Just Keep Swimming

As I come down to the last two weeks before my final path test I find myself alternating between burnout and mild panic (neither of which is particularly pleasant). Especially when my roommate skypes me to ask about the difference between squamous and transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder and the link with schistosomiasis and all I can do is stare blankly thinking "Did we learn that???". NOT a good sign. I clearly need to go back and review MGT. *sigh* It was only two lectures but the path department has long since proven they can fit an inordinate amount of material into a mere two hours.

I think I'm in better shape now than I was the last 2 week pre-test (which, now that I think about it, wasn't all that long ago). But it's hard to tell. I think that now I know how incredibly fifth order the test is going to be (damn you second path test!) I'm prematurely convinced I'm doomed. Hmm, perhaps that's a bit harsh, but that second test seriously whipped me.

For comparison, the first path test was like this:

What profession are you studying for? a) medicine b) nursing c) lawyer d) janitor

The second test was like this:

Long ass clinical vignette where they give you lots of non-specific symptoms and muddy the waters as much as possible with no diagnosis with the questions being something like "Now, what is the underlying genetic basis of the rare complication that only 1% of the patients present with in another disease that has a similar histological presentation to the one that that the above patient has (whatever the hell that might have been)?" And then if that wasn't cruel enough, it was following by a second linked question! So if you didn't get that one, which, let's face it, you didn't, there was no hope of getting the second one.

Ugh. I'm making myself queasy just thinking about it. Perhaps I exaggerated a bit, but not by much. That stupid test made almost visible waves of unhappiness in my term.

ANYWAYS. That is behind me, I barely scraped by and will be making a much better showing on the third test (I hope) now that I've been made painfully aware of the level of complexity required.

Sadly, I wrote this as a form of procrastinating. I was about to drag myself to Taylor to study (if I don't remove myself from my computer this evening will be a complete wash) and randomly decided to type a blog entry. I really hope this last few weeks moves by painlessly. Although if the past few weeks are any indication....they won't.

So, my fellow fourth termers, just remember the following and keep swimming!!!