destination: Dominican Republic

It may be hard for some of us (me included) to even think of taking a vacation when all we've done for our past summers was think of ways to improve our CV but I gotta say, this was one of the best decisions I've ever made.  I decided to do absolutely nothing in my last summer before clerkship and dedicate some time to travelling instead.  My sister and I took a trip to the Dominican Republic and had the time of our lives.  I really encourage everyone to travel at some point during their preclerkship, because honestly speaking, when will we get to do this again?  It doesn't have to be a great big adventurous trip like backpacking through Europe (something still on my bucket list).  Take a week off and enjoy yourself at an all-inclusive!

Some tips:

1. Bring sunscreen - lots of it

2. Bring nice dresses!  It's fun to dress up!

3. Drink lots of water (but make sure it's bottled, don't let diarrhea ruin your vacation!)

4. Bring a water bottle: so you can bring some water back to your hotel room for the teeth brushing! 

5. Definitely go on an excursion: when will you get to do something like that again??

6. Dominican people can be really pushy! Don't let them push you into buying something you don't want!

Things I learned:

1. After spending several years trying to manage my time and juggle so many different commitments, it was hard for me to relax on this trip.  I still felt like I had to be doing something all the time, which really tired me out on my first few days here.  But I think this trip has really taught me to relax - that it's okay to take a nap in the middle of the day.  I also spent se time relaxing in the pool and sunbathing at the beach.  Surprisingly - it felt NICE!

2.  Spend time with your parents.  I had the best time with my parents and was really glad I had his opportunity to reconnect with them two years after moving out.  I also noticed that they've aged since I last lived with them.  I learned patience as I realized that they weren't as quick with their minds as they used to be.  But I loved them and was really happy to see them enjoying themselves.  They have never taken a vacation like this before and I'm glad I pushed them to do it too.  I also realized that after years of working hard to save enough money for Amanda and I to go to med school, that they didn't know how to relax either.  I think it was more difficult for them than it was me...they still kept with their routine throughout the vacation of waking up early. 

3.  Eat small portions!  You definitely don't want to gain weight.  Apparently the average weight gain for an individual at an all inclusive is about 8-10lbs!  What we tried to do was "taste test" all the new foods, but we didn't get more than the smallest serving if a dish.  Another thing we can do is drink water to fill yourself up before you go to eat or use smaller plates!

And lastly, here are some pictures of the adventures we had!

Day 1: arriving at the airport and the resort

Here we are enjoying our first drinks, with (many) more to come

Our hotel room: two doubles and a day bed!  Perfect.

Day 2: first full day at the resort

Miami vice: our drink before we discovered the coco loco!

Day 3: Dominican Night

Day 4: the excursion and BBQ formal night

We booked a tour with Marinarium and it was fantastic!  The tour took us to enclosed areas with sharks and stingrays.  We got the opportunity to touch a stingray and snorkel with the sharks.  Best part of the trip!  Then after, they took us on a cruise around the area until we got to a part of the water where we can wade into.  We all got off the boat and enjoyed more singing and dancing in the ocean waters as the crew members served us drinks and entertained us!  For anyone going to the Dominican in the future I completely recommend this trip!  Worth every penny!

Day 5: relaxing and Japanese formal night

Maxi dresses and bry

Day 6: more relaxing at the beach and Italian night!

To top off our trip, we realized that all those bites we've been getting were NOT mosquito bites...they were bed bugs! Poor Vick had almost 42+bites....

Day 7: last day! Formal garden grill night

I gotta say 7 days is enough for an all-inclusive.  But I don't think I was able to maintain any of my caloric intake today.  Three of my travel buddies and I were hit with a wave of travellers diarrhea unfortunately.  But that didn't stop us from going to the beach and spending some time at the pool!  We wanted to make the most if our last day here!

Of course we had our final formal night at the Garden Grill.  It was also oriental night at the buffet!  Two dinners??! Of course.

Until next time!

Jessica

Batman vs. Superman

Okay, so those who know me really well know that I am a huge superman fan.  And hands down, my opinion is that superman will definitely win in a fight against batman.  But, I've been chatting with a few people and I think I need to clarify some reasons why batman will never be able to come out of this battle a winner.

Superman

The facts:

• The Man of Steel is not rich: he grew up in a farm
• He is often portrayed as a big softie: kind-hearted with a strong sense of justice and morality

If we ignore for a moment his kryptonite weakness, we all know that the man of steel is practically invincible.  I can't see how batman, with his regular human abilities can stand up to a superhero with super strength, laser vision, and lightning speed.  Brute strength vs. intelligence?  I vote brute strength.  Intelligence can only get you so far.  Superman can overcome any strategies Batman may have if we take kryptonite out of the picture.

Batman

The facts:

• The Dark Knight is worth billions of dollars
• Batman is dark, cold, and brilliant

There's no denying that Batman is incredibly smart, and can beat Superman if he really prepared for it.  He has a million gadgets and weapons at his disposal.  He can even develop krytponite weapons for use against the Man of Steel.  But even in the comics, Superman was always victorious.  So to answer, Superman CAN beat Batman, even if Batman had time to prepare.   

My conclusions:

- People who say that Batman can kick Superman's ass - what they really mean is

1. I like Batman more, so he wins
2. I think Batman can win only if he prepares in advance (cuz the obvious truth is that without any preparation at all, its buh bye to the Dark Knight.  See? Even they know, somewhere deep down, that Batman has no chance)

--

Jessica

stethoscopes and lattes on tumblr

stethoscopes and lattes

please visit our tumblr site too!

ECGs and cookies

What better way is there to learn your ECGs than to draw them onto cookies! Nom nom nom.  Exam #7 here I come!

--
Jessica

what is sleep?

My last exam ever............of preclerkship (I'd be living on cloud nine if it was actually my last exam ever :p) is coming next Tuesday, and I thought I'd just share with all of you exactly what I'm feeling right now. And what better way to do so than with an image:

This is when my free sb (starbucks) drinks come in handy. Free drinks during exam period? 7 letters - a.m.a.z.i.n.g. SB is a lifesaver. We just finished our second last day of class, and I have what feels like a million lectures to catch up on. Although I've done well and limited myself to one drink a day, it seems increasingly more and more difficult to stay within these confines. Am I stressed?--not when I have free lattes! 

Yours truly --the girl with the (soy) green tea latte.

--Amanda

the art of being quiet

Hello Everyone!

We had hoped to document our progress - both personally and educationally - during this incredible journey, so it is really unfortunate that we didn't start this blog sooner ): Alas, here I am trying to make up for our silly forgetfulness by documenting my life through the art of being quiet.

Each of us has many influences that shapes us and redefines us in many ways; and med school definitely changed my outlook on life, medicine, and more significantly so, myself.  I remember, quite distinctly, from elementary school and until maybe all the way to high school, believing myself to be a remarkably shy and quiet person. And I say "believing", of course, because this was an internal reflection of my own thoughts and not necessarily the reflection of anyone else's. Everyone has their own strengths and their own weaknesses and life throws at you all these different circumstances, and given everyone's little talents, we learn and we adapt. Let me tell you how I did so:

My "quietness" was a hindrance. I needed to change - or so I thought. I believed it stopped me from standing out, from being noticed, from succeeding in the long run. I had achieved a lot to date by sidestepping my quiet side - always trying to convince others that it was not a part of me, it wasn't who I am. I kept lying (maybe it was more like I was in denial) over and over again. I downloaded this "quietness" onto an external hard drive and nearly forgot about it (as much as anyone would forget about a fly on your wall). Except this fly kept buzzing around me, reminding me that this is who I am, and that it is a very difficult quality to change.

It took me nearly two full years of preclerkship to realize that being quiet can be a strength. I would love to say that I figured this epiphany all on my own, but much to my chagrin, it was a mentor - a preceptor - who told me this:

You are a quiet person, but I just want you to know: don't ever change. You may feel that those around you - colleagues who speak out during rounds - will be more successful; they will get their first choice residency program, and you will be left behind. But don't. You have a quiet professionalism about you - one that most will appreciate in the long run. Your honest sincerity allows others to be heard. You input is truly valued, and I can see that your colleagues now, and in the future, will appreciate your ideas. So, don't ever change. 

Such inspiring words! I have been told, for almost 23 years, that I should speak up and stand out, yet all it really takes is just one remarkably contrasting words from a mentor who believes in you to make you actually believe in yourself.

So now, I decree that my quietness is an art. A means of showing others that I am strong and capable, but I can also listen. I admire those who are loud and carefree, but I have a newfound appreciation for those who are quiet.

--Amanda

late and lattes

Hello Everyone!

First of all I just want to welcome you all to our blog!  We're both super excited to start sharing our thoughts, ideas, experiences with everyone!  Its a little regretful that we didn't do this sooner - I think it would've been great to share our experiences with everyone from when we first got our acceptance emails to now.  I think it would've been great to see how medical school has shaped us into the people we are today.

But alas, here I am, writing my first blog on the second last day of preclerkship.  Amanda and I were late again, as per usual.  I think our ability to make it to class on time has slowly diminished over the two years that we've been here.  On our first day of medical school, I remember Wiley (our favourite anatomy prof) telling us that it was considered a lapse in "professionalism" if we came to class late.  So Amanda and I would rush to class every morning to make sure we get there before our lecture started.  Soon though, we realized that no one noticed if we were late or not.  Then we started coming 1-2 minutes late for class.  This held for another couple months, until we realized that Starbucks in the morning is a really good way to keep us awake in class.  It was a great incentive to even GO to class in the first place.  So, now - we arrive about 10-15 minutes late, but only because we need our Starbucks fix before the start of class.  Latte? You make us late.....

--
Jessica