Friday, October 16, 2009

A New Baby, A Pile of Tests, and Contentment


We are well into 5th quarter, and it has definitely been a busy time. Four weeks ago I had our daughter - a full five weeks early! After much drama and a week-stay in the hospital, we all came home and are doing well. Needless to say I didn't study that week. At all. Nothing. I thought I was sunk academically. However, I took five exams the following week, got caught-up and am now doing fine. I couldn't just let myself fail. I've come too far to just give up. Thankfully I have the world's best husband who made it possible.

In two days we have our second neuroscience exam of this quarter. It's not that neuro is particularly difficult. In terms of understanding the material, it isn't too bad. What's extremely challenging is remembering all of the pathways and putting it all together with increasing piles of information to hopefully sort out, in the end, what is wrong with the patient. I'm a little worried.

A lot of people think that I am somehow super-human for having a baby in the middle of 5th quarter and not failing out. It's like all things in a person's life - whatever pile is before you, you must either sort it or clean it. ;)

And now, after much sleep-deprivation, I will go to bed and get up tomorrow and study all day. I will take mini-breaks to kiss and hold my baby girl and talk with my husband. Really, I have an almost perfect life.

Interesting aside - as one gets further into medical school it starts getting easier. The classes don't get easier, but one acquires some duck-like skills and allows things to just run off. You do what you have to do when you have to do it and yet still make time for what's important. That's the difference between first and second year.