Student Voices
Mid-semester Ponderances
Prakash Jayanthi, College of Medicine
May 01, 2011
3/7/11
We are halfway through the semester, and yet it only feels like I began Med2 yesterday. This semester has been moving extremely quickly for me, with the minutes flying into days, fleeting into weeks, sleeting past as months. This is substantially because of how busy Med2, but it is gratifying that Med2 is hard, but at least not slow - I do not think I would be able to bear the combination of those two things.
The saving grace of anyone in medical school is your favourite pastime,...
BEACH TIME!
Prakash Jayanthi, College of Medicine
May 01, 2011
2/27/11
One of the main attractions of Caribbean islands, arguably their main attraction, is the beaches. And of the Caribbean Islands, Antigua has arguably the best beaches. However, by some sort of impressive lack of fortune, I had managed to not visit a beach in the 5 months I had been here. Thus, I decided to rectify this situation as soon as possible. And yet, the opportunities seemed to slip past, often with a wave and a wink. One of my friends who was taking the Falcon...
A little personality goes a long way
Alberto Marcelin, College of Medicine
April 25, 2011
Several months ago, most fourth year medical students were busy figuring out which residency programs would fit them the best. Whether it was by reading forums, talking to mentors, family members or friends; they were somewhere getting information about different residency programs.
When it comes to finding a residency program, we all know that if you are from an International medical school, your score will matter the most. For US-MDs with low scores - well they have the name of...
Journey through AUA: Part 4 – Basic Sciences 3rd semester
Jasmine Riviere Marcelin, College of Medicine
April 25, 2011
Between 2nd and 3rd semester, again I took a block course – Behavioral sciences. This is a fairly benign course. The psychiatric disorders are the largest emphasis, but do not ignore ethics and biostatistics. They are actually some of the easiest questions on exams, but because people do not prepare for them, they appear difficult and time-consuming. I found that Kaplan behavioral science really explains ethics and biostatistics in a way that we can finally understand....
Medical Missions
Alberto Marcelin, College of Medicine
April 18, 2011
Although the USA has been my home for half my life, Haiti is still very much a part of me. When that earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010, despair hit me, but it also rekindled my passion for medicine. I knew that one day I would return and provide medical care, but I had no idea that it was in God’s plan for me to return much sooner than I anticipated.
During a summer elective, I joined a group called Volunteers in Medical Missions. They organize medical mission trips...
These Three Words
Chinwe Okeke, College of Medicine
April 17, 2011
Perhaps one of the hardest statements for a medical student to make is, “I don’t know.” Something about this phrase creates a sense of shame, insecurity, and inferiority in students who have typically been high-performing and high-achieving for a great deal of their lives. There is a real danger to telling a patient something that may or not be true. In the worst case scenario, giving false information to a patient could be fatal. But to conjure up an...
Journey through AUA: Part 3 – Basic Sciences 2nd semester
Jasmine Riviere Marcelin, College of Medicine
April 16, 2011
2nd semester was consistently deemed the hardest semester; largely due to biochemistry, which was arguably the mortal enemy of the majority of students. When I was in basic sciences, I opted to take Neurosciences in that block. For me, it was an excellent decision and I cautiously recommend it; it is not for the faint at heart - two weeks of intense 8-10hr days of lectures. You must be able to retain information because you still have to take the shelf exam. Regardless of when one...
Defensive Medicine
Alberto Marcelin, College of Medicine
April 10, 2011
I have had several experiences with physicians who preferred to take a “wait and see” approach to disease instead of prescribing medications. I have also witnessed physicians order every test available, even expensive and seemingly unnecessary tests. Both sets of physicians were practicing defensive medicine. I recently read an article which quoted a doctor saying that physicians who practice defensive medicine do so “to save your behind in the unlikely event of...
