what's up.

I spent last weekend in Austin with my family. My sister Shannon had a surprise 30th birthday party for her husband and it was awesome. Family, friends, and unlimited barbecue. I ate a beef rib that made me feel like a Flintstone.

 

Here's the wonderful decorations:

 

Shannon, Ben and Anna:

 

 

then I helped Anna climb a tree outside. Her mommy didn't see this... I'm not sure she would have approved (I was holding on really tight Shannon!)

Finally, Anna helped Shannon to clean out her purse.


I love going to Austin but I'm always tired afterward. This time was worse because I came right back to a call day (32 hour shift). I still like the VA though. All my patients sound like movie cowboys... probably because they're all from podunk TX towns and have been smoking three packs a day for forty years.

Here's a list of what I meant to do today when I finished with work (at 2 pm):
1. call grandma, wish her happy birthday
2. take nap
3. do laundry
4. call Brittany
5. get mail
6. work out
7. study
8. groceries
9. pay rent
10. catch up in bible study reading of Heresies and How to Avoid Them (about orthodoxy and heresy in the church. Brings up a lot of things that I never thought to think about before)

Here's what I actually got done:
1. take a nap
2. eat four macaroons bought on sale at Simon David last week because there aren't many Jews in the Park Cities and they had a whole bunch of kosher food on sale. (I also got some matzo bread. It makes a nice alternative to water crackers)
3. re-read Agatha Christie crime novel (I think I've read everything she wrote at least once. don't believe me? I started reading her books when I was in the seventh grade. I am now in the 19th grade, and I can read two a day if I don't have anything else going on. My favorites are The Big Four and What Happened in Baghdad?. I haven't been able to find any new ones that I haven't read in the past year or year and a half, so I think I've come pretty close to reading them all.)

Yeah so my day was less productive than planned. And I have a pimple on my earlobe, which I have no idea why and how you even get one there, but I'm pretty weirded out by it.

good night.

Have you ever wondered how Donna Mills, the star of the hit 1980s TV show Knott's Landing, got her signature wonderful look? well you're in luck, because in 1986 she put out a video series called "The Eyes Have It". I'm sharing with you.

Basic skin care with yogurt and cucumbers


Don't forget, you want to look natural... not BE natural.


Don't forget to feather your eyeliner!


Fabulous work makeup. lavish on the mascara.


For those special evenings when you really want to shine, turn heads... be that special woman! give yourself over to romance and glamor.


This may look like it will hurt, but it won't.


you're welcome.

stress... less? USMLE studying FINISHED!

I killed a beast today. Her name was USMLE step 1. I am officially on summer break! but before I get all carried away in breakiness, I wanted to share my study schedule so that everyone can be awed by my work ethic. yeah that's pretty much the only reason I would ever write this down--to self promote. but it may also help people looking for a plan in the future so there's another good reason for this post.
Books I used:
First Aid for the USMLE; cut off the binding, got it 3-hole punched and put it in a binder. During my first run through I took notes from other books and added them to my First Aid in order to create a comprehensive source for the later studying.
Rapid Review of Pathology, Rapid Review Gross and Developmental Anatomy, HY Embryology, Neuroscience, and Human Behavior, BRS Physiology, Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple, Lippincott's illustrated Review of Biochemistry. I bought Katzung and Trevor Pharmacology but didn't use it because it was too much info.
I used USMLE World as my question bank. I thought it was good preparation for the actual exam, although the real test had more questions that were very hard or very easy. The format was identical to that of the real exam. I did all questions timed and unused. After each section I first went over incorrect answers and read the explanations for the correct and incorrect answers carefully, inserting any notable info into my FA mash-up book. After going over the incorrect answers I went over the correct answers to make sure that I didn't get any right by lucky guesses.

May 11: reviewed pictures and margin notes from Goljan RR Path.
May 12: path NBME in the morning, packed my apartment up to move in the PM
May 13: Reviewed Pharm from First Aid.
May 14: pharm NBME in the morning, listened to Goljan audio lectures while moving in the PM. May 15: Moved all day while listening to Goljan, organized study materials.
May 16: Comprehensive NBME in the morning, Mommy came in for the weekend and I did not study again until Monday.
May 19: Biochem: Read FA and transferred corresponding info from Lippincott's Biochem
May 20: Finished Biochem Read-through and transfer from Lippincott's.
May 21: Anatomy; RR in the morning, BRS Physiology. 100 questions from Qbank.
May 22: Anatomy; RR, BRS Phys (+ transfer of info to First Aid), 100 questions.
May 23: Microbiology; First Aid; referenced tables from MMRS to complete missing info from FA.
May 24 and 25: planned to study but my sister came in town for the weekend so I didn't get much done.
May 26: Finished Micro, read First Aid Immunology (supplemented by course materials),
May 27: Cardiovascular and respiratory; RR Path, BRS Physiology, 50 questions.
May 28: Renal; FA, RR Path, BRS Physiology, 75 questions.
May 29: GI; FA, RR Path, BRS Physiology, 100 questions.
May 30: Heme/Onc; FA, RR Path (nearly killed me because there are like five chapters on blood in that book!) 110 questions.
May 31: Endocrine and Reproductive; FA, RR Path, BRS Phys.
June 1: pretended to try and learn pharmacology but really watched five Alfred Hitchcock movies.
June 2: Musculoskeletal; FA, RR Path, BRS Phys. questions in the PM.
June 3: Nervous System; FA, HY Neuroanatomy, BRS Phys. Question in PM. HY Embryology when I wanted a break.
June 4: Nervous System; FA, HY Neuroanatomy, RR Pathology. Questions in PM.
June 5: Practice NBME (#3) in the morning with mediocre results. Flew to DC for my cousin's wedding in the PM; read FA psych on the plane.
June 6 & 7: Nothing. Bridal showers, Rehearsal dinner, Wedding, Race for the cure, shopping, no studying atall.
June 8: Behavioral Science on the plane ride home, practice questions in the PM.
June 9: FA; BS, Biochem, Embryology. Questions in the PM.
June 10: FA; Micro and Immuno. Questions in the PM.
June 11: Practice exam on Uworld in the AM-score encouraging but not perfect. FA; Pathology, Pharm, Cardiology.
June 12: FA Endo, GI, Heme/Onc. Questions in PM.
June 13: FA Musculoskeletal, Neurology, Psychology. Questions in PM.
June 14: FA Renal, Reproductive, Respiratory. Questions in PM.
June 15: practice questions.
June 16-19: tons of practice questions. Finished UWorld. Wrote info from explanations into FA if it seemed important.
June 20-22: re-read weak information and memorized tables from FA. These days were shorter and I spent the evenings watching movies or reading books so that I wouldn't be burnt out for the test. Also, I ate a PB&J every day for lunch in order to build a food routine. it's my favorite food.
June 23: took the test. I ate a 100ish calorie snack between each block, plus a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch. I saved a Dr. Peppr for the break right before my last block as a special treat. I also brought a coozie that says "never sweat the petty things" on one side and "never pet the sweaty things" on the other. I chewed like nine pieces of gum.
I should get my score on July 16th I think. I will be posting re: my satisfaction but not with a number.
Throughout the process, I listened to Goljan audio files during my commute every day, and relaxed in the evening by running a few times a week, watching movies, reading silly books, and drinking one glass of wine or one beer with dinner every night. My daytime study breaks involved celebrity gossip websites and drudge report.
I could have taken it a few days earlier and been okay. I kind of wish I had. But now I'm free of this study monkey on my back, and maybe my hand can heal from this carpal tunnel syndrome (or something... my entire hand is spasming in neurological rebellion from studying so much) . Tonight my church friends had a wine and hors d' oeuvres party and it was lovely (I made caprese salads on a stick) and tomorrow I'm off to Austin to see my family one last time before I start Pediatrics on the 30th. I'm super excited and I'm still getting used to the idea of not having to panic when I'm not on task..l because I don't currently have a task to be on! it's great!

things I love and hate.

I'm not creative today but I am feeling contemplative in a very self-centered and simple kind of way. Ergo, here's a simple love/hate list from me. Because of course you were dying to know. Only shallow things are included because you already know I love God/My Family/the USA and hate cancer/terrorism.

Things I love:

• Half Price Books
• reading cookbooks for fun
• Alfred Hitchcock movies (newly discovered love)
• English Muffins
• Goljan audio files (yay passive learning)
• Mondays. I'm not even kidding, they're my favorite
• getting up before sunrise
• big trees
• salsa bars (not to dance, like they have at taco cabana where you can mix and match salsas for your taco)
  

Things I hate:

• being less than 0.5 points away from the next grade up in Clinical Medicine AND Microbiology this year (Micro was less than 0.1)
• Lactose intolerance
• the egrets (or whatever) on our campus that poo all over the place and make it smell awful outside for 5 solid months out of the year
  
• picky eaters
• the speed limit signs that start to blink at you when you go 31 mph in a 30.
• the continued coverage of gas prices in the news. We don't need interviews with some random person complaining about gas prices. That isn't news. I see like ten gas stations on my way to school every day. I know that the rise in prices is annoying--there is no need to assign a reporter to cover the "gas crisis" unless there is actually something new to say.
• when I go running and get really sweaty and then I take a shower but I'm still sweating after the shower even though I used cold water so it's almost like I never showered at all.
  

my spine!

I'm an idiot. Even though I hired movers, I was too lazy to pack some of my stuff well enough for them to move it (eg kitchen, bathroom) and so I stupidly inflamed something in my spine and am now paying the price. It doesn't help that I'm spending the majority of my day sitting and studying (even though I dorkily sit on an excercise ball at my desk like Dwight from The Office).
I loved rowing, and it opened up opportunities in my life that I would not have otherwise had... but I'm kind of bummed that 3+ years after I stopped, and more than 2 years after having surgery, I'm still dealing with this thing. Also, I'm being lazy and not doing my exercises like I'm supposed to because it's annoying and I don't want to be the person who has to do PT every day in order to not be in pain. The problem is that I am that person and I'm in semi-denial about it.
I guess the back issues did lead to some good: the research I did last summer on degenerative spondylolisthesis is being presented this weekend in San Antonio. I couldn't go to the conference because I'm studying and I just moved and I don't have an extra $350 to go, but the poster is there and someone might read it. I can't give everything away, but here's a sneak preview:

FASCINATING, no? I'll wait to give all the details until I'm published. If that ever happens. Which I really hope it does.
I kind of want an MRI of my spine right now, but I think they cost a ridiculous amount of money (which my college is no longer going to pay for), I'm not sure that they could do anything about the situation if there was something inflamed, and if I did have to get surgery it would be really awkward because then I would have to choose between the different Doctors that I worked with last summer, AND people that I may want to work with/for in the next few years would see me naked (in the OR). One of my biggest fears is to be seen naked by a doctor I've worked with or by fellow students. If I'm ever in a traumatic accident, I want to be taken to a private (non-teaching) hospital so that I don't have one of my classmates cutting off all my clothes and putting in a catheter. how embarrassing would that be?

I'm 24 years old... and I'm still not married.

My birthday was super duper fun. I was a little late to my own party, due to circumstances beyond my control (I took a long time getting ready and then forgot my tiara at home and had to go get it). We went to the Maple Point, which is pretty awesome. They loved us because I brought in ten times as much business as they probably have on an average Friday night. I love them because they gave us free soft pretzels, everyone got in to sing who wanted to, and the beverages are extremely reasonably priced. I think that heaven will look something like the Maple Point.

Never gonna give you up: you just got Rick Rolled!Me, singing Baby One More Time.
The lady who owns the Maple Point told me that I should try out for the Karaoke Talent competition. apparently she thinks I have what it takes to make it to State, or even National Karaoke contests. I told her not to tempt me.
Group song: Livin' on a prayer

Me with Erin. The awesome earrings are hers and she wouldn't give them to me as a birthday present. I don't blame her, because I wouldn't either.

I'm starting to realize why my minister decided NOT to put a link from her blog onto my blog:
Pitchers with Cluster . After the bar closed, Amit took Erin and I to Taco Cabana. While I was in the ladies' room (actually I was in the men's room because someone was in the ladies' room for like ten minutes and the men's was empty and reasonably clean) Erin decided to order 12 tortillas and "The Biggest Queso you have". In case you were wondering, Taco Cabana's largest queso is 16 oz. That's a lb of queso. In addition to the taco I actually wanted her to order for me. We made a valiant effort but we ran out of dippable things (ie; quesadilla, taco, or tortillas) far before we ran out of queso. What a waste. let's have a moment of silence.

i have the most recognizable face on earth*.

*That is if you went to elementary school with me. Over the past year or so, I have been recognized by three different people with whom I attended first grade (Las Colinas Elementary, Mrs. Miller's class 1990-91). I was not particularly close friends with any of them, and only one of them was in my actual first grade class. Two of the people were also named "Lauren". None of them recognized me in the same city where we went to school. Why is my 6 year old self so freakishly recognizable in my 23 year old self? Because I look almost exactly the same as I did when I was born. True, there have been slight changes (eg I no longer have bangs) but all in all I look exactly the same:
The next picture was taken when I was 4 or 5. I was a hipster before hipsters knew what it was to be hip. Now all the coolest people in Austin are wearing vintage t-shirts, high waisted jeans and suspenders with pageboy haircuts. All I need is some non-perscription oversized glasses and I'd be ready to start an indie rock band that did intensely-felt covers of pop songs (not because we couldn't come up with our own, but because we wanted to comment on the factory-production of pop stars and break down overproduced Britney songs to their core meaning, a stark and emotive crying-out for the overmanaged artists' needs: gimme gimme MORE, gimme MORE, gimme gimme MORE! More of what? you would begin to wonder... because that, my friends, is the real underlying question.This shot was taken at the age of 5: I know I look like I'm nearer to 10, but I know that this was taken in San Antonio so I was 5, tops. This is the only picture I have of myself with well-defined abs. I started swim team at age 4 because my sister Shannon was doing it and I wanted to tag along. That's why as a 5-year-old I had such great definition in my delts, biceps and abs. I think this picture may go in my gym locker to remind me that if I had a 6-pack once, I can get one again.
happy new year from lauren losefast.