IMF

Friends!

I had been planning on blogging once I settled in here but that hasn't happened yet. It's a VERY DIFFERENT busy than studying for boards. I feel like I'm constantly on the move and quite honestly I've been finding it difficult to get into a rhythm. I'm normally the kind of person who can get into a schedule pretty quickly but with our continuously changing schedule that's been pretty tough for me here.

Basically my week looks like 2 days in the clinic interviewing and doing physical exams on patients, 2 days on campus for simulations, OSCES, and skills labs and one day of lectures. This past weekend we were trained in ACLS (advanced cardiac life support) and BLS (basic life support) and this coming weekend we have PALS (Pediatric advanced life support).

I have also found out where I am doing my core rotations...

...and...

I'LL BE IN NEW YORK!

I was hoping to not have to deal with another winter (I am not a fan) BUT I am excited to be close to home again and be able to experience the city! I'll be starting my cores with Family Medicine so I am a little nervous since I've been told that's the most difficult shelf exam but I'm trying to keep an open mind.

Although starting in the hospitals means beginning a brand new learning curve, I am excited to begin and do what every medical student went into medicine for - to help patients.

With beginning a brand new part of my medical school journey the dreaded imposter syndrome has been sneaking up on me again - wondering if I'm actually good enough for this, whether medicine is right for me, am I even smart enough to be going into clinicals?

I'd be lying if I wrote to all of you that I have no fears going into core rotations. I am just as nervous as I was when I was leaving to go to Dominica. But there was one important thing I learned from all of those tears I cried before I went to medical school on an island...

Any time you feel the most uncomfortable and the most nervous you're about to have the most personal growth.

Looking back I was SO SCARED to go to medical school in Dominica but I can say with 100% certainty I would not be even close to the person I am today without all of the experiences I had on the island.

- Jen

Type A or B?

Hi Friends!

I'm writing this post because I've been having many conversations about this topic over the past few weeks and I honestly find it pretty interesting.

I'm sure you've all heard about Type A and Type B personalities - but what do they really mean?

I just typed them into google and this fun little quiz came up to see what personality type you are

What Personality Type are you?

As medical students I think we all have a part of Type A personality in us, some more than others, but what does that really mean?

Other than the obvious personality traits a Type A person is described as impatient, concerned about time management, anxious, rigidly organized, workaholics... the list goes on. What else does Type A mean?

There have been several studies published that show that people who have Type A Personality are more likely to have early CAD (coronary artery disease), high blood pressure and are at an increased risk of stroke. As someone who is trying to be in the medical field and who's job it is to advocate healthy choices and decisions, I believe it's pretty ironic that we could be the patients who have very preventable health issues.

Then what do we do to prevent this? I'm going to be honest I'm still trying to figure it out for myself because my personality heavily sits on the Type A side but I think it just all comes down to having an outlet.

Whether that means drawing, working out, dancing, singing, going in nature, playing with animals (favourite by far), reading, watching your favourite TV show - we need to integrate something into our schedule that can help relieve some of our stress.

For example, I'm gonna use myself here, my first round of studying at home I just studied day in and day out. No breaks. Nothing fun. No days off. And I noticed that my energy levels were SO LOW. It was so hard to get out of bed in the morning - so difficult to get motivated and tough to even learn new information. I decided something had to change so I started integrating in work out breaks, dance parties, study space changes and little did you know my productivity levels increased and even though I was waking up an hour earlier (some days even more) than I did before I had a heck of a lot more energy. I gave myself one day off a week and to my surprise even though I was working one less day a week (shame, shame, shame) the other six days I was working I was able to get so much more done and I was able to retain a lot more.

Figuring out a schedule that works for you can be a pain but once you figure out what works best for your body I promise your studying will feel totally different.

- Jen

Motivation

Hey friends!

I am back for another post! Quick turn around I know. I've surprised myself too.

I've been asked this question and I've seen this question floating around the internet for the longest time now and I figured - WHY NOT SHARE MY TWO CENTS ON MY BLOG!

The question on everyone's mind every hour of every.single.day. "How do I stay motivated?"

Thinking about it - that's a pretty darn good question that quite honestly I don't think I even have the answer to. Do you want to know why?

I don't rely on motivation.

I can already imagine what is going through your mind right now... what do you mean you don't rely on motivation? Are you crazy? What planet do you live on? How did you make it through two years of med school not relying on motivation?

My answer to you is simple. I rely on dedication.

If we were to only look at the definition of the two words:

"Motivation: Desire or willingness to do something; enthusiasm."

https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/motivation

"Dedication: If you say that someone has dedicated themselves to something, you approve of the fact that they have decided to give a lot of time and effort to it because they think that it is important."

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/dedicate

Based on my understanding and interpretation of these definitions, motivation comes and goes while dedication is more permanent. So why would I rely on something that changes based on the day?

Do I wake up every single morning fully motivated to study and learn as much as I can? Honestly no. Some days I wake up and I just soak up all of the information I am reading that day. Other days I wake up and I'm lucky if I make it through one chapter.

On those hard days where my motivation is a big fat zero am I still fully dedicated to become a doctor? Heck yeah I am! That will always be the dream even if I am having a very non-motivational day.

I've found now that I've been attempting to change my mindset from relying on motivation to relying on my dedication I haven't been getting as frustrated with myself on those days my motivation has been a little low.

Show up. Every day. Be dedicated to your goal. Motivation will come and go. Stay true to your course.

- Jen

Never Going To Be A First Semester Medical Student Again

Hello friends!

I'm writing this after one full day of relaxation after my final for first semester. It still feels so surreal that I've completed 15 weeks of intense medical school. I feel like I've only been here for one month and it's crazy to look back at all of the information I got into my brain in 15 weeks.

It's been one heck of a ride so far. I feel like I've been challenged mentally, emotionally and physically (try sitting at a desk for 14+ hours a day - you'll know what I mean). There were times this semester where I wondered if I was going to get through it. I would get home after a long day of studying and wonder if this was really for me.

I'd lay down in bed and think about the people I've met and the various experiences I've had and I realized that I am meant to be here. I'm meant to go through every trial and tribulation in order to get to do what I've been dreaming of doing for years. Then I realize it's not a matter of dreaming any more - it's just doing what I need to do to accomplish my goals.

Every time a professor says, "You are a physician in training" I get shivers up and down my spine.

Every.time.

Going through one semester of medical school has made me appreciate and respect Physicians more than I already do. They've all experienced the same things us current medical students are experiencing. Long days turning into nights, never ending information, frustration, tears, caffeine overload and total exhaustion.

But there's not a day I wake up not knowing that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. And what I love about my friends and classmates at Ross is that they all think the same thing.

Becoming a Physician is their dream and they are not about to give up. They don't realize how much they inspire me and push me to be a better student and person on a daily basis.

I'm back home tomorrow! So I'm off to pack!

Jen

Post exam day relaxation!

If I'm not in the library I'm on the beach

Post exam dinner

This sneaky cutie wanted my sub

Just Go For It.

Hello friends!

I'm writing this after my last mini of semester one of medical school (I still feel weird when I say I'm in medical school)! It's been a long (yet somewhat short) ride but I'm in the final stretch.

I've had this thought brewing in my mind for the past week and I thought I would share it with you all. I remember when I was applying to University thinking to myself  "I wonder if I've done all I can to prepare for this?" - and that same thought crossed my mind before I came down to start my medical school journey. Since that thought crossed my mind for a second time, and many times throughout this semester, I've realized that there are some things you cannot completely prepare for.

Yes, you can take pre-requisite courses and read every self help book and blog that people have written but until you've experienced the experience yourself you don't know how you're going to react. I thought I had mentally prepared for medical school and the amount of work we were going to have to go through, "I went to MERP, that was a great stepping stone, I'm so set for this!"

I was partially correct. Yes, MERP did help with my organization, note taking skills, study product skills, test taking skills ect ect. but unless you've gone to medical school you don't know what medical school is like.

You don't know how you will feel after sitting in class for four hours and then going directly to the library to re-learn the material until you go to sleep and then repeat that the next day.

You don't know how you will handle loads of information coming your way, some of it you pick up quickly, some it takes more time. And then balancing what you're learning and what you need to review in order to prepare for up coming exams.

I think the best way to approach medical school, or anything you haven't been exposed to before, is with humility and an open mind. You will never be the only person sitting in the library thinking "How the heck am I going to do this?!" - EVERYONE is thinking it. Everyone has topics they are stronger in - whether it's because they did their undergrad/masters in that field or just out of pure interest in certain subject areas.

Use your classmates and friends for help. We're all going through it together. I could talk someones ear off about biomechanics of movement or the gait cycle or the limbs... but talk to me about biochemistry and that conversation won't last long. I never really used my friends to help me understand concepts in undergrad and I really wish I would have just sucked up the fact that I can't know everything and asked for help. It's very easy to earn points on an exam if you just ask your friend if you understand a concept correctly.

We're all going through it together, and we will all do it together.

My friend group has become my family, and family sticks together through good times and bad.

So lets go rock our last week of first semester!

Jen

Searching For A World With 40 Hours

I've said the title of my post too many times to count in the past 12 weeks. As we get to the end of our semesters (I've got three weeks left) we have everything starting to pile up. Assignments, final projects, "midterms", presentations - you name it. As a normal student we start to burn out. We've been pushing ourselves for the earlier part of the semester and our brain is starting to go a little crazy.

I find that my time management skills always come into scrutiny at this point of the year. "How do I utilize my time properly?" I've been thinking this myself - along with crying to some friends about how stressed we were. So I have decided to do a post on time management skills.

I've asked countless profs, done research online, talked to other students and here are my top five time management techniques that work for me.

1. ALWAYS MAKE TIME TO WORK OUT
I've done a study on myself throughout undergrad and now - every time I don't work out I find it very difficult to study and my grades suffer. If working out isn't for you, then do something that will recharge your batteries and get your mind back in the game.

2. Schedule your day
I'm a very organized person. I need to plan what I'm doing that day. But I'm not saying plan to learn a whole subject if that's unattainable. Plan your day and schedule your time realistically. For example I cannot block off 4 hours straight studying and think I will get through a weeks worth of material. I know I can't sit and work on something for that long. Instead I will block hour slots with realistic tasks for me to complete in those hours.

3. Balance
I guess this goes with rule one... but it's so important I'm going to reiterate it again. Talk with family or friends, go for a walk... ect. I know after every hour I will have a five minute dance party to pull myself back together and focus again. The little breaks and time for your brain to decompress is so beneficial - rather than staring at that concept you can't figure out, have a dance party and then come back to it and look at it with a new perspective.

4. Change your study spot
I get very bored if I have the same study spot. Every once and a while switch it up! Go to a new cafe, or that library down the street. Having a different visual stimulations stops your brain from processing things redundantly and has shown to actually increase memory.

5. Sleep
I know what you're thinking. Sleep? This is a time management list... You always need to fit sleep in. Numerous studies have shown that your brain can think much more logically. So if you have that 8 am exam - don't stay up until 4 am studying. You won't be able to logically think your way through the exam or you may sleep right through it.

Hope that helps!

Jen

Fall Seven Times - Get Up Eight

Hello friends!

I've officially reached the mid point of MERP. So far I've completed seven weeks of intensive studying, coffee drinking and lack of sleeping. Those of you who have tried to talk to me, or hang out, know how difficult it is to get in touch with me now.

I remember reading that in order to succeed in medicine (or I guess anything for that matter) you must totally commit yourself to it. I don't think I've ever pushed myself this much - and been so critical on myself - in my academic career. We've been told repetitively that this program is a walk in a park compared to what the island is going to be like.

AKA

If you think it's difficult to get in touch with me now just wait until I'm living in a third world country and have gotten invested in my school work down there. I will apologize in advance.

As I have reached the middle of the semester morale has been dropping - fear and anxiety has started to set in. I'm starting to feel all of the information I've fit into my brain, the late nights trying to understand trouble topics, and reality setting in that I could be leaving to finally achieve my dreams of becoming a doctor.

I'm writing this to anyone, and to remind myself, who is going through a stressful time that all of your hard work will pay off. Sometimes it's hard to see all you have achieved when you are so fixated on something minor you cannot figure out.

Take a step back.

Look at the big picture.

Look at how far you come and how much closer you are at achieving whatever it is you want to do.

Every road is going to have speed bumps, but don't put them there yourself. Keep your head down and work hard - but also don't forget to take a step back and enjoy yourself every once and a while. Trust me from experience, nothing is more frustrating than trying to do work when you are mentally burnt out.

What are some things you guys do to boost your morale or take a break from work?

- Jen

Patience is a Virtue

Hey!

I've been working at my job for over a month now and I've been learning some pretty big lessons. A reoccurring one - almost on the daily - is patience.

If you know me you know I am not a patient person. I do not like waiting for people or waiting for things to happen. I want to know everything now and I want everything to happen when I want it to happen. But that has slowly been changing...

After having to help people who are all in a hurry to get through the walk in or don't have time for a physiotherapist or chiropractor who is running a little bit behind I've realized that all of that uses up WAY too much energy.

I've started to notice in myself that things I used to get hung up on I no longer stress about (and trust me, I am a huge overanalyzer). You may never know why something is the way it is but there is no reason to stress about that. It took me a good 22 years to figure that out but I am onwards and upwards on the train to stress free living!

- Jen

PS. if you have any ideas for any future blog posts PLEASE feel free to comment or send me a message on any forms of social media.

A Lesson in Humility

Hey!

After about a month on the job, AND ABSOLUTELY LOVING IT, I've found one reoccurring theme in my daily activities.

As many of you know I have my BSc in Kinesiology, so I came into this job thinking it would be relatively easy. Boy was I mistaken.

*My med school interview*

"Jennifer, what do you think the most important quality of a doctor is?"

"Humility. As a doctor I believe you will never be the best at anything. Sure you may have mastered your way of a treatment but there is always going to be someone out there who has a different way of approaching the situation - and their way could work better"

*End Scene*

Now, you may be wondering why I've decided to relive that nerve wracking moment in my life. I believe humility is not only the best quality you could have as a doctor but as a person as well.

I've done it, you've done it, we've all done it. You look at a job and you think to yourself, "That job looks so easy. I'd be able to do X, Y & Z". After doing this job I have decided to never do that again.

I always thought being a receptionist wasn't going to be too difficult of a job, take peoples payments, book them appointments... ect. After working for a month and getting to points where I was about to cry behind the front desk I've realized it's one hell of a difficult job.

As a receptionist you are the front line of the clinic. If people come in angry they take it out on you, if they call angry it's on you, if scheduling doesn't work out it's on you... basically if anything doesn't work out the way they want it to it's automatically your fault.

With saying that, I have met some very pleasant and amazing people at the clinic so obviously anywhere you go you're going to meet those bad apples. I'm just vocalizing the fact that I didn't realize and appreciate how much receptionists do and what they deal with.

All the best,

Jen

You Get What You Give

Hello friends!

I've just finished up my fourth week at the clinic and I couldn't be happier with the people I work with. They've inspired me so much that I've decided to write a blog post dedicated to them.

I've always kind of thought that the energy you put out in the world you get back. I say "kind of" because I thought it but I wasn't totally convinced. I've seen examples of it and have experienced it myself but have never been immersed in it.

At my job I am the new employee, fresh out of undergrad, nervous as ever about her first big girl job. Ever since I first stepped foot in the clinic I have felt very welcome and supported by every other physiotherapist, chiropractor, sports med doctor, massage therapist and other admin.

From always shouting a warm welcome as I come in (or they come in) to asking how the adjustment to the new job is going or offering free treatment to me. I've always felt so welcome into their little clinic family and for that I am forever grateful.

I'd like to pass that message on out to the public (or people reading this) that no matter how crappy of a day you're having you should ALWAYS try to put positivity and happiness out into the universe.

It'll come back to help ya!

- Jen

Day by Day

Hey everyone,

Again, I know it's been some time since my last post (my sincerest apologies) but I've been super busy with school, applications and life in general. I thought I'd take a minute to write a post about something I need to constantly remind my self of... and that's to just take life one day at a time.

I know how easy it is to get overwhelmed and stressed about everything you need to do. I'm pretty sure if you looked up overwhelmed my picture would be next to the definition. It's the same story every time... "Okay I need to do this assignment, then work on this group project, finish this lab, study for this test, do these readings, go grocery shopping (?) etc etc."

When I get into that crazy, wild, stressed out state I need to take a step back and pull myself together because nothing is going to get accomplished while I'm freaking out, about to pull out my own hair (and I love my hair). I have to tell myself to look at one thing at a time. Take baby steps. Laugh a little, I'm 21 years old! Breathe and just live life.

Yes, I have crazy school commitments because I have high aspirations but that doesn't mean I need to work myself into a hole at 21!

So for all you students out there who may also be having a mild freak out know that you aren't alone. You're young, enjoy it while you can! Soon enough you'll be married with children (if that's what you want) and working a real big person job. You'll have all these adult responsibilities and you won't be able to be a carefree (sort of) young adult.

I know you say the "I wish I was a kid again" line. Well when you're 40 and have a full time job you'll be saying "I wish I was 21 again".

So enjoy it while you can,

Jen

Keep on Smiling

I know I'm supposed to be studying for my MCAT but this story was too touching to not tell.

I came back from drinks last night and walked into my building, smiling and saying good evening to the security guard as usual. He responded but also asked me to come over to his desk. I walked over and we started to talk. Little did I know I was about to have a life changing discussion.

He told me "You always greet me and say hello with the most beautiful smile, it can't help but put me in a good mood. Your happiness is very contagious. I can never tell if you're in a bad mood because even if you are you always smile and greet me the same. I wanted to tell you I really appreciate that."

I was a little shocked because I didn't think it was noticeable but I proceeded to say thank you. He then told me that a little over 2 years ago he was paralyzed and was unable to walk or eat. It was nothing of his own doing, when he was at the hospital he was mistaken for another patient and they gave him a shot which ended up paralyzing him. He had to learn to walk and talk all over again. It ended up stopping him from continuing his dream of 30 years of being a hairdresser. Again, I was shocked since if you were to look at him you would never guess that he was paralyzed.

The only way he got through that traumatizing time was being positive. He told me that I remind him of the positivity he tries to incorporate into his life. I was still standing there in disbelief since this was a lot of information to take in. He continued talking.

"I started off going to Purdue for university but because of personal problems I wasn't able to continue. I then fell in love with hairdressing. I opened up two salons and made a pretty good living. I was bringing in 7000-10,000 a week, " Wasn't too sure how I was still standing at this point. "I was really good at it. People would fly me all over the world to do hair for business meetings and movies. I've been everywhere, Asia, Europe you name it. I'm good friends with many different celebrities, we would all party together and get so drunk I wouldn't even know how I got home. But I would still open my salon at 8 am even if I was out until 5."

He proceeded to show me pictures of all of his celebrity friends from all over the world. I would have never guessed my security guard was so well known and famous. It really hit home that you should never judge anyone based on their looks or the job they're holding. You NEVER know what they've been through to get where they are now. Not only do I feel like I've made a new friend but I am grateful that I have made an impact, though small, on this mans life.

No matter how horrible your day may seem someone else could be having a worse day. Keep a smile on your face and stay positive. Positive thinking goes a long way, I learnt that last night.

Hope you enjoyed my story,

Jen

Just a Reminder

Sit back and relax every once and a while. Med School applications may be hectic and consume all of our time, but we're only young once and we need to enjoy it while we're here! Take that breather, go for a walk and enjoy nature. You'll feel so much more relaxed and energized after :)

- Jen

Emotional Roller Coaster

There is nothing more exhilarating than going onto a roller coaster and going up that steep incline to the big drop. You start to sweat, feeling it on your face and your hands, maybe start shaking a little, your eyes start dilating and you start to feel that little pit in your stomach. You know this is the most nerve wracking part of the whole ride. But once you get to the top and you go into that free fall… everything feels so good, yet scary in a good way.

That seems to be my feelings about applying for med school. Midst all of my assignments, MCAT prep readings, school readings, family obligations and a very little social life I start to freak out about the future. What is going to happen? Am I going on the right track? Is this really what I want to do? Can I do it? What if I can't do it? You get the picture.

When I go through those stages I have no motivation, I don't want to do anything. I think about just giving up. I'm not your perfect A+ student who doesn't have to work for their grades. I work hard for my grades and I give it my all. I always try to remember that anything worth having never comes easy. Which helps, but taking a step back and just getting rid of those pent up emotions is helpful too. Emotions are healthy, they're what makes us human! We all get so caught up in the motions and we forget to come back to who we are. Coming back to us and just living in the moment. Closing our eyes, putting our head on a soft surface and just concentrating on our breath. Listening to the sounds around us and letting our frustrations and anger go. Like being in the free fall of a roller coaster. You're just focused on your breath and you don't notice anything else around you.

That is the peace we need to find when we get caught up in the hustle of life. Something I know I need to remember.

- Jen

Summer Living

I don't think I've been so busy before. I am 100% doing more work now than during a school semester. Not only am I studying for my MCAT but I'm also taking three online courses. I've never really learnt how to take it easy. It's always go go go with me, which I sometimes regret, but if I have nothing to do I get VERY bored. I like to keep myself busy and always doing something. I like to learn something new or try something new to say that I've at least done it.

BUT BACK TO ME BEING BUSY! Don't fall into the same trap I have and push yourself too hard. I've always been a hard core perfectionist, having to do anything and every thing perfectly. Which is good, but at the same time you can become obsessed with it (cue me) and it isn't such a great skill anymore. You have to learn when to say "I've done my best… and that's it". I've found myself sitting and working on one lab report or assignment for hours trying to make it as perfect as possible. You could say I became obsessed with making this assignment/lab perfect.

As I've gone through my undergrad, I've slowly come to realize it's impossible to make every single lab/assignment perfect. It's been a pretty bitter pill to swallow but it's the fact of life. You do what you can do and that's it. Don't push yourself to make every aspect of your life perfect because it isn't going to happen. If you perfect one aspect of life another will suffer. The great example of social life vs. academics comes to mind. I spent most of my third year studying my life away. My social life was extremely lacking. People in my program thought I had taken the year off (how embarrassing). But I knew I had a heavy course load and I needed to buckle down and study my life away (quite literally) so that's what I did.

It's hard coming into this summer already exhausted from my third year but I made myself do this (MCAT + three online courses) and I have to get through it. Thinking back I shouldn't have taken as many online courses but that's a part of my perfectionist nature coming out again.

Back to studying for me though.

- Jen

Burnout

The topic for today is burnout. I know we've all experienced it… pushed ourselves too far and then we're turned into a mental mess. Once you've burnt out it take some time to recover. Everything takes so much longer because you're mentally (and physically) exhausted. Your grades won't be as high as you want them to be, assignments will take forever, you'll be making silly mistakes. I've done them all.

I know how easy it is to put off hanging out with friends, working out, going for a walk, reading a book in order to sit in your room and study or finish those 50 million assignments. Remember you need to give your brain a break! Sitting for long periods of time is actually bad for your health! It can cause lower back issues from constant spine flexion and neck pain which leads to killer headaches. Trust me, I'm in kinesiology. And I've experienced this too many times for it to be okay.

I like to work out, or go for a walk as my breaks. I feel like I'm on top of the world after a workout and I'm so much more productive (it's those endorphins at work ;) ). I know how difficult it is to actually get your butt off your chair, change out of your pyjamas and trek over to the gym; I've made up every excuse in the book to not get off my chair.

"I have way too much to do, I'm going to be wasting my time", "I don't have time for this. I have x, y, z to do" - typical excuses of mine

But I've also learnt that if I don't take care of myself that will be more detrimental and will waste more of my time than the one hour I'll be "wasting" at the gym. It will take two times longer for me to actually write a lab report or do an assignment, than if I take a break and come back to it later.

If going to the gym isn't your cup of tea then watching a favourite tv show (in moderation, no netflix binge watching), meditating, reading a book, practicing yoga, having a dance party in your room (another favourite) all work as well! As long as you're giving that poor brain of yours some well deserved rest.

So next time you're trying to decide if you need a break after you've been working for a long period of time the answer is always yes!

- Jen