Week 1 = Survival

Well, Monday began it all, full speed ahead. Do not pass go and DEFINITELY do not collect $200. Here at Columbia we have 3 courses in our first year:

1) Molecular Mechanisms of Health and Disease: this is our "biology" course. It encompasses, cell bio, molecular bio, biochemistry, pathology, pharmacology, physiology, histology and just about every other "ology" you can think of... It hasn't been TOO bad so far, because much of it is review for a biology major such as myself, but I have to be careful not to get too comfortable and realize that new things are coming, and quickly.

2) Foundations of Clinical Medicine: this is our "soft" course. We talk about our feelings, read popular medical literature (ex. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down), learn medical ethics, and talk about our feelings some more. We even get a diary... er journal to reflect in. In all seriousness, FCM is a nice way to comprehend what it is we're all slaving away at... The first lecture, we met a patient and heard her story of life-long treatment for sickle cell disease, the good and the bad. The first small group, we wrote for a few minutes on what our first anatomy lesson was like, or other things from the first week that were tough. It is also nice because FCM falls on Wednesday and provides a nice pause from the grind so we can all try to catch up. The clerkships I mentioned in a previous post are also a part of this course. As I said, my clerkship is with a nephrologist named Leonard Stern. He is very nice and has a hugely varied practice. He has 4 different offices and invited Valerie (another girl doing the clerkship) and I to join him on any day at any office. One is even down near to FAO Schwartz! Conveniently, one of his offices is just off the lobby to my dorm building! I think I'm going to try each location out! (The two others are a hospital and inpatient location.)

3) Gross Anatomy: this is, so far, my most challenging course. It is the one I discussed before, where Team Richard (<-- my anatomy table) and I battle through the emotional, physical and mental obstacle course that is anatomy. As Dr. Stern said, it really is learning a new language, "medicalese" he calls it, but it gets easier each day I use it. Repetition really is the only way to get it, but slowly I feel more and more comfortable using anatomical terminology. I spent a day with my friend Sam from Yale and she couldn't believe that I had only had two anatomy classes. She said she already couldn't understand a word I said -- that I was speaking a different language! Yay Medicalese! Gross Anatomy consists of dissections in lab, where professors and clinicians are there to help and also show us clinical procedures. So far we've seen a cricothyrotomy (emergency airway) and a tube thoracostomy (chest tube insertion)!  We also have super overwhelming lectures that are only understood the 3rd time through (luckily all lectures are video recorded), non-dissecting sessions where we look at bones and learn about bony features such as Epicondyles, and clinical correlation lectures where we learn about surgeries and specialties, so far radiology and breast surgery. To add to the load, each dissection group only does half of the dissections for the course and must go in with members from the other group sharing your cadaver  to learn what dissection they did!

Though it is only three courses, we all feel totally behind! The "all" part of that sentence is keeping me sane, as is a pass/fail grading system! Luckily, the people here are great! For example, my dissection group needed a "guide book" or a dissector, so I bought one of a second year. To repay me, I've so far gotten 3 coronas, $8, and the promise of 3 orders of french fries -- grossly to reflect how greasy our dissector is. I KNOW! I'M SORRY! I'M totally grossing you out! :)

Outside of class, last week was another busy week of opening days events. We had a "big sib/little sib" even where we met the second years we've been assigned to annoy all year. Mine's name is Maile (read: Miley) and has already had to tell me to relax at least once! Oh well! After a quick stop at the farmer's market, we had the P&S Club Fair on Tuesday, which was JUST like the Activities Bazaar at Yale, complete with the A Capella group asking everyone if they sang (inside joke for you Yalies). It was fun to see that Penis... er P&S has so many student groups, including beer tasting, wine tasting, theater, poetry, dance, singing, volunteering, rugby, etc. I put my name on a few lists, but am trying not to over-commit. Wednesday I realized how much I love FCM Wednesdays, and received my first batch of groceries from FreshDirect! Yummy produce!

Thursday marked the first meeting of the Society of Bacchus (sorry no link...), which is Columbia's wine tasting society. Our professor, Michael Gershon, led the lecture on 3 types of wine -- a total of 6 glasses, and the party then moved down to The Gin Mill where they had half priced drinks with a Columbia ID. Needless to say, we all needed the chance to let loose a bit. It was great fun, and I plan to make Bacchus one of my activities for the year.

Friday morning's lecture was given by Dr. Gershon as well, and he wasn't the slightest bit surprised to see half the class missing at 8:30am. Though I was there, I sure was glad that it was mostly review! The course director kindly advised Dr. Gershon to save the wine tastings for the weekends. : ) I learned about the Student Government at noon-time and spent the afternoon (after non-dissecting session) meeting with Dr. Stern about the logistics of the clerkship. I then auditioned for the Ultrasounds a capella group. I ended up getting "deferred" to second semester due to an abundance of sopranos both in my class and the second year class, who will be quitting at semester.  I hope to be able to do this second semester. In the mean time, the Bard Hall Players are doing "Crazy For You", a Gershwin musical this fall, so I plan to audition for that this coming week. Friday night ended with us all getting kicked off the roof deck of the 12th floor (who knew you needed a permit to be out there at night?), me "icing" the birthday boy, my friend Travis, and then to Coogan's, the local Irish Pub.

Saturday morning passed by unnoticed by most of Bard Hall, and I awoke in the afternoon to walk to the grocery store and buy some ingredients. I had received a BUSH of basil from FreshDirect and planned to make pesto to put in the freezer. It was slow going until I found that my friend Nick had an amazing Cuisinart tool which worked as an immersion blender, but more importantly a food processor! It was a life-saver and I paid him back in pesto, which was DELICIOUS! I then used my Griddler to make eggs and toast and then headed downtown to see my Yale friend, Sam, who had just returned from Haiti. She was visiting NYC with her boyfriend for a birthday party before her semester at the School of Public Health really begins. We had lemonade in Bryant Park and then walked to Rosa Mexicana for dinner. We mosied down 5th Avenue, shopping at Fossil and lusting after the live Abercrombie & Fitch window models. We even ventured into Banana Republic where I found a $60 shirt for $16!!! YAY! Finally we met up with Sam's friend a posh lounge called Cibar. They had my favorite drink, the French 75. Too bad it was $16 each! After a drink and an ice water, the group headed toward Union Square to find a club. I, unfortunately, had to get all the way back to Washington heights, so I ducked down to the L train across to the A. Unfortunately, at night these trains run infrequently so I waited for each for about half an hour. Luckily, however, 5 guys from P&S hopped onto my subway car at the Port Authority and I had someone to talk to. After leaving around 1:15am, I still didn't get home until close to 2:45 or 3!

I slept in Sunday and spent the day studying. I visited a friend's apartment in the evening, but turned in pretty early. Today was spent studying as well. I can now tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the brachial plexus, which I assume is NOTHING! : )

Tomorrow begins another week, albiet short, and new adventures.

Miss you all!

Hayley