Although I’m delighted that all of my aspirations are knitting together beautifully, the resultant masterwork is a convoluted nightmare.
Let’s step back 2 weeks. I decided long ago to pursue a creative outlet by performing with one of OSU’s concert band ensembles (of which there are four). I auditioned for the highest band that would fit my schedule (two of them rehearse in the mornings during my lectures, the other two rehearse in the evenings). Although I gave the worst audition of my life, I still managed to secure the principal trumpet position (I don’t know what I’d do if someone else played all the solos. I’m greedy and conceited, OK? Get over it). So that was a good thing. A very good thing.
…Maybe.
I was also fretting about the second exam, which promised to be much more difficult than the first given the material. It turns out my score improved 5% compared to the first exam. If I only knew what the future held in store for me, I could save myself potential stress ulcers from the amount of needless worrying I do. No, so far I haven’t had any psychosomatic manifestations, but perhaps it’s only a matter of time.
I’ve also resolved my community project. I’ve decided to volunteer at Goodwill Columbus on Wednesdays. On the first Wednesday of the month, I will conduct seminars during which I’ll try to educate participants and employees about proper nutrition and other health and wellness topics. Every 2nd/4th Wednesday I will lead group fitness activities (yoga and Pilates), and I will give a little trumpet concert every 3rd Wednesday of the month.
I failed to mention previously that I enrolled in an elective course entitled “Surgical Clinical Correlates in Anatomy.” In essence, we spend a couple hours with different surgical specialists wherein we learn about their surgical specialty and observe them perform various surgical techniques on cadavers. Often, they will let us use some of the cool (and expensive as hell) tools. Some of the classes we’ve had so far include orthopedics, general surgery, abdominal/thoracic/pelvic, urologic, general surgery and head & neck.
These are just a few of the many awesome things I have going my way. The only problem is that my “free” time (“free” is in quotes because any time not spent in class is best spent studying) is rapidly dissolving. Amidst all these and other commitments (CAPS lectures, physical exam evaluations, learning community meetings, various informational seminars), the clean space on my calendar is going extinct. Soon I’ll be left with scant study hours and negligible social opportunity. Not to mention Andrew-time. Sometimes I just like to veg-out, watch TV and eat junk. I really, really miss that. I still eat junk, of course, but only when I’m studying.
I’m excited that my dad and Uncle Dave are visiting me this weekend. Hopefully it will provide me with an opportunity to step outside the confines of school and cast a refreshed perspective on my new life.
I better go. I’m really behind on my understanding of the neck’s neurovasculature, not to mention embryology. I will leave you with this lovely congenital disease. It’s called a congenital omphalocele. As a normal part of development, the intestines extrude into the umbilical cord for a period of time as they grow (this is called physiological herniation) before retreating back into the abdominal cavity. If the herniation persists, the baby will be born with its GI tract still inside the umbilical cord outside of the body. It’s non-life-threatening, but it sure is disturbing.
