This trimester, I decided to go full-track for Phase II. That put me with over 30 credits, and to be honest, I didn’t know if I had it in me. I have made it to week 12, and am so glad I stuck it out!  It has definitely been challenging, but I also believe it will be worth it when I get to graduate in August of 2021 instead of December. I don’t think I would be able to get any of my family out here if I was graduating in a December month! (Have I mentioned how cold it is here?!) 

Anyway, I am super grateful to be finishing up my first trimester in the Clinical Sciences. I often still feel like I blinked on day 1 in this program and have somehow ended up here. I fully acknowledge that as far away as graduation seems, on graduation day, it will feel like I blinked and am already graduating. It really does go fast! The closer I get to interning in the clinic, the more scared I become at how fast time is going. It is exciting and terrifying all at the same time. One piece of advice I have is to stick to a routine. I go to CycleBar, which is an indoor spin studio, 5-6 times a week. Even when I am super stressed, I make sure I get in a good workout.  It helps me manage my stress. The staff and instructors are always so upbeat and positive, I love the way I feel when I am there…it is such a great start to my day!

Last year around Thanksgiving, I did a post full of some of the things I was thankful for.  I decided to do the same thing this year. So, here it goes…in no particular order (with the exception of the first few being the most important): 

My family; my faith; my puppy; my friends; Notability and my iPad/apple pencil; Quizlet; CycleBar; the Spring Avenue Dog Park; UpToDate; Apex Seminars; Functional Neurology Seminars; an awesome housing staff on campus; awesome campus staff that brings me back thoughtful gifts when they are on vacation; caring and passionate professors that want to help us become the best physicians possible; my MacBook Air; my Apple watch, and my iPhone (I already mentioned my iPad…can you tell I am an Apple girl? It is SOOooo…convenient having all those devices communicate/sync up with each other), the ability to airdrop notes to classmates (yes, you have to have an apple device for this, but it is very helpful during class); my Thuli Table; my USMLE First Aid board review book; Pilot FriXion erasable pens; Staples brand highlighters; my on-campus apartment; my KitchenAid mixer; my Vitamix; free and unlimited on-campus printing; the experience of working with standardized/ simulated patients (I am going to write an entire post about this next time); my new niece and my new nephew (now bringing me up to 4 nieces, and 4 nephews!); and last but certainly not least: my awesome life filled with countless reasons to be thankful and have a heart filled with gratitude for every single day!