So I've been doing more BrainGenie biology (can't wait to do the chem section too) and looking at my new First Aid Q and A for the USMLE Step 1. I see there are only a few DNA questions, and if they are they are very much clinically related, and more about lab techniques such as Southern blot methods etc. So, my goal now is to go through the QandA book and revise the questions I don't know. I will skip the ones that seem to be patho related in the hope that I will cover those in the appropriate coming modules, ie I should know the cardiovascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal, and endocrine ones by now but not the neuro, haem, immune, gastrointestinal, renal, reproductive etc.
From what I'm hearing from students ahead of me, the Final Pre-Clinical Exam, ie the in-house barrier exam before Step 1, is very difficult to pass. A pass is >80%. I am concerned. I only got 75% on my last exam. At least it has motivated me to do better.
I'm feeling like I really want to be an emergency specialist right now. I wont be too upset with general practice, and in fact I'd probably prefer only emergency and paediatrics ahead of GP. If I did GP I'd love to do rural. I'd would LOVE to do emergency training in Australia or the US. Either way, I feel I need to, somehow, do even better this year.
I think I can do it. The pieces are slowly coming together.
The main thing I need to remind myself to accept is - in medicine, I can't go on auto-pilot. It's not easy for me at all. I remember friends saying stuff like "studying medicine isn't hard; there's just lots to remember" and I've made similar comments in the past. Well, I find some of studying medicine hard! I'm finding the biochemistry particularly difficult to understand in enough depth to be able to answer some of the Step 1 questions. I'm finding it hard to remember all the different clinical presentations of different diseases and what distinguishes one from the other when there are so many and so many overlap.
Studying medicine has already proven to be a formidable challenge and I'm really enjoying it! I've definitely made the right choice in career path.
--------------
I'm really loving reading the Mothers in Medicine blog. I've never come across such amazing people and writing. They way these women, and sometimes men, describe their dual loves for their careers and family, in a compassionate and intellectual way, makes me feel all gooey inside. Getting a peek inside the brain of a female heart transplant surgeon who flies in a jet with pregnant belly - priceless!
From what I'm hearing from students ahead of me, the Final Pre-Clinical Exam, ie the in-house barrier exam before Step 1, is very difficult to pass. A pass is >80%. I am concerned. I only got 75% on my last exam. At least it has motivated me to do better.
I'm feeling like I really want to be an emergency specialist right now. I wont be too upset with general practice, and in fact I'd probably prefer only emergency and paediatrics ahead of GP. If I did GP I'd love to do rural. I'd would LOVE to do emergency training in Australia or the US. Either way, I feel I need to, somehow, do even better this year.
I think I can do it. The pieces are slowly coming together.
The main thing I need to remind myself to accept is - in medicine, I can't go on auto-pilot. It's not easy for me at all. I remember friends saying stuff like "studying medicine isn't hard; there's just lots to remember" and I've made similar comments in the past. Well, I find some of studying medicine hard! I'm finding the biochemistry particularly difficult to understand in enough depth to be able to answer some of the Step 1 questions. I'm finding it hard to remember all the different clinical presentations of different diseases and what distinguishes one from the other when there are so many and so many overlap.
Studying medicine has already proven to be a formidable challenge and I'm really enjoying it! I've definitely made the right choice in career path.
--------------
I'm really loving reading the Mothers in Medicine blog. I've never come across such amazing people and writing. They way these women, and sometimes men, describe their dual loves for their careers and family, in a compassionate and intellectual way, makes me feel all gooey inside. Getting a peek inside the brain of a female heart transplant surgeon who flies in a jet with pregnant belly - priceless!
No comments:
Post a Comment