Prospective OUM students

Dear Prospective (and new) OUM students!

I have heard through the grapevine that this blog may have helped a few of you decide to study at OUM! That's great!

OUM has a program in place where if a student recommends/refers a new student to OUM and then that new student goes on to study for more than 3 modules at OUM, the old student can get a reduction on their tuition fees.

If this blog has been your "referral" to OUM, then I would appreciate it if you would put my name forward. This is, of course, only if yo feel it is fair to do so. If you would like to inbox me, then as I have said from the start, please feel free to leave me a comment with your email address and I will email you quite promptly. I always do. And I wont publish your comment if it is obviously intended only for me. Other students helped me in the beginning to get the low-down on what's the go with this school.

From the start of this blog I have been very honest and frank about my studies (and other aspects of my life). I have tried to keep this blog anonymous in an attempt to be able to speak freely from my heart. This has also enabled me to comment on the pros and cons of studying at OUM. I just wanted you to know I am not getting any sort of kick-backs from OUM for this blog or anything absurd like that!

I have been engrossed in other endeavours as late and have been unable to maintain this blog. When I go back from my LoA, you never know, I might need a special place to vent again!

In case you were wondering what I'm up to atm, I have been focusing on my health and fitness, but also revising what I have studied thus far at OUM. Today I didn't feel like reading my notes or the textbooks so I watched Dr Najeeb lectures. I've dedicated a calendar month to each module. MArch is biochem month. It's the 25th and I haven't even covered a quarter of what I wanted to. I'm finding it difficult to balance to focus on my own health and my studies at this stage. I hope to resolve this dilemma before I return!

Anyway, good luck to you all out there, med students or wannabes, or whatever you are up to.

Edit: 19 Aug 2013: I've been informed that this blog does not consitute a referal and if you get to OUM via me and my blog and decide to go there because of what I have told you here, then this does not count at all and I'm not eligible for any kind of tuition reduction for doing so. I think that sucks, but that's the way it is. I obviously don't write this blog for any sort of kick-back and I will keep writing it when I can be bothered and be as honest as possible as always. Good luck!

Update

Well, I've been very busy not only working and studying but getting my side-business up and running. As it's a health related business, I also have to invest a lot of time in my own health to be a good example.

Getting really great health, I've realised, needs to be high in the priority list or it simply doesn't happen!

I am also starting a blog and vlog on the business website and I have a very active Facebook page for the business so please excuse me for not attending to this blog.

Thank you for reading and I'm sorry for leaving you!

Where have I been?

Sorry for the lack of posts as late. Mostly, seeing as my blogger ap wont work on my new phone or iPad properly it kinda makes me not want to blog as much.

The other reason is that I have a few other ventures going on on the web, mostly related to my fruitarian lifestyle so I tend to spend my creative internet energies there. I have a blog and a fb page so that takes my time up.

I also haven't' been studying med so I haven't had to unleash my frustrations anywhere lately.

I'm not quite sure what to do with this blog but I think I'll keep it open for now.

Back at work

Well I've just had 4.5 weeks off work and have return a few days early to do an overtime shift at a far away branch!

I just got home from Tasmania last night at midnight and got woken by a phone call from rosters this morning offering me an OT shift. I said yes as I am performing (and therefore being paid for) higher duties for this month. I really need to get some cash for med school.

While driving into work I was thinking to myself how I'm really happy to be gong back to work and how much I really enjoy my job. It kinda made me question again why I'd want to change careers with the good money I'm on and all the perks such as the 5-on/5-off rostrer and 10 weeks annual leave, but then again, I need to study something to keep my sanity. Tending to the herb garden just isn't stimulating enough for 40 hours a week.

I didn't realy take any photos in Tassie this time. I just chilled and slept a lot, eat food from Mum's vege garden, and just ate more food. Luckily, when you're a vegan you don't really put on any weight. Phew.

Volunteerism

Sometimes doing your dream job means doing it for free. And sometimes its just good experience. And sometimes the cause itself is worthy.

Excuse my poor grammar and lack of punctuation but I got a new phone that annoys me to use punctuation so I've gotten into some bad habits lately....

Anyway, I've begun my voluntary work with nutritionfacts.org which makes me feel very proud. It's such an amazing website and I rely on it a lot for the latest nutritional research summarised in a short day-to-understand video. My job is very simple and involves adding a nice image to the beginning of the videos. If you go to the website you will see the older videos haven't been done yet as I'm working backwards.

I've also contacted the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine about doing voluntary work with them.

The thing with voluntary work is it's more difficult to motivate yourself to do the work then paid work (der). It's more like university assignments but normally much more mundane. Seeing as I have a highly intellectually stimulating job, I forget what it's like to do something mundane. And to do it from home with no pay. It can be hard to get it done especially when there are competing aspects of your life that need your time and attention. I was hoping to do most of it at work between my own studies (at least it's all medical, right?) but seeing as I'm still on annual leave I thought I'd better do at least a few hours before I go back on the 25th.

I did some volunteering for the Burnett Institute in Melbourne and I had always wanted to work there but then when I got there it was a very different reality. Part of the problem I think is that I am moving away from international health and more towards nutritional health. Having said that, I still want to do work overseas again in developing countries but I'd like to have more control over the project I was involved in and more intellectual input. I am hoping this will be easier to accomplish once I am finally a doctor. 

Barefoot running

I just ordered my first pair of barefoot (minimalist) running shoes! I'm so excited!

I think I've finally figured out why I do and don't like running so much! I like the running but I hate wearing shoes. I am constantly complaining that they are too tight or too loose, my toes are squished or they are too heavy, too this, too that. I am hoping barefoot running will eliminate these problems and let me just run free.

Unfortunately, my feet are the softest feet you will ever meet! I have to build up the skin on them. Until that happens the Invisible Shoes I ordered will help.

I am going to do more Wii Fit and exercise dvds barefoot indoors for beginners to help strengthen the muscles in my ankles and foot arches, although I think they are pretty good as I go barefoot around the house and mostly live in thongs when I'm not at work (I even take my boots off at work when I'm at the branch, I should have seen this barefoot thing coming a long time ago....).

So, I'm really excited. I hope the shipping for the US doesn't take too long.

Beach shack weekend

I had a great weekend down at the beach. The BF and I borrowed and beach "shack" off a friend. It was really like a modestly understated home. On the beach. It was a lovely warm-up to the coming road-trip next week.

I had a few drinks and got very merry, but just now I checked out the sclerae of my eyes and they are yellowing again at the bottom. This has me concerned about the state of my liver. It was once like that (at the beginning of the year) but I slowly cleared it up with diet. I think this is the warning I need to steer-clear of alcohol which is sad as getting tipsy can be so much fun. Sad face :(

Only a few days left at work too so now is the fun part of making sure my inboxes are clear (the physical one and the email one), my locker is in order and locked (I keep a spare uniform in there so I don't panic if I'm running late back from my holidays), I have all my gear off the ambulances, my draw and files are in order, and that's about it when you're a paramedic - it's quite simple!

Which car?

Currently deciding which car to take up to Byron.

BF's car aka "The Bomb":

• comfortable seats
• can sleep in the back if necessary
• no need to worry if it gets damaged
• the BF can fix it himself if it breaks down
• 
  

My car aka "The Tiny Car":

• aircon
• radio
• recently serviced
• new tyres
• very economical on fuel
• 
  

Hmm... decisions, decisions....

We're waiting to see if the BF gets his new job for which he had an interview this week. Fingers crossed he gets it and that he doesn't start until we're due back form Byron!

NYE 2012

I actually have New Years Eve off this year (and Christmas) so I am planning a road trip to Byron Bay and the Gold Coast.

I managed to find a campsite in Byron Bay for NYE which is virtually impossible this late, but I did it. Finding anything on the GC is another story but I will continue to search.

I'm also looking at the theme parks as the BF is pretty keen. 

As for me, I'm simply picturing myself on white sands and blue water.

"Oooh... two LADY paramedics...!"

"Oooh... two LADY paramedics...!"

I was going to put that in the "Overheard" category but I couldn't be bothered.

I hear this ALL the time when I work with another female paramedic, which is also quite regularly as there is currently 3 females and 1 male at my ambulance station. I feel like saying "Why, yes! I even have my manual driver's licence!" ffs

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Fruitarian life is going great. It is so easy when you get the ball rolling. I say again and again, it is the easiest "diet" I have ever been on. The hardest parts are:

• eating enough fruit calories
• having enough ripe fruit around the house

That's it!

My update (and a long story about manifesting visualisations)

So, where am I at?

I'm back doing 100% high-carb, raw vegan lifestyle and feeling so good for it. It's difficult for the first few days as there is a little detox and water/sodium rebalancing, but I'm on the easy side of it now and find it very easy. I have realised I need a lot more calories than I originally thought as the minimum 2000-2500cal is really just for maintenance, and not for healing and a shift-working medical student that wants to go running and travelling the world person.

Health is my number one priority right now which also, apart from all the fruit, includes getting enough water, sleep, fresh air and sunshine. This can therefore take up a fair few hours of the day. We have been quite busy at work and my personal life is quite full atm therefore my studies haven't been all that they could be this week.

21 Dec 2012 is coming! Have you began to look at what you want to take in to the New World? No, Earth isn't going to blow up! It just is a prediction that it is the end of the Information Age and the beginning of the Enlightenment/Wisdom/Knowledge Age. Now is a good time to start considering what your life would look like if it came from a place of love and harmony.

Vision booking! I have a vision board but I've started a vision book now. Very exciting. I'm super-excited because I know how much they work! I have recently had another manifestation occur....

The Story

In high school there was this girl, DH, who was bullied quite a lot. She came from an under-privileged background, had the thickest glasses, the worst skin and hair, and to top it all of she had this very unattractive voice and she didn't come across too bright. Poor dear. She was an easy target. Unfortunately, although I don't consider myself a bully at all, I got swept along with it at times.

I used to dwell on the people that gave me a hard time at high school. I spent my early twenties using it for motivation to become successful so I could somehow prove something to them or myself, not that I'd ever see most of them again. Although now with Facebook, it is a little motivating again! Mostly now, however, I do things for myself and on my own life's journey without worrying about other people and their opinions.

So, anyway, as I used to dwell on my own tormentors  I one day had an epiphany that I, too, may have been someone else's tormentor  Then I remembered DH. It kinda haunted me for awhile, this idea that I could have been to someone what those horrible girls were to me. Actually, it haunted me for about two years. And about a year-or-so ago I started imagining bumping into DH and having a good ol' chat and somehow me finding a way to apologise for the years of misery I had contributed to her high-school life. In fact, I think I was sort of obsessed with this idea.

Then, at TCM school at the start of the year, there was a girl that sat in the front row. She sounded just like DH! I thought ot myself: "Is that HER?" But she was too young and had a different name. Maybe she changed her name? Maybe it's a sister? I mildly befriended this girl. She was a bit of a mess - her life was all over the shot and she seemed to be stuck in a victim-mentality to the point where ti was extremely frustrating to talk to her. But I persisted and I thought it was some-how righting the wrongs of my past doings.

Then, you wouldn't believe it! Last week I saw DH! Really, I did. I was at the hospital for work. It's a regional hospital about 100+ kms from our old stomping grounds. I heard this woman speaking and then she registered her details at the front counter and gave her full name. "OMG! It's DH!" I exclaimed to my inner self. Holy mackerel! She looked exactly the same, just fatter!

Then the weirdest things happened. I made eye contact with her and I had this sudden, overall feeling of contentedness  like everything was all right  There was no need to talk to DH, no need to apologise for being a stupid teenager. She was fine and living her new life, as was I. That was surprising.

------------
Anyway, that is the story. So be careful what you manifest, what you spend energy and time concentrating on because it will come to you. Perhaps with some delay. I find about 12 months to be a normal delay for this sort of thing.

Tips: don't use negatives such as "I don't want x" because all the universe hears is "x". So, don't say "I don't want to get cancer" instead say "I want to be healthy" etc.

Another tip: be very specific. I always said I wanted to be rich and then one day I was doing an assignment that pointed out that if I lived in Australia I was the top 5% richest people in the world. While that was good perspective in a lot of ways, what I really wanted was enough money to have the lifestyle I wanted without have to work for a wage.

Make sure it is what you really want. Do you really want a man with green eyes, or a man that looks at you with great love....?

Now to visualise and manifest that med school will be easy and enjoyable and that I will learn everything I need to be a knowledgeable and excellent doctor......

(Nb: I tagged this post "spirituality"as I believe getting in touch with one's intuition to be quite spiritual, however there is a lot of science supporting the thought patterns to actualisation relationship... Believe it or not!)

Not a good look?

OVERHEARD NEAR THE AMBULANCE
An on-duty paramedic quickly stops at the local hardware store with the ambulance an in-uniform to buy a shovel for some lovely Spring-time gardening after work. As she walks out of the shop very proud of her purchase (as they had exactly what she was looking for), and with a little skip in her step as she walked to the ambulance she is asked buy a road-worker:

ROAD-WORKER

"Is that for when they don't wake up?"

PARAMEDIC

"We like to bury our mistakes...."

Things are not always as at first they first seem....

OVERHEARD IN THE AMBULANCE
Two Advanced Life Support road crews, one Community Emergency Response Team and one Intensive Care Ambulance were dispatched to a motorcycle versus vehicle accident involving one male patient with a compound (bones sticking out of skin) fracture to the lower leg. The third crew ("<CREW>")arrives on scene and provides the despatcher with a Sitrep ("situation report" aka update of the situation)...

CREW (ON RADIO)

"Despatch from <Crew>"

DESPATCH (ON RADIO)

"Go ahead <Crew>....."

CREW (ON RADIO)

"This is a patient with a broken TOE after falling from a 50cc in a backyard while wearing thongs. Cancel the Intensive Care Ambulance........."

Study addiction

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I think I'm actually addicted to studying. I think this because I've had to cut-back on courses, I continue to study even when I feel sick and have no reason to do so, I study for entertainment, I study in the bath and when I get home from work, and most of all I think it's an addiction because I study even at the cost of my health.

Meanwhile,I'm so happy with the progress I've made in the last two days. Studying without deadlines is a good way to study. I have even made my own YouTube video but I'm not sure I'll post it publicly as I am too fussy and am not happy that I left out the central spinal as a location for grey matter.

Today is all about cranial nerves. This time I want to know them back-to-front. I want to known their origin  tracts, where they emerge (foramans) and where they synapses. I want to know their pathology and lesion locations.

Ok back to it.

The 5th pass theory

I have a theory, which I have shared before, about the 5th-pass idea of learning a new topic. I first heard it from another student while studying for GAMSAT, so it may actually be a real theory that I'm in-advertantly plagirising. Anyhoo, here it is.

When learning a new topic, it takes 5 times of studying that same topic to retain it.

1st pass - brain does not recognise foreign word/idea. Mild confusion and panic sets in
2nd pass - brain recognises it has seen this word/idea before. Not as much panic but still confusion.
3rd pass - brain feels smug - it knows this complicated word.idea. Still doesn't understand it though but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
4th pass - brain begins to get a grip and opens itself up to learning this new word/idea. A vague understanding is achieved.
5th pass - brain begins to consider this word/topic "old hat". Greater understanding is achieved and the information may be manipulated and explained from a different angle.

In med school, you really need to get to at least 6th or 7th pass to be able to answer USMLE-level questions.

Today (and yesterday), I am doing the central nervous system. Here are the resources I have used to get to the point where I'm starting to understand it to the level where I could possible re-draw from memory the tracts and possibly figure out where a lesion may be in relation to the presenting clinical manifestations.

1. School notes
2. Davidson's Principles and Practice of Medicine - CNS chapter
3. Dr Najeeb lectures
4. Hand Written Tutorials lectures
5. Wikipedia
6. First Aid for the USMLE step 1
7. Googled images of the spinal cord tracts
8. Random YouTube videos that catch my attention
9. YouTube video "Memorise the Parts of the Brain" (my favourite)
10. Residual knowledge

I still have a long way to go!

My journey through medical school - the story so far

Above is a picture of all (except my neuro which is at work) my folders from studying medicine at OUM so far.  I have got them together to go through while on deferral before returning later next year.

I'm not sure why I only have one Endocrine folder. Also, I have not yet done GIT (gastrointestinal) but I have a folder there as I was trying to get ahead with some study between terms previously. I'm not sure what's going on with the "extra clinical lectures" at OUM any more since their course revisal.

So what have I achieved in 2 years at med school? 6 out of 10 of the pre-clinical modules. That's right, I'm only just over a quarter of the way through! Bear in mind that - I'm only doing 3 out of 5 terms per year before deferring, and I began my academic year in March (not January) in 2010.

One of my favourite rules of life is that everything takes twice as long and costs twice as much as initially thought. Med school seems to fit quite nicely into this idea.

The good news is - I'm super-keen now to get back into it. I'm totally motivated and ready to focus on this one degree only!....

Well, I can't blog anymore as I am due back at work from my fatigue break. 

Misogynist

I'm working with The Misogynist today.

Patient: "Is this job hard?"
TM: "Nah. They even let girls do it."

TM: "Have you been sitting in this chair?"
Me: "Yes. Why? Is it too low?"
TM: "Nah. It's just weird."
Me: "Weird?"
TM: "Kinda girly."

OUM update

New MD curriculum chart

Old curriculum chart (my course of study)

So I finally thought "Hey, I should email OUM for an update of my request for deferral" and as I searched my inbox I found a reply from 6 weeks ago! It said my request was approved until 31st August 2013! Yay! This is wonderful news.

My plan is now to revise what I've studied so far, especially neuro as I need to retake that exam (if I stay in the MD program as their cut-off for a pass is much higher than that for the MBBS ie 65 vs 50). I generally need to revise everything as I'll have the OUM in-house end of pre-clinical exam to pass before attempting the USMLE Step 1.

As for IUHS, I still have my application in progress over there so I'll see what happens about that.

I have that motivation for study feeling coming back! So good! Just as I began revising my neuro modules it was as if everything seemed easier.

In other news, Maria (my VA) is doing exceptional work. My business is coming along well. Now the truth will be told as to whether it is at all profitable!

The VA and my grand ideas

My VA, Maria, is really impressing me. She works virtually completely autonomously and does a great job. She gives me good ideas and I really appreciate her work.

It's good to be working towards a business, one that is based on something I really enjoy and can be done REMOTELY (hello, world travel), instead of unless study. And more study. And more study.

But don't worry - I still want to do med, but I don't feel like to HAVE to do med to get where I want to go. That is quite liberating. Interestingly, I still want to do my med degree though. It feels good that I want to do it for me, and there is no stress to get the best USMLE score in order to get a job I want, or a job at all. I will probably get better grades now that I'm not trying lol

Getting a VA (Virtual Assistant)

So my friend put me onto The Four-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferris, and one of the main highlights of his book it to outsource your life. This is were a Virtual Assistant (or Online Personal Assistant) comes in.

I love this concept for many reasons. One - I like to live out my "eccentric billionaire fantasies" as suggested by Tim. I now have someone do things for me like find out if the organic shop home delivers. Maybe I'm not that eccentric yet, but give me time. Two - I can pay someone to do the time-consuming things I need to do to get this online business up and running such as research and writing content. Sweet. My VA can also find me a web-developer and do some book-keeping for me should I ever make any money from this. I'm also getting her to manage my Google Calendar and appointments and do errand-type things (online of course) that annoy me.

My VA's name is Maria and she is from the Philippines. Her going rate is $1.39 per hour. I have hired her for 30 hours per week (less than $42). I feel a bit guilty about paying her so low but she told me she is thrilled to have steady full-time employment and can't believe I have included 4 weeks paid annual leave into her contract. I don't think she cared so much that I said her hours were mostly flexible. But dw, I will give her bonuses and pay rises frequently as incentives for performing well (which I expect she will).

I like the book because it talks about Lifestyle Design, something people often overlook, and it was time for me to redesign mine. It also shows you how to set up a remote and fully-automated business online, something I will attempt. I'll keep you posted. I would love to be able to still help people and their health, but do it from any location I choose at whatever time of day I choose etc. This is what I want for my lifestyle.

Other ways my life is now outsourced - I use MyBudget.com.au to look after my bills and budget etc. I haven't found anything as good as them and I'm happy to keep paying the $25 per week. I have also just hired a house cleaner. I have been considering this one for awhile. Firstly, I kinda hate paying for someone to do something that I can do myself, however I have reconsidered that point since reading the book and now realise that, although I don't mind doing housework, not having enough time to do it at times is the source of about 50% of all the stress in my day-to-day life. That is worth $30 per week to remove. I have also found a good cleaner which makes it even better.