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Second Year of Medical School Sucks

And yeah I know everyone always goes, “so does 3rd and 4th”, “so does residency”, “so does life.”

And I am so eternally grateful to be experiencing the challenges that I am so privledged to endure. I did not think I would make it this far. I am familiar with the many detours my life could have taken that would have ended me in much darker places.

But I gotta be honest this challenge of a semester sucked. It was tiring and gruesome and I swear I visibly aged. I learned about the depths of my determination. There were weeks where I read and studied through half-lidded eyes. There were tears. There was more information than I could possibly fit in my brain and it never seemed to end. Any short break was met with a new notification, email, assignment, meeting.

I am only halfway through. But now I know what awaits me when classes start again.

I have learned the importance of forcing space, the necessity for 9-5 contact hours, and the dedication needed to keep going for the you that is not burnt out and hellbent on giving up.

I have not had many clinical experiences. But what I have seen makes me so excited for my future. Gaining the trust of my patients. Being a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, a helping hand. Being able to take the space that the doctors don’t have time to take. I love it all. I cherish it. And I can’t wait til I can be confident in my clinical decisions, until I can comfort my patients with both empathy and the confident use of fact, until I can trust my gut in leading.

So second year sucks but I’m not dead yet.

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9/11

Dropped off for a month due to crazy hecticness. Learned my lesson on self care and balance. I have one more exam before I get a little break now but it’s a massive exam. And the two exams this week were so stress inducing. It’s that time in the semester where I feel like a shell of myself just trying to get through the day. But also I’m enjoying peds clinic and am seeing patients now. I’m feeling comfortable. Tho I don’t know if peds is a good fit for me, I do love working with kiddos though.

I went to the gym for the first time in ages today and I took a nap 👏

Tomorrow will be the beginning of my marathon to my exam in 5 days. It’s a lot.

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8/28

Slept in a bit, group study on cancer biology. Group class on clinical reasoning through low back pain complaints. Got home and read a chapter. Went to the store and bought a cinnamon broom to hang up.

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8/27

Did clinic today, saw lots of newborns on my peds rotation. Came home and studied cancer biology. Met with another student then took the evening to rest up, cook a whole food meal and clean the house a bit. Now going to bed early ☺️

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8-26

Exam day! 90% which is a huge win!

Notes for next time though: start written notes sooner, it helps me more, less flashcards. Make sure to be keeping track of pharm and micro as it comes making it easier to section it out mentally

Either way the grind don’t stop! Spent some quality time with my husband and hung out with friends, but I also had to prepare for clinic tomorrow, and look up some common viral infections in peds.

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8/24

Just another test cramming today. Woke up at 5:30, showered, and began studying. Took a break around noon to get some tea. And then again at 3:30 and 8 to drive my husband and pick him up. Now it’s nearly midnight and I’m calling it a night. Even though not every weekend is like this in medical school, they still come and go. My back hurts from being craned over my laptop and notes. My hands hurt from typing. I didn’t realize how little I ate and drank today (which is why *pro-tip* get some electrolyte drinks for your study seshs esp if your consuming caffeine, I always forget to drink while studying) .

And tomorrow I’ll wake up at the crack of dawn and do it again. But I’m in a field I always dreamed of and have the ability to help others in ways I couldn’t imagine. And work hard play hard

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8/23

Almost was late to class cause I got sucked into studying pharm. my pharm guide for this exam is almost finished (and is like 20 pages 🤪). Group study on various common derm. Practiced oral reports. And then went to grand rounds.

Got home and did another couple hours of flashcards and practice quizzes. I made myself stop at 7 to get chores done and decompress a bit before this weekend of cramming. We are all about balance this year 🧘🏻‍♀️

Idk how med school can cram so much into your brain but still you feel so dumb. And why can’t I pronounce a single word. I just learned how to properly say “candida”.

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Medical School Journey

Big focus on pharm

Little focus on bugs 🦠

Studied at cafe then at home for a bit

Feeling a little under the weather so let myself nap as long as I needed to

Lots of flashcards on MSK and neuro

Got Thai with my husband

Reviewed

Antiepileptics, local anesthetics, general anesthetics, muscarinic antagonists, cholimimetics, neuromuscular blocking agents, dopamine agonists, comt inhibitors, mao-b inhibitors

Listeria, neisserias, haeomphilus

While it’s hard to catch a break the week before an exam, I always find 4-5 days before taking time to rest and sleep in always helps me pull off my final stretch of studying

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Medical School Journey

Meeting with my advisors, talking about boards 😱

Group study in arthritic diseases and skin/subcut infections 😰

Grabbed sushi for lunch 🍣

Practiced back pain physical therapy 🩻

Legit knocked out without taking my scrubs off when I came home 😴

Woke up to meal prep and make banana bread 🍌

Did chores- mopped, dishes, laundry, dust, scrub kitchen 🧼

Did some flashcards on musculoskeletal disease 💪🦴

Reviewed

Rheumatoid, psoriatic, reactive, osteo and septic arthritis, common derm conditions, cellulitis, fasciitis, gangrene, osteoporosis and osteopetrosis

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Medical School Journey

I ran a Call of Cthulhu homebrew game with my friends and it’s the first time I ever did anything like that, it went super well and I’m proud of myself for getting out of my comfort zone

Flashcards for 8 chapters 💪

Did about 200 flashcards today 🗒️

Started making tables for pharm and micro 💊

Went to gym, did rock climbing and treadmill 🪨

Fixed my windshield myself 🔧

I’m trying to keep it together but my exams are coming soon so after today this week is going to be cramming 😵

Reviewed

- Gout/Pseudogout, Osteoarthritis, Radiculopathies, Myopathies, Gonnorheae

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Medical School Journey

First off the last couple weeks have been SO hectic! I feel like such a dummy in clinicals but I know that’s part of the learning process. If I wasn’t a dummy I wouldn’t be in school right now.

Second this school year started off at a 10/10 pace! The amount of pharm and micro is insane.

Also I’m doing an MPH and that ramped up too in the middle of all of it but…

Today

- Group study on meningitis, antiviral and antibacterial 🦠

- Little talk on pulse ox vs partial pressure vs hemoglobin and what numbers go up and down and why 💨

- Did review quiz on vertebral anatomy 🩻

- Made peds milestone guide for my clinicals 👶

- Prepared for a DnD session I’m running tomorrow, never done it before but I’m trying to push myself out of my comfort zone more 🎲

- Planned my next couple weeks so I can feasibly get my work done before finals week 😱 already in cram mode

Reviewed

- Meningitis, Encephalitis, Antivirals, Antibacterials, Drug Resistance, like so many bacteria and viruses I can’t even think.

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Med School Journey

Yesterday was mostly just catching up on chores and daily life

Read 4 chapters 📚

Made flashcards for 6 chapters 🗒️

Wrote on HIV control in Sub Suharan Africa 🦠

Honestly doesn’t seem like much but took me ages ⏰

Took dogs on walk 🐕

Learned

Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis, Fibromyalgia, Myopathies

Reviewed

Strokes, Encephalitis, Meningitis, Listeia, Clostridium, N. Meningitidis, H.influenzae, basics of viruses

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Med School Journey

Pediatric Clinicals (so many newborns so cute😍)

Read 2 chapters 📚

Wrote on educational campaigns against vaping 💨

Flashcards on 2 chapters 🗒️

Read up on Ultrasound 🔊

Overall super chill 😌

Reviewed

Meningitis, Encephalitis

Learned

Tendinitis, Bursitis, Septic Arthritis, Osteomyelitis

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Med School Journey

Group studying on strokes 🧠

Research brainstorming 🔬

Emailed doctors to shadow ⚕️

Took a nap 😴

Read 2 chapters 📚

Made flashcards for 5 chapters 🗒️

10 practice micro questions 🦠

Reviewed neuro questions 🤓

Wrote on mental health reform 💕

Read up on pediatric history taking 📝

Reviewed

Cortical strokes, blood supply to brain, cholinomimetics and muscarinic imhinitors, meningitis

Learned

Arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, rickets, osteomalacia, osteoporosis and Paget disease, tips for pediatric history and exams

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Med School Journey

Somehow dove into studying as soon as I woke up and still behind today 😜

Read 4 chapters 📚

Wrote about global health care initiatives for tb 🌎

Wrote on traumatic brain injuries 🧠

Made flashcards for 5 chapters 🗒️

Folded laundry and did dishes 🧼

Studied at a cafe for a bit ☕️

10 micro practice questions 🦠

Everything shower 🚿

Made sure to take some me time for yoga 🧘🏻‍♀️

Learned

Antibacterial Resistance Mechanisms, Common Antibiotics and Antivirals

Reviewed

Parkinson’s Treatment, Huntington’s Treatment, Common Neuro Drugs

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Med School Journey

Made my husband a nice Saturday breakfast for dealing with my endless studying and disappearing to school 🍳

Picked up groceries 🍎

Took dogs on a walk 🐶

Studied at a cafe ☕️

Bought a pair of new shoes since mine are falling apart 🥿

Read 5 chapters 📚

Did 30 practice questions (did so bad on them 😬)

Made flashcards on 5 chapters 🗒️

Learned

Staph vs Strep, Varicella, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, HSV

Reviewed

Cerebral Blood Flow, Seizure Disorders, Myasthenia Gravis vs Lambert Eaton, Management of Seizures and Myasthenic Crisis

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Med School Journal:

First day orientation at clinic site 🤓

Downloaded charting software ⌨️

Picked up my husband’s new glasses 🥸

10 practice questions on neuro 🧠

Read 7 chapters 📖

Wrote discussion board on high school public health initiatives ✌️

Reviewed

~ Hearing Loss, Wernicke-Korsakoff, brachial plexus

Learned

~ Cholimimetics, Muscarinic Antagonists, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, ALS