8 is a Lucky Number

The Beijing Olympics started at 8pm on 8/8/08 - because 8 is a lucky number in China. And tonight, Michael Phelps made history going 8 for 8 in his swimming events - setting a record that no modern Olympian has ever achieved before and may very well not achieve in the near future.

And he is a classy guy! I feel like I got to see a very significant event tonight that will become a legendary part of history. Of course, Phelps could not have achieved this amazing feat without his AWESOME teammates on the US Team. They deserve recognition and praise as well for their excellent swimming over the last week.

Congratulations Michael and Team USA!!!

Did You Know!

Instead of telling you the answer, we are going to do things a little differently this time. I am going to give you all a taste of the type of multiple choice questions we are asked on the USMLE Step 1. And remember, there are 342 questions we must answer, over an eight hour exam day.

Good luck! Post your answers in the comment section and let's see who gets it correct. I will post the right answer in a few days. And remember: No cheating - look up the answer on your own!

QUESTION:
A 38 year old female patient presents to your clinic. You have been treating this patient regularly for seizures in the past. The patient now presents to you complaining of a rash on her face - you find redness extending outwards from the midline of her face onto her cheeks. Laboratory results show anti-histone antibodies. Which of the following drugs most likely caused the current symptoms in this patient:

A) Adriomycin
B) Ethosuximide
C) Furosemide
D) Hydrochlorothiazide
E) Methotrexate
F) Phenytoin
G) Quinidine
H) Rifampin
I) Warfarin

EARTHQUAKE!!!!!!!!

The boys of cabin 5 got past Tamara and I on night watch. We were stealth like whilst sitting in our comfy chairs, bundled up, watching a movie. OK, maybe we weren't very stealth like, but we sure were keeping our ears open for sounds.

Nothing. Those boys got past us in the dead of night, down to the lake, had some joy rides on the canoes, then left them all untied. The adults, of course, discovered this in the morning - when we found all the canoes floating in the lake. I actually got into one of the canoes and then towed the other five behind me, putting the rope for each under my foot and rowing them all back to dock on the other side of the lake. Good exercise.

Well, the boys, being boys, couldn't keep their mouth shut. So they bragged to some friends, who bragged to a counselor, who told Tammy and I on the sly. BATTLE ON! I decided we needed to play a prank back on those guys - so the fun started at evening chapel. We sent messengers to the boys with various messages - they never figured out who it was until the "earthquake" the next morning. But I'm jumping ahead.

Message 1: "We know what you did last night."

Message 2: "The canoes are not pleased. Be afraid - be very afraid."

Message 3: This was in the form of a letter from the canoes that was delivered to the boys at dinner time. "Dear Cabin 5, We know what you did last night. Canoes have feelings, too. Sleep with one eye open tonight. Love, The Canoes"; This message got the best response from the boys as they kept looking around trying to figure out who was sending them all these messages. It was awesome and very funny.

Message 4: During campfire, Tamara and I snuck into Cabin 5 and put signs up on every bunk and their door that said: "God is watching...and so were we!"

The rest of the night was uneventful. Then, at around 5:30am, the EARTHQUAKE!!!!! happened. Tam and I burst into their cabin, screaming "EARTHQUAKE, EARTHQUAKE, EARTHQUAKE, EARTHQUAKE!!!!!! GET UNDER YOUR BUNKS NOW!!!!!" We kept screaming this, and shaking their bunks, and a couple of other counselors helped out by banging on the walls from the outside. It was pure prank heaven.

Boys were dropping from the top bunks to the ground. Most were in their boxers since they were sleeping - but they got on the ground QUICK and started shimmying under their bunks. Tam and I did this for about a minute before we stopped, looked at each other, and then said to them: "Y'all got Punk'd! Have a great day, guys!"

Oh, the pleasures of camp!

Back from Camp! And Study Tips

"I'm back!!!" I know for those of you who read my blog religiously, this statement is getting quite old. It seems to be popping up quite a bit this summer :) I promise, it won't show up much in the next month or so.

That said, CAMP...WAS...AWESOME!!!!!!! It was super relaxing and absolutely rejuvenated my spirit to be in such a relaxing (albeit somewhat hot in the sun) place. I will blog more about camp in the coming days.

For now, I wanted to share a very important study tip from one of my dear friends from when I worked in Baltimore. Greta B. is now working in Seattle, WA, but was (and would absolutely be again if she went back into a classroom) an AWESOME teacher and a wonderful person.

Therefore, without delaying the point, here it is:
"Study Tip #7: Stop looking at the book and smell a green plant. Of any kind. Also, if you have five minutes to play in the dirt, this will help, too :)"

Watch Your Knees!

Here is something you never hear about...ever!

Passengers on a United Airlines Flight had the unique opportunity to return to the ground shortly after departure. So far, not unique, right?

The reason: during takeoff, row 3 got loose and fell backward onto the laps of the people in row 4 of the airplane. You can read about it by clicking here.

When we flew Armenian Airlines back in 2001, overhead bin doors opened and seatbacks without passengers flew forward during landing, and the bathrooms smelled like the rest stops along highway 99 from Fresno to Los Angeles. But wow, now I feel lucky - because no seats actually fell on the people behind them.

Way to go United. They charge fees for every other service they offer - apparently from now on, your airfare won't include a seat that stays - you will need to pay a $45 fee for a seat that doesn't fall backwards and a $100 fee for insurance against the seats in front of you falling on your knees. Enjoy your flight and thanks for flying with us!

Even Failing is Part of the Journey

According to a review book just about every medical student uses, First Aid for USMLE Step 1, "Failure may trigger weeks or months of sadness, feelings of hopelessness, social withdrawal, and inability to concentrate - in other words, true clinical depression."

So, not to ignore the elephant in the room. For those of you who haven't yet heard, I did not pass my USMLE Step 1. I earned a 182, but needed a 185 to pass. And yes, the wind was knocked out of my sails when I got my score report and I was mopey and just plain lethargic for a few days afterwards. But, I was also reflective. I thought about my life choices, about whether med school truly is what I want or need to be doing. And after several days of prayer, meditation and reflection, I realized - being in medical school is EXACTLY what I want to be doing right now. Becoming a Doctor is EXACTLY what I see myself as doing. Our Lord has blessed me with a talent and I plan on investing it and returning it with even greater gains for His glory. True, I sometimes feel that I haven't been blessed with the best memory - but luckily, I do have lots of patience and determination.

Therefore, I respectfully request that people stop writing "So sorry to hear..." e-mails. I'm not sorry I failed. Failing is quite possibly the best thing that could have happened to me, as it has kicked me into high gear and instilled a sense of confidence in myself that I haven't had in medical school. I am more confident and strong and determined now about my abilities and my goals than I ever was the past two years leading up to this exam.

So what happens next? I am currently studying again, will retake the exam probably first week of September and I look forward to letting you all know that I PASSED the exam. Those results will probably arrive around end of September. Stay tuned!