Post DCA Season, etc.

So DCA Finals was last weekend. I completed a season of drum corps, and I'm incredibly happy with how it turned out. Though it did take up every weekend of my summer, save for two that were busy anyway, I think the experience, the fun, and the memories were well worth it. I came in timid, not knowing what to expect, with the idea that this would be my only time to march, if I wanted to, that is. Sadly, that was my biggest motivating factor at the start, but as soon as I started to mesh with some of the people in the pit, and found myself becoming a better player, it was no question that I should continue. The Brigadiers came out in 7th place overall, which isn't bad at all, considering the chaotic journey that the corps set out on last December. I came out feeling like a pretty competent performer and musician, all the while having some good times with the pit, and rest of the corps. Finals also marked my first airplane flight since summer of 2002 ... yeah ... I'm glad Matt was with me, because otherwise, I might have freaked out even more than I did. Thanks, buddy. I think of myself as an inexperienced traveler, which is why I'm hoping to do a fair bit of traveling next summer, including an abroad program to Korea (fingers crossed!).

But now the season's over and it's time to concentrate on the real deal here at Stony Brook Med. Anatomy is a pretty sweet class - just a lot to remember. Biochem is ... well, Biochem. That's all I have to say about that for now. And I find that I am going to look forward to Thursdays each and every week. Thursdays are a day when we have our "Foundations of Medical Practice" class, and no science classes or lab. In these lectures and learning scenarios, we learn about how to deal with patients, show empathy, compassion, appropriate communication, etc. Today we learned about the important points to go through while taking a patient history, focusing on the Chief Complaint (CC), and the History of Present Illness (HPI). Pretty much - "What brings you to the doctor's office today?" So we had to take note of the symptoms, the onset, timing, severity, area of pain, etc., all while staying cool and not trying to lead the conversation. I felt at ease while doing this, which makes me happy in that I don't have to work hard to achieve a good level of communication with my patients. Instead of real patients, the school hires professional actors to come in and portray various patients with scripted symptoms. The Clinical Skills Center has simulated patient rooms that look just like the room you'd get your checkup in, and the actors are quite talented. My patient was in agonizing pain, grasping at her side the whole time - I felt like I needed to call someone to help her, but that was not the point of the scenario ... it was a pretty cool experience. I can't wait until next Thursday. And now, enough procrastinating. I'm off to study anatomy, and continue to write a resolution that could help overturn the lifetime deferral for homosexual men in regard to blood donation. Trying to learn medicine and change the world at the same time ... get it!