First week down

Finished the first week of third quarter. It was a lot of hard work and errands.

Neuroscience is going to take a ton of time if week one is any indication. I studied it exclusively for the first three nights. We have to learn a new language for the practical test (quiz) on Monday. Immunology feels like a new language too, so I've spent a couple nights on it; reading the text and struggling through the lectures.

I haven't even cracked the Phys notes yet. But found out why I did so bad on last quarter's final. I forgot to transcribe the last page of answers (4 questions) to my scantron. Since I had the correct answers circled, I would have had an 88% instead of 75%, raising my class grade to 94% vs. 92%. Live and learn.

I also got a whole bunch of busy stuff taken care of. For my research, I had the safety lecture, got my card for access to the lab and went through thawing cells into culture flasks a couple times. Dr. Jones is back on Tuesday, so I hope to run through it on my own then. In the meantime I'm supposed to read a dozen journal articles (about 10 to go) and a couple chapters in a cell culture protocols book. One credit elective seems awfully low at this pace.

Also, I'm the new President of the Oncology Club. I started the week as the VHF, but the Prez and founder is a SGA (student gov) officer and an MS-2, so he can't hold the office. We had a good meeting with a community support group and a couple of our deans about an Oncology/Chronic Care elective for next spring. Now, I need to organize some of Brian's ideas: anti-smoking campaign, opening membership campus-wide, inviting guest speakers to campus (Onc pharm, radiation onc, Peds onc, etc.) and any other ideas Dean Kosinski has. A fellow MS-1 is interested in being VP and a MS-3 going for Rad Onc is Treasurer. Dr. Jones might even be our faculty sponsor. So I hope to have a meeting this quarter to organize things and prioritize our objectives. I also hope to keep Brian involved in an unofficial capacity.

Anyway, Becky's brothers finished their cancer fund raising bike ride from Seattle to here and are going to be guests at today's Mariner Spring Training game. They entertained the boys yesterday (boys played hooky) and now I'm going to take some time off from studying to see the game with everyone. Dan (my bro) and Miho are going to attend to, then take the boys for an overnight sleep-over. Becky, her siblings and I are then going to have dinner somewhere. Should be fun and after studying hard all week, I deserve a break :-).

Tomorrow I'll be back at it: a lot of neuro, review the last immuno lecture and hopefully get started on phys. I'm liking no labs and getting off at 2pm. Maybe this week I'll be able to use some of that time for studying instead of just taking care of errands. I even rode my bike to school four days this last week. Oh, and Tuesday I have a new Preceptor to work with here in town, so no bike commute and tie/white coat attire.

Whew!