Well, I'm firmly entrenched in the grit of medical school. We've covered 1/6 of our biochem/cellular bio course and our midterm is next Monday. My. Birthday. Huzzah!
I'm actually feeling pretty comfortable (so far) with the pace we've set. I'm sure, though, that I'll have a different sentiment this coming Sunday.
We've had a few lectures in our development course on men's vs women's health, full of statistics and how social constructs affect medical outcomes. It struck me though that the men's lecture was full of clinical techniques to counter these issues but there was not. a. single. one. introduced in the talk on women's health despite so many more inequities being quantifiably demonstrated (representation in clinical trials, the masculine body being the normal presentation in academics etc. I won't even go into the social/cultural contexts women deal with).
Our class is, strangely, predominately male. A 60-40 ratio, I think. Even with this disproportion, the female contribution, whether in the form of questions or thoughts, has been minimal. Besides my own, I've only heard two other feminine voices raised in lecture. Is this normal at other schools? I would have thought that anyone who reaches this stage in their education would be more assertive, more confident in contributing.
The school's fitness center is right next door to the building our lectures are in. It's amazing! Before, I'd always had the best intentions regarding working out but I rarely followed through beyond the first or second week. Now, it's pretty effortless. I go to class in the morning, study on campus for a few hours afterward, then walk down the hall toward the parking garage. But, wait, there, a beautiful pool, steam room and hot tub! So I wander in. I tell myself "you can relax as long as you want in the jacuzzi, just first: run 2 miles and swim 2 laps." So I do! It takes about 45 minutes and then, I soak. LOVELY. I can already feel the difference in my body, I'm falling asleep more easily, waking up more readily and can really focus on the class material. I know that I wouldn't make the same effort if the gym wasn't so bloody convenient. I actually felt guilty last Friday for skipping out early. I'm determined to get my resting heart rate down to the 60s (I'm high 70s-low 80's now) by the end of the term.
That's all for now. I'll update more later this week.
Sounds like a lovely gym setup. I would love something similar, but alas, all of the gyms to which I have access are in dark basements. Thankfully the weather has cooled down enough that I can run outside without waiting until the middle of the night.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're finding the pace bearable, and hope it holds up.
I highly doubt the pace will hold. I'm playing ahead now because it's all review. Anatomy & physiology are coming up next month and I'm terrified!
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