YOOOO wanna hear something wild??

I'm turning 23 tomorrow!! TWENTY-THREE!!!

How crazy is that? I'm lowkey trippin' about it…23 just sounds like a huge jump in age/maturity from 22, in my opinion. Like from 18-21, I just felt like a college kid overall even though I was technically an adult. When I turned 22, it felt a little different but not really…I could say I was 22 and still feel like a big-ass college kid who slowly was maturing into an actual young adult pursuing a Doctoral degree. But when I say “I'm 23”, it suddenly feels like I'm automatically 10x older. It just sounds so…you know….old. But hey, the older I get the better I get, right?

Speaking of my upcoming birthday, I had quite an awesome weekend to celebrate it. As a matter of fact, I'm just now getting settled from it lol. A few of my good friends and I went down to Charlotte and had a great time in that area playing games at Dave & Busters (I ended up winning a Dave & Busters shot glass 😅), clubbing, and eating a very late/very early breakfast at a 24-hour diner a couple hours before sunrise. We then crashed hard at a clutch friend of a friend's spot. It was hella fun! I also went back home to handle some stuff and got to spend some quality time with my dad. That was real nice. In addition, earlier last week right after my Hematology/Oncology exam, I got convinced to go to the Summer Sixteen Drake/Future concert at the last minute with about 10-15 of my classmates and I must say, it was a spectacular concert. We all started the concert off in our regular $50, cheap 200-level seats that faced the side of the stage, but most of us ended up either on the floor or in the much closer 100-level seats by the time the concert ended. I myself ended up in a 100-level seat about halfway thru the concert that must've cost around $300….so it's definitely safe to say I got my money's worth, plus more! Hehehe.

The day before I took my Heme test, I attended a Family Medicine/Internal Medicine faculty & student mixer at a local restaurant (you know, keeping an open mind about my future and all…and free food). After mixing and mingling with the about 30 or so people there, we participated in a few activities that pertained to making sure that patients are able to comprehend what the doctor is saying as they're being discharged and the vital importance of communication in general between the doctor and the patient. It was a pretty good time and the faculty there were very nice. We even got to-go boxes for the leftover hors d'ouerves! When's the last time you were offered a to-go box from a mixer? Yeah, didn't think so.

As for my actual Heme test, it went well overall. I passed decent enough and more importantly, I feel like I was able to grasp a well-enough understanding of the subject in order to apply aspects of it in my later studies of other organ systems. Better yet, because I studied the material to comprehend it rather than to pass the test via straight memorization, I think that I'll be able to recall info from that block at a faster rate when it comes time to Step studying. The very next morning after the test, we started the Cardiology block. I've had three days of lecture from this block and so far, the volume of information has been unforgiving. I literally can't fall behind in this block. But it's also been highly interesting to me. I don't know why, but the heart really intrigues me in ways that some other parts of the body don't. Even back in Anatomy when we were first learning about the heart and its compartments, I was really struck with awe as I first held the incredible battery that allows each of us to live by endlessly pumping blood throughout our bodies throughout our lifetimes. The heart really is amazing. It's also very complex in how it works in concert with the body, thus making it a complicated organ to study…but I'm determined in completely understanding how it functions because the pathology of the cardiovascular system is directly linked to the HUGE health problems that many people of this country suffer with. When I encounter a patient (or anyone in general) with a condition like atherosclerosis or hypertension in the future, I want to be able to not only explain what is happening in their bodies but to also provide cost-effective ways in combating and managing their condition before it gets even worse.

One last thing…my class participated in a couple of Cardiology-based interactive workshops where we learned how to read cardiorespiratory monitors & pulse oximetry measurements as well as how to place leads on a patient in order to perform an ECG/EKG (Electrocardiogram). Needless to say, it was very interesting. I even got an EKG performed on me! Nothing like getting an EKG and getting it interpreted by a Cardiologist, all for free. (Let's not talk about my tuition payments.)

As always, I hope that you have a sensational week!

“Those who say they can and those who say they can't are both usually right.” – Confucius

– Black Man, M.D.

P.S. – The VMAs are coming on tonight and it reminded me of when I wrote my third-ever post on this blog as I was watching the VMAs last year…you know, the one where Kanye decided to run for president 😂. This also means that I've technically been blogging for over a year…wild.