Taking a break from studying Neuro....

Welcome to my first blog posting ever! Allow me some time to get the page looking pretty, please. I thought this would be a good way to communicate with everyone who has been wondering/worrying about me during my school year. I rarely have time to call or email people individually these days, so hopefully you will check in periodically to see what I and my family are up to.

Right now, I am taking a break from studying for my first exam of the school year (I am a second-year medical student). Our first block is neurology and this test is going to cover neuroanatomy, neuroembryology, synapses and action potentials, some basic neuropharmacology and the travelling of neurons through the spinal column (easiest way to put it).

It was wonderful this summer to not think about academic performance, whether I was capable of this task, and all of the other insecurities that seem to come along with medical school (at least for me). So, coming back to class last week was difficult. I am hoping that our psychiatry block will help me figure out why the thought of medical school sends me into GI upset and fits of self-doubt. Whatever the reason, I am SURE there is a drug for it. Our psychiatry block runs concurrent to our other blocks in school. Today, we discussed Autism Spectrum Disorders (Autism, Aspergers) and interviewed parents of children with Autism/Aspergers. Having a healthy, cognitively normal 3-year old son, it was difficult to see the videos that some of these parents had of their children. I could not imagine my child not acknowledging his name when I called him, not hugging me when I wanted to show him affection and not being able to respond to his friends in a socially appropriate manner.

So, my test is this Friday, after which I am looking forward to movie night with Oscar (my son) and Joe (my husband) and just hanging out all weekend. The weather has finally cooled off here which should make our weekend mountain hike very pleasant. But unitl then, it is back to memorizing the pathway of the corticospinal tract. G'night everyone. -b