Lessons from Clinical Skills Examination

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The air was filled with the ringing of bells, indicating to each examinee that the clock began counting down or that their time was up and it was time for them to exit the examine room. 5 minutes was all the time each examinee received, to truly shine.

As I stood in front of the exam room door, reading the instructions and praying that the room contained a personable invigilator and an easy cooperative simulated patient, I tried my hardest to remain calm and to remind myself that I knew the exam like the back of my hand. This was just another practice session for me to demonstrate to myself and to the invigilator just how much I knew and understood.

Introduction and seeking permission, was perfect, general inspection at the foot of the bed priceless; inspection of the face and neck could not have been better. As the examination progressed and I continued signposting, I realized that as I instructed the patient to "hook both index fingers" so that I could determine whether or not Shamroth's window was preserved, my hands began to shake almost uncontrollably. It was at that moment, my skill [in my opinion] failed. My percussions were mediocre as I moved from the supraclavicular; infaclavicular then on to the chest wall and the axilla.

Trying to save myself and the remainder of the examination via proper auscultation techniques and rapport building it seemed all too late. Embarrassed and with my confidence shot, I inquired whether or not he was experiencing any pain before asking him to sit forward and as he did so it was as if I was faced with a brick wall. Forgetting to comment on the findings, following my inspection of his back,  I was caught trying to decide whether or not I should proceed by repeating all of the steps I performed anteriorly, now posteriorly or just go right to examining his lymph nodes. Before I was able to decide what to do next, there was that bell.

Just like that time had escaped and not one more second was afforded me, not even to complete a lymph node exam or to comment on what testing I would request for further investigations. What else could I do now? I thanked the patient with a smile, shook his hand, thanked the invigilator and exited the room.



We all need moments such as these to be able to address and perfect our strengths and weaknesses. My greatest lesson thus far thanks to these continuous assessments is summed up in the following quote by Napoleon Hill "desire is the starting point of all achievement."

Medical School Acceptance with Low Stats

Think Low Stats & Med School Acceptance Don't Mix?  Think again!

Low scores and med school acceptance don’t need to be mutually exclusive. There are things you can do to boost your chances of getting into medical school…even with a low GPA and/or MCAT score!

Don’t let your weaknesses get the best of you. Learn how to highlight your strengths and get accepted when you attend Accepted's upcoming webinar, Get Accepted to Medical School with Low Stats, next week on Thursday, February 18, 2016 at 5 pm PST/8 pm EST.

Reserve your spot by registering now!

Blogging through the Bible Job 27-31

This week's reading included Job 27-31.  If you've been enjoying the reading of Job thus far and have been blessed and changed by Job thus far, I am glad.

The discussion questions can be found here. Also Courtney wrote an interesting post on wisdom that I think you may enjoy reading.

As you continue to read through the book of Job and the Bible, my prayer is that God will open your heart and mind to receive Him and for you to gain and experience a balance and peaceful life.

To access the discussion questions you can click the link above or use the following: http://womenlivingwell.org/2016/02/good-morning-girls-resources-job-27-31/, or to access the post on wisdom: http://womenlivingwell.org/2016/02/where-is-wisdom/

My Medical School Wishlist

As a student, sometimes it is hard to keep up with the financial obligations i.e. purchasing the necessary tools and equipments without a means of income. When such is the case, I find myself constructing a wish list of the items that are true necessities and others that would make life a little more joyful and satisfy the stationary lover within.

Third year is quickly coming to a close and that being said, year four is just months away which means now is the time to holistically prepare.

The above photos are some of the items on my wish list for fourth year and they fall in one of two categories; books or tools.

Books:

1. Oxford Handbook of Medical Sciences

2. Maxwell Quick Medical Reference

3. Davidson's Principles and Practice of Medicine

Tools:

4. Black Doctor's Bag (I've always wanted one especially since the show Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman) 

5. Midori Traveler's Notebook and Inserts

6. Tombow Dual Tip Calligraphy Pen

7. Kaweco Calligraphy Set. 

Have you made any wish lists recently? 

Blogging through The Bible: Job 16-26

Excuse my tardiness regarding the upload of this post. I've been practicing some bad sleeping/studying habits lately and as a result my daily devotions have been affected and believe me when I say it, I have noticed a difference in my daily outlook. Nonetheless, here are the discussion questions from the previous two weeks. Please feel free to contribute to the discussion by adding your answers, thoughts, or convictions in the comments section below.

Week 4

Job's response once again to his friends is more firm and confident. He is now answering them not as a man guilty of committing a sin, but of a man who sees and understands to some extent that even though he is a target for his enemies, he is still sure of whose child he is. 

More and more as the dialogue advances between Job and his friends, he realizes that they are not truly friends. Rather than providing comfort, they are adding to his misery. We are no different, I included. 

As a child growing up, my dad would also tell my sister, brother and I whenever he found us engaged in idle chatter or wasting our time with our friends rather than balancing our time, that we "too like company". Basically, we would rather be surrounded by a lot of friends or involved in a good time versus keeping busy with our school work or chores. As I got older, I realized the truth in his saying, especially when I realized that persons who I considered friends were merely fillers; meaning there was no substance to any of our conversations or interactions. 

Job chapters 17 and 18 continues outlining the dialogue once again between Job and his friends. 

In Chapter 17 Job explains how he feels regarding the counsel of his friends.  Chapter 18 is Bildad's response and his tone of is unlike that of a friend. How many of you noticed that? Bildad's response to Job is laced with emotion as is expected to some degree, he's hurt that Job would refer to them as "miserable comforters" (Job 16:2) and in verse 5-21 he compares Job to a wicked man. 

Relationships are learning experiences for us all. We learn how to encourage others and also how to keep quiet when we feel as though our good intentions and encouragement is a discouragement. My biggest lesson was learning when to keep quiet as silence is truly golden and although we may expect our friends to treat us a certain way or to show up when we are experiencing moments of discouragement or despair, we have to remember as well at the end of the day they're only human as well. The older I get, the less I am realizing I expect from others and the more my faith and trust is in God, for He is the only friend that sticks closer than a brother, and if any of you have a brother you know that they can annoyingly stick pretty close. 

Week 5:

Zophar's answer to Job in chapter 20:5 "that the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment" reminds us even though he was referring to Job at this point, that even though the wicked may be prospering at the moment and enjoying their joy and prosperity, it is only but for a moment. 

The Bible offers countless reminders that our eyes are to be steadfast on Christ. We are to seek the kingdom of God first (Matt. 6:33), it is only then will all things that our heart may desire in accordance to God's will, will be offered unto us. By remaining focused on God, we should not have the time to even consider what the wicked are doing. 

 

Feel free to check back next week for the discussion of Job 26-29. More resources are available at Good Morning Girls and all photos used in this post are courtesy of the Women Living Well Ministries Blog.

Blog Feature

Recently I was asked by  Sarah Pritzker of Blog.Accepted.com to be featured on their blog. It was truly an honor and privilege. It required answering a few questions regarding my medical school journey and a few facts about me.

The post went live on February 1st so If you're interested in reading my answers to several questions feel free to check it out here and be sure to comment and share the site with others who may be seeking guidance for medical school acceptance or those who may just be interested in learning a little about medical school life by other students in various corners of the world.