4am - Talent Show

Sak Pase!

I should be studying considering that my final exams are in a week and few days but of course I'd rather write a blog post. 😬

The BMSA talent show was last Friday and of course I performed like I've done the past two semesters. As usual, I have it recorded and everything but I've been listening to the video over and over again to make a decision on wether or not I want to post it for y'all to see. I performed the song "4am" by Melanie Fiona and y'allllll I love LOVE the song, especially the end. If you listen to the instrumental without the vocals on youtube you'll see what I mean, the instrumentals at the end of the song just hits different.

Anyway, I rehearsed my song before the talent show with the school's audio system. However, I ended doing the actual performance with the instrumental being played from the DJ's speakers they hired for the night. Unfortunately, the sound wasn't that great from his speakers. I couldn't hear the music properly plus the bass didn't come out correct from the speakers. There was a point in the beginning of the perfomance where I legit wanted to stop the music and start over haha but I didn't want to look like a diva so I had to deal with it.

I meaaaannnn, I still sounded great 😌 lol but the whole time during the performance it felt like I was battling with the music. I had to slow down, then catch up, then slow down, then catch up with the music, especially towards the end, which was supposed to be my FAVORITE part. Anyway, I decided to post it on here since I've posted my last two performances from the last two semesters so I'd feel weird if I didn't do it this time, good or bad right? Either way, the video and some pics are at the end of the post, enjoy! If you want to hear the song from Ms. Melanie Fiona herself just youtube it. It's a great song!

So like I said in the beginning of the post, final exams are right around the corner and I'M OVER IT. Really, I want it over. I'm tired, I'm annoyed, I'm homesick, and I feel like this semester has been like the lonnngest semester yet. IT NEVER ENDS. I just want to be in Florida chilling out, maxing, relaxing all cool.

Back to studying, I hope to bring good news about finals!

TTYL!

Second Midterms...CHECK

Sak Pase!!

Y'allllllll. Let me tell y'all...my blood pressure is going through the roof on this island. The highs and the lows that I go through here, my heart is going through it man. Not to be dramatic but this semester is coming for me hard, especially this block. NO MERCY. 

So midterm exams 2A were on Monday and 2B were yesterday. I did WONDERFUL on my path exam on Monday but I literally BARELY passed Med Micro and Phys II. Phys, I wasn't too worried about because I put it on the back burner and didn't study for it as well as I should have. I had to focus all of my attention on Path. So Phys was put on the back burner but med micro....dawggg. I studied literally every day for that class and I ended up barely passing it. I got the same score I got on the Exams 1A and 1B from first block. Basically, I've gotten a 70 percent three times in this class. You can imagine my frustration. I put my all into a class and can't seem to do much better than the bare minimum. It made no sense to me. It would be a different story if I didn't study enough for the class but I studied my ass off and couldn't get past a 70%. Sooo Tuesday was a stressful day for yo girl. I had to study phys AND med micro in depth before my exams on Wednesday. 

So now it's Wednesday, I'm in the testing center praying and sweating bullets. I decide to take the Phys exam first, then med micro, then last minute I decide to retake Path. I did well the first time on Path but I didn't get the A I wanted, so why not? I have nothing to lose. So now I'm done with exams, I go home and try to sleep so I don't see when the emails for the scores are sent out. That's a fail. I drank a Monster energy drink before the exams so I basically can't sleep. So I watch a movie while I anxiously wait for the emails to arrive. It's 5:36pm when I receive the first email for the med micro exam. I say a prayer, unlock my phone, and put baes phone number in front of me ready to call to cry to him if it didn't go well. 

Y'allllll, I missed TWO QUESTIONS on med micro and ended up getting the highest score I've ever gotten so far in medical school. I not only scream at the top of my lungs, I stand up and proceed to jump on my bed while the song "Badder than Bad" by Fuse ODG is playing on Apple Music. (Wonderful Song, I inserted the music video for the song at the end of this post if you want to take a listen.) Next up, I get the email for Path. That one didn't go as well haha, I passed it but I did much better the first time so I wasn't phased. Then, I get the email for Phys. I went up significantly on that exam. Didn't make my A but sure was close. And now, I take a deep breath and thank God that I can finally breathe again. My blood pressure went back to normal, my nerves calmed, and my heart stopped fluttering. The migraine was still there but we'll blame that on the energy drink.

I'm dramatic I know, but the last two paragraphs are literally how my day went yesterday and I figured you would want to go through the actual experience with me lol. I'm taking it easy the rest of this week and it's back to the grind for the next 5 weeks or so. I need to ace these NBME finals next month to reach my goals for this semester. 

Tomorrow I'm volunteering at a preschool in town for a few hours. This is a personal project that I've decided to do on my own. Saturday, I'm also volunteering with the pediatric interest group that morning. We're going to volunteer with the kiddos! Y'all know I want to work with kids in the future so this is exciting for me. Oh also, I need to get my life back on track so I'll be doing some laundry and cleaning and Netflix-ing. 

Second midterms...✅ 

Next up, FINALS! 

TTYL! 

Celebration of Academic Excellence

Sak Pase!

A couple of friends from back home took some shots of the live recording of the Dean's list celebration from their laptops so I wanted to share. Let me enjoy this cuz I might not make it anymore haha #MedMicroIsABeast. Here ya go....

TTYL!

Either I'm an Egare or I Was Just Burnt Out

Sak Pase!!

Creole word of this post: "Egare" - Haitians use this word to call someone/oneself an "idiot" or "dumb."

Okay so it's been a while and I have no excuse, none whatsoever.

So far, third semester has honestly been a humbling experience for me. In my last post I explained a few things, including the classes I'm taking this semester, Dean's list, tutoring and Honoring courses. Last semester went great for me, so I got this wonderful idea you know...keep doing and being great. But this semester, third semester, is legit coming for my life. Kinda reminds me of my first semester struggles. As a reminder, I'm taking Pathology I, Medical Microbiology, Physiology II and ICM (intro to clinical medicine) III. During my first semester at AUC, ICM started around the middle of the semester. During my second semester, ICM started towards the end of the semester. This semester, ICM started right in the beginning. For this semester, we had physical exam checkoffs (heart exam, lung exam, abdomen exam, and peripheral vascular exam). We also had interview checkoffs and OSCEs. What the heck are OSCEs? I don't even know, let me google it....

"Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCEs) is a form of performance-based testing used to measure candidates’ clinical competence.  During an OSCE, candidates are observed and evaluated as they go through a series of stations in which they interview, examine and treat standardized patients (SP) who present with some type of medical problem." I got this from the "oscehome.com" website. Take a look if you're intrigued.

Basically, we had 4 timed stations. One station was vital signs, one was a physical exam station, one was a focused interview station and the last one was heart exam/murmurs. I get nervous about the smallest things and let's just say I was a nervous wreck. I came in the first station sweating bullets and stuttering while talking to the standardized patient. I was a little off on the Blood pressure reading. During the heart exam, I turned the stethoscope to the bell side but forgot to rotate the head until I heard it click. In the focused exam station, I almost ran out of time, smh. Mind you, the OSCEs were literally the day after midterms so either I'm an egare or I was just burnt out

The interview check-offs and physical exam check-offs were the week before exams. Interview check-offs went great but physical exam check-offs was a freak show. I mean YOUR GIRL MESSED UP BAD. What's my excuse? Well, i have trouble feeling the ribs on the human body and counting them to find the correct intercostal spaces to listen to the heart sounds. When I think I'm on the 2nd intercostal space, I'm on the 3rd. My preceptor was not happy with me whatsoever. You have to make under a certain amount of mistakes I think to pass the check-offs and boy I was close. I passed it but barely. I cried...in the bathroom...like legit tears...red eyes, nose dripping, hiccups, boohoo crying. I cried not because my preceptor went innnnnn on me but mostly because I did so badly. Reason #144 why I always say med school isn't for me. But if the next person can do it, why can't I? I always have to remind myself that it's okay to mess up sometimes. As long as I learn from my mistakes. Plus I need to woman up and stop it with the tears. I won't make it through rotations and residency if I'm that sensitive. Shoot, ask me how I made it this far.

Now let's talk about my first midterms. I'm not sure if it was because of ICM, but I felt like I barely had time to study.  I aced Path, did okay with Phys and BARELY passed Med Micro. FREAKING MED MICRO.... I mean, I studied my ass for that exam. Like I lived and breathed Med micro. I went to my professors office hours for an exam review and I was sooo angry. Most of the questions on there I was able to answer right away. So please tell me why I couldn't do the same during the exam? 😐

I need to get it together cuz this? This ain't it.

On a good note, the Celebration of Academic excellence is tomorrow and your girl will be in attendance because I made Dean's list last semester. I pray that my name can remain on the list for the next two semesters but the way med micro is coming for my life, we'll see! Wish me luck!

I should really re-read this post to check for mistakes but the laziness is real. So judge me not. Read and if you see a mistake, read my blog description at the top of this page haha.

TTYL!