Freshman 15

…describes a debilitating malady many undergraduate college first-years experience: gaining 15 pounds (or more!) in one’s first year of school. Sadly, this afflicts med-school first years as well.

I was warned. I’ve heard the stories, the complaints, the symptoms; hence, I’ve treated the freshman 15 as if it were the flu. I watch myself closely for signs of manifestation. I try protecting myself with diet and exercise, yet there’s only so much I can do. The symptoms have recently started to appear. Though I don’t weigh myself, I see slight changes in my torso. My stomach isn’t as flat as it used to be. I feel out of shape and less physically attractive. It’s freaking me out!

I realize the increased workload eats away my exercise time, so I've biked and ran less. The stress and sleep deprivation fuel my hunger for sweets, chocolate, and carbs. The lack of free time also prevents me from cooking healthier meals. I feel more compelled to save time by buying the cheapest, fastest food (usually pizza).

I also realize these are mere excuses, but it all comes with adjusting to a new lifestyle in a new environment. I’m now trying to find more efficient ways of incorporating physical activity into my life (i.e. taking the stairs, walking longer distances, etc), and ways to keep sweets, carbs, and sugar out of my life (buying the salad instead of the burger). Such commences my battle of the bulge.

In fact, yesterday, I biked 7 miles to Brooklyn to study at a coffee shop and biked 7 miles back. Now I'm off to the gym…

Reflections on studying ahead of time...

Procrastination was in my blood – yes, was. I was in the business of saving things for tomorrow. Homework? Least save those pleasures for later. Reading? I can do that on Sunday. I have time.

However, on Sunday evening, when I’m supposed to have that time, I’m too tired; a good show comes on TV; my friends want to hang out; I discover some great music. Those problems occurred throughout high school and college, yet all that has changed. I’ve thankfully defeated the procrastination monster, but how?

Perhaps working within the trenches of the 40-hour workweek before medical school enabled me to appreciate the importance of free time? Instead of spreading out work and study along the 24-hour day interspersed with breaks, naps, and leisure, my day partitioned into 8 hours of pure work followed by 8-10 hours of nothing. I freaked out. However, I eventually found the abundant free time liberating for other activities: reading, writing, socializing, cultur-izing. Upon, returning to school, I had grown so accustomed to those little pleasures that I force myself to study ahead of time to enjoy them. I have no time to procrastinate!

Perhaps planning ahead more helps? In my two months of school, I’ve visited Michigan twice, accommodated for guests, given tours of campus, attended social functions, and planned social functions. In college, this usually happened without warning, so I had the appearance of free time, which filled quickly. Now, I have a similar amount of extracurricular and social activities; however, I now have advance notice – which reflects what happens in the real world. For example, because I knew my partner was visiting three weeks in advance, I was able to allot enough study time before his arrival. I have no time to procrastinate!

There could be other reasons: Perhaps the stress radiating from the other students keeps me in line? Perhaps the fast-paced New York City lifestyle rushes me into doing work? Perhaps my homesickness keeps me in focus? Perhaps my partner’s influence keeps me in check?

Either way, this reflects my transformation from a student into a real adult. Am I ready for this?

You know it's sad when...

you visit the Kandinsky exhibit at the Guggenheim with your partner and see nothing but cellular organelles-- Look! a golgi body!


Composition 9
by Wassily Kandinsky
(1936)

Sharing is caring

I hated other pre-meds in undergrad. Why? All the competition drove me insane!

At The University of Michigan exists a pre-med sub-culture filled with one-ups, let downs, weeding out, gunnering, competition to the extreme. Many colleges with a large number of pre-med students (Berkley, Northwestern, UTexas, The Ivy Leagues) are blessed with this sadomasochistic sub-culture, some worse than Michigan’s, sadly.

Hence, I avoided the chaos with English, Sociology, and Psychology majors. Instead of discussing how to cheat the med school admissions process, we spoke of social justice, race, literature, music, etc. It kept me sane for five years.

I even chose my current medical school because our tour guides affirmed the “chillness" of the atmosphere here. People worked together, shared notes, loved each other, didn’t care much about who gets honors, etc. (I realize these musings are naive, but work with me here.)

Now, I’m noticing competition in the air. Everyone studies by themselves or in hermetically tight clicks. People talk of getting better quiz grades than others. Classmates hold back in lecture or small group because they don’t want to sound stupid. Though these are normal behaviors or any class in the first month, it can easily go in the wrong, competitive direction, which make me nervous. So, to subside it, I’ve decided to share my lecture notes.

Small move, I know, but I hope it encourages others to share information with each other and work together without the fear of being wrong or sounding stupid. I sent my plasma membrane notes a few days ago, and soon a typed, organized outline on lipids will reside in everyone’s mailbox.

I hope it works. Let’s see. Now on to the wonders of protein folding.

"Spring Fever"

I’ve never typed on a plane before...

I’m en route to New York City, after visiting my significant other back in Ann Arbor, Michigan, my former residence. I also visited a few friends, canoed, and copied a few opera CD’s.

My return evoked thoughts and settled uncertainties. In April, when I needed to decide between multiple medical school acceptances, I had the option to stay in Ann Arbor for medical school (and stay with my friends and family), yet I made a difficult decision to leave everything I knew for my current medical school for one overarching reason: New York City. To elucidate this desire, I will share what my friend showed me, a passage from Tom Sawyer Detective that describes “spring fever:”

“It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want--oh, you don't quite know what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! It seems to you that mainly what you want is to get away; get away from the same old tedious things you're so used to seeing and so tired of, and set something new. That is the idea; you want to go and be a wanderer; you want to go wandering far away to strange countries where everything is mysterious and wonderful and romantic.”

When I first read this, I recognized the symptoms of this “fever” immediately and realized that my move to New York alleviated such ailments. I needed this. Soon, I stopped regretting my move and started to embrace the uncertainty of change.

Speaking of change, it’s time to refocus my attention on the changing confirmations of proteins within the influenza virus before I land and face a long train ride back to Manhattan from Newark.

"vissi d'arte et di medicina"

In 12 hours, I will have survived my first week of medical school!

Most medical schools are infamous for throwing textbooks, journal articles, and exams at first years until they forget about the existence of daylight. Our school, however, deliberately gives us first years an easier first semester in order to allow us to adjust to and enjoy New York City.

Hence, this week, I've taken full advantage of the Metropolitan Opera's Summer in HD festival at the Lincoln Center. They broadcast (in HD) previously recorded productions of world-class quality operas for free at Lincoln Center! I've gone four days in a row and seen Eugene Onegin (by Tchaikovsky), Macbeth (by Verdi), Il Barbiere di Siviglia (by Rossini), and Peter Grimes (by Britton). I've never seen a full opera before this week, and now I've seen four operas in a row. After the first opera I saw on Monday, I went to youtube and watched more opera scenes. I've been smitten. I've found another art form to appreciate and enjoy!

However, the time spent watching operas equals time spent not studying. I thought about tonight when a classmate texted me on my way to see Peter Grimes, "did you do the problem set...," which happened to be due tomorrow. I hadn't, so I'm working on it at 2:30 in the morning. Yes, I sacrificed sleep, but how often does one get to see the opera in high definition for free in New York? For that matter, who gets anything for free in New York?

Biochemistry can wait for culture, especially if it doesn't require money.

Now I must return to the aforementioned problem set, while listening to Leontyne Price's performance of "Vissi d'Arte" from Tosca.

I finally found time for this.

A Michigan wolverine has moved eastward to leave jagged teethmarks in the Big Apple. Watch out New York.

That rabid animal is me, WolverineDoc, a brand new first-year medical student who has lived the Manhattan life for a total of 10 days. I moved here from Ann Arbor to embark on a rugged journey filled with self-discovery, learning, maturity, and challenge.

I created this blog to chronicle my experiences and give myself some cathartic personal space. Hopefully, it'll bestow meaningful advice to future colleagues who are in medical school or on their way to medical school.

The name WolverineDoc has many meanings, the first being an effigy to the mascot of my alma mater, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. I, however, also value wolverines for their brute, exponential strength. They are about the size of a medium dog -- measuring 17-25 inches in length and weighing anywhere between 22 and 55 pounds; however, they've been known to hunt large moose and successfully fight off bears to defend their food. The wolverine has been described as "the fiercest creature on earth" and "a dangerous, fearless fighter."

Health care workers of today must also be fighters, especially in the United States. Daily, we're mauled by the jaws of insurance companies, new diseases, long lines, increasing costs, public policy issues, malpractice suits, etc. Future health professionals, like myself, must prepare to inherit this and continue to fight disease within a broken health care system that shows little promise of improvement.

I also consider myself a fighter. Everyone's journey to medical school involves challenges (coursework, MCAT, applications, interviews, etc.). My path to medical school, however, has been paved with hardships that venture beyond the scope of our organic chemistry lecture hall. As I post, I will spend more time to share those personal experiences. For the future, however, that fighter spirit must continue to ensure my success.

Hence, I must channel the wolverine's spirit and sinew to survive.

I've typed enough for now. Thanks for reading!