M2- WEEK FIVE

This past week is a total blur. 
  
I had a core test last Saturday morning, which means I sort-of neglected my other class. So, I spent Monday and Tuesday playing catch up because we had a test for the other class on Wednesday. The good news? I am starting this year much stronger than last year which feels awesome since before you know it, I will be competing for residency spots. Our material for school is now mostly microorganisms- all the bugs that cause illness. We still also have lectures about medications. With this microbiology section, we get to do some things in the lab. I love variety, so it is super fun to change up the day by spending some time culturing/testing microorganisms.

I had some fantastic lunch meetings this past week:
+ The Pediatrics Interest Group hosted a panel of families that either have/had children in the hospital. They told their stories and shared with us the things we, as healthcare professional, can do to make the most of a poor situation. Most of their suggestions were basic people skills: treat the parents with respect, allow them a chance to ask questions, make the time with the kids as fun as possible, etc. These meetings are encouraging when you are feeling defeated by the craziness of medical school.
+ Another meeting was about a volunteer opportunity with homeless in Omaha. I have a tendency to get over-involved, so I am not sure how much time I will donate to this group, but the meeting was one of those awesome life moments that made you think and changed part of your perspective. Lately, I have felt continually prompted to find a way to donate a significant part of my work week as a physician. I would love to spend some time with undeserved populations, for example, the homeless. I am excited to see where I end up!
+ This one wasn't related to school- but my older brother brought over an incredible lunch on Thursday. I tried many new (super delicious!) things, including something like this dessert:

Steamed Egg Custard Bun (Lau Sah Bao)

We had a few fun family moments this week too:
+ Wednesday night, T's mom brought over one of my favorite meals: roast and potatoes. And of course, one of my favorite desserts of her's, oreo fluff.

+ Saturday afternoon, after I spent an awesome morning in clinic, my mom brought over a sample of a new recipe she made (thanks Pinterest!).
+ Today we drove to Lincoln after church to hang with T's family to celebrate the many September birthdays in our family. With T's family, you can always expect good food, sports on TV, and fun with the little ones. Tonight was a pretty typical night: T and his uncle tossing around business ideas while I do headstands and read books. I definitely need to get better about taking pictures while we are there!

The final highlight of last week was a Zumba class with some of my best friends from my medical school class. It felt so good to take time away from studying to exercise. My body craves being active- so sitting, studying all day is truly difficult for me. Plus, these girls are great, and we laughed and had a great time while we danced, danced, danced! Next time, I will not feast on delicious grub right before. I was pretty green at one point!