Saturday, September 4, 2010

Ohhh Med School.....

First test (Medical Micro) covering Immunology is done!!! What did I learn from this test?? Medical School is hard!! Now for 4 more tests next week... which are:


  • Anatomy/Embryology (Tuesday)
  • Biochemistry (Wednesday)
  • Histology (Friday)
  • On Becoming a Doctor (Friday)

After this week, my weekend will be recovering to start back at it again on Monday.... Possibly floating "the river" on Sunday--which I have never done before! So, that might be fun! :) September 10th--GET HERE FAST!!!

I hope everyone enjoys this *current* weekend watching all sorts of AMAZING college football games... Just know that I'm very jealous!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Jumping. For. Joy...

The day of my White Coat Ceremony at UTHSCSA, my *amazing* brother-in-law, Jeff, took some awesome pictures... He even humored my crazy self when he laid down (in his nice clothes!!) on the concrete because I had a special request: Jumping pictures!!


You see, I just love those types of pictures that are fun & a little off key... and Jeff was kind enough to oblige me... Well, I truly love those pictures that Jeff took of myself and my roommate jumping because they are a spot on representation of how amazing I was feeling... alive, excited, and just on top of the world. Everytime I look at the jumping pictures, the feeling comes back and re-charges me as I sit studying most days... everyday... all day.... HAHA!

So, what is this getting to right? Well, there is a web-site I have posted to once before called JumpBecause.com--I sent my jumping pics that JWS Images so kindly took to them & they posted my Medical School jumping pictures yesterday!!

Through Jump Because, I was able to share my excitement & joy for medical school with the world (or whatever small population of people actually look at that site! ;) )

Life. Is. Good! Okay, it's back to the books for me... First medical school test TOMORROW! Wish me luck! :)

xo

Debs

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Someone's gotta be the first...

So, we have Immunology Working Conferences throughout the semester & our first one just happened to be yesterday, Monday. We have reading to do & medical cases that we work through on our own which are accompanied by questions to answer...


Then, we get together in assigned small groups, compare answers/discuss the questions, and take a group quiz.

Lastly, we go up to the MS1 (Medical Student Year 1) Lecture Hall for a large group discussion where our professor calls on us *randomly* to answer the cases... (he has an alphabetized list with photographs to use to pick us out!)

Well... guess who was the VERY, very, VeRy first person to be called upon to answer the first case of our medical school career..?? Yeap, if you guessed me--you would be correct....

We all sat down & I am texting (very professional, I know...) while Dr. Krolick is introducing how the large group situation will work with people being called out "randomly"... He finishes explaining & all of a sudden I hear the teacher say, "Is Dr. Lee here?" I just kind of looked around at first because there are four students with a last name pronounced like mine (Michelle Le, Andrew Lee, Deborah Lee, and Carl Li). That is, until he clarified... "Dr. Deborah Lee?" Everyone turned to look at me & started clapping (I guess congratulating me on my *great* fortune for getting to be the first to go..) I wish I could have seen what my face looked like... probably approximately the shade of parchment ...and I was grinning like a fool just wondering how this stroke of fortune was bestowed upon me..?? (parchment is really white I hope... lol)

Haha, it was all okay in the end... He asked about 4 questions over the 1st case---an ELISA direct antibody binding test to discern for the presence of a bacterial pathogen in a pregnant woman in her first trimester---and I was convinced I sounded ridiculous... but many of my classmates said I did well so I guess not. :) The guy student he called on afterwards ("Dr. Mankowski"--our teacher was working his way L-->Z) only got 1 question, and we laughed about that later because I would say he DEFINITELY lucked out. My heart was absolutely racing, but the coolest thing was that August 30th, 2010 was the first time I was ever called "Dr. Deborah Lee" by another person with the title of "Dr."... That makes me smile! I still have a long, long, long road, but it's the little things people!!

In other news, our first round of tests begin this Friday with Medical Microbiology.... then, we have 4 more tests next week.... WISH ME LUCK!! Here we go.... :)

Friday, August 27, 2010

And we'll all float on, ok.

Alright don't worry even if things end up a bit too heavy.
We'll all float on...alright. Already we'll all float on.
Alright already we'll all float on, ok.
Don't worry we'll all float on.
Even if things get heavy, we'll all float on.
-Modest Mouse


Well, it's finally here...

Summer passed in the blink of an eye, the White Coat Ceremony has come and gone, and classes are already 1 month in at this point! I'm a MEDICAL STUDENT aka an MS1. Finally. I am right where I belong with 229 other people just like me---type A, workaholics! :) Even though it has only been a short while, I can already feel the stress creeping up as our first round of testing quickly approaches... I personally just can't wait for the first round of tests to be O-V-E-R! The build up is just painful! But, I have learned a lot, and I figured I would share a few snippets....

1. Med school is not conducive to sleeping... and sleeping is not a priority--it's just something that happens eventually after staring at notes or books for hours on end.

2. Labs are killer--who knew four hours could go by so fast in gross lab--trying to do anything productive after that is like trying to get up and run a mile the day after a marathon (not that I've ever tried a marathon!!).

3. There is NO way---and I mean NO WAY they actually expect us to learn all this stuff!!! There is just too much going on everyday... I hope I leave with even 50% of this information stored away in my brain somewhere....

4. Caffeine = crucial! I have yet to jump on the '5-hour energy' boat, but it may be soon...

5. UTHSCSA's medical center needs more parking!! The PA's started back to school this past week & now my walk from the parking lot is now 15 minutes b/c I always find a way to get a crappy parking spot... Thank god for my iPhone & the Pandora app...

6. Medical students can be fun too!! I have met so many incredible people with awesome plans & dreams for their careers in medicine. I am so proud to be among such *great* peers. Hopefully, we can keep finding ways to have our fun & get closer as a med school class as things get more crazy...

7. most importantly.... we'll all float on.... it seems like we'll never make it--medical school is 4 long, crazy years--but I have a feeling it is going to fly by... 4 weeks have already passed in the blink of an eye... I am just going to hold on tight & enjoy the ride...

xo

debs



Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Brick Walls & more interesting thoughts...

Let me tell you that July 25th, 2008 was a sad day. I don't even know Randy Pausch, but I know that he passed away that day.... after having inspired millions with his fighting spirit, otherworldly optimism, and incredible imagination. Did I use enough adjectives for you? Truthfully, I could put so many more out there.... his unwavering commitment to his wife & kids, determination to live as long as he could for them, and his stubborn desire to share a 'Last Lecture' with many at Carnegie Mellon University... Little did he know he would come to mean so much to millions of people who would never have an opportunity to meet him. I wish I could thank him right now because he helped me overcome my brick walls--and there were many. Mr. Pausch tells us something about 'brick walls' that basically changed my outlook on life in May 2008. He wrote: "The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. The brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough."

My brick wall fell at approximately 4:00 pm CST on December 21, 2009 when I received an acceptance e-mail that I have been accepted to medical school. This is my third time to apply. I have taken the MCAT, a cruel and evil test, three times in three years. I will never take that crazy test again, but guess what... If someone told me I had to take it a fourth time---I would. Crazy? Yes. It is crazy, but Mr. Pausch is very right. The brick walls are absolutely there to stop the people who do not want things badly enough. I want you all to know that I want to be a doctor that badly. I want to be a part of improving people's lives through the practice of medicine. My heart lies with medicine and medicine has my heart. So, if it were necessary, I would do it because I know how badly I want to be a doctor.

I am not great at keeping my blog up to date, but I have been studying my life away all semester. I'm not sure that anyone even reads it anymore. However, if you are reading this---and you haven't read The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, I hope that you will find the time to do so. It inspired me at a time when I desperately needed inspiration. If anything, living is the inspiration. In the tragedy of this man's death, I hope that we can all find a reason to live. I hope that we all conquer our brick walls & pursue our dreams--even one's that are not our childhood dreams (as Mr. Pausch lectures about in his 'Last Lecture' at CMU).

http://www.thelastlecture.com/

I wish you all a Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays! I know I will never forget this holiday season. My future has a purpose as of today. I will officially be Deborah Lee, M.D. in the year 2014! God is so great!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Blog FAIL!

Soooo.... How bout this blog, huh? It has been sitting, waiting patiently for my triumphant return since August!

Well, let me fill you all in... Things have been crazy with school & my trying to have a life at the same time... Unfortunately, I'm learning that in my Master's Program, life and school don't mix! The 24 tests they threw at us this semester are dwindling down. Now, we have about 9 left (Woo Hoo!). I am making A's on the tests with some B's sprinkled in the mix for good measure! I just hope that with my new MCAT score (It went up!!), I am doing what it takes to *finally* make it to medical school. Keep your fingers crossed for me (and a few thoughts & prayers every now and then would be much appreciated too!).

I interviewed here at TCOM (Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine) on October 22nd, and I hope that I hear good news to that end--but I know that since I am applying through a special program--my Master's Program--I will have to wait until either January or May. *Patience* <--easier said than done! I am not very patient, but I am going to try.

Many exciting things have happened since August--the *most* exciting of which was my sister, Martha Lee Bennett, marrying the
love of her life, Brian Bennett, the first weekend in October. I have truly *never* seen her so happy & Brian looked pretty happy as well for a guy about to leave bachelor-hood behind forever! It was such a wonderful & beautiful event for my sisters and I because the last couple of years have been tough family-wise. We needed this happiness--a family event where everyone was smiling and *truly* happy. I'll take it & remember my family that way--hopefully, we can have a few more family occasions like this in the future... time will tell....

Also, I had the opportunity to go to Billy Bob's--a popular and well known "Honky-Tonk" in Fort Worth--where Country, Cowboy Boots, and the 2-Step are alive and well! I actually had a great time & our school sponsored the event--so it was free to get in (the BEST part of course!). Of course, my life is NOT complete without SoCcEr! I am playing in a co-ed soccer league in Fort Worth through UNTHSC, I picked back up my Spin Class habit, and I have developed a bit of a crush on lifting weights! Trust me, this has been great for my clothes--umm, they all fit! Even the ones from college that stared me down for two years--just waiting for their chance to get out of the closet for a while. haha--so I am trying to stay healthy & excercise--who wants an unhealthy doctor telling them what to do?? That's what I thought!

Other than that, I have watched a few college football games *on TV of course!*, and it's amazing how fun it is to just take time out from studying to do something that normal! :) I went to Dallas for a TX-OU watching party, and it was great to see friends that I hadn't seen in *forever* due to school.
I went to a White Trash Wine Party last weekend at Liz & Jeff aka the 'Svadlee's' which I looked forward to for a month! The party was great & several people dressed up, which was awesome!! I had tons of fun putting my outfit together--and even though I didn't get to go as *all out* as I wanted, it still looked PLENTY trashy in person. lol. With www.PeopleOfWalmart.com as an inspiration, I really don't think you can go wrong?!
The 'wal-creatures' on that site are AH-mazing. Over my winter break, I'm hoping to get back over to GeOrGiA to hopefully see friends, and I am just *crossing* my fingers I can fit that plane ticket in my tiny budget.. That would be an awesome thing to look forward to!

As for new friends, I have met so many awesome people here in Fort Worth through school with common interests--all hoping to do the same thing I am doing--and I know I will stay in touch with many of them even after our hectic & crazy year is over! So, for now, I am gonna just have to leave you hangin.... because I have to get back to studying for a pop quiz that will be coming sometime this week!


However, just know I am living the life--pursuing my dream--and even though *broke* is not a fun word to be associated with---HAPPY is the most important one I carry with me... I'm happy! So, that's all that matters. (I'll let you know at the end of the semester if this is still the case...lol)

I hope you all are doing well!

xo

debs
your Happy (and broke) Graduate Student!

Med Sci girls at Billy Bob's - Texas!
Roomies before having friends over at our house--known as the 'HDHK'.

The Bennett's making a quick getaway! :)
Four sisters together again - 1st time since 2007
With BK showing some UT love TX-OU weekend
White Trash Wine of '09 - Ready to hit up the local Wal-Mart... lol.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

You win some, you lose some...

Want to know what happened in the 2nd Annual Blondes vs. Brunettes Football game??? READ ON... :)

I'm starting to get nervous--my adrenaline's running high--It's finally BVB - Dallas flag football night. The countdown is over and the time is here to trade our pearls and pleats for sweatbands and cleats. And so the Brunettes set out to take the game, to win it all, and to bring the Blondes to shame.

The first twenty-minute half was under way, and I ran my routes faithfully waiting for my chance to make a play. The Blondes scored first, which I hated to see, I just kept thinking 'we'll get it back, we're awesome--I believe!' The next Brunette drive, my time finally arrived. I ran a long and out route, caught a tricky catch, and sealed the deal--I have no doubt. Our running back caught the second pass of the night, scoring in the next play. This tied the game at 6 all & marked the first Brunette touchdown of the day.

The second half continued scoreless until the Blondes slipped by our 'D' and this time put 7 on the board making the score 6-13. I once again ran my routes faithfully, trying to be humble and wait my turn--but trust me when I say for the football my greedy hands burned! I caught two more passes, three and four of the night to be exact. The "Bru Cru" were on the move, ready to score, and that's a fact! We Brunettes worked relentlessly to even the score until in one of the last plays of the game our running back caught pass five and put 6 more on the board. Since the Blondes made a one point conversion in their second TD, we were still down by one, not a very good place to be. We decided to go for two, take the win, and the glory--but unfortunately a successful two point conversion does not end this story. Adrenaline got the best of us and the throw for two went further than we needed it to. The Brunettes fought hard, but the bottle Blondes prevailed--don't feel bad for us though because we hardly failed!

What matters most is the fundraising you see, and the magic number of the night is one-hundred fifty. One-hundred fifty what you may wonder?? Try one-hundred fifty thousand dollars raised for the Alzheimer's Association--I couldn't be any fonder--Of all the girls I met through BVB & all the fun times I've experienced in this summer of philanthropy. What a blessed time for us to be able to shine in fundraising and on the football field too--trust me when I say "Go Bru Cru!" We may have lost the battle but we definitely won the war. You see, in terms of fundraising for our cause we raised ten thousand dollars more! The Blondes just couldn't keep paces and this was apparent on their surprised faces. They can have their flag football trophy and the win. I'll take the knowledge that I made a difference in.... The lives of so many who unfortunately have to cope with the debilitating effects of Alzheimer's disease--to these people we bring hope! That someday there will be a cure & a way to keep loved ones for years and years more.

Thanks for all your support. Without you, there is no momentum, no cause. Please remember us next year and watch out for us because.... The "Bru Cru" will be BACK better, faster, stronger, more determined--to take the fundraising war and the flag football battle--right from under those little Blondes and their dye bottles.

A million thanks for all your help spreading the word & mission of BVB - Dallas. HUGE Thanks for those of you who donated to the Alzheimer's Association of Greater Dallas and to those who attended Saturday night's game. We had SO much fun--even though we lost 13-12. I hope to be able to participate in BVB next year, but only time will tell!

xo

debs

"Bru Cru" girls with Channel 8's Pete Delkus
With signs outside Channel 8 Studios @ Victory Park
With another popular brunette - Gloria Campos
Our Fabulous Coaches!Team Brunette!Warming up before the game! Running through our Game Day Sign!!


 
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