Almost there

The roughest period of our pharmacology experience comes to an end as we finished taking the pharmacology NBME shelf exam. Weeks of studying, piles of note cards, and days of intense internal screaming concluded with the submission of that exam. It covered all of the drugs we learned throughout the year and I am surprised I was able to squeeze all of them in. I'm not sure how I did but glad it is over. We just have one class with exams left and a bunch more student presentations before graduation, but I bet most of us are in a state of relief and excitement. 

It's now the home stretch towards graduation which means a shift from hardcore studying to preparation for the next step in our lives. Most of my class plans to attend med school, but a few including me plans for graduate school. I believe this program gave us a nice edge for our future education and also gave us useful knowledge we can use for our health and daily lives. From my classmates taking the MCAT, this program seemed to helped them prepare for some aspects of it.  I still cannot believe how fast this year went. It feels like tomorrow we will be walking across that stage to get that diploma. 

February came to a close and with that also closes the chapters of Med Pharm and Principles. The last classes of these two courses came to and end with the exams we took last week. All is left is the big block exam that encompasses what we learn throughout the year and the remaining courses. The block or board exam is a daunting obstacle in the way towards graduation, but I know we can surpass and conquer it. I feel that we learned a lot these past months and all we learned is actually practical for our future even if all of us aren't striving to become practicing physicians. The recent block taught us much about diabetes and it is useful for me since diabetes runs in my family. It is nice to know the mechanisms and current treatments of diabetes. I did not know it was as complex as it was.

My volunteering days at hospital also drew to an end. It was a great experience and I learned so much from the nurses and secretary staff I worked with about how the health care system operates and small details of patient care. I will miss spending time with the new friends I made there but won't miss the late hours.

I am excited to see what the rest of the semester holds for us now that much of the weight of classes have been lifted. The ever unknown future comes toward that door we walk out of everyday, yet a sense of calm is carried as I know we are that much ready to face it.

Feb hours 16
Total hours 32