We all know summer is arriving when the mosquitoes start to eat
you alive! I feel like mosquitoes for some reason love me. I
already have a huge bite in the middle of my forehead! It's
ridiculous! But that's the bad that has to come with summer, and
I'll take it. I am definitely ready for the warm weather to start
without all this rain.
It's amazing how fast this trimester has already progressed. I
feel like I'm writing these blogs so frequently and quickly because
by the time I feel like the week started, it already ends! Now
we're in Week Five, which means exams have arrived. I actually
already had two exams! I mentioned last week that I would tell you
about my 45 minute practical. No, unfortunately that was not a
typo. We had 45 minutes to do a full physical exam on a patient
(partner from class), and we were videotaped while we did it. There
were two professors that watched it and graded us according to our
technique, time, and patient interaction.
Working up to the big exam day was scary. I had to go on Monday
at noon, which happened to be the second group of people. There
were exams from Monday at 10am through Friday at noon. I know we
already got all of this information and should know how to do it
perfectly since we got the training in Fifth Tri, but it was just
nerve wrecking to think I was being watched like a hawk for every
technique including how to instruct the patient as well, which is
very important. I am so blessed to have Ryan to help me because
he's been there and done that. I timed myself four times with him.
He is such an amazing fiancé and what a trooper to go through
almost three hours of the same thing! I got my time down to 38
minutes!
I was actually, weirdly confident going into the room, and I
ended up being the first one done with a time of 36 minutes! I got
100% (15 out of 15 points) and it was the best confidence booster
for the week! I then had to get into gear and study for my GI/GU
exam on Friday at 2pm, which ended up being do-able with a couple
tricky questions, but overall I felt good about it.
I was so excited for my weekend to start! One of my good
friends, Jenni, from University of Iowa, who was actually my
roommate there and now is a part of my wedding party, had a
surprise weekend for me. I drove all the way to Iowa City to hang
out with some friends, and then drove another hour and a half to
her hometown without really knowing what my weekend entailed. She
surprised me with a whole spa weekend!! She wanted to do it for me
as a "pre-Bride gift." I was so grateful and I really needed it,
especially since the last two weeks I spent sick. I love
Jenni!
It is so important to keep those friendships that you value
while you're in school. Jenni and I have been successful at keeping
in contact, visiting each other, and really being a part of each
other's lives even though we live five hours away from each other.
She's actually in St. Louis for physical therapy school, so she had
to drive a long way for the spa weekend too. It was a rejuvenating
girl's weekend that I definitely needed. I hated the long and slow
drive back but it was all worth it.
Tip of the week: Keep in touch with your friends. They will be
part of the source of sanity you will receive here.
I have one more exam this week and then it's NUHS Homecoming! We
basically get two days off of school! I'm attended part of
Homecoming, then heading to Michigan for menu tasting for our
wedding! See you guys next week!