Final Semester

The final semester has finally begun. And I definitely have a case of senioritis. I have been at my computer for the last hour with my notebook open, ready to study GI/Nutrition for ICARE...but I keep finding other things I could do (like write a BLOG). Oh well.

This semester is definitely as difficult as the others with ICARE, but the motivation level is way down. My time is spent on other school related things like preparing a dance for the talent show, or working on class websites, or KE pledging. This semester we have 9 pledges and they are amazing! I'm glad we have such a wonderful pledge class. I know they will keep KE going strong next year.

Ok sorry to keep this short but I really SHOULD be studying! I'll try to write again soon.

Winter Break! Finally!

Well - that was definitely the hardest semester yet in pharmacy school! The sheer volume of material is what makes it so hard. No more are the days where you can cram IBHS material into 1 weekend as a P1...if you don't start studying for an ID exam at least a week in advance, you can kiss that A good-bye. This winter break is welcomed by myself and my classmates with open arms in hopes that it will last forever! But - the plus is that we are in the homestretch! Only 1 more semester of classes and then we are on to rotations where some of us will stay in Winchester, but some we will have to say good-bye to as they travel to other cluster locations.

During this semester, we ranked our choices for clusters and received our assignments. I am lucky because I am guaranteed the Winchester cluster as I am married, my husband has a job here, and we own our townhouse here. Because of those things, it is silly to send me to a cluster 2 hours away. A lot of classmates put Winchester as a top choice because they won't have to move and find a new place, the faculty are great as preceptors, and the rotations provide a lot of challenge. After clusters are assigned, you have to rank each individual rotation preference within your cluster. Tonight at midnight is the deadline for those rankings...and I believe we find out what our rotations are for sure by Spring break next semester. So - I'll be looking forward to that!

Next semester I've heard is just as tough as this past semester. We have ICARE Musculoskeletal, ICARE GI/Nutrition, and ICARE Neuro/Psych. In addition to those tough classes, we have Pharmacy Law, sterile compounding lab, PK/PGx, Patient Assessment II, IPPE V, and a professional practice selective (mine is Institutional). So - we will see how that goes. I already feel like I am getting a bit of senioritis though as far as the end of classes go. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

As for break, I just finished working every day since finals except 1 for a total of 45 hours and I finally have the next 4 days off to enjoy. For the remainder of break, I'll probably work a little bit more...but I plan on cooking and baking some yummy food, visiting family, and LOVING that I don't have that nagging feeling that there is something that I should be studying!

Almost done with P2 Fall Semester

It was entertaining last night with a two and half hour Internet outage for most of Virginia. Comcast apparently had some issues with their server that handled DNS (Domain Name System) or the Internet address directory. It would have been nice if I knew about this and did not have to spend an hour resetting the modem and router a couple times.

The five-day Thanksgiving break was a well-needed opportunity for sleep and relaxation. This year, it was livelier than last year in Ashburn, since there were more students who were still in town to hold a potluck dinner. As usual, the day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday, and I decided to venture off to Walmart for a portable hard drive in order to backup my precious schoolwork. All I can say is that with two Walmarts within a few miles from each other, the odds of getting any of those limited and non-major items were better.

Finally, finals week will start next week, so it will be that time of the semester to start cramming for them. Like most of my classmates, we did not do much studying during the Thanksgiving break. I’m glad that we have Monday off during final’s week for extra studying this semester. As of now, I have 2 finals on both Tuesday and Thursday, and 1 final on both Wednesday and Friday. That’ll be it for now as I get back to studying and put the finishing touches on the Biostats project and presentation that is due on Friday.

Few events occuring

Things have been getting more busy lately with exams on a weekly basis, so I have been behind on updating the blog. Aside from schoolwork, I was involved with several events and extracurricular activities. Last week, we had several schools and companies participate in our yearly job fair. What a great way to end the week with free stuff and an opportunity to learn more about residencies, internships, and jobs. I met a familiar face among the crowd of recruiters. It was the pharmacist at Target I had worked with during the summer for the 70 hours of IPPE requirement.

The day after, Kappa Psi held its annual event called “Combest Bonfire.” It was intended for people to socialize and taste Dr. Combest’s famous apple cider. If by any chance you happen to miss out on this delicious cider, you have one more opportunity the week after during the Combest’s apple cider fundraiser hosted by AMCP. The bonfire was entertaining this year with a hike up a mountain, chili contest, some tasty food, and a scary movie.

Finally, I am grateful to my fellow classmates for showing up for the Habitat for Humanity event for NCPA. We had a great time helping the volunteers with the finishing touches on a home for a well deserving family. The organization created an environmentally friendly home by insulating and covering any holes in the structure. Despite it being cold outside, it was nice and cozy inside without a heater. Guess that’ll be it for now and I will resume working on the research project for my Biostats course.

Survival of the Fittest

So - P3 year is definitely proving to be the most difficult so far. We just got through our first round insane exam-taking with insane amounts of material and I barely survived. This is definitely where those who are on top of their game and have perfected their study technique will make it, and those who aren't, won't. We completed our first ICARE module (endo/repro) this past week and started the next one, which is heme/onc, today. Before endo repro, I never knew how complicated a girl's life can really be - birth control, pregnancy, labor, delivery, lactation, menopause...ugh, can't wait.

Aside from all of the tests, I have been quite busy with other things as well. I am a co-chair for operation immunization in APhA and we have been working on setting up some flu clinics. Also, the leadership fraternity, PLS, is accepting new members and we recently went through applications to select those who we may want to extend an invitation to. My fraternity, KE, is having an induction for some new members this Friday and also hosting a bowling event tomorrow night along with a dinner for survivors in two weeks. Class officers are meeting tomorrow to discuss events related to graduation. And we have a project for a class we are (supposed to be) working on in the mean time that I need to start focusing on. This project requires us to create our own pharmacy in every aspect and present it to the class along with to the teacher in the form of a paper.

And I gotta fit the hub and pup in there somewhere! Needless to say, fall break (this past mon and tues) was a welcome break and I can't wait for Thanksgiving break! Today we are having a meeting about rotations and ranking where we would like to be in terms of our clusters. I am going to put down Winchester because we own property here and it would be crazy financially for me to try to live somewhere else. I have heard this is a circumstance that guarantees you a spot. Should be interesting to see where everyone wants to go.

I will try to update more often from now on!

Second year of pharmacy school

It feels like it was only yesterday that I was a P1 studying in Ashburn. Time has flown by so quickly and I am now in my second year at Winchester already. The events at Ashburn will be a lasting memory that I will have, since this is my first experience living on the east coast. I’ll miss those days when it took about an hour to drive to Washington D.C. to enjoy the city’s nightlife or to get Korean food in Annandale. However, those places are still accessible with an extra hour on top of the usual commute time.

It has been several weeks into the school year and I finally feel like I have settled into Winchester. I’m currently living with a fellow classmate from Ashburn. It’s funny how several of my Ashburn classmates ended up living in close proximity with each other. A few of the guys, with the intention of residing in a large home, ended up living next to us in Stuart Hill Apartments. Some of the girls ended up living in a group at a condo complex. It’s wonderful that all my classmates live fairly close to the area so we can spend more time together. It isn’t like last year in Ashburn where half the class was commuting an hour away from areas such as Maryland or Winchester.

So far P2 year feels a bit laid back in terms of classes. We get out of class fairly early for most days and the latest class for some is until 3. Unfortunately, Wednesdays is a long day for me with an elective that does not end until 8:30 at night. So far the semester has been manageable for the transition back into the schooling mentality. The courses I’m taking this semester include pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, nonprescription medications, biostatistics, and pharmacotherapy outcomes. The courses are getting more rigorous but interesting as we hit the more in depth subjects. Besides schoolwork, I’ll be busy juggling involvement with activities for Kappa Psi and running the student NCPA chapter.

Stay tuned for further updates about being a P2 at BJD.

P3 Year Begins

Is it finally my last year of classes? I guess it feels more like, is it ALREADY my last year of classes? These last two years at pharmacy school have been a blur! I can't believe it has gone by so fast. But for this P3 year, it is just beginning. I am a little bit scared of my ICARE classes this year...I have head that Infectious Disease is the toughest class yet. It may be my last year, but also my hardest!

Even though the classes may be more difficult, I also feel more comfortable in the school than ever. I am super excited for all upcoming events for the organizations that I am a part of. It seems like there is at least one event every week that I have to look forward to. I know that with all the business going on, it will make this year FLY by. (I'm hoping!)

The first week of class has been a good one as far as school goes. It was great to see friends again that I lost touch with over the summer. It's also nice to work less! Not sure about that working world yet - I am glad to return to school! I have all of the normal P3 classes in addition to two electives. For my electives I am taking Intro to Mental Health and Spanish for Pharmacists - both of which seem very interesting and like they will be a fun learning experience (Si! Muy bien!). In terms of how the first week was outside of school...it has been a bit hectic. My pup, Lily, got spayed on Thursday and it has been a challenge keeping my hyper dog calm. She has also started exhibiting some weird phantom pregnancy symptoms that we hoped would go away - like nesting and hoarding her stuffed toys like they are her puppies. Yeah - needless to say it has been interesting. We hope she heals quickly and this passes fast because it has been taking a toll on my sleeping schedule!

Well, guess it's time to start studying...