The calm before the storm...

So another few weeks have been checked off, and, more importantly in med school land, another few tests are done. HOS renal was not a shining performance, but the average was lower than usual, so likely it wasn't a very positive experience for many people. Last Friday's exam was neuroscience lab, which is largely another lecture exam disguised as a lab exam because it contains a great deal of content/function questions. This one was particularly full of those because there were a number of MRI and brain slice images. I think most of us were caught off guard by the number of references to information from the beginning of the semester. Nonetheless, from looking over the answer key it appears I did alright, so that should help add to the cushion i have before going into finals.

School
Basically I have nothing at all to report. It is just school, school, school. We have 3 more weeks (which is CRAZY both bc it flew by and because we have 5 more exams in that time...). This week I have my physical exam final where we perform a complete physical exam, and then friday is our written final in FCP. Overall it should be a relatively low key week, so I am hoping to start on finals studying. We have a microscope histology final next week and the week of May 11th is true finals week with a cumulative neuro final Tuesday (worth 40% of our grade) and the cumulative HOS final on Friday. HOS is a behemouth final: covers 87 lectures, 1100pgs of notes, 4hrs long, 112 questions, 33% of our grade. So now you can see why I want to get a jump start. That exam is on Friday, May 15th, and then we are DONE!!

Brendan
Brendan will graduate and officially become an M.D. on Friday, May 15th. The ceremony is held at a hotel in Coralville because the university's theater was destroyed in the floods last year. His family will all be in town for the ceremony, and then he and a few of his friends are having a reception on Saturday, May 16th at the Coralville Marriot. Just a casual gathering with friends/family. My parents will be in town for the reception and then we are going out to eat with Brendan's family. For anyone who is curious, this will be the big 'meeting of the parents'. Figured I couldn't go wrong having them meet my boyfriend's parents after he just became a doctor :)

Summer
Just a quick note, I did find out last week that I have been accepted for a Summer Research Fellowship. This is the same thing I did last summer, so I am looking forward to continuing my research project. Plus, it ensures i can pay the bills and don't have to go back to waiting tables!!

Ok, I have to get going to my physical exam final. Wish me luck! Hope all is well with everyone else... only a few more weeks and I should rejoin the land of the living!