I am still amazed every day by the sheer volume that we are learning. It’s week five. (But technically week four AND five, since the three missed days from the hurricane have been rolled into this week.) After covering 40 or so genetic conditions, including their symptoms, laboratory and clinical diagnostic techniques, common biological causes, inheritance patterns and implications, course of action for genetic counseling, DNA repair techniques implicated, treatment possibilities, and more–we have finally moved on to biochemistry. A lot of this will be familiar, but it’s still biochemistry–and about a whole semester’s worth packed into the last 3 weeks of this “HB1” block.
After these next three weeks, we will get 1 week for review, then we take our HB1 exams and move on to HB2, which covers anatomy and involves lots of cadaver bonding time.
I fluctuate between excitement and dread about this. Admittedly, I used to be terrified of death. I watched White Fang when I was 9ish, and spent weeks unable to leave my bed to go to the bathroom at night because I was worried that the blue-faced frozen dead guy who falls off the dog sled and into the icy lake had somehow transported through the TV screen and was lying beside my bed. (I never could even bring myself to look over the edge to confirm this, so I lied equally frozen in my bed and prayed my bladder wouldn’t rupture and kill me.)
So basically I’m hoping our first anatomy lab session falls on a day that I’m feeling ready to look at dead people. There’s like a 50% chance that it’ll be the right day.
Also, I’d say there’s about an 80% chance that I’ll be a vegetarian for the months between October and next May… Thanksgiving Tofu, here I come. 8)
The Nontraditional Medical Student 