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| Which one of these items does not belong? |
A typical day…
The alarm on my phone goes off its 5:30 in the morning. I roll over to smack the phone, fumbling for the off button to avoid waking my roommates. I roll back over, pulling the cover over my head in disbelief that it is already time to get up. I finally manage to pull myself out of bed at 5:45 to go make some coffee and breakfast. Around 6 o’clock I study for about 50 minutes, and then get in some exercise and yoga for about half an hour. Then it’s time to make some more coffee, an essential step before actually going to class, take a shower and get ready for school. By 8:00 I’m out the door and on my way to the first class of the day. The subject of the first class of the day varies but lasts until 10:00 and then we get the opportunity for a short coffee break. At 10:15 we’re back to class until 12:00 when we get an hour and fifteen minutes for lunch, which usually entails cafeteria food or a sack lunch. At 1:15 it’s back to two more classes till 5:00 pm. On the way back home I pass by the store to pick up some food for dinner and lunch tomorrow, not forgetting to pass by one of the many fruit and vegetable stands to pick up some fresh fruit. After arriving home I place my things in my room and go to the kitchen to start dinner. While making dinner I check and respond to email. Shortly after dinner, at around 7 o’clock, I make some more coffee, I start studying again till about 9:30 or so, or until I need a break and either go running or read the newspaper to attempt to keep up on current affairs. At about 10:30 it’s back to some more studying and or reading health related articles. I finally crash around 12:00-12:30, dreaming about the next busy day. A cycle that I will repeat many times in the coming year, surely only to contribute to my coffee addiction.
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| Wine tasting in Be'er Sheva |
Some highlights of the past week:
Wine Tasting in Beer Sheva (aka Wine Sheva)
Walking into the event with fancy cars at the entrance, a jazz band playing in the background and wine glasses clinking, I was walking into an atmosphere of Be’er Sheva I had not yet experienced or expected to find here. The event was similar to something you would likely find in Napa Valley. Students from each of the first three years of medical school were there, which provided a good opportunity to get to know each other, exchanging information and advice about school and life in Be’er Sheva. There were close to 30 different wineries all offering samples, along with cheeses and hot dogs. Things here are always so close to life back in the US, then there is something a little different to remind you that you’re not home, in this case hot dogs at a wine festival.
Histology Lab
We finally got to do an activity where I really felt like I was in medical school. The combination of the microscopes, the white coats and the histological jargon, it really hit me, I’m in medical school now. It was a fun lab; we got to look at different cell types in different tissues of the body. It really made the information we had been going over in lecture more concrete and applicable. It was also great that we had two TAs and the professor there to answer questions about the slides and help identify cell types, it was a great learning environment.
Finding the student store at the university
Don’t judge me, but you wouldn’t believe the size of white board I bought. It’s going to be great for going over biochemical pathways… Although I had seen the store from afar I had never actually set foot into it till last week, only to find pens, pencils and highlighters galore! It’s a one stop shop for all your studying needs and then some, for instance home decorations, underwear, socks and scented candles. Why would they need to sell underwear at the student store? Not really sure, but I know when I’m buying pens and pencils, and I’m trying to remember what else I need to buy, oh yeah underwear, and it’s right there, how convenient…
Favorite conversation of the week
“Hey, what are you doing?”
“I’m looking at the anus”
“Ooh, can I see it next?”
An ordinary day in medical school in the histology lab.
-blogger of the month, Chris Brown