Hey National,
This past week wrapped up the end of the midterms in Tri 6 (we
have 1 left). The infamous TUMORS midterm was last Wednesday and it
lived up to the hype. Last I heard, a third of the class failed.
Yikes. I squeaked by with a D. Not impressive, but the class
average was miserable.
The one thing to keep in mind before you get freaked out is
this: Study a lot. Don't wait until the last minute--you won't
pass. AND in practice, someone else will read your X-rays so you
won't get sued if you miss a benign/malig tumor or the like. So
yes, it's extremely interesting learning about tumors on film but
you're going to have a diplomate in radiology (DACBR) read them to
CYA (cover you're a$$). Learn the material, pass the class and
remember the class "red flags" such as sudden onset of pain without
trauma, pain worse at night, night sweats, and remember the age of
your patient to help rule out certain pathologies. TUMORS is scary,
but it's manageable.
Last week was also our Head to Toe Practical. The Head to Toe
Practical is something you have to do in Physical Diagnosis class.
You have to complete a complete physical on a fellow classmate over
at the clinic while our teachers watch and grade. You practice all
trimester in the labs so you know how to do everything by the time
the practical comes. The only hard parts are that you have to do it
in the perfect order that Dr. Gidcumb wants, and you're nervous
because it's a test.
The list of exam procedures are Vitals, Body Habitus, Head and
Neck, Eyes/Ears/Nose/Throat/Sinus, Neuro (cranial nerves and
peripheral), Spine ROM/Screen, Pulmonary, Cardiac, Abdomen, and a
few other select Gait, Scoliosis, and Cerebellar tests. It's a
complete exam and one you will most likely not do on every patient,
but it's good practice so when you do have a patient that requires
a few of them you know what to do, how to do it, and what is
normal/abnormal so you can make a diagnosis, treat, or refer out.
Physical Diagnosis and Advanced Technique/Adjusting are by far my
favorite classes this tri as we get to do "doctor things." :)
Well, that's about it for NUHS stuff. Just keep living the dream
and don't forget to go to clubs and seminars. Don't be the guy/girl
who graduates without any extra schooling.
"I never let my schooling interfere with my education." -- Mark
Twain
Stay Classy,
CC