in that is completely different than anything else we’ve had. We have watched an Ali-G clip on medical ethics (hilarious by the way), we will be doing role playing next week, and tomorrow is dress up in Hawaiian shirts day! (he brought us shirts to chose, wear and keep as a reminder!)

Overall, 3^rd semester is a whirlwind of massive amounts of information. We already have 300 slides to go over for neurology and it just seems to keep piling up. It’s been hard to get back into the studying mode… it’s not just me; the entire class having trouble with this concept of ‘studying’. Well we better get it back soon since our first set of exams are a week from Monday!

Break was too short but it’s great to see everyone again. Happy start to the semester.

And look forward to posting a picture of my Hawaiian outfit for tomorrow!

Break

I haven't posted in a while but that's because I vowed to stay off my laptop as much as possible when I was on break at home. I have a little less than a week before I go back to Saba for round 3. I am a little excited, but still worn out and exhausted from last semester.

Who ever thought 2 week breaks would be enough were CRAZY!!!

Home is amazing! It's been great to see everyone and hang out with family and friends. Even though it feels like I've spent my break running around trying to make time for everyone, I've squeezed in a little down time to myself :) and have done some exciting things like camping and going to see Billy Elliot the Musical with a special someone.

Will post some pictures and lots more when I next open my laptop which will hopefully be next week when I am on Saba.

I will stick to reading books and DIY projects for the remainder of my break!

Taking Advantage

Always take advantage of where you are and who you are with. You will miss it when you leave it behind.

As much as this island has made my life more difficult, I can never say I hate it. I am always surrounded by beautiful waters and great weather (most of the time). Living here has always kept me on my toes... it hasn't rained in a couple of days, will I have enough water tonight? it looks like its going to be a stormy night, hope the electricity is still on in the morning! or dealing with hurricane warnings.

Thoughts like this never crossed my mind when I was living back home; makes for an interesting experience nonetheless -- except that when the electricity goes out, you cannot use your water because it is pumped electrically. Not fun when you have a presentation that same day and you need to shower with bottles of water. True story. Happened to a friend :)

So last weekend I took some time to calm down, de-stress and take advantage. A new friend and I went to hike the Sulfur Mine Trail. Here are some pics we took along the way! Great start to a saturday morning.

so green! still don't know what type of lizard it is. Anyone?

Beginning of the sulfur mine. Saba actually exported sulfur back in the early 1900s.

before climbing a massive 

hill so we can hitch a ride back home

the view was spectacular

PS. the new blog header is a panoramic pic taken during this hike. amazing.

2 weeks.

I will be home in 2 weeks.
I will have completed semester 2 of my basic sciences in 2 weeks.
... sigh... just 2 weeks.

Now that I think of it, it went by rather quickly. But quickly doesn't mean it was easy. Who am I kidding? it was one of the hardest things I've ever been through! I don't want to scare anyone who is keen on coming to medical school but I am realistic. (It is medical school after all. If it was easy everyone would get in and become a doctor). In the end, it's a unique and amazing ride.

On wednesday night a group of us got together and went to a 'fancy' restaurant on the island called Eden. It was actually an amazing night. Great food with good company and a glass of wine made the evening just perfect. It felt like we were back in the real (social) world - even if it was only for a couple of hours. We laughed until we cried and then joked that our face muscles weren't used to this much change in expression since studying only leaves you with one great look: 'the blank stare'. You know, the one where you are trying so hard to understand what the prof is saying that you just look like a complete idiot for starring at him so long without blinking. Haha, it was pretty funny and great to be surrounded by people from all walks of life who are going through the exact same thing as you. Being able to relate to someone has helped me get through some tough times on Saba... especially when you are not near your family and close friends.

Getting to know my classmates has pushed me into going back to some old habits - like fuelling my curiosity, getting inspired, finding new interests and creating dreams of what I want to accomplish in life. I have come across some fantastic sites and blogs that inspired me to create a page where I can express and continue to explore my MANY interests and hobbies!
So keep a look out for a new page on the blog which will essentially act like a side blog! Really excited to be starting this and I look forward to your feedback.

(I wil obviously continue to post about Saba and medical school)
Oh, 4th set of exams were difficult and caused our class size to decrease even more which is really sad to see. Fortunately, I survived and am really excited to be moving on to third semester (neurology, immunology, microbiology, psychology and ethics).

The study diet.

Weekend before block 4 exams.

My diet and eating habits have been flushed down the drain.... Tea and chocolate is what studying is about. You have to enjoy it somehow right?

Promised myself I will run extra hard next week. For now enjoying the guilty pleasures of milk chocolate with almonds in the middle :)

Twenty Three. Bonfire Weekend.

Twas a memorable birthday weekend. A bunch of us headed down a rocky trail - lit by the full moon and scattered flashlights - to make a bonfire by the waterfront. It was a secluded, peaceful and gorgeous view; but most of all it was away from school! Such a nice way to celebrate with so many friends. Truly grateful to those who made it (and to those who tried to find the trail... sorry!)

Productive weekend? not so much. Starting strong tomorrow for the last haul of 2nd semester.
Let's go energy and motivation!
T-minus 3.5 weeks.

Grand Rounds.

Studying in a caribbean medical school has its down falls. I think the biggest one is the lack of exposure to patient-doctor interaction and the hospital setting. The local hospital acts as our training resource in our last semester on the island, but its rarely enough (or so I've heard). To accommodate this, Saba is really trying to integrate as many opportunities for students as possible. On sunday, one of the 5th semester Physical Diagnosis professors - along with 4th semester students - organized 3 mock scenarios presented in a grand-round manner that residents, interns and medical students participate in as part of their integrated training. I thought it was really well done and explained. The professor would allow the students to act out a set problem and stop them in the middle to discuss and open up questions to the audience of what you should be looking for with the given information.
Personally, I was a little overwhelmed with the amount of information that was linking together from various classes. BUT it really was such an interesting experience to witness. At least it showed that our studying really has a purpose in the long run! I'm hoping they keep these 'mock grand rounds' a tradition from now on as many students found it useful ... or at least interesting!

On a different note, I wanted to address my last post. As I received a comment about it, I realized that for  the incoming students it may have come off a little scary to say that half our class failed the 3rd block. Although very true, that block is known to be one of the hardest and most stressful in all 5 semesters. With that said, Saba is known to have a high attrition rate and I know some people are influenced by that when deciding to come here. In my opinion, you came here to study and if you get through the Saba curriculum you WILL be well prepared for the USMLE step 1. Our results on the test are consistently great - I know that recently one student scored a 260 (which is amazing!!)
This just shows that the hard work you put into getting through the Saba classes will be worth it in the end as you are working to set your career in the right path... at least that's how I look at it.

In terms of how to prepare... get yourself mentally ready for TONS of studying. I wouldn't recommend starting ahead of time because you have sufficient time to adjust and learn the material like everyone else did. Enjoy the time you have at home, spend it with friends and family because you will be reducing that communication time once you reach the island. So relax and do anything but school work while you have the chance! :)

(Saba policy on failing a course: 1 course = academic probation. You will have to repeat that course. I think failing more than 1 requires the student to withdraw from the program. Although your best bet is to talk to academic advisors about this matter - I've heard they are pretty good in terms of dealing with personal matters.)