Gone too long....

Hey everyone,

So sorry I have not written in awhile. Med school is taking up all of my time these days. We had a test last week. Overall I did ok. I want to do better on the next one though. I have been in a bit of a bad mood about living out here lately. I think I am just bored. I see the same small area EVERYDAY! Same food, same staring locals, same heat, same hills....etc. lol I don't mean to sound like I am complaining I am just irritated. I will make it through though. I am looking forward to the Christmas break though. I miss my friends and my family. Hell, I really just miss America. Sounds strange saying that but I really do. Well I have to take a nap now because I will be up for a long time tonight studying for the next mini(yes it is three weeks away but I have to keep up with the info as it comes) and preparing for my Anatomy practical on Thursday.

Until next time...love life and smile!

Just Keep Swimming....Just Keep Swimming....

If you saw Finding Nemo you would laugh @ my title...Dory said it best...haha. But seriously that is exactly how I feel right now. Boy this med school thing is no joke. Not hard but it definitely tests your endurance. My binder is filled to the MAX after week2! We haven't even had our 1st test and we still have 2 more weeks of info before then. WOW! I have been studying my butt off and I finally feel like I am remembering it. The 1st week was so chaotic. I realized it was bc I didn't make a schedule for myself. This past week I made one and boy does it make a difference. I did yoga twice this week and went to the gym. I planned my study time so that I wouldn't forget to study any subject. It made we feel so much better. I did have a small breakdown earlier this week though. It wasn't really from not having enough time bc like I said before I have been following my schedule it was just from me looking at all of this info. I cried for about 30min and then I went back to studying. I don't mind admitting it bc it really is making me stronger. The good news is that I am current with all of the info so far. The key to cracking MD school is to NEVER fall behind! NEVER!

I started going to TA sessions which are really great! Students that got As in the course the previous semester help the current students out. They are great! They really help you focus your studying bc they remember the high yield info (what was heavily tested on vs. what was not).

Here's a short version of my schedule below in case yall are wondering what I do all day (:-)

Mon-Fri
6:00 wake up
7:00 catch shuttle/breakfast/pre-read lectures for class
8:00-12:00 die slowly...lol j/k LECTURES
12:00-1:00 lunch
1:00 more lectures or anat lab or pbl or start studying
3:00-5:00 Study
5:00 Yoga or gym depends on the day
6:00-7:00 Study
7:00-8:00 Dinner
8:00-11:00 Study
11:00 sleep finally

Sat
8:00 wake up/eat breakfast
10:00-11:30 Yoga
12:00 Lunch
1:00-2:30 watch tv or take a nap
2:30-6:00 Study (I do take small breaks)
6:00-7:00 Dinner
7:00-until Study until I get tired (usually around 12)

Sun
9:00 wake up
11:00 Church
1:00 Lunch
2:00-5:00 Study
5:00-6:00 Dinner
6:00-8:00 Study
8:00 TV/phone calls/relax
10:00 sleep

Well nothing more to say and I am sooo sleepy! Until next time love life and smile....

White Coat Ceremony

Well I survived my 1st week of med school! Already I feel like this is going to take some hard work to get through but I am up for the challenge. The info comes at you so fast it will make your head spin yet I feel that it is very doable. I study everyday and somehow I feel like that is just enough to keep my head above water...lol. I do feel like I am learning a lot. I am surprised at how much Biochem I am learning. I thought that would be my toughest subject but actually it's not. Anatomy is growing on me...at 1st I was feeling very overwhelmed bc we were having lectures but it was very hard for me to visualize just where all of the structures were that the professors were talking about. After having lab this Thursday and actually seeing it I feel like I have a better concept of it. Histo is still a review for me bc it is still pretty fresh on my mind from undergrad. We haven't gotten into any hard concepts in Physio yet either.

I figured something out this week. At 1st I wondered why Ross would wait until after week 1 to have the white coat ceremony. My reasoning was that we should have had it before we began anything related to med school at all. Now that week 1 is over I stand corrected. That ceremony really eased the tension I was feeling after week 1. I felt like screaming so many times last week (I actually did 1 or 2 times lol). By Friday I was thinking this is too much. What the hell am I doing here? Can I really learn ALL of this?....etc,etc....But the white coat ceremony reminded me of why I came here. I came here not only to pass tests but to become a great doctor. That may seem like a minor statement but after week 1 it is so easy to forget that. You have to get used to a new culture. For me I have two new cultures (Dominica and med school). I have more info in one week here than I got in probably 1 month of undergrad. And more is coming before the test. One of the speakers at the ceremony compared this experience to a rite of passage. The 1st step is separation (I felt that already). The 2nd is imparting sacred knowledge (I see that too...a lot of knowledge). The 3rd is my favorite...reintroduction into society (as Dr. Bradford of course :)... When I think of med school in this way I realize that each step is necessary to get me to M.D. land.

Funny side note: During the ceremony they had the donning of the white coats part (just fancy talk for the professors actually putting our white coats on us). They were playing music while we did this. 1st they started out with we are the champions.. I was like ok that makes you feel good inside. Then Sade By your side came on...I was like somebody forgot to replay the 1st song. Then....TI Whatever you like came on....hahahaha. I was laughing so hard. It played for about 1 minute long enough to get to the actual verse....Then they turned it off and went back to we are the champions....lmao.

Well that's about it for today. I think that I am ready to tackle week 2. Until next time love life and smile.....

Day 1 study session is over!

I have completed my studying for the day! *pirate voice* Me thinks this ain't so bad.... I am tired but I feel like I accomplished a lot. I really like studying during the daytime. I am very alert right after class and it's easy to focus. Plus I didn't feel like walking home in the heat anyway or risking falling asleep or watching tv. haha. Here's a picture of the way I feel right now...lol j/k I actually feel great. Well I shall update you all tomorrow. Until next time love life and smile.....

1st Day of Classes!

Hey!

I am taking a small study break to update yall on everything so far. I know I said I wouldn't wait so long but I have been extremely busy and it is only just beginning. Sooo....last week we had orientation. It was actually very informative. It seems like Ross has a lot of resources in place to help us "pass." I was very impressed by that. Not that I thought they didn't care, it's just that some students here are so negative that you would think that Ross=biggest adversary. That is not the case at all. I have learned in this short time here that some ppl are just bitter and they want you to be that way as well. My word of advice for anyone considering coming here is to not listen to negativity. I find some ppl here are very eager to pass this around. The ppl here do care (I can't say all bc I have not met everyone but the ones that I have encountered so far do). *hops of soap box*

Ok so the real deal! I am officially a med student! *screams* I have survived my first day. I must say that this is a huge adjustment for me but I have been on the ball so far. I pre-read all of the lecture notes for today and tomorrow's lectures! Talk abt being a good student! I have never ever done that before. Also I have been studying since about 3:30! Three hours straight! I barely studied in undergrad, and never 3 hrs ever!

Well I have enjoyed my 5 minute break...back to studying.

Until next time...love life and smile.....

Exploring Dominica!

Sorry I haven't been on here in a couple of days... I have been so busy being "Dora the Explorer" lol. This place is pretty awesome. So much to see. I am going to update yall on everything so this will be a kinda long entry...

The first day I got here I met some cool ppl, Rahul and Fernando. They are very nice and we have become good friends in this short period of time. We went and signed up for the island tours on Monday. Each day the school takes us to some of the big attractions of the island.

Tuesday:

We went on a red rock scenic tour. It was a pretty fun trip. Funny times also. So the school failed to mention that we might want to wear tennis shoes so most of the group came out in flip flops. We ended up having to slide down a really steep muddy hill in order to get to the place. It was funny bc some ppl fell/tumbled down the hill and had big mud stains on their clothes the whole day! I know it's probably mean to laugh but it was pretty funny. But it was definitely worth the mudslide. The view was amazing. I have a couple of picts below. One of the girls I talked to prior to coming here, Candice, finally made it to "the rock" so we went to the beach.

Wednesday:

I didn't do too much. I had to go to ITT orientation=waste of time. They had the worst video in the world explaining how to log in to myRoss/email/G drive...blah blah blah. The lady was talking very fast and it was hard to understand so needless to say I still don't know how to do any of those things. I'll figure it out though. Also I woke up to a horrible itchy rash all over my arms! Welcome to Dominica!lol I went to the nurse and they say it is prob just a heat rash but we shall see... It seems to be going away now. Later that evening Rahul, Fernando, and I went to Perky's Pizza. It was ok but no Papa Johns or anything lol.

Thursday:

We went on another tour to Cabrits/Fort Shirley. That was kinda cool. The bus ride was very long and I got a little car sick. I learned something interesting though. Lemon grass helps to relieve nausea/dizziness. The bus driver,"Curvin", gave me some and it worked. You just hold it up to your nose/mouth and inhale the lemon vapors and the sickness disappears. Gotta love natural medicine. When we were finished at Fort Shirley we went to a cool bar/grill called Azille Country Club. It's not the country club we are used to in the states. There was not golf...lol. They did have some cool music. They played a couple of MJ tracks and some old stuff. Trice they played old Sisqo songs too..remember how you were in love with him haha. I tried "rum punch" (yes I had a drink mama!) pretty good..lol. When I got back to the school I was pretty tired/tipsy so I took a nap. lol

Friday:

Today we went to Roseau (the capitol of Dominica). It was a nice trip. I bought a fan. I needed one very badly because the electricity here is very expensive. It's about 106EC a week! That's forty USD, which would be 160USD a month! I am not used to that. My bill was never over 50-60 a month back in New Orleans. It's very hot here so I had to do something. We didn't do too much there because we only had about 1 1/2 to look around. After Roseau we went to Screws spa. It was awesome they had abt five different sulphur pools there that ranged from really hot to cold. Very refreshing and relaxing.

As you can see I have been a busy bee these past days. I will try not to wait so long next time but time flies when you are having fun (I am trying to have as much as I can before class starts)

Well until next time, love life and smile....

Day 1

Soooo... I made it to Dominica! It was a long day of traveling but I am finally here. This place is beautiful! I love it already. I am in my apartment now which is nice also. My landlord is very kind. He took me to the grocery store and to get some food. It's raining right now....guess I should get used to this. The flights were not too bad. The only scary one was the one from San Juan to Dominica. Some of the turbulence made my stomach uneasy. OMG the ride from the airport was another fright. These people drive like they are playing chicken. They drive in the middle of the road and then when a car is coming they stay there and one car eventually swirves over to the side so that the other can pass. Also the roads are VERY twisted! I took some medicine for motion sickness so I was fine. I met some cool ppl already. I can't wait for the ppl I have been in contact with to get here also. I can't write to much abt the lay of the land because it was raining and almost dark when I arrived here. I plan on getting out tomorrow so I will keep you all posted.

Until next time, love life and smile.....

Official Countdown!!!!

Hi everyone!



Today is the start of my official countdown! In exactly 30 days I will be DOMINICA bound! Yayyy! I am very excited to be so close! Nothing else new today.

Until next time, love life and smile!

I Registered!

Hey guys! I had a great day today. We had very few customers at work and I got to register for my 1st semester classes today! Whohoo!

So here's the line up:

Dev/Microscopic Anatomy
Gross Anatomy I
Doctor, Patient, & Society I
Biochemistry & Genetics
Medical Physiology I

Sounds tough, huh? Well I am very excited, I 1/2 way feel like a med student...lol! Only 4 days before I start my official countdown! Excited!

Oh btw, I am very excited abt my apt on the "rock" too. I talked to the landlord again today to ask what comes in the apt, and he said it comes with everything. I have a tv even though I won't get to watch it much, and he said they have more cable channels than you can get in the U.S. lol....me thinks something illegal is afoot but hey works for me...lol


Well that's all. Until next time, love life and smile.

Simple Day

Not too much happened today. I did get my VISA app sent off finally.... So many copies! I feel relieved now that it is out. I am so excited about registering tomorrow!

Well no long post today. I'm going back to watching confessions of a shopaholic. Until next time, love life and smile!

Packing List

Here's the packing list so far. I will eventually divide the list into what I will take vs. ship.

School Supplies:

• Paper
  
• Pens
  
• Pencil sharpener
  
• Pencils
  
• DU stapler/staples
  
• Erasers(big ones)
  
• Hi-liters
  
• Paper
  
• Binders (4-5")
  
• Scissors
  
• Paperclips
  
• Post-it notes
  
• Dry erase board
  
• Cork board
  
• Dry erase markers
  
• Calculator (need batteries)
  
• Planner
  
• Journal
  
• Books
  
  

  -First Aid
  

  -Grant's Dissector

Health

• Pepto-Bismol
  
• Tylenol
  
• Allergy meds (lots)
  
• Eye drops
  
• Nose spray
  

Toiletries

• Pads/tampons
  
• Shampoo/conditioner
  
• Toothbrushes/toothpaste
  
• Body wash(Olay Ribbons)
  
• Razors
  
• Deodorant
  
• Tweezers
  
• Nail clippers
  
• Nail polish remover
  
• Cotton balls
  
• Q-tips
  
• Loofa
  
• Shower cap
  
• Chi-iron
  
• Blowdryer
  
• Hair Oil
  
• Moisturizer
  
• Aveeno Cream
  
• Face Mask Cream
  

Shoes

• Flip-flops
  
• Running shoes
  
• Business heels
  
• Wedges
  

Clothes

• Summer dresses
  
• Jeans
  
• T-shirts
  
• Tank-tops
  
• Gym clothes
  
• Sports bras
  
• Underwear/bras
  
• Skirts
  
• Shorts
  
• Lounge wear
  
• Business attire
  
• Scrubs
  
• Raincoat
  
• Socks/slippers
  
• Party shirts
  
• Swimsuits (2)
  
• Jackets/sweatshirts
  
• Stockings???
  

Personals

• Bible/study notebook
  
• Jewelry
  
• Studs
  
• Grandma's necklace
  
• Comb/brush
  
• Hair scarf
  
• Pony-tail holders
  
• Hair clamps
  
• Pictures/small decorations
  
• Make-up kit
  
• Glasses+case
  
• Sunglasses
  
• Purse
  

Carry-On

• Lap-top
  
• Backpack
  
• Extra clothes (sweats)
  
• Camera
  
• External hard drive
  
• Flash drive
  
• iPod
  
• iPod radio
  
• chargers(laptop, phone, camera)
  
• headphones
  
• money
  
• Ross documents
  
• Portfolio of impt documents
  
• Passport
  
• Driver's license
  

Misc.

• BP cuff/stethoscope
  
• Surge protector
  
• Good umbrella
  
• Towels(beach & reg)
  
• Bug Spray
  
• Mosquito net
  
• Sunscreen
  
• Pillow
  
• Sheet set (queen)
  
• Shower curtain/liner
  
• Laundry bag
  
• Robe
  
• Flashlight
  
• Hangers(SHIP)
  
• Desk lamp
  
• Candles
  
• blankets
  

Food

• flaming hot cheetos
  
• easy-mac
  
• sweet/salty bars
  
• raisin granola bars
  
• Doritos
  
• Tostitos
  
• Queso dip
  
• Ranch dip
  
• Sparkling green tea
  
• Red beans/rice mix
  
• Tony's
  
• Oreos
  
• Fruit snacks
  
• Cheese its
  
• Energy drinks(monster)
  

Oh How I LOVE Jesus!

Wow, church was awesome tonight. It really did inspire me and made me even more excited abt the future. My spirituality will def be my lifeline in med school! I feel like I have a second wind now to keep going higher! (Big shout out to The City of Love!) D.O.L.L.S. stand up!

Sooo. I had a big scare today! My loan amount was wrong. Apparently the lady who set it up for me put the wrong amount on the app. WTF! I was kinda freakin out at first but I got it taken care of. I would have been very upset had I found out when I got to school that I didn't have enough money for school! whew!(*wipes sweat from brow*) Glad that's over. I am happy that is taken care of. I will keep following up along the way to make sure though.

Well I have an extremely long list of tasks that I need to do THIS week. Friday is a big day! I get to register but also I have to get other things done too. I promise yall that the VISA app will go out this week! (*holds right hand up*)

Still working on typing my packing list but it will be up by the end of the week.

Well until next time, love life and smile!

Housing

Ahoy, me Hearties (loud pirate voice)!

So the housing battle is over...at least for now. If I get there and the place looks horrible me thinks I will have to reevaluate things!lol(pirate voice) Well I decided on eddie simon's. It seems very nice. (I included a few pics of it above) The landlord was nice. He is willing to work with me on the deposit and 1st mth's rent pymt which ia A+!

Um.. not too much new today besides that...

Side vent....I will be so happy the day I give me two weeks @ me sorry excuse of a job! I sell frickin swimming pools! haha.. If u saw me u'd laugh too! It's ok though all of the great docs had to start somewhere..right?

Shiver me timbers! I don't have to much longer and I can officially start my countdown. Sorry got very excited for a sec there.lol. Also, I officially register fri! Can you say booyah casha! lol.. I know.. I know...I am very silly... I'll remember to keep my humor along the way...

Until next time, love life and smile!

Time...How I love thee (*Sarcasm*)

So... as each day goes by I get even more anxious about the future. I am not rushing to leave the U.S. (I will def be sad to go...) but the mystery is just killing me. A great friend told me today that he was proud of me....*smiles* To know that I am making my friends and family proud just warms my heart...corny I know... but very true.

So here goes me status(pirate voice):

-Arggg...Still haven't sent off me VISA stuff...I dunno what my prob is...I need to get moving and mail the stuff in....
-I am still torn between this housing thing (leaning towards waiting even though they r saying I need to pre-book...I really don't see them putting me out on the streets...lol...*second guesses that thought*...me thinks I will think abt it a little longer (pirate voice)
-SYPE is up & running YAY! Tested it out with Lawrance! Hey hun! lol
-I did make a packing list, I still need to type it so I can post it on here.
-Tiffany(a current 4th semester ROssie) is going to get with me on shipping....btw Congrats on making it so far Tiff, and thanks for the info abt Ross u really made me feel comfortable abt my decision to attend.

Well, I decided to wait until July 21st to begin my official countdown. Tty soon.


FYI: *pirate voice* is a registered tradmark of Court, Inc. (lol j/k yall)

How I love new experiences

So I started this blog thing. I really think this will be a good thing while I am on "the rock." Just to get everyone up to speed. This entire blog is dedicated to tracking my journey as a caribbean med student. I will be attending Ross University located in Dominica (def not to be confused with Dom. Republic). I am nervous/excited about it all, but I know that it will be an awesome experience. Four years from now I will look back and say wow, I made it.

So here goes me status thus far(pirate voice..lol):

-Booked my flight to leave August 21st (very early but I want to get an early crack @ housing in case I decide not to pre-book....not sure how I feel abt not being able to see the place and it will just give me more time to explore the island)
-VISA app is finished I just need to make some copies and drop it in the mail.
-Passport is here..yay I was stressing abt it a little

I now am in the process of deciding what to bring(I will post once my list is finalized) and checking into shipping.

I only have two rules...
1)Uplifting/positive comments only. I will be under enough pressure no need to attack me with dumb posts.
2)Sense of humor is a must. Laughter IS the best medicine...take twenty million doses and see me in the morning (hey I think I just wrote my 1st prescription..lol).

Other than that, feel free to post any feedback/questions you may have.

Well wish me luck guys! Stay tuned.....