Decompress and Refocus

The dreaded pathology exam is over. One A was earned out of 80 students, a handful of B's, a big handful of C's and quite a few D's. Sadly, I don't think the exam shows the student's true qualities. The professor has not offered any guidance to the class as to how to prepare or really what is expected from us. I think there is a lack of communication and leadership. And unfortunately, pathology is the bridge between the basic sciences and clinical sciences. The concepts are arduous to learn and the diseases are weirdly named and at times, only slightly different from one another.

I guess you just pick up and move on, take your lesson and hopefully not repeat. Dr. Shull, our physical diagnosis professor, made a comment today. He said that those who do not show up to class or lab that don't pass clinical competency exams are omitted from remedial review. In a nut shell he was speaking to me because I have been dogging classes every chance I get to get some needed rest. It struck a cord with me because I do take this stuff serious. It is a balance between the desire to learn and the need for a break from the constant influx of information. My grades are not slipping though, they are holding steady. I retain the information pretty well too. So, I don't know if the "rules" apply to me. If I weren't studying when I skip classes I think the rules apply, but the fact is I seem to do better if I am humming at my own pace.

Regardless, the biggest hurdle is over and now it's time to refocus and change gears to the next exams; principles of chiropractic, genetics and dermatology.

All for now