Legally Medicine...

Been hanging around here at the LRU since about 9:45 after finishing the Legal Med prelims examination. Wasn't as hard as I expected, but kinda challenging din naman, especially since 'di naman ako nakapagaral ng mabuti.. =P It was a short exam, only 50 items!! I just hope my luck held up today as I guessed my way through roughly half of the test...

I also took another test of sorts when I got here.. It's a kind of aptitude test which matches your "attitude" to particular fields of specialization. You can take the test at this site: http://www.med-ed.virginia.edu/specialties/

The results showed that the number #1 speciality match for me was Endocrinology (ugh), followed closely by Derma (Santa Banana!)

Longtime favorites Neuro, Patho, and Gastro were placed at 5, 6, and 17 respectively...

This got me thinking.. "Accurate ba talaga 'to? I mean, Internal Med and Neurology have always been frontrunners on my list, but Derma?... Bagay ba ang ugali ko sa Derma?... Hmm, kung sabagay, pogi naman ako.. bwahahaha!! " Joke lang! =P

Below is the complete list and rankings:

1 - endocrinology
2 - dermatology
3 - hematology
4 - rheumatology
5 - neurology
6 - pathology
7 - radiology
8 - med oncology
9 - radiation oncology
10 - nephrology
11 - allergy & immunology
12 - pulmonology
13 - neurosurgery
14 - nuclear med
15 - occupational med
16 - physical med & rehabilitation
17 - gastroenterology
18 - general internal med
19 - cardiology
20 - infectious disease
21 - aerospace med
22 - preventive med
23 - otolaryngology
24 - ophthalmology
25 - psychiatry
26 - urology
27 - emergency med
28 - colon & rectal surgery
29 - thoracic surgery
30 - plastic surgery
31 - pediatrics
32 - general surgery
33 - obstetrics/gynecology
34 - orthopaedic surgery
35 - anesthesiology
36 - family practice

Ooops! Gyne na!!!

Dermatological goodbyes and straddling tables..

At long last, I'm finally rid of Derma!.. (I hope)

We just had our Derma final examinations today. Whew! For a one quarter subject, it can sure take out a lot from you.. The test itself wasn't really that hard. I'd say the difficulty would be at par with the sample examinations that were going around.. At least they're consistent. Boom ran into a bit of bad luck today, coming in too late for the exam. But he'll be able to take it with the other section next quarter naman, yung lang nga, there's the hassle of studying again for something you've already prepared for a quarter ago..

During one of our classess, I realy couldn't help but notice one professor who had the habit of straddling the table when he's in the midle of the lecture. Sinasampay niya yung isang leg nya over the side of the table. Think of it like half-sitting on the edge of a table, but in reverse.. hehehe I don't think there's any malice involved, and we respect that teacher a lot.. It's just that we find it pretty amusing.. hahaha =P

Was supposed to have another exam today in surgery.. an exam which I didn't prepare for.. But as my good luck would have it (which has tided me over for the past week or so), the exam was moved and spending my time chilling out at the LRU in lieu of studying became a good move..

I feel so tired lately.. Sobrang hirap gumising in the mornings. I guess it's a combination of lack of sleep and the cold weather. And I guess there's still a little bit of that Christmas vacation hangover. =D

Happy Holidays!!

Hi everyone! This will be my first Christmas blog, despite the fact that its already been 4 days since Christmas.

Let me start things off with the last day at school before the break.. While I was driving to school, the streets leading to UST were relatively empty. In fact, when I got off my ride inside the campus, the school was DESERTED... fine siguro exxage ng konti, but it felt like being in a ghost town.. It was so eerie... kinda like UST in the summertime, but with cooler weather, which made it kinda pleasant. Then the realization struck me... We were most likely the only ones having a class in the entire university!!! Sure I saw a medtech intern and a clerk, pero they're supposed to be there dahil hospital duty na yun!!! It was the day after Paskuhan (you know, the big Christmas party that UST holds on-campus every year with the giant christmas tree and the grand fireworks display.. ahh, memories..), and while everyone else was at home resting their asses, here we were in full uniform for a 7am class with a quiz to boot!!!

The derma class went as expected. I got a lousy score at the quiz, pero at least pasado.. Thank God walang grand rounds!! :D

After that, everyone was going around exchanging pleasantries before scurrying away home. I met up with Joanne to lend her the CD containing the mini-games I got off the 'Net, and she had gifts for me and my GF! :D I also got a card from Maan and collected my Kriskringle gifts from Rubi and Chot (Thanks so much!!).

It's getting kinda late, so I'll continue the holiday stories another time.

So once again, HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!

(And to my classmates, enjoy the remaining days of the break... these are the last we'll be getting in a long, long time...)

Second to the last day..

This is just great... I'm here in school chilling/studying with the C5ers, some of whom are preparing their powerpoint presentation for Derma tomorrow.. It ain't really that bad if you look at it.. chilling out sorrounded by the warmth of friends. :D But the thing is, we shouldn't be here!!! We should be at home bumming around and enjoying the Christmas break!

I just finished reading Mitch Albom's "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" over the weekend. It was a great read. :D Very thought-provoking and interesting.. though I wish I had more time (and funds) to read more books like that..

We had our class Christmas party last Friday at the La Cocina.. :D Games and laughter galore! It just saddens me to think na it's gonna be our last Christmas party, next year being clerkship and all.. I was really touched when the C5ers wanted me to be included in the pictures with them.. sniff!! Thanks a lot guys!! You really made my Christmas this year! That being said, I'd like to give them a shout-out here by mentioning them all one by one.. :D

Thanks to Boom, Danison, Barbers, Anna, Chadman, Ferdie, Madel, Ceres, Al, Ginny, Tiffers, Tanya, Borj, Carla, Patty, Myners, Alex, Pons, and Michelle :D

Pasensya na kung cheesy, but thanks pa din for showing the love. It really means a lot.. :D

XS Pride and Glory: SEA Games gold!!

It's LRU time again. Been here for the last 30 minutes just bumming around. It's friday again.. and I've got a helluva week coming up.. but for the meanwhile, LRU time is MY time.. :D

Life has always been crazy in Medicine, and it shows no signs of letting up. Just came from a grueling quiz in Neurosurgery.. It ain't so bad, pero they asked some really tricky questions. :P I now have in front of me a take-home quiz in Pedia sugery.. I haven't had a take home quiz since way back in... 3rd year high school?..This is gonna be good.. :D

Yesterday was the feast of the Immaculate Conception.. No school for us. hehehe I started off the day hearing mass at church with the family, then the rest of it was spent alternating doing schoolwork and being a driver... some holiday it turned out to be.. I was so tired that at night when I hit the bed, I was out like a light!!!

Before I forget, kudos to the XS boys who garnered gold in the recently-concluded SEA Games, specially to our batchmate Valda.. You rock bro!! Check this out... Xaverians win Gold for the Philippines!

Whoa, gotta go.. pa-shut down na daw eh.. ;P

Week's End..

Friday na!!!!! :)

Santa Banana!!! I survived another week! Yehey!! :D Grabe, life is going pretty smoothly so far.. Got past the Derma reporting without any hitch, I haven't really been failing any quizzes lately, and I've been learning a lot, both at school and while studying on my own at home.. Plus the fact that this seems to be the most BENIGN shift that I have ever seen in my entire time here at medical school. :D Man, this is gonna be a nice weekend..

I've been thinking... The first semester of this third year has got to be the LONGEST semester of my entire LIFE!!!! I mean, it's gotta be the most toxic, the most challenging, the most exhausting part of any schoolyear I have ever been through..

The first semester is always longer than the second, or at least it seems longer... 'coz the second sem has the Christmas break smack in the middle. :D And there seems to be a lot more individual holidays during this time too. ;)

Here I am wasting away at the Student Council office (sarado na yung LRU eh.. It pays to have friends in high places ;) ). I thought of typing my patient's history a while ago but nah... :P Hm.. com to think of it, I guess I really should start getting my shit together on that report.. Sige, 5:30 na lang siguro... :D But for now, I surf... :P

Harry Potter Erratum

I made a booboo...

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was directed by Alfonso Cuarón

while

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire was directed by Mike Newell

Sorry about the mix-up I had in an earlier post where I said that both the third and fourth movies were directed by the same guy...

Mike Newell deserves an ovation for a great job in bringing back the "magic" of Pottermania! =P

Oh, and by the way, I still think that the third movie didn't live up to my expectations of the franchise.. but for the sake of continuity, ok na rin siya... (the power of the brand label is really astonishing..)

Once again, my apologies to everyone... tao lang po...