Immunology Quiz and Meal Prep Sunday

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. Finals are quickly approaching, we suddenly had a immunology quiz (more on that later), and the term is wrapping up. Today, I thought I would do a post on our immunology quiz that we had last week and a few meal prep ideas.

Immunology Quiz

The class was anticipating a quiz but didn't anticipate it to be in class. So, when we found out about that piece of information, the class frantically started studying for the quiz. The professors agreed that it would be beneficial for the class to take a timed, in-class quiz to better prepare for the finals. While I was studying for immunology, I simply did not understand why the professors would suddenly decide to give a quiz of this sort. In retrospect, they were correct. If it wasn't for the quiz, I would not have made time to re-study the 10-12 lectures. Now, a week after the quiz and 2 weeks before the final, I am so glad that reviewing those 10-12 lectures for the final will be much easier. I have plenty of other studying that I have to complete as well! We have a new professor for immunology this term so it was unclear how the questions would be structured on the quiz. However, as usual, I went through each lecture at least 4 times before the quiz and briefly looked over the Complement flow chart I had made pre-midterm (so glad I looked at the chart). I also found it helpful to make a chart for all the cytokines and the immunoglobulin lectures. For future Term 2 students, start memorizing cytokines early. The material builds up very quickly! 

Meal Prep Sunday

Last week I decided to make 2 dishes for the week. The first is a dish I experimented with a few weeks ago and it turned out great. So, I made it again. It is a spicy Chinese eggplant dish with a hint of garlic and ginger. The recipe recommends green onions, but I used regular onions which worked out well too. I also added green peppers to the dish to prevent them from going bad this week! This dish has become one of my favorites. The second dish I made was a potato and onion preparation which I eat with bread or naan or tortillas. Although I got the idea from my mom a long time ago, it was my first time making it myself. I'm so glad it turned out better than expected. J and I cooked together last weekend and it took us about an hour to finish both dishes. 

Only 3 more weeks until we are back in the US for the holidays!!! Count down has officially begun! :) 

A shout out to our deans who came and spoke to Term 2 students yesterday about a number of administrative and student-related issues. Thank you!

Hope everyone is having a great week! SGU students, only a few more weeks to go! Keep up the hard work! :)

Term 2 Midterms: Neuroscience

Warning: Long Post... Sorry!

Last midterm of the week was neuroscience! The neuroscience course is organized into modules. 7 modules make up the entire class. We had 4 modules worth of material on the midterm. The topics on the midterm were:
1) Neuroanatomy
2) Cellular Neuroscience
3) Developmental Neuroscience
4) Sensory Systems

Out of the 4 big topics, sensory systems had the most amount of lectures and most amount of questions on the exam. Developmental neuroscience consisted of about 4 lectures. Neuroanatomy and cellular neuroscience were taught early during the term and were covered on the unified quiz. Out of my three scores for midterms, surprisingly, neuroscience was my highest. Here are a few methods I studied for the exam and a couple of tips for future students.

Neuroanatomy: 
1) Buy a hard copy of the Neuroscience atlas. I used the Haines 8th edition and would highly recommend it for future students. I think SGU recommends the 9th edition of the atlas, but majority of my friends have the 8th and it works well too.
2) Go through the atlas and highlight the structures you need to know. I highlighted the pages as I prepared for small group discussion on a weekly basis. When it came time to prepare for the exam, it became a lot easier to flip through the atlas and quickly review the structures.

Lectures: 
1) Essential Notes! Essential Notes! Essential Notes!!! They are a life-saver for this class. The lecture slides are good, but the essential notes are gold!
2) Pre-read for the sensory system lectures. Sensory lectures are a lot of material that are compiled into a 50 minute overview. If you have pre-read the essentials, lecture will be more meaningful. I don't usually pre-read for all classes, but pre-reading for neuroscience helped me!
3) Red Glass Test: This is a clinically relevant test that is used evaluate a patient's visual field. It comes up during the vision lectures in the sensory module. I, personally, had a lot of trouble understanding this topic because I learned it incorrectly the first time. So, for future students, make sure you understand this topic well. We had about 2 or 3 questions on this on our midterm.
4) Developmental: This term, we had a visiting professor who taught 4 lectures on developmental neuroscience. Do not get too bogged down by all the small details. The questions on the exam are going to be straight forward. Think of developmental neuroscience as a story. To grasp the material thoroughly, I made a concept map.
5) Cellular: I relied on the essential notes and lectures made a lot of sense.
6) Pay attention in small group discussion because there are questions that will pop up on the midterm solely based on material covered in discussion session.
7) Do all the questions online (Sakai).
8) Sensory pathways: I drew each and every one out in different colors and then put it up on my wall. I ran through each of the pathways at least once a day until it was solid in my head.
9) During the sensory lectures, each pathway will go through parts of the brainstem. Some pathways are lateral. Some pathways are medial. I went through Haines atlas and highlighted where each pathway runs in each cross section of the brainstem.

This was a very quick exam. Typically we get a little over a minute/question in most classes. However, the neuroscience department added a lot of experimental questions (questions that the professors want to see how the students perform on so they can potentially add it to future exams), which are worth no points for our term. We had about 75 seconds per question. I am not sure if this will be the case for future terms. If it is, future neuroscience students, make sure you pace yourself. Neuroscience is a lot of material, but I think the clinical tests that are performed to determine a patient's neurological function are quite interesting. Our first module post-midterm is motor. Speaking of which, I should probably review today's lectures. Thank you for reading and have a wonderful day! :)

Term 2 Midterms: Genetics/Immunology

Exam #2 during midterm week was Genetics/Immunology which are combined into one class called MIMG. The exam consisted of 80% genetics material and 20% immunology material. The teaching team for genetics is essentially the same professors that taught biochemistry during Term 1. I enjoyed the lectures from majority of the professors of biochemistry. So, I was glad that they lectured again in genetics. In addition, we had about 2 weeks of immunology before the midterm. I, personally, felt that the professor introduced a lot of new material just a few days before the midterm, which was a little overwhelming. The following are a few methods that I used to study for the unified and midterm. I hope these methods help future students succeed in MIMG.

1) Study the genetics slides like biochemistry slides. Genetics questions are going to be application- or fact-based questions focusing on the lecture slides.
2) The Patterns of Inheritance lectures were about 4 lectures and it is important to know each of the genetic principles that were introduced. For example, heteroplasmy is a term that is associated only with mitochondrial diseases. That is an association that is important to keep in mind. An exam question may state, MELAS is associated with which of the following principles? The answer choices will be 4-5 genetic principles and one of the answer choices will be heteroplasmy. So, the student needs to be able to identify that MELAS is a mitochondrial disease and associate heteroplasmy with mitochondrial diseases. This is a relatively easy type of question. It can become more challenging if the questions only gives a brief description of the disease or a list of symptoms and students will have to identify that it is a mitochondrial disease.
3) Make up mnemonics for the list of autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, and X-linked recessive diseases that we were instructed to know. One of the first things I did during the exam was write the mnemonics at the top of my white board (Each student is given a small white board during the exam).
4) I reviewed the molecular diagnostic lecture about 5 times because I knew it would appear again and again on the midterm. In addition, I skimmed through the problem set for this lecture.
5) Do all the online/sakai questions.
6) I skimmed through the problem sets for the lectures that I thought were challenging.
7) Immunology: We have a new course director and professor covering the immunology material. The lectures pre-midterm are straight forward, except for the complement lecture. We had less amount of time to review the complement lectures. So, I made a big, fat concept map of the complement pathway, associated deficiencies, and diseases about 36 hours before the midterm. That map, of course, went up on my wall for about 24 hours before the exam. The immunology questions on the midterm were either straight forward or very difficult. In retrospect, I probably should have started memorizing the complement charts a few days earlier while I was studying for physiology.

I hope this helps future students prepare for MIMG. SGU students have a 4-day weekend for Thanksgiving. So, I hope everyone is having a relaxing and enjoyable long weekend! :)

J's Mental Burnout & Exam Week

Midterms didn't go as well for me as they did for N. I did OK in neuroscience and genetics, but I need to do a lot better in physiology. The bright side is that I did well enough that I don't need to think about deceling. Aside from physiology being a hard test, I think a big reason for my poor performance was anxiety. I just didn't "feel" like taking the exam, if that makes sense. In fact I was really dreading it in the week leading up to the exam. There are several reasons for this, and to some extent they reflect what student life is like at SGU.

One huge disadvantage of attending such a large medical school is that you're around so many other stressed out medical students. Some of my friends were really negative leading up to exam week, gossiping about how the midterm was incredibly difficult last term, how many people deceled, etc. Others were so positive and overconfident that they came off as jerks. In fact, my roommate told me on several occasions how he completed over 400 practice questions for physiology.

No matter how disciplined you are as a student, hearing these kinds of things day in and day out does affect your mental health. I felt stressed out, I wasn't getting restful sleep, I was downing 4 cups of coffee per day, I hadn't gone to the gym in a week and a half, and my diet largely consisted of heat and eat food that I bought at IGA. I'm pretty sure that if I had centered myself mentally, I could have done a lot better on my exam. SGU isn't out to get you, neither are your professors, or your friends....medical school is just hard, and you can really be your own worst enemy during exam week. For finals, I'll really be trying to work on this aspect of myself. I'll let you know how it goes! -J

Term 2 Midterms: Physiology

To those that read this blog, I am sorry for the lack of posts for the past few weeks. We have been preoccupied with midterm week. Last week consisted of some ups, some downs, coffee, minimal sleep, and a lot of studying. On top of studying, SGU true blue campus faced intermittent internet loss and interruption of electricity for a few hours which led our AC to reset to off for a few days. I am so so glad that all those problems have been fixed. Although midterm week started off rough, it ended well! :)

After midterms, most students evaluate their scores and try to make changes on how they study to prepare adequately for finals. So, I thought I would dedicate the next few post to tips for term 2 midterms, how I prepared, and changes in my study plan for finals. Today's post will be focused on the Physiology midterm. I hope to have a post up about each one of the midterms by the end of the week! :)

Physiology
Physiology was our first exam of the week. The exam covered the first 5 units of material which include the following: cell, autonomic nervous system (ANS), pharmacology, muscle, and cardiac physiology. Our class accidentally got instant feedback on a score, which caused a lot of anxiety and anger. However, we had to remember that physiology was only one exam and we still had 2 more major exams (Genetics/Immunology and Neuroscience) for the rest of the week. Here are a few tips and methods I used to study for my physiology exam.

1) Cell, ANS, and pharmacology were all on the Unified quiz for Physiology. So, I thoroughly studied these units for a previous test. Therefore, it was easier to review for the midterm.
2) ANS: I had a huge table of all the drugs that we needed to know and put it up on my wall in my room. Because it was up on my wall, I looked at the chart several times a day and eventually I was able to identify names, functions, and category of drug. This is super helpful to learn the material because some of the drugs are applicable for the cardiac material as well.  For future term 2 students, the drug list is discussed in lecture only a few days before the unified quiz. So, start memorizing early.
3) Heart cycle: I hand drew a Wigger's diagram with each line in a different color and put it up on my wall in my room. A few days before the midterm, I read through the essential notes for that specific lecture to confirm that I had covered everything.  I also drew a complete pressure/volume graph with the potential changes that can take place (Clearly, my wall looked pretty snazzy last week, haha)
4) GRAPHS GRAPHS GRAPHS!!! I did not count how many graphs we had on our test, but WOW, it was a lot. KNOW GRAPHS.
5) I did a ton of MOTO questions. There are over 600 questions for the cardiac section. For future students, start working on those early.
6) For some reason, the material that was covered during the muscle section seemed like a blur compared to the amount of time that was spent on the cardiac lecture. So, I had to go over the muscle material quite a few times. I made a huge chart for muscle to help me understand the similarities and differences between skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle.
7) Not only understand the content in each lecture, but know how to apply it to different clinical situations.
8) Sakai quizzes (practice quizzes that the department posts online) were also helpful initially to assess my understanding on specific topics.

Based on my midterm score, am I going to change anything before finals?
Although I did fine on the midterm, I still have areas that I want to improve upon before the final. So, my two key areas of focus are starting practice questions earlier and paying very very close attention to graphs that are highly emphasized in class.

Feel free to let us know if you have any questions. Our next post will be about the Genetics/Immunology midterm and hopefully will be up shortly. Hope everyone's week is going great! :)

J's Term 2 Update

In all honesty, term 2 has been bittersweet. On one hand, I'm not running around as much with labs, small groups and DES sessions (peer tutoring on campus). However I'm spending a lot more time at a desk learning one concept after another. Although it's good on one hand because I'm able to learn quickly and move on to the next topic, it's a lot more secluded and independent even if you schedule time to work in groups with other students.

Physiology is really a fun class. We go into detail about some not-so-obvious questions about the body. I took a physio class during my masters degree, but I've noticed that it's completely different here at SGU. It's not enough to know the concepts, you've got to completely master them, be able to answer questions directed from many different angles, and to top it off you've got to learn drugs and therapies that treat disease. It's heavy, but like I said if you are curious about the body, this class will be satisfying. In addition, Dr. Clunes is an awesome lecturer.

Neuroscience is another awesome class. The diseases we learn about in neuroscience are either incredibly odd or incredibly severe. Either way, this class will leave you interested. The content itself is not difficult to grasp, however the exams can be worded in tricky ways, so remember to have good test taking technique.

Like we mentioned elsewhere on the blog, Genetics and Immunology are taught in one class called MIMG (medical immunology and medical genetics). So far, this class has been super boring for me. Basically, genetics is like a continuation of biochemistry from first term. You just have to "know" the content on the slides and be able to apply a few key concepts (like what genetic test to order, and what probabilities of inheritance are). I really dislike this class for this reason - I feel like the faculty know that everything we need to know is basically on the slides, so they (with the exception of Dr. Upadhaya) aren't as effective as the other professors at delivering memorable lectures that stick with you. However I'm trying extra hard to do well in genetics because it's becoming more important for US board exams.

More updates to come. Have a good weekend! -J

Time Management in Medical School

Every student that enters medical school has a general idea of how they are going to structure their day, study for classes efficiently, and make time to "live a life". As much as I support such a plan, some weeks, it is very difficult to stick to a plan and very often students find themselves falling behind. While I was going through term 1, I realized that I had to manage my time better because I simply was not getting enough sleep. I would stay up late, wake up early, drink coffee, and still be behind. It was about this time last term that I re-strategized my study plans and found ways to be more efficient. Here are a few methods that I used to become more efficient.

1) If you have read our previous posts, you can probably tell I am an advocate of meal prep. Does it actually save time? Yes, it does. Instead of venturing out to eat or cooking every night, if I cook once a week, I find my week a lot more productive. Typically by Sunday nights, I have finished grocery shopping and cooking. Then I know that my meals for the week are relatively planned out. For example, this week, I wanted both a family favorite dish (an okra dish eaten with flatbread/tortilla/naan) and some pasta. So, I made both. I made one dish on Sunday night and one on Monday night. Did it take a lot of time from studying? No, I devoted about 1 hour per night to make each dish. Now, I have more than enough food for the rest of the week. If I hadn't cooked earlier this week, I probably would have spent about an hour cooking or picking up food from a local restaurant per night. So, it would have taken more time away from studying. 

Don't know what I do differently, but my mom's version of this dish tastes so much better! 

Delicious! 

2) Don't dedicate too much time to one lecture. I try to stick to a 2-3 hour maximum for reviewing each lecture. Some of my friends set an alarm. When the alarm goes off, they must move on to reviewing another lecture. This also motivates students to focus on the material for a set period of time and try to beat the alarm. If I see myself not understanding the concept and just wasting time, I simply skip the slide and make sure I return to it over my weekend review. That way, I can move on to the other lectures/labs that I need to review for the day. 

3) Remember to sleep. There are several studies that have found that sleep is associated with memory and focused attention. With minimal sleep, sitting in lecture may turn into a perpetual nap session, which is simply unproductive. 

4) If you don't finish reviewing all the lectures of the day, it is ok. At the beginning of the term, I struggled with this concept. I would try to review every lecture as soon as it was taught. That is an ideal situation and what students should strive for, but may not happen over every weekday. Just make sure that the lecture is reviewed and understood over the following weekend. 

5) Schedule breaks during the week. Whether it is having dinner with a friend or talking to family or taking a walk, these breaks help me clear my mind before I get back to studying. Typically, I am a lot more productive after these breaks compared to if I study for several hours in a row. Plus, Grenada has some of the most picturesque beaches and waterfalls in the world. So, definitely take advantage and explore the island that you call home for about two years. I understand that doing well in school is important, but spending an hour at the beach/waterfall over a weekend is not a crime. 

Grand Anse Beach 2015

Annandale Waterfall 2015

6) Try to finish labs and small group discussion preparation work over the weekend and leave reviewing lectures for the weekdays. Especially during Term 1, I used to finish histology lab preparations and most of my anatomy lab preparation while I was reviewing the associated lectures over the weekends. It made my life a little easier during the week. 

I am no expert in time management, but these tricks helped me during medical school and hope it helps you too! 

Floods, Fire alarms, and oh yea Unifieds

This week has been one of a kind. On top of studying for unifieds, the fire alarm went off in my apartment building at 4 am last week. This has happened before, but it usually was in the day time. So, students were either in class and not sleeping. Hopefully the 4 am building fire alarm doesn't happen again! On top of that, we had a leak that started a few weeks ago and progressively got worse and worse in the suite. The weekend before unifieds, my roommates and I had to deal with the problem to prevent complete flooding of our apartment. Thank you to the housekeeping team who mopped our floor multiple times and the maintenance department who FINALLY fixed the problem!

Ok, enough of that "negative nancy" talk. Let's talk about unifieds. We had unifieds last Monday for Genetics, Neuroscience, and Physiology. For term 2, unifieds are 20 questions each and 30 minutes per exam. For neuroscience and physiology, unifieds are worth 10 points. So, essentially each question on those exams are worth 0.5 of a point. For genetics, the score on unifieds is worth 20 points. So, each question is worth 1 point. As stressful as they are, unifieds are a nice way for students to determine whether their method of studying is working out well for them. If not, students have time to go see advisors/professors and revise their study strategy. Personally, unifieds went well. Better than expected, but I definitely have areas that I want to improve upon before midterms.

Last weekend was a complete study weekend before exams. So, I did not have enough time to cook for the week, but I did finish grocery shopping. After my exam on Monday, I was sleep-deprived, tried, and hungry. So, making stir fry was the first thing that popped into my head. I made a large batch of stir fry with beans, baby corn, green pepper, and onion. Delicious!

I'm so glad it is Friday! Aren't you? Happy Friday! :)

Unifieds, La Boulangerie, and Meal Prep

Last weekend was just a blur. On Friday, I made a list of things that I wanted to get done before Monday morning. Although I studied majority of the weekend (because we have unifieds coming up in less than a week (ekkk!!)), I felt like Sunday night just popped up suddenly. I like to do my second if not third review over the weekend following the lecture. Last week, there was a lot of pharacodynamics and pharacokinetics material that was covered in Physiology. Integrating concepts and analyzing the material took majority of the time. Although tired, this week is going well so far. We have a few more days of lectures before unifieds. So, my peers and I are trying to manage the material.

La Boulangerie

Despite have a study weekend, I did manage to take a study break on Friday to try out an Italian restaurant called La Boulangerie. To my friends who recommended this restaurant, thank you! The food was delicious and it was just what I needed after a long week! The restaurant is known for their pasta dishes. The service compared to other restaurants in Grenada was fast and the quality of food was good. We will definitely be eating at La Boulangerie again!

Meal Prep

On Saturday, we finished grocery shopping and I cooked on Sunday evening. I made an Indian dish called Chole for dinners this week. I am planning on eating it with flatbread similar to pita bread called naan. In addition, I am planning on making a second dish late in the week so that I don't have to worry about cooking right before unifieds. 

Hope everyone is having a great week! 

Neurogeneticophysiology and Meal Prep

Yes, I am aware that I made up the word, but neurogeneticophysiology basically describes my week. Last week, we began the three core classes for term 2: Neuroscience, Genetics, and Physiology. I think all three classes are really interesting, so I am looking forward to the classes. Last week we had our regular 4 hours of lectures per day and then a 3 hour clicker/practice question session on Friday. This week, we have the same schedule in addition to 2 small group discussions. So, the work load is definitely building up! 

In terms of the 3 hour clicker/practice question session, I have heard mixed reviews about it. Some argue that it is a waste of time especially after 4 hours of of lecture on Fridays. Others say that it is beneficial to evaluate yourself at the end of the week to identify what to focus on during the weekend study. Personally, I think I fall somewhere in between the two extremes. I appreciate the fact that the school has implemented these sessions to provide us with more practice/USMLE-styled questions. However, I think it would be helpful if the instructors either provide more questions or explain the correct answer choice thoroughly during the sessions. I have to say, though, I did tailor my weekend reviews based on concepts that I missed during the clicker session. The clicker sessions are also motivating me to study harder during the week and attend the sessions prepared. 

Besides trying to keep up with the course material, I also meal prepped last weekend. I made an awesome Mexican rice dish with black beans, corn, onion, tomato, and green bell pepper. I cooked the veggies with spices on Saturday night and stored them in containers. Then, every night for dinner, I quickly mix together some rice and veggies, add some spices to make it spicy (as you can probably tell, spicy food and I go well together), and warm it up! I knew this week would be busy, so I made enough for the week.

Now I am off to study some pharmacodynamics for physiology! Happy first week of September! :)

The First 2 weeks of Term 2

2 finals, 2 meal prep dishes, and 1 beach sums up my week so far. Last week, we finished up two courses: CPM (Community and Preventive Medicine) and Bioethics. We had finals for those courses this week. So, this post is about my perspectives of the courses and a few tips for future students.

CPM
Since college, I have found the study of public health to be very interesting. So, I thoroughly enjoyed the topics that were covered in CPM. From heart disease prevalence to prevention methods to filling out death certificates, this class introduced the class to a wide range of public health topics. In terms of studying, I attended lecture, reviewed the lectures, and reviewed the lectures again over the weekend. The material is not hard, but students do need to be prepared for the exam. Here are a few tips for succeeding in the class:

1) Attend the review lecture. (typically last lecture of the course) This helped me the most!!!
2) Make sure to go through the 100 slide review guide that the professor is nice enough to give to students.
3) Definitely, definitely learn how to fill out a death certificate during the workshop/lecture.
4) Make sure you understand the material covered in the vaccine lecture because it is not only important for the class, but will also help during clinical practice.
5) Know the definitions and differences between epidemic, endemic, outbreak, and pandemic. More importantly, know how to apply it to a clinical setting.

Bioethics
Over the last 2 weeks, I spent much more time studying Bioethics compared to CPM. This class discussed quite a few ethical situations that affect health care regularly. Majority of the lectures left the class thinking about 2 questions: How would I respond if I was the physician? How would I want a physician to respond if I was the patient? Here are a few things I did to study for this class:

1) Attend lecture, review lecture, and review lecture over the weekend
2) Read all the articles. Most of them are quite interesting! There were questions on the exam about the main points covered in the articles.
3) Prepared for both small group sessions by formulating an answer for each question on the discussion worksheet.
4) Read the course companion. To be honest, I wish I had read the companion when I was going through the lecture, rather than leaving it for the last few days before the exam.
5) Made flashcards for definitions and theories. This class has a ton of terms and lists that students need to know how to apply. So, flashcards were the easiest method to learn.
6) Discussed the practice quiz questions with a few friends.

To be completely honest, I was stressed about finding out my bioethics grade as were many of my friends. A huge thank you to J and my family for listening to my worries over the last few days! You are awesome!! To de-stress from the 2 finals, we went to the beach (yay!). I don't think I could ever get tired of these sunsets. So beautiful!

#nofilter

Once we were back, I was in the mood to cook something. So, I experimented with a pan-asian recipe with green beans, bell pepper, and onions over rice. Simply Delicious!! :)

Happy Wednesday! :)

Finals and Meal Prep!

It feels like we just flew back to Grenada and we already have final exams on Monday and Tuesday. We just finished up 2 courses (CPM and Bioethics) which are 2 weeks in length. Once we take our finals early next week, we start the core classes (physiology, genetics, immunology, neuroscience) for term 2. I promise to do an update about each of the courses once I take my exam!

Because we have finals next week, meal prep time may be a little compromised this weekend. This week, I decided I wanted something healthy, warm, and fast to make. So, I'm made stir-fry. I am a huge fan of pan-asian food, so this is just what I need for a pre-final weekend! I already had a few ingredients and wanted to use up some veggies before they become moldy. I'm convinced that the more number of ingredients I add to stir-fry, the better it tastes. So, I never use a standard recipe for stir-fry. Usually, I taste the dish while it is cooking and add spices or hot sauce or stir-fry sauce as I go.

We quickly finished up our weekend grocery shopping and got back to studying. In the evening, I chopped up all the ingredients and let the veggies cook while I read some bioethics.

Some of veggies that I cut

If I have time, I might make another dish after my final on Tuesday so that I have enough for the week! For lunches, I am keeping it simple. I saved some of the veggies that I used for the stir fry. So, I am making a cheese or veggie sandwich during the week. Hope everyone is having a great weekend! :)

Meal Prep Week 2!

Wow, I can't believe that the first week of term 2 is already complete. Because our course load has been manageable so far, I have had more time to cook and prepare meals that I enjoy! Yesterday, we finished up our usual grocery shopping and today, I set aside a few hours to make a few things that I plan to eat during the week.

Potluck
Today, our friends hosted a potluck party at their apartment. We were in charge of making/bringing chip dip. So, instead of just buying a small container of salsa, I thought I would make a vegetarian 7-layer dip. While grocery shopping, I picked up a few extra ingredients. Then, my roommate and I put together a great dip! The recipe was a combination of a youtube recipe video and our 10 pm creative minds! :)  It was super easy to make and all the ingredients can be found at IGA.

Meal Prep
Due to the hot and humid weather, I thought that I would prepare a light, cooler dish for dinners this week. So, I thought a pasta salad would be a great option! While the pasta was cooking, I cut and mixed veggies and fruits.

Then, I mixed everything together and added a spices to give it flavor.

For snacks, I have apples and I am thoroughly enjoying the yogurt/granola combination. So, I am going to stick with that this week!

I also cut up a head of lettuce so that I can add a few other ingredients during the week and make sandwiches for lunches.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Week 2, here we come! :)

Term 2, here I come!

After a couple of flight delays due to a lightening storm, we are safely back in Grenada to start Term 2. For future students, it is important to have the electronic form submitted to SGU, the letter addressed to the immigration officer, and student ID to make immigration as smooth as possible in Grenada. Also, if possible, try to keep the same electronic devices that you submit to SGU for your electronic form. It will make your life a lot easier. Over the last few days, I have been running errands like registering for Term 2, buying groceries for the week, unpacking, and of course meeting up with friends from last term!

Academics:
The first few weeks of Term 2 consist of a 2-week course introducing students to the importance of bioethics in the field of medicine and community and preventative medicine. I, for one, am excited for these classes. The course load for the next two weeks are relatively light compared to the rest of the term. So, I am slowly easing my way into term 2.

Meal Prep:
As per my usual med school schedule, I meal prepped on Sunday this week. I made a chickpea-based dish with a ton of veggies that I plan to eat during the week. I also cut up some lettuce and added some veggies to that so I can have salads during the week. As a snack, I have yogurt and granola and of course fruits! Instead of icecream, my family gave me a few treats before I flew back to Grenada. So, I can enjoy that during the week! :)

Carnival
The last few days have been a national holiday in Grenada. My roommates highly recommended going to see the festival and I am so glad I took their advice. A group of friends and I took a cab to the city, saw the singing and dancing, and embraced the cultural traditions. One of the first things that an orientation leader told me during 1st term was to spend time exploring the island and mixing with the locals. Although I hold studying and my academics as my first priority, we are here in Grenada for 2 years. So, we might as well learn and embrace the Grenadian culture.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week and best of luck to the Term 1's who start orientation today! :)

Term 1 Student Daily Schedule

A typical daily schedule for Term 1 students:

6:45 am: wake up.... who am I kidding? This was probably when I starting snoozing the alarm and hopefully woke up around 7. Mom, thanks for calling me to confirm I was awake on those early lab days!!!

7-7:45 am: look over lab material before quiz and breakfast

8-10 am:  Histology Lab followed by lab quiz

10 am-12 pm:  Break from class/studying/meal prep for the week/catch up on sleep (15 minute power naps are the best!!!)

12 pm-1pm: lunch and pre-read for lecture

1-5 pm: Lecture (typically it is 4 lectures with 10 minute breaks every 50 minutes). Many students prefer to sonic (watch the lectures online), but I understand the material better if I attend lectures.

5-6 pm: workout/shower

6-8 pm: review lectures

8-8:30 pm: dinner (usually already cooked. Check out our other post about meal-prep here)

8:30 pm-1:30 am: look over next day's lab and continue reviewing lectures/bedtime

Hope everyone has a nice week! :)

Meal Prep in Med School

Hi Everyone! Today, I thought I would do a post about meal prep. As a medical student, meal prep not only helps me eat healthy, but it also saves me time during the week. During the first few weeks of Term 1, I found myself cooking on a regular basis or eating out and it was taking time away from studying. So, I had to manage my time better and start preparing meals ahead of time.

We previously talked about how IGA typically gets a shipment on Thursdays. You can read our grocery store experience here. So, we tend to finish our grocery shopping either Friday or Saturday. That allows us to meal prep on Sunday.

I usually plan what I am going to eat for the week before going to the store. There are many people who meal prep everything they are going to eat for the week. Props to them! For now, I try to meal prep dinners and lunches. For breakfast, I almost always have milk and yogurt or cereal in my kitchen. For snacks, I try to stick to fruit, but I know I slack, especially if it is midterm week! I definitely have a sweet tooth for ice cream! More specifically, Mint Chocolate Chip! :) I'm not the most experienced chef, so before starting term 1, I put together a word document of enjoyable, healthy, easy meals that I know how to make with a list of ingredients. Usually, I make 1-2 large main dishes that I use for dinner during the week and sandwiches and salads for lunches.

Then, on Sundays, I make sure I set aside a few hours of my day to prepare my main dishes for dinner and cut up fruits/veggies that I am going to need for lunch.

During the week, it only takes me a couple of minutes to put together a great meal! :)

Term 1: Complete!!!

Hi Everyone! Hope everyone's summer is going well! N and J completed Term 1 (yay!!!) and are back in the states for the summer before they start Term 2.

Although we both went through the same courses, same labs, and same curriculum, N and J managed Term 1 differently. There is no right or wrong way of handling the material in Term 1. Each student needs to determine what works best for them. So, this post focuses on N's perspective of Term 1!

Anatomy:
To be completely honest, my number 1 academic concern was passing anatomy. Before I started Term 1, my questions were how do I study for anatomy? How do I prepare for the practical? These questions were answered as the term progressed. Majority of students alter their study methods after Unified exams (an exam taken 3 weeks after the start of the term) or after midterms. Personally, I realized that I had to become more efficient after midterms.

Here are a few methods I used my time more efficiently after midterms:
1) completed labeling and studying images for weekly imaging quiz while reviewing imaging lecture for anatomy.
2) wet lab images: We were assigned quite a few images to know during some lab weeks. So, I divided the total number of wet lab images into 2-3 days. This way I understood the image better and performed well on quizzes.
3) found an awesome clinical tutor in wet lab which helped me prepare for the practical!!
4) did grays questions after I had reviewed the material for the 2nd time over the weekends
5) made a huge table for cranial nerves, which helped me immensely during the head and neck portion of the class
6) made a chart of blood vessels to help me remember the interconnected nature.

Yes, anatomy is an 8 credit class and yes, it occupied a lot of my time, but I enjoyed the class. Also, to future students, don't forget to do the weekly quiz. Those quizzes will count!

Histology:
I had minimal exposure to Histology prior to Term 1. Because it is a 4 credit class, Histology is considered to be the blow-off class of Term 1. However, I do not think this is true at all. Term 1 students will have Histology lab about once a week for 2 hours.

As I started term 1, I attended histology lectures, reviewed the lectures, and prepared for lab just a few days before attending my lab session. Some of my friends followed this pattern and it worked out well for them.  Personally, however, I felt unprepared for lab presentations because I only had enough time to look at lab once before attending lab and taking the lab quiz. I had to become more efficient after midterms. So, here is how I studied histology post-midterm:

1) Pre-read: Flip through lab associated with lecture topic (typically done while I ate lunch before lecture)
2) Attend lecture and annotate
3) Review lecture and prepare for lab (typically done in the evening after lecture or over the following weekend)
4) attend an open DES session
5) Review lecture and lab one day before lab.

This pattern helped me improve my performance in the class. I had the chance to review the material and lab about 2-3 times before lab. It also made studying for finals a lot easier as well!

Biochemistry:
My favorite 1st term class!!! Great teaching staff, very organized, and clear small group discussions!!! I had previously taken biochemistry in college and during my master's program, but that doesn't mean this course was easy. It just means that I had a previous exposure to the material.

Here are a few studying techniques that worked for me:
1) I made a big chart of the coenzymes and cofactors during the term. Every time the coenzyme or cofactor was used in a reaction, I wrote down the reaction.
2) I made a chart of the vitamins and minerals. This came into use when I was studying for the final.
3) wrote pathways over and over and over... :)
4) Put effort into the small group discussion. I think I remember the material covered during the small group discussion most.

I have a rule of 4-5. That means that I try my very best to review a lecture/lab at least 4-5 times before I walk into the test room for midterms/finals.

I'm not going to sugar coat it, Term 1 was not easy. However, it is manageable. There is no recipe for success because every student is different. I take medical school one day at a time and wish the best of luck to future SGU students. If you have any questions and comments, please let me know.

Thank you for reading and have a great rest of your day! :)

~N

Traveling to SGU for Term 1

Curious about what you see on the way to SGU? Here's a video we took, check it out:

Understanding the Curriculum

The 4 year MD program at SGU has two parts: the preclinical component, consisting of the first two years of medical school, and the clinical clerkship, which is done during years 3 and 4. The first of three medical board exams (USMLE Step 1) is taken after completion of year 2. The second board exam (USMLE Step 2) is taken after year 4. Finally, your third board exam, USMLE Step 3, is taken after your intern year, also known as post-graduate year 1 (PGY-1).

The preclinical curriculum at SGU is fairly straightforward and taught in a traditional systems-based format.

Preclinical Year 1

Term 1 (17 cr):

1. Human Gross and Developmental Anatomy (8 cr)
2. Medical Biochemistry (5 cr)
3. Histology and Cell Biology (4 cr)
4. Objective Structured Clinical Examination (0 cr)

Term 2 (17 cr)

1. Medical Genetics and Genomics (2 cr)
2. Bioethics and the Professional: Medicine in Society I (1 cr)
3. Immunology (2 cr)
4. Neuroscience (5 cr)
5. Physiology (6 cr)
6. Topics in Community and Preventative Medicine: Medicine in Society II (1 cr)

Preclinical Year 2

Term 3 (6 cr)

1. Behavioral Sciences in Medicine (6 cr)

Term 4 (23 cr)

1. Communication and Physical Diagnosis (3 cr)
2. Microbiology (5 cr)
3. Parasitology (1 cr)
4. Pathology (13 cr)
5. Medical Nutrition (1 cr)

Term 5 (23 cr)

1. Introduction to Clinical Medicine (3 cr)
2. Pathophysiology (12 cr)
3. Basic Science Foundation for Clinical Reasoning (2 cr)
4. Pharmacology (6 cr)

It's worth noting that these credit designations are not in line with emphasis on the USMLE. For example, the most important class from term 1 is biochemistry, although anatomy is given more emphasis on SGU's grading scale. By reputation, anatomy and pathology are the two most difficult academic courses at SGU.

Clinical Clerkships Years 3 and 4

The clerkships are comprised of 80 weeks of in-hospital medical training. These years are designed to acclimatize students with the rigors of working as physicians, as well as ingraining a sense of responsibility in treating patients. Every student is graded by their attending physician on clinical rotations. Students need to perform well in rotations that they are interested in specializing into, in order to gain letters of recommendations from their supervising physicians. 

Each MD student must complete 42 weeks of core rotations, which include: 

• Pediatrics (6 wks)
• Surgery (12 wks)
• Obstetrics and Gynecology (6 wks)
• Psychiatry (6 wks)
• Internal Medicine (12 wks)

After core rotations, students complete rotations in:

• Family Medicine (4 wks)
• Medicine Sub-internship (4 wks)
• Medicine Elective (4 wks)
• Pediatric Sub-internship or elective (4 wks)

To complete the remaining weeks of clinical requirements, students must complete elective rotations, at a minimum of 22 weeks. Most students do elective rotations after core rotations. The availability of electives vary with each hospital, and are also dependent on your personal preference of location. The order in which you complete each rotation is also dependent on each hospital. 

Grocery Shopping at SGU

One of my biggest concerns when I first came to SGU was the grocery shopping situation. Where is it? How do I get there? Is it expensive? Do they take credit cards? Is it safe?

First of all, let me make a distinction between the grocery store and the pharmacy. Although the grocery store (called IGA) does have some cosmetics like soap, shampoo, common medications etc, it can be much more bare than the grocery stores in the US or Canada. In order to get the medications you need, or to have a wider selection of cosmetic items, you'll have to go to the local pharmacy. It'a a 10 minute walk from campus and even less via any campus bus.

To get to IGA, simply hop on the Grand Anse bus. In about 15 minutes, the shuttle passes by a local mall area (mall, by Grenadian standards). It's located near Grand Anse beach. Simply push the red button to tell the driver you want to get off at the stop, and exit on the left side of the road when it stops. In the mall, simply make a left and keep walking until you reach IGA, which is in the mall itself.

Some items at IGA are, admittedly, expensive. However, a few items are as cheap if not cheaper than the US. I would suggest creating a list of "food staple" items which you usually don't get tired of eating, and buy those items regularly. This has the added benefit of helping you track your own expenses. Milk is shipped into the island from Chicago, and arrives every Thursday. Milk is usually hard to get by Sunday.

IGA does take credit cards (bring your ID).

The area in the mall is safe. However, there was a situation one day when it wasn't as safe as I had hoped. I had gone to IGA in the evening one day and was waiting at the bus stop. A small boy came up to me and persistently asked me for money. He said he would starve if I didn't give him any money. He even went as far as trying to dig into my bag in order to find any cookies. The kid was the child of a woman who owned the fruit stand which is next to the bus stop. Even though I didn't feel threatened or anything, it's an uncomfortable situation to be in. There are many ways to avoid it: go to the grocery store with a group of people, shop in the mornings or daytime and never in the evenings. Also, you can simply wait inside the mall until the bus comes (you can see it through the windows of the mall exit). 

First Impressions

Greetings from Grenada! We arrived on the island on Tuesday night and with only a slight flight change, we luckily arrived with all of our bags on time. The last few days have been filled with a orientation events and meeting our fellow classmates. All the faculty members, advisors, and our new friends are very nice.

Housing:
We were both assigned to two different dorms compared to the dorm mentioned on the housing portal. Although this came as a surprise after landing in Grenada, we are glad that the housing placement resolved quickly. Actually, it worked out for the better because we both are placed in single triple suites. What does that mean? It means that three students are placed in suite with three individual rooms and share 1 kitchen and a bathroom. So, you have some personal space to yourself! To all future SGU students, when you get your housing placement, make sure you call/email/go in person to housing department and confirm your placement.

Grocery:
In general, life in Grenada is a lot slower with the exception of the speed that cars/buses drive on the street. Some of our helpful friends told us that a trip to the grocery store may take a while. So, we gave ourselves enough time and finally made it out to IGA (the local grocery store) today! We were pleasantly surprised of the variety of items that were available. IGA will accept cash or card. 1 US dollar = 2.67 EC (the local currency in Grenada). An easy method to convert from EC to US dollars is to multiply by 4 and divide by 10. So, if a food item is 10 EC, it is worth (10x4)/10 = approximately 4 US dollars.

Spectacular Sunsets:
Grenada, although very hot and very humid, has some of the most spectacular sunsets we have seen. We especially liked the view from Modica Hall, the newest building on campus, which has a wide panoramic view of the Carribean Sea.

View from Modica Hall

Sun Set from Grand Anse Beach

We have noticed that SGU not only provides a rigorous curriculum is a variety of scientific fields, but also creates a diverse, welcoming environment. Every student that continues their education at SGU will automatically become more cultured, more open-minded, and more patient. As orientation draws to a close, we are looking forward to beginning our first term of medical school! Hope you had a great week!