First of all, allow me to wish you a Happy Super Bowl Sunday!

The game tonight should be an interesting one. New England may be excited for another chance at being the best team in the league (yet again), but Atlanta is rising the hell up for this shot at greatness! I don’t really have an emotional investment into either team, but my eyes are gonna be glued to this game because it’s shaping up to be a great matchup. I’ll also be watching it with my girlfriend (who is a die-hard Falcons fan) and other friends, so tonight is going to be a great time! Well, unless the Falcons get pummeled…but I don’t forsee that happening.

You may be asking “how is this man watching the Super Bowl with his girl?” Or you may have cared less. Regardless, I’ll tell you how. I made an executive decision to take the time to visit her here in Miami since I’ll be stuck studying for Step in a few short weeks. Also, I wanted to change my scenery up a bit and study on the beach under palm trees and whatnot as opposed to my apartment in Winston or in a classroom in the medical school. It’s been quite lovely, to say the least. Sure, I may not be getting as much work done as I usually do, but I’m also not struggling to catch up. As a matter of fact, being down here has been extremely refreshing. I’ve talked to many of my old friends here and it’s been awesome seeing what they’ve been doing with their lives so far. While talking with them, they’ve been sure to remind me how amazing it is that I’m not only close to finishing my second-year in med school, but that I’m also handling the rigor pretty well while managing a whole blog on the side. It’s funny because although I tell myself that I’m blessed to be where I’m at on a constant basis, it’s very easy to get caught up in the day-to-day life of school and to almost forget that the material that I’m studying is not only advanced but also life-changing (all puns intended). It’s also easy to forget that having a blog isn’t really typical for a med student, because updating it has literally become second-nature to me now. Like, I don’t even think twice when I update it weekly and do the Health Career Spotlight Features on a regular basis. Speaking of, I’ve been repeatedly told by my friends down here that they absolutely love those features and have been imploring me to keep them up! Just hearing people say that, especially in person, has revitalized my efforts and has also proven to me how important this initiative is to a vast number of people, pre-med or not. So with that said, expect to see many more features in the future! In the words of Puff Daddy/P.Diddy/Diddy/Diddy-Dirty Money/Sean Combs, “And we won’t stoppp…’cause we can’t stop…”

I don’t have much else to update you with…I’ve been down here since last Wednesday and have been balancing fun with work. I also took my MSK/Rheumatology exam this past Monday and passed it, although the test was more difficult than I anticipated. But alas, these subject exams have mattered less and less to me as Step has gotten closer and closer. We started the Endocrine/Reproductive block this past Tuesday and this final block of new material will go on until the beginning of March. Let me just tell you…you have no idea just how important and complicated your hormones are. The mechanisms are pretty insane…but I also find it so fascinating. I’m finding that I’m actually enjoying learning about the various hormones of the body and how they work in concert with one another. It’s going to be interesting learning about reproduction though…that hasn’t been one of my strongest areas in the past. But I believe that I’ll be able to master it once and for all this time!

That’s all I have for you today. Keep your head up and make this week an awesome one! Keep making those calls to your representatives and making your voice heard during this tumultuous time in this country! Don’t be afraid to make office visits too!

“Stop limiting yourself to what you THINK you know you can accomplish. You’ll surprise yourself with what you can handle.“

– Black Man, M.D.