The Headache Diaries

2012-01-31T15:18:00.000-05:00

The Highlight Of Sint Maarten

Is this:

I was BLOWN AWAY by the experience!

2012-01-28T22:10:00.001-05:00

Hopin' For Somethin' Good

Despite my recent bad luck here in St. Maarten, I am hoping for a bit of good luck: I found someone who can take over my lease! I finally got a hold of my landlord who seems to be interested in the idea of letting this person move in under my deposit and pay rent right away. The woman currently lives at the dorms at AUC and hates it! And she really likes my apartment. So fingers crossed! I am hoping that my landlord will agree and next August, I can come back and sign out of the apartment and get my deposit back! I am hoping she agrees.

In other news, my stuff sold well. I still have someone to come look at the bike before I pack it up, so I hope he likes it and buys it! That would save me from lugging that to Simpson Bay. I do like the bike so if he doesn't want it, I will definitely ship it back. Other than that, I've sold a lot of stuff! I have a few more items to sell and that's it. I'm really surprised people snatched up my food. I had to take the shrimps off the market because I actually have nothing left to eat! Ha ha! For real! I had to take the Milo powder off too because I need some nutrition! Well, I do have zone bars, but I can ship those back or put it in my check baggage. The only thing not selling well is the dry beans, pigeon peas, and powdered milk. Well, I just may drink up all the powdered milk with the Milo because that is my only food now. I'm not sure what I am going to do with the pigeon peas. I just may ship them back because they don't always have pigeon peas in Arizona! We'll see. If I have the room in the box (which I think I will) I will ship them. With the shipping cost, it may come out to about $3 a can, but I guess that is okay because they are not easy to get. It may be worth it.

I also have some powdered potatoes but ehhhh, I don't care for them. I think I will just throw them out or give them away. I bought so many and I never ate them. Now I know not to buy powdered potatoes. Real potatoes with the skin are so much better for you. I've only been eating real potatoes at home that I never caught up to finishing off these powdered ones. Oh well. Shipping them will not be worth it! Ha!

Check out what I did after I sold my can opener and realized that I still needed to open cans!

Check out some birds I found in Philipsburg.

I think I'm going to go to Maho tomorrow after I show the bike. I want to go to that beach where the planes fly right over your head. If I'm in St. Maarten, I have to at least do that, right?

Other than that, I am SOOO ready to go home. I can't wait! After I go to the beach, I am going to pack everything up and get ready for Fedex on Monday (and hopefully some good news about my lease as well). I'm going to take a cab to the Fedex station and ship stuff off. Then I will come back and finish packing up my clothes and stuff. Looking around my room, I don't have much left to pack! Thank goodness. I definitely don't care for more work than necessary. I need as little stress as possible!

Okay, it's time for bed!

2012-01-27T19:05:00.002-05:00

Stupid "Bus" "Driver"

I made my way to Simpson Bay today to schedule a Fedex pickup. It turns out that Fedex doesn't do residential pickups here! What? Anyway, the CSA told me that I would be better off bringing it in because US Customs is a pain in the nut sack (no, she didn't say that I elaborated a bit). Too much paperwork to get wrong and held up in the cage I guess. Customs is like $400 a day for holding I think? Either way, I don't want my stuff to end up in the cage.

Well, I was happy I made it to Fedex, but now that I can't get a pick up Im going to have to get a taxi to bring all my stuff, or whatever is left of it, to the station. I hope I can get rid of most of it. I will have two checked bags, so I will pack those to the limit. I want to make sure that I get as much as I can on the plane to avoid customs and paperwork. Depending on what I have left over, it may be worth it to pay the $150 for the third checked bag. We'll see.

But that is not my sob story for today. My sob story started out okay. I got to Fedex, the drawbridge didn't go up in my face, I saw two iguanas and two crabs, (and we all know how much I love lizards and crustaceans) I ate some onion rings at Caribbean Burger King (pretty good I must say), and I magically wandered into what may be the most awesome "supermarket" around. I don't remember the name, something like 168 Market. Not a very exciting name, but it looked like hell on the outside, and you know how I am with entering store that look like hell on the outside, so I went in. WoW! I was pleasantly surprised! They had TONS of GOYA products! And they had PINK BEANS!!! WHAT??? YES!! I was like "Holy Bananas!" Their prices were SO MUCH CHEAPER THAN GOURMET MARCHE OR whoever. It is actually worth the trip there to buy your food if your into Goya and all that jazz. They had THREE ONIONS for $1.25! AND SOYMILK! And everything. It was literally packed to the brim and it was lovely. So hey, if you need to get some cheaper foods, go to that ugly looking 123 or 168 or 186 market right across the street from some rental car place. You will love it.

ANYWAY THAT WAS NOT THE SOB STORY. UGH! The sob story (and I literally cried) was that I was so tired and I just wanted to go "home." I waved down a bus that SAID MULLET BAY. However, he made his last stop MAHO! That shitface! I gave him his $2 and slammed his door. You know what else? I think he drove past me on the golf course! WHAAAAT!??? Oh if only you could see the thoughts in my head. But you can't so that is good because Id get into trouble. So I started to get so angry that I shed tears. I hate it when I do that! UGHHH! Anyway, Im glad that is over. Next time, I will just keep walking. Stupid "bus."

And after getting everyone in my family to blow up my landlord's phone cuz she is in NY and I DONT HAVE A FREAKIN PHONE, she emailed me finally! I am scared to hear what she has to say... fingers crossed!!

Okay, Im off to sell more stuff, yay!

2012-01-26T21:48:00.001-05:00

My Ass Hurts

And it's from sitting in this awful chair!

Anyway, I got my withdrawal papers signed today. It seems Im going to have to pay AUC 5Gs upfront. Sheesh! Whats the point of loans then? Oh well. I'll just pay the whole stupid thing off then. Apparently, because I haven't been in long enough, the school has to overpay the government, and thus I will have a bill with AUC. Okay whatever. I can't do anything about that.

Today I have been listing and selling my stuff to my classmates. I didn't know it would work out so well! I was thinking I wouldn't sell anything. Now I am convinced that I should open a general store here right next to the school. I would make a killing! Yeah, I should get the MBA and learn how to run my business. Then open my business. If I wind up coming back to Carib school, I will be right here! Pfft yeah right. Pipe dreams.

Now I am packing up some stuff. I am hoping that I can sell off all of my stuff by Monday. I leave on Tuesday morning. I also hope that the "bus" will be running that early. I will bring two checked bags. I also hope that I sell the bike. Someone said he was interested in it, but who knows if he will buy it. I hope he does, that would help me not have to schlep that bike to Simpson Bay. I've posted almost all of my stuff and almost everything has sold or is on hold for Saturday. I even sold my big pot! Wow. AND the rice cooker! Geez. This place really needs a general store.

I emailed my landlord about the lease. I don't think she is going to get back to me. I guess I will have to cut my losses. $1900!! Damn yo. Ugh I swear, I will never make this mistake again. Too expensive. You know what kind of clothes I could have bough for $2K? Pfft! I could have gotten that new coach bag I wanted AND had PLENTY to buy two new suits! Ugh Im going to faint with all the money I've lost. And you know me and losing money = NOT GOOD.

Well, I guess I better get going with this packing. I also have clothes to put in the dryer. I hope I don't wake people up, cuz that thing is noisy.

2012-01-25T16:27:00.000-05:00

Done. And Doner

Well folks, I don't know what to tell you. First, my block exams went TERRIBLY. Yes, I failed almost ALL of them. Not by much, but a fail is a fail is a fail. I have some options which is pretty much what this post is about.

First, I want to go home. I've actually wanted to go home the day I came here. If anyone is reading this blog and asks "should I go to Caribbean school?" read this: if you have someone you are attached to, and your whole day is always focused on them, i.e., you love them so very much, DO NOT COME TO CARIBBEAN SCHOOL WITHOUT THEM. I am warning you now. This has been the hardest THREE WEEKS(only three)of my life. Not because of school, but because I am here all alone in a strange place without the most important person in my life. Do NOT attempt to come here if this is similar to your situation. Why? Because you will start off poorly, as I am doing.

Now if I also have someone reading this and asks "They have invited me to start a semester early but that's in two weeks should I go?" The answer is NO FREAKIN' WAY. You will regret that too. I tried to get everything together in two weeks and that was a terrible idea. Awful. Stupid. Don't do it.

Apparently some people told me that I should keep my head up blah blah, and told me about all the people that cam here alone etc etc. Look, I don't know what your life situation is, but apparently they are not as attached to their spouse as I am. I've also been told that everyone here is really nice (Ive never heard of such a proportion of people being nice) and that I have to make friends and all will be better. Okay, yes friends are nice, but drinking buddies are not the same as spouse. I have no idea why people even get married if they do not see their spouse this way. What am I supposed to do? Make friends with dudes? Yeah right. I've been married almost three years now and I have a requirement of knowing what is going on with TJ. I can't do that because 1)I have no phone 2)the internet here is terrible and I can't always talk to TJ when I NEED to. Yeah, Ive been needy, but when I can't have my needs met, I cant go forward. I can keep my head up all I want to, but I won't do it for this price.

So I am withdrawing. I will just have to wait and see about American school. And then I will seriously consider DO school. There is two in Arizona within driving distance to my house. If I can't get in, I think I will do the MBA first, then I will see about AUC again. What I am thinking is that I can complete the MBA, TJ can retire and then we can go to Caribbean school together. Otherwise, no Carib school. It is just too ridiculous for me.

Today, I went to the Dean to withdraw and when I enetered, I said "Hi, I came from downstairs and I was sent up here to ask you about withdrawing." So he says, yes hi and shakes my hand, says his name and he goes "and you are?" and I say "Jane" and he tells me that I "have to introduce myself when I enter someone'd office as a Doctor. It improves the doctor client relationship." UHM IS THIS A DOCTOR'S OFFICE AND AM I A DOCTOR AND ARE YOU A PATIENT?? HELLO, DORK IT'S NOT. I gave him a "uhm okaaaay" face. As far as I am concerned, he should be introducing himself to me first, because I am the client. Slog. Anyway, I told him I am withdrawing and he gave me some paper I have to fill out. I also have to do an exit interview for financial aid, etc. Then he asks me how they failed. I told him that they shouldn't have all these activities during class week. The white coat thing should have been done before class starts. I also said not to make mandatory B.S. meetings during study hours. I gave him an example of the Kaplan course mandatory thing. Okay why is it mandatory? We dont use the Kaplan until fifth semester, AND I havent even gotten my email login yet! That was two weeks ago or so. So why did we have to go? Who cares? I didn't mention the mandatory meetings with your adviser, etc. What a freakin' waste of time! I assume they would say that I have to learn to manage my time. I would reply they would have to learn to stop wasting my time.

So this entry is for all of you out there apprehensive about Caribbean school. YES, It is a RISK. YES, you will be uncomfortable. BUT if you REALLY REALLY REALLY want to be a doctor AND have been rejected from ALL SCHOOLS INCLUDING DO SCHOOL, then take the risk. JUST DON'T RUSH! If they ask you to come early, DON'T. You will be rushed and you will not be happy. TAKE YOUR TIME. They will be there. They aren't going anywhere. Don't listen to others who say "well, you want to get a clinical blah blah blah." DON'T RUSH TO THE CARIBBEAN. And if you are like me, and apparently there are very few of my type, BRING YOUR SPOUSE. And if you are not used to living in a place that doesn't have many choices in school supplies, clothes, spices, etc., BRING ALL THE STUFF YOU CAN AFFORD. Shipping my stuff has prolonged my sanity here. I know I was lucky to get a discount, but IT WILL BE WORTH THE INVESTMENT. MAKE SURE YOU SHIP PAPER AND NOTEBOOKS AND PENS AND WHITE-OUT etc. They DO NOT have these things. Sometimes they do and mostly they don't. Unless you don't mind having ALL of your stuff being brands found in American 99c stores. Oh yeah, and the school is FREEZING. BRING A REAL SWEATER AND JEANS. Learned that the hard way.

Okay I am done with my update. I am STILL excited that I got an interview at Kansas. I have a good feeling about it! I am on the waitlist at Meharry still, so we will see how that turns out. Today I went to Philipsburg and bought some stuff. I got some souvenirs: a tank top, a license plate (probably stolen), a REALLY nice bikini (it was a little pricey, but it looks nice!), some cheap jewelry, a broken belt (which I can totally fix), and some other crap. I went to ACE and got some packing tape. They also sell the plastic film in case I need it for the bike box. I don't think I will though. I'm going to try to sell it. Maybe someone will want it? It has a flat though. If not, I will keep it. I'm also going to sell some other stuff so I can lighten my shipping load. If no one buys it, I will just keep it. I also have to eat up all of my food. I invited someone over, but I don't think she read it yet. We'll see.

So that's it for my adventure in the Antilles. Hopefully, the next time I am here will be because I am on Vacation.

P.S. Good luck too all you peeps waiting to hear back from American schools, and good luck to you peeps sticking it out in the Caribbean. I is out!

2012-01-21T08:44:00.001-05:00

IT'S A MIRACLE!!!

I GOT AN INTERVIEW AT KU-SOM!!!!!!!!! YEAHHHHHH!!!!!!

I read the email last night! I was talking to TJ and I was like "oh yeah let me check my email..." and I saw something from KU and I was like "oh great they rejected me" but when I opened it, it said I have been scheduled for an interview! I was like "WHAT?? IS THIS FOR REAL???" And I rejoiced with TJ. If I get accepted, I will pack all of my bags and fly out of here in a heartbeat. I will try to sell some stuff and then SEE YA!

The problem is that the interview is scheduled right before my next block exam. Well, I was able to find a flight that would take me there only missing the last lab day and the last day before the exam. If it is anything like this last day, it is just a review day. So if I keep up with my work, I will be good to go anyway. I will just have to keep up with lab and I will be okay. I am mostly worried about the lab. I don't want to miss anything, but this could be my big chance! I don't remember what the statistics are for out of state people getting accepted after an interview, but since they interview so few out of state people, my chance actually looks really good. After I finish MCB, Im going to head to the library. I think I saw an old MSAR for sale, I can just look at it and see what the percentage is. I think its about 25%, but it could be more since that is only the people that matriculated, I think.

Besides that awesome news, I am officially sick! I guess being in that freezing cold lab really brought on the weird feeling I was feeling. I am just glad I didn't get even more sick. I thought that I was going to develop pneumonia sitting in that lab. It seems like I have a cold. I am just sneezing and my nose is running. So I was also thinking that after MCB, and after the Library, I would ride my folding bike for the first time to Maho and pick up some kind of antihistamine. Its hard to focus when you are sniffing and blowing your nose every four minutes. But at least its now four minutes. Yesterday it was like every minute. I just have to make sure I go there and come back. I saw some nice shoe stores there so I don't want to get caught shopping, ha ha.

Well, I hope that I can concentrate on my schoolwork from now until March when KU gives out the decisions. Unless they do it sooner. Just think, in a little over a month, I may be on my way to an American medical school. Is it possible? Can miracles really happen? I guess we will see!

Now that the power went out again, it is time to study MCB!

2012-01-20T15:41:00.001-05:00

The So-Called Block Weekend

Well, it's finally here, "block weekend." On Monday, I have a round of tests in all of my classes. I hope I do okay! I am SOOOOOOOOO tired I don't know how much I ma going to get done today. I figure I can just make MCB notes? That's easy enough. Then I can go to bed early and wake up and work on anatomy and histology. I am just so tired I can't even think straight!

Im tired because 1)I was up working in the lab until 2am last night to get through the structres of the heart. The funny thing is that is does look like the sheep heart we dissected in my other anatomy class. I guess I can use those notes again, ha ha! Anyway, 2) that lab is so cold and I was so cold, I must have caught a cold or something being in there. I am not sure if I have a cold, if I have allergies, or if I am going to get pneumonia, but I was so cold in lab, I was shivering. I have to remember when I go to lab to wear more clothes. The thing is that the lab smells so much that I don't want to sully any of my real clothes. I will have to buy some dedicated long sleeve shirts for stinky lab. Otherwise, I will always have a sore throat, like I have been since I came here.

Since I am suffering from something, my nose has been running. I don't have tissues though. I am too tired to go buy some too. Oh well. Well, I hope it goes away by Monday so I wont be sniffling during my test.

Well, Im going to start on MCB. Then I may go to bed. Ugh!

2012-01-19T19:41:00.002-05:00

Rejected!

So after all that propaganda from the "Diversity Office" at Feinberg SOM, I am officially not extended an interview. Big surprise! Here is what they said:

Dear Jane Dee :

I am writing regarding the status of your application to the Feinberg School of Medicine. I regret to inform you that after a thorough review, our admissions committee has decided not to offer you an interview.

We are humbled and honored by the high quality of those applicants such as yourself whom we do not have the capacity to interview.

Thank you for applying and for your patience as the process went forward. Best wishes for a successful completion of your search.

Sincerely,

Warren Wallace, M.D.

Associate Dean for Admissions

Here is what I don't understand: Why do these people write some obvious bullcrap about how they are so happy I applied, that they are HUMBLED, and so freakin' HONORED that I applied? So do schools flat out reject people anymore or do they just say that they can't interview you because they just don't have room. Notice how they don't say that they totally would if they had the room. So I take this as a B.S. generic "nice rejection" letter. Well, at least I didn't have to pay the secondary fee. I was going to write to Sunny, the one who told me to apply, that she should stop telling "fringe" people like myself to apply to schools that have absolutely no intention of accepting you. Ever. But I can't because I am in St. Maarten and it would cost too much to send a letter for this nonsense. I knew from the beginning it was all lies, so what do I care? Exactly. However, I am annoyed that the secondary was so long and all for naught.

In other news, TJ is going to owe me FIVE THOUSAND SMACKAROOS when he wakes up tomorrow! Yup! The deadline for interviews at UA-PHX is tomorrow and I was not invited! Although I am annoyed, I am not surprised either. UA has gotta make that $$. Well, too bad for them. Or is it too bad for me? Hmm...

Well, back to anatomy. I am going to the lab in an hour or so to identify the stuff we need to know. Not fun at this hour but I have no choice. Then I have to finish read that stupid book they assigned us. Well, if we take a quiz tomorrow about the book, we get a free 1% on our anatomy grade. 1% can mean the difference between life and death, so, I better read that book. And take the quiz. Okay see you later!

2012-01-19T17:20:00.002-05:00

Working Like Mad!

Dang yo! This school crammed in so much stuff in two weeks, I don't know what to say except that I hope I pass the first block exams! I stay up late trying to catch up and thankfully I've been gaining ground. I'm one lecture behind in MCB, and I am almost there with anatomy. I am still lagging in histology, but I think I can do that this weekend as well. I need to do well on that exam because each one is worth 25% I think. So I have to do well in this order: Histology, MCB, Anatomy.

Lou left today and I got teary eyed because I was going to be all alone again. I've stopped crying but I still get a few tears here and there. I guess its really hard to be all alone. I don't even have my cat!

I felt bad that I couldn't spend more time with Lou, but I had to study every night that she was here. I was studying until 2am. We did take the "bus" to Ace hardware - and it was closing but I was able to get my bike lock. Then we wandered around, I don't know what town we were in, but we went to Grand Marche and Cost-U-Less and still no pots or hangers. Well, I guess I gave up, and we started to walk back to a bus stop. Next to a bus stop was a Mega Maxx or something and they were closing but they let us in and I bought 90 hangers, a 24 quart pot, a toilet brush, and some hand sanitizer. I will keep that store in mind because they had a lot of stuff. Well, I did get a dish rack and salami at CUL. I've been chowing on the salami since. Then when we got home, we went out to eat. We were going to go to Le Gondola, but their oven blew up so they were closed. We wound up eating at some other place near the casino. It was okay. I had a roasted goat cheese salad and Lou had escargot and wine. I tried a snail and it was okay. I wouldn't want to eat it again, but it was better than mussels and clams. Then we came back to the apartment and I studied until 2am. Then I went to class today and during my break for lab, I saw her off at the bus stop. Then I walked back to lab crying.

So that was her visit. I won't have anyone visit after this. I also forgot to give her my check to send to TJ. Oh well, I guess I have to Fedex it. I would mail it but I am not sure how well that will work.

Tonight I have to organize my anatomy notes, and get ready to go to lab to find all the stuff in the thorax. This is the last night we can go into the lab so I will be there. Probably around midnight but I will go. I guess I can work on that for a few hours then work on MCB? Maybe.

I've also been worried about passing my classes. I know I always worry about that but this would be an expensive fail. Well, I will definitely finish at least one semester and see how I do. If I screw up, well, then I will withdraw and go back to trucking! Or perhaps open a general store right next to AUC. I bet I would make a LOT of money. I am working hard to catch up, and I think if I do bad on these first tests, I can still make it. At least by then, I will be more than caught up and will be okay I think. So, just to have good grades, I want to do well, but really, I would be happy with passing.

Well, I guess it's time to hit the books. And no, not punch them out! HA!

2012-01-16T06:29:00.001-05:00

Rough Week Ahead

This week is going to be crazy. I spent all weekend just trying to catch up and I am still behind. Our first round of "block exams" are this coming Monday. I have two lectures to catch up in MCB and a bunch of stuff for anatomy and histology. As you can see, their bright idea of making us do all these mandatory meetings day after day has taken a toll on my studies. To top it off, Lou is visiting me! Sh actually lands today. Im not saying I don't want her here, I feel bad that I won't be able to hang out much if at all. I did plan to rent a car to buy a few things but now I am not so sure. I really need a big pot and hangers.

At least today I have NO MCB lecture, and NO wet lab. I am very happy about that because I really need to use that time to study something. Probably anatomy. After dry lab, I will meet up with Lou. It will be 4 in the afternoon so I am not sure what she will be able to do, I guess she could go to the beach? I don't know. Maybe she will just watch me study.

I figure we can rent a car on Wednesday. She leaves Thursday early afternoon. I have a feeling she will see more of the island before I will! I just dont have time now. I wish she could have came after the exams, but I guess she doesn't have the week off. Oh well.

Well, I better get back to MCB. I have to use this free period wisely.

2012-01-15T12:31:00.002-05:00

Feeling Stupid

I am not feeling awesome. I miss TJ. I have been crying everyday since I left. At least twice a day. I think I have been crying more frequently as of lately.

But enough of that. Today I took the "mock practical" and I didn't really get much out of it. It wasn't multiple choice and it had questions on things we didn't even get into. So it helped to know how little time I will have answering questions, but it didn't really help me learn anything useful.

I was studying anatomy all day yesterday. I am almost finished with the stuff we need to know about the back. Maybe a couple of more hours? I hope so. I have to get started on MCB. I have so many things to memorize for that test too. Amino acid structure, the nicknames of said acids, etc. Then I haven't even looked at the review questions for both MCB and histology. I am hoping I will be caught up by the middle of the week so that I can use the weekend to actually study.

I have no idea how I am going to do. I feel like I am not as "hard-core" as I used to be. I guess it's because I just want to pass and not really concerned so much with getting A's in everything. I would like to, but I may have to let these first tests slide because I am 1)Behind because of all the stupid functions we had to do after classes and 2)I don't know how the tests are. I will be able to study better after the first exam. For now, I am more of a "just do what you can" attitude. I hope this doesn't make things go horribly wrong.

Other than that, I still miss home. Ive only been here two weeks and it feels like two months. I was thinking that maybe if Meharry took me, I would go. It would take longer to finish and cost me a lot more, but I think it's still an option. Well, it's only an option if they accept me. I have no idea if they will so, I guess I can't say much about that anyway.

So I guess Im off to study stuff. I hope I can get to do MCB stuff today! Actually, I will do MCB stuff, I hope I finish the anatomy so I can continue on with other things. Yeah, more like that.

2012-01-14T23:20:00.001-05:00

Almost Done

Must.. press...on...

Not yet, but goodnight in advance!

2012-01-14T00:31:00.000-05:00

Can I Has Internet?

So I had my white coat ceremony today. It was kinda dumb to have it when we already used it. I think it would have been better if we had it BEFORE we began class. Oh well. Here is the link if you want to see it. The sound is lousy, so don't turn it up all the way! It was also streaming online and I was surprised that so many people I knew watched it.

Anyway, I was coaxed into attending the reception afterwards. It was okay. It was at a club called Bliss. This place has a pool and a couple of people decided to jump in. One was down to his boxers. Hm. Okay well I didn't do any of that. I did leave early with the people I came with. The food was okay. I wouldn't say it was amazing. The fish was actually better than the chicken.

So that should do it for stuff that is keeping me from studying. I am hoping to catch up tomorrow (pfft ha!) and Sunday, but I have that mock exam on Sunday and maybe a potluck. So I am not sure how much I am going to get done, especially since it is almost 2am here. I guess I will just get up at 7 instead of 6. I have plenty of food, so I will hold off on going shopping, even though I could really use some fruits. Well, maybe I will go and buy some fruit? Eh, maybe not. I better just stick to the plan. I would like to try out my bike though. See if it unfolds while I ride it and break my legs. Ha!

Its also been kinda hard being separated from TJ for so long. This is the longest we have been separated. The longest before this was what, FOUR DAYS? So as you can see, we are joined at the hip. This will the hardest thing about being here. I guess I will just have to find a way to focus on studying and not thinking about TJ and Meux Meux. Sigh.

Well, I better get to bed. I have a full day of studying tomorrow and I hope it's helpful. I posted some pics of my Used White Coat Ceremony below:

Here I am getting my coat...

Here is more proof that I am awesome...

2012-01-13T13:03:00.000-05:00

Holy Cow, I Have Internet!

For the brief time I am connected to the world, I will post the link to my "White Coat Ceremony" here.

Other than that I am studying right now because I am trying to catch up with all this work that I hadn't done. It has been a busy two weeks, and it definitely doesn't help that there were so many mandatory meetings interfering with my studies. So now that to day is the last day of interruptions, I can try to catch up in my work. I have A LOT to cover. So I will be working like crazy this weekend.

The other thing is that I don't have internet. I was SUPPOSED to have internet, but it goes out and right now it seems to be working. I want to try and get a USB internet thing, but some people have had trouble with it, and other haven't. We'll see. Either way, I have to get internet setup in my apartment. I was going to complain about it but the building allows pets so, maybe not. Once I get internet, I can study normally and blog more frequently.

Okay! Back to work. My ceremony is in 3.5 hours. 1730 Atlantic (GMT-4). So you NYers can start watching at 4:30 pm and you Zonies can watch at 2:30pm

2012-01-10T06:45:00.002-05:00

Quickly

I only have a few minutes...

This weekend was sloooow. Mostly trying to figure out what the hell is going on in anatomy. I get it now. We are just doing regions. Why, I don't know. The problem is that I have the tendency to want to know why and so I start reading too many things. Big time waster. Well, at least I know what to do now. Anyway, Sunday I spent all day reading and making some notes for MCB. Not too bad. I do have to study some of that because 1)I don't know it and 2)it looks like that stuff is on Step 1.

Yesterday was long too. Three straight lectures in a row is crazy, especially when you don't have any coffee. I am waiting for my coffee maker to arrive. All my Fedex stuff came yesterday, so during my break I am going to lug all that stuff back to my apartment. THAT should be an adventure. Then after the break I have anatomy lab. We didn't get to cut yesterday, we just did the vertebral column. My group is okay except for one guy I am grossed out by. Reminds me of a sleazy used car salesman. I would not go to him if he was a doctor. Ew.

Other than that, everything seems okay. There is a lot of work to be done and I have my first "block" of tests in a couple of weeks. So once I finally get all my stuff settled in, I should be able to study well enough. I am glad that I took some biochemistry and anatomy and all that before. If I hadn't, I'd be really scared. I wouldn't know what to do because everything would be so foreign. But I guess a lot of people don't take these classes. Well, kudos to them if they can pull it off.

Well, I better get ready for class. I don't have much time.

2012-01-08T20:54:00.001-05:00

I HATE YOU CARIBBEAN INTERNET!

YEAH!

2012-01-08T07:43:00.003-05:00

ROARGGHHH!!

Oh my gosh, I spent ALL FREAKIN DAY YESTERDAY trying to figure out what the !@#$ my anatomy teacher was talking about. AND IM STILL NOT DONE! I finally realized that we are not doing anything orderly other than "we are doing this part of the body and must know everything about this part before we even know what anything is." I just don't get why they are teaching it like this. Anatomy is an awesome subject, but well, they managed to turn it into something crazy. Oh well. I will get it, I just needed time to figure out what they are doing.

Other than that, I have to go through like, 80 pages in my MCB book today. Well, I HOPE I can go through 80pages today. AND do some histology. HAHAHAHAAA! Yeah right. What makes matters worse is that I barely have any internet at night and last night, I was completely cut off from my conversation with TJ. Sigh. I hope my landlord stays true to her word and fixes that ethernet cable. Then I will have no problems. Fingers crossed.

So far it hasn't been too bad here. I have plenty of food and I get hot water and I havent had any electrical problems. My only complaint is the sketchy internet. I also wish there was some kind of Walgreens or CVS type pharmacy nearby where we can buy pens and pencils, notebooks, snacks, and soap and stuff like that. When I finally get my shipment, I will check out Maho which is the closest town with stuff. When I passed it on my way in, it didn't seem to have much, but we'll see. Then of course there is Philipsburg, but I definitely need a car to get there. I think.

The school isn't too bad either. It is tiny, but that's okay for me. I think it's pretty neat that this school exists. Look at me me now, UA! Anyway, they haven't gotten back to me about any interviews yet. Supposedly the last interviews will be on January 20th. Well, we'll see. I am more than certain I will not be invited.

Overall, I like it here. Honestly, I don't have any "culture shock" whatever that is. I actually feel like I am living in a run down part of Brooklyn, and go to something like Kingsborough Medical School. I would say CCNY Medical School, but AUC isn't run down like City College, ha! So it looks like a KCC Med school, but it's more international, so the students may be more like CCNY. So far so good, and I am happy I chose AUC. I especially like that I can walk to class in like, five minutes. I also like having internet in my apartment so I don't have to sit in a library all day. I can be in my own home, eat lunch, go to the bathroom, etc., without having to be with other people making me nervous because they are nervous. So I am happy in my situation!

So today's agenda looks like: check out that Christian Club today, email the women's club, read and make notes for MCBI and read and make notes for histology. I just have to finish my coffee...

2012-01-07T13:33:00.003-05:00

Break Time

I have been working on anatomy for a while because I am trying to figure out what we are doing. I thought this school did a systems approach? I guess not because we are learning the bones, ligaments, and muscles of the neck and back without learning about bones, ligaments, and muscles first. Well, okay. I am still glad I brought my book. I DID have to use the Netters after all. There are some ligaments that we went over that are not in my old book. (That must mean they are not that important! Ha!) Anyway, because the professor is all over the place, this is taking longer than I wanted to because I have to look everything up now. It's okay, I will organize it soon and I will stay on top of this guy. I don't want anatomy to consume all of my time simply because I have to look everything up in ten different places. Maybe I will bring my anatomy book to class so I can flag certain pages he is discussing? We'll see. I have to get my shipment first because my rolling bookbag is in there. And I am not about to carry a million books to class.

So I ate eggs for breakfast and then I was still hungry so I had fruit and I was still hungry so I fried up some tofu. It came out good! Thankfully, I brought my little frying pan. I am still waiting for my larger one. When I get the car, I will go and buy a large pot to boil water for drinking. And maybe making pasta. I also can't wait to get my coffee maker and rice cooker. Then I don't have to waste all of my propane on boiling water for coffee and rice. I can save the gas if the electricity goes out.

Anyway, my apartment is nice and I can study well here. I get a lot of light and it's pretty quiet too. Plus I get internet, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a fridge right next to me. It sure beats going to the library all the time!

Well, I better get back to work. I really have to finish this so I can start MCB. That one will be very time consuming!

2012-01-07T08:06:00.000-05:00

Getting It Together

I woke up today feeling better about my study situation. I can't say the same about my washing machine situation. This is what the controls look like:

So I figured out that the coil function means spin. And I pressed the "No spin" button, thinking it meant "No heat." Okay well, I thought it didn't mean no heat, but since I didn't see a flame button, maybe they signify heat with an electric coil? Not. Okay so now I know that the coil means, "spin" and the other button is permanent press, I assume. Then on the dials, "rapide" is the only reasonably (and I use that loosely) timed cycle. I tried out the "gentle" cycle and that took forever too. So this morning I just put it on "e" assuming it means "energy saver" and that took forever too. However, since I pressed the no coil button, my clothes were sopping wet. And kinda soapy. So I rewashed it on "rapide" and it was still soggy. That is when I figured out the coil meant spin, because there was no spinning action! So luckily, there is just a coil function and lo and behold, it finally spun my clothes. So now they are spinning in the dryer that also takes five hours to dry. Can't really complain much since I don't pay for the dryer. I do realize that I have to do my laundry early in the morning because everyone hogs the dryer at night. Well, okay I get up at 0600 anyway. Might as well have something to do.

Yesternight I went to the AUC Student Mixer. I was supposed to go with a classmate, but I was so hungry I had to go alone. I just went and got my food and came back. I saw her on the way back walking up the street, so I felt kind of bad, but I was so hungry, I couldn't wait any longer. I was under the impression that it was for new students but I didn't see any new students there, just older students. Hmm. Well, I didn't stay. I ran out with my food, gobbled it up (halfway on the way home), and chatted with TJ, then went to bed. I was exhausted.

So today is going to be study and more study. There is some kind of beach BBQ today, but I'd rather study. Yesterday's food was okay, but not enough protein. I think I will stick to my food from now on. I now have enough eggs to last me about 12 meals. I should have bought more fruit, but I will get it later this week when I get the car. I am excited to get my stuff too! My stuff is in Puerto Rico, and when I checked it had a delivery exception on it and I HOPE that doesn't mean they are trying to deliver it in PR! It says Cupecoy on it, soooo.... Well, we will see come Monday. My stuff might be here Tuesday because I think it will fly out late on Monday. I hope so! I will be excited when it comes! I also hope nothing is broken and I also hope that customs doesn't give me a hard time! I guess we will see.

Okay so I'm going to get started on anatomy since that is easy. When I am done with that, I will have all day to do MCB. Then I hope it doesn't spill over into tomorrow because I want to start on histology. We will see of course!

So let's see how it goes!

2012-01-06T19:52:00.001-05:00

Huh? Again.

Okay so I just opened my Netter's Atlas of Anatomy and it is just that: an atlas!

I am sooooo glad I brought my old A&P book because without that, I really wouldn't understand what the hell is going on! Now at least I have something to read and explain what is going on when I look back at my notes! I think I should get rid of this netters book. It is kind of useless. I mean, it goes into more detail of structures and stuff than my A&P book but my A&P book does a pretty good job anyway. Plus we have online notes. Hm. Maybe I should sell this book back? Well, maybe it will be really awesome come lab time and then you can identify every single thing you see. Yeah okay. Maybe it's good for something.

But seriously, I can hardly understand the professor. Good thing I am recording the lectures so I can go back and listen! It looks like I have a very long weekend ahead of me. Lots of studying. And from my old book! HA! See? Kingsborough is awesome.

Im going to go to bed soon. I am so tired! I will wake up at 0500 or 0600 anyway

2012-01-06T15:02:00.000-05:00

Huh?

So today was another double dose of MCB and Anatomy. I must say, anatomy makes no sense. Maybe it's because I don't understand the professor all the time because he has an accent, or if it's because we are starting at the spine and back and are not really doing it systematically. I am not sure if we are just jumping around to what "we need to know" or if there is some other thing Im missing. In any case, I have A LOT of studying to do this weekend because of MCB, and I guess anatomy. When I took anatomy, we kind of just went through every bone and muscle systematically. I think they are trying to get more "clinical" stuff in as we go along. So when I study this weekend, I will have to figure out WHAT to study because we obviously aren't going over everything.

In any case, I'm glad week one is over! My Fedex stuff is in Puerto Rico now, although it says there is a delivery exception on it. I hope not! I wrote the address in Netherlands Antilles. They better not screw this up! Ugh. Anyway, today is the student "mixer" and I am very tired so I am not sure if I am going to go. A classmate of mine will email me if she is going and then I'll go. Otherwise, I am content with eating here and figuring out what to study.

So far, I have eight mosquito bites. Not too bad! I figured I'd be eaten alive, but I guess I am not as tasty to the ones here. When they bite me, I don't even get a big bump. The ones back in the US make me itch so bad! These ones don't do much, so I guess that's good. The ones here are the aedes aegypti that spread dengue fever and yellow fever. Apparently, someone at AUC got dengue a few semesters ago, but they came back and are finishing up. Well, if it doesn't kill me then I don't care.

Well, Im tired, Im goingto rest up before this par-tay.

2012-01-05T17:21:00.001-05:00

Day One Done! Only A Million More To Go!

So today was the first day of class! It was okay. I see that I am going to have to put the time into the MCB class. I don't know much about genetics. Im going to study that chapter when I am done writing this.

We also went into anatomy lab today. We didn't get to see our cadavers, as they were zipped up still. We will get to meet them next week. The schedule is pretty crazy, it reminds me of Kingsborough. Class five days a week! Anatomy lab is only four days a week. My first class is MCB, ten minute break, then we have anatomy, ten minute break, then histology, then a two and a half hour break, then anatomy lab. Not too bad. The funny thing is that all of our lectures are in the same room. So it's kind of funny.

Today we had a double dose of MCB because of the break later in the semester. We also have a double dose tomorrow. We also have a double anatomy lecture tomorrow. So this week will be jam packed. I was going to go to some BBQ on the beach for some honor society club, but maybe I will skip it because I want to study. I can't believe I've been here less than a week because it seems I've been here much longer! Wow.

Tomorrow is also some kind of "rush" for the campus clubs. I am thinking about joining the Christian one or the club for non-drinkers, or both. We'll see.

I also have to remember to use my free meal coupon tomorrow because it expires! And my stuff just made it to Memphis! Yay! I can't wait for my stuff! I hope nothing breaks. That would suck.

So now I'm off to study some MCB. It actually seems more like genetics, since that seems like all we are doing. Well, I hope I can catch up! Then I will try to look at the histology stuff and go over the anatomy if there is time. Im going to try and kick ass! I hope I can! Wish me luck!

Here's to Medical School!

2012-01-04T21:39:00.001-05:00

Yay Pigeon Peas!

So today's tour was nice! I will post pictures this weekend once I finish studying. We drove all around St. Maarten/St. Martin and stopped at a few places including the Cost-U-Less. I forgot to ask them if they deliver, but that doesn't matter. When my Fedex comes, I will rent a car to bring it all to my apartment and I will go back to the cost-u-less, and the ACE, and get a Caribbean phone somewhere. This trip, I was able to get frozen foods, like chick patties (vegetarian), turkey burgers (cheap!), turkey meatballs, a huge bag of broccoli, a big bag of mixed veggies, chocolates, dust pan, bathroom stuff, a pitcher with cups, a candle, and some other stuff. I only spent about $88! Awesome!

Tomorrow is the first day of class! I hope it goes well! IEEE!

2012-01-04T07:05:00.001-05:00

One More Day

Of torture!

Today is the last day before classes begin. I hope it is more bearable than yesterday. We are supposed to go shopping at Cost-U-Less and Le Grad Marche later today. I am contemplating if I should bring my wheeled suitcase or not. I want to buy stuff, but not too much because I will have to carry it all back from school.

I am wondering if I can find a hand truck. That would help me not have to carry everything, but I am thinking that I should rent a car instead. I was reading some bad stuff online about Thrifty/Dollar rental, and there is one right near me. I wonder if they will try to swindle me or should I just get the total insurance so they don't try to make up stories about me breaking the cars. Hm. It would make shopping a lot easier. I suppose I could do it all in one day. I would just have to keep going back and forth. I will think about it. They do have a tremendous discount for the week right now, like $99 a week or so. I wouldn't need it that long though, so we will see.

:Formal Orientation" starts in about an hour so Im off to eat breakfast then off to torture camp! Hooray!

2012-01-03T18:07:00.002-05:00

International Mosquito Bites

Well, thanks to AUC's Advisor meet and greet, I got TWO mosquito bites on my left leg. If I had known if we were going to be hanging around outside at sunset, I wouldn't have worn shorts! Well, let's see if I get some tropical mosquito virus! I hope not. I would be seriously pissed.

Today was long and torturous. All day I had to go to some kind of seminar. I hate seminars. And I hate doing lame group activities. I also noticed that everyone gets a kick out of me being a truck driver. Now I am beginning to think that maybe people think I became a truck driver to have something unique to say when I have to introduce myself. Well, that wasn't why I became a truck driver!!

So I'm glad that I am "home" now. I went to the business fair and met up with Fedex. They are going to be my lifeline out of here, so I asked them about their operations. It seems that everyone was sending their student loan checks back home via Fedex. Well, I guess I will be doing that too, except that I will be paying much less, ha ha! Well, Fedex told me that they would deliver to my address, but when I thought about it, it would be better to send it to the school because I will be in class and they need a signature. I was thinking about renting a car the day or so when my stuff arrives and then use the car to go downtown to go buy things I need. There is a car rental place right near me, so maybe. There is an ACE hardware in town but I can only get there if I drive there. The tour bus won't stop there tomorrow, so I will seriously consider it.

I am beginning to think I am ready for this med school stuff. I asked about the classes and there are NO LABS!!! And when I say "no labs" I mean the traditional labs like with lab reports and crap like that. HA! This will be great! I think I will be okay. So I just have to suffer one more day of orientation and we can finally start this crap! Sheesh!

2012-01-03T07:23:00.002-05:00

Euro Crap!

I woke up early today thinking I could get my laundry done. WRONG!

Apparently, the washing machine in my apartment is "European" and I guess, going in the Euro style, TAKES FREAKIN' FOREVER just to wash one stinkin' small load! UGHHH! I had to stop it and put it on "RAPIDE" (HA) just to hurry up! UGHHH!!!

I think its done. I have another load and I have to be at school in 40 minutes! Stupid crap...

2012-01-02T14:27:00.000-05:00

Shopping and Registration!

Today was pretty productive. I woke up at 0600, but didn't get up until 0700. Then I made coffee and ate my leftovers. I then chatted with TJ who is going to finish packing up my stuff to Fedex to me today. I then prepared to go shopping at Le Gourmet Marche!

I took two tote bags and my rolling suitcase because I was certain I would be buying heavy stuff. I did! I spent $88 (I couldn't get my AUC discount because I don't have my ID, but I didn't ask anyway) and bought:

Milo energy mix, Kraft 2% "cheese," Kraft parmesean, Land 'o Lakes margarine, 4 chocolate bars, a stack of Maria cookies, Gain detergent 32 loads, Gain dish detergent big bottle, 3 scrubby sponges, a pint of Breyers, Bacos, 10 pounds of Mahatma rice, 8 cans of tomatoes, 2 cans each of pink beans and butter beans, almost 2 pound bag of frozen peas, 2 cans of sardines in oil (yuck, but no sardines in tomato sauce), a six pack of Scott toilet tissue, a pound or so of bananas, a big red onion, a pack of tofu, an 18 pack of eggs (from the US!), and a box of Premium crackers.

Not too bad! Then I came "home" and chatted with TJ. Then I went to registration. It was pretty quick and I stayed for about two hours. I didn't get my check today, but that's okay. I don't need it that badly. After registration, I got my Kaplan books and took some books out of the library. I should have brought my wheeled suitcase because that crap was heavy! Anyway, I went to "Note Services" and bought my AUC lab coat. I'm glad I waited because I think the size 8 fits better around my shoulders/boobs than the 6. I guess I will order the embroidered one later. I also bought a box of rubber gloves. You get a box of 100 for $10, that's not too bad. At least they had size small. I would have brought some from home, but I couldn't find size "small" or "extra-small" so why waste room in my luggage with ill-fitting gloves? Then I lugged all that "home" and was very tired.

Then I ate most of the ice cream. I emailed Le Gourmet Marche to ask if they sell mops and brooms. They responded with a "yes" so I set out again to buy said mop and broom. The mop was about $5 with the wooden handle (that was charged separately) and the broom was about $4 and that included the stick. I also bought a two pound bag of shrimps for about $15 and a pack of 12 slices of provolone cheese for about $3.80. Not too bad. I am hoping to buy some bulk item at the Cost-U-Less on Wednesday when I go on the free tour with AUC. They are supposed to make a pit stop at this store so you can buy stuff. Cool! I will buy as much as I can. I will also ask them if they deliver because apparently you can shop online and pay with a C.O.D.. Well, I will definitely find out.

I also found out that I CAN ship Fedex to Note Services. They sign for it and hold it for me. I can even get one package at a time. I will have to do that because each one is pretty heavy! I have to walk with each piece one by one. I wish I had a hand-truck! Maybe I can find some kind of cart at Cost-U-Less? We'll see. I wonder if there will be any customs charges and taxes on my stuff. Hmm. I guess I will find out!

Okay so now I'm going to mop this floor! It is so dirty! I thought they were supposed to clean the apartment before you move in? I guess that doesn't apply! At least the internet and A/C work. Cuz then I'd have a fit. And I'm going to rearrange this furniture. I don't get this arrangement!

2012-01-01T17:37:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

So here I am! In Sint Maarten, So happy new year to me!!

The last few days were packing mayhem. I was packing and packing and packing. The day I left I was still packing. I even forgot my computer power cord as we were driving away. Well, after I checked in, TJ sped back and got it for me just in the nickel time. I had packed two bags to the brim, one 48 pounds, the other 49.5 pounds! HAHA! I got through security pretty fast since there was no crowd really. They even double checked my printer. I got to the gate about five minutes before priority boarding. I had priority boarding so I basically walked right onto the plane. Neat! My printer fit great, as did all of my cheeseburgers, my pillow and my ridiculously heavy "purse" filled with so much stuff, it was literally bursting. Anyway, the first leg went great because there was a seat between me and the next woman. They even served free drinks. Not bad!

The second leg was good too! Can you believe that? I thought I had a five hour layover but it was actually like an hour and a half. I charged my computer, talked to TJ and walked over to the gate about a half hour before take off and they had just started boarding the priority seats. So I walked right on! Then I had the whole row to myself! HA! What awesome luck. So I ordered TWO drinks. Oh yeah, free Coke!

When I got off, I was surprised there was no elevator to the ground. I had to carry all of my stuff and my hand was about to give out so I kept stopping every 15 feet to stretch my hand. The handles on the plastic bag had ripped so I was literally holding a 30 pound printer by a strap. Anyway, I made it to the concourse and the AUC people were still there!!! I was like "Oh my gosh are you still here??!! YES!!!" I was so excited to see them because they drive you to your place! That would save me the cab ride. Then I waited for my bags and left with them. I called the manager when I got there and she sent someone to let me in. I was so exhausted, but I got the internet going and was able to video chat with TJ and Meux Meux! I then washed up and went to bed.

When I woke up, OUCH! I was sooooo sore. Everything hurt. Especially my hand. My hand was also kind of fat. And red. I thought to myself "That is the price of being cheap!" So it was worth it! When I got up finally, I was smoked. I couldn't do anything. It took forever to make coffee. I had to improvise since I forgot to bring my travel coffee drip-a-majig. Well, I just steeped it like tea and it worked fine. I wasn't in the mood for food so I didn't make breakfast and just chatted with TJ online. I finally got some strength to see if the supermarket was open, and it wasn't.

Oh well. I bought a chocolate croissant at some cafe and walked around a bit. I managed to find the school and it literally is a five minute walk to my apartment. I took a look at the school and it seems nice. Not super beautiful, but not run down either. It just looks like a school. I think it's kind of small, but I like that. I went inside and looked all around and took a couple of free books for step 1. Meh, I always like a free book. Whether I use it or not is another story.

After touring the school a bit, I went "home" (ha, I wish) and used gmail to text TJ that I made it back and we can chat. Not too long after, the manager comes by and shows me some stuff about the apartment and the building. She also told me to NOT open a banking account here, nor ship Fedex to the building because her stuff has been "lost" twice. Hmm. Well, I did read on the AUC webpage that you can ship stuff to the school. I will ask about that tomorrow at registration. I also paid my electricity and water deposit and first month's rent. Well, I must say this crap is expensive. I guess that is just how it is.

Afterwards, I video chatted with TJ and Meux Meux and made "dinner." I made "instant rice" and lentils with fake steak (soy). It wasn't bad, but it wasn't awesome either. I am hoping I can get some tomato sauce at the store tomorrow so I can make some real rice and lentils. If not, I guess I will just have to suffer through it until my stuff arrives or just eat at school. There were some bananas hanging by the school though...

So today is done! Tomorrow is registration and I hope that they don't screw up my loan money. Im going to have to Fedex my check back to TJ to deposit into my account so I can withdraw money at an ATM instead of opening an account here. Then I can pay my rent with an American check and pay cash for my utilities at some place down the road. I hope this works out!

Okay time for video chat!

2011-12-27T08:46:00.002-05:00

Only A Few Days Left

Yes, dreams, do come true. I guess that is what I have to say about this whole process. I can finally say I am going to grad school and getting a "doctorate." Even though it's not a PhD like I always wanted, I hope this will be sufficient. I think this will make me happy.

I am pretty much ready to go. I have all my loans taken care of and I just have one letter to mail off today. I haven't received my dissection kit yet, but I should get it today. Then I will have everything I need to start class right away. I have all the books I will need so far and the rest I will ship to my apartment. I also have one suitcase packed to the brim with the textbooks. I think I'm going to take a few out and move it to the duffel bag so it's not at exactly 50 pounds. I am going to bring my multi-function printer on the plane with me as a carry-on. I have no choice! I won't leave that and have to pay $$$ for a crappier printer. I like that one so it's coming with me. Then I will just bring a smaller tote bag with my computer and a change of clothes in case they lose my luggage. I also have to pack up the duffel bag and a few boxes and I will be ready to go.

I know that I am getting nervous because I haven't slept well for a few days now. There are so many new things happening at once: Separating from my husband and cat, living in a new apartment, living in another country, going to grad school that is also medical school, taking out government loans, and being in a place that I have never been to before where I know absolutely no one. I think it's fair to say that it is at least moderately stressful. I think everything will be okay since it's a modern island with modern amenities. I am not sure if I would be as calm if I was going to Ross on Dominica. I think the reason so many people go to Ross is because of the name. I think people want to go to a school that sounds "real" and doesn't have the words "Caribbean" in it. Me, I don't care about that. I would rather be in a place that can help me if something goes wrong. No one is going to care if my school says "Caribbean" in it. If they do, they can go somewhere else.

Because I've not been able to sleep well, I am very tired. I am not sure how much packing I will be able to do, but I will have to try. I also have to pay some bills (darn) and buy some stuff (yeah) today. I've kept all my boxes from my gifts and hope that will be enough for my stuff. Sometimes I think I am bringing too much, but then I realize that knowing me, if I don't have a specific item, I will obsess about it forever. So I am going to bring all the things that I will need that may not be on St. Maarten. That way, I have no distractions. I can focus hard on school and do well.

Since I will miss TJ's birthday, I am going to make a cake for him before I leave. I hope that will be okay. I may order him a gift from Amazon when I get on the island so we will see. I don't know what to get him though. Maybe I will get him something from SXM. Hm.

Well I am very tired! Im falling asleep as I type! I don't know how this will work out today doing these chores. I am glad I took down the tree yesterday and put away all the Christmas stuff. I wouldn't be able to do all that today. Well, I guess I better get started. YAWN!

2011-12-23T07:35:00.001-05:00

Almost Winning My Bet!

When I first was going for this whole med school thing, I learned that UA was taking up to 25% out of state people. Then, after I applied, they decided to take up to 50%. This means that they WILL take 50%. So when I learned about that, I knew I wasn't going to get in at UA because I wont be paying a premium to the school as an out of state student. TJ said that I still had a chance. I thought that my chance was 0. So he bet me $5000 that I would get into UA. Even though UA-Tuc was my top choice, they had two campuses. The original bet was just "UA" so I extended it to both campuses. So far, he's halfway lost. I am waiting to not get an interview from PHX and I win! Well, yesterday, I got this email from UA-PHX:

Hello,

The University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix Office of Admissions and Recruitment is impressed with your dedication and commitment to a future in medicine.

Our final interview spots will be filled by January 20, 2012.

If you are selected to interview, a separate email will be sent.

If you are no longer interested in being considered as an applicant for the entering class of 2012, please notify our office by email with your decision.

Continue to stay engaged and active in your pursuit of medical education. We hope to be in touch soon.

Please feel free to email with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Office of Admissions and Recruitment

The University of Arizona

College of Medicine-Phoenix

550 East Van Buren Street

Phoenix, Arizona 85004

Office: (602) 827-2005

Fax: (602) 827-2212

Email: COMPHX-admissions@email.arizona.edu

TJ has about a month left, and I win!

Anyway, this email is very stupid. They are impressed by what? If they were so impressed they would interview me. What else is stupid is that they want ME to email THEM if I don't want to be considered. Huh? I paid my fees, you better reject me. That is one thing I don't understand about some med school hopefuls. They voluntarily withdraw their OWN application because they think they wont get in anyway. First of all, why did you apply if you thought you wouldn't get in? Second, if you PAID MONEY for an application, why are you withdrawing it? Let them do the work and reject you. If you are that scared of rejection, you need to work a couple of jobs before you start this ridiculous process.

So after reading that email, I became SUPER excited about taking the opportunity at AUC. Now, I am starting medical school, and I couldn't be happier. Screw University of Arizona. Honestly, I hope this whole taking out of state people backfires on them and they have a budget problem in a few years. I sound bitter? Of COURSE I am, duh! I want to live here, but I can't because that stupid school is in control of everything. You know, if I open up a medical school, maybe I will just open it up in Arizona instead. Yes, I know that sounds outlandish. It is. But it's nice to dream about people's demises.

Well, it's nine days until SXM. I am now rip roaring and ready to go. Today I am going to finish up my financial and send it in. Then Im going to wrap up my books and pack my kitchen items and food. Hooray!

2011-12-21T10:32:00.002-05:00

Made One Anyway

2011-12-21T07:30:00.001-05:00

WHEW!

Good Lord! I spent ALL day yesterday ordering books and crap for school. I took so long because of the cost. I kept saying "Just hit the 'spend' button already!!!!" But I couldn't do it until I figured out the lowest cost. And I found it, so now I am comfortable with everything. I didn't spend that much after all. I spent about $400 on books and I will Fedex them to my address before I leave.

I still haven't ordered the lab coat yet. I am seeing that you need to wear it in anatomy lab, so maybe I will order the one with my name on it after lab so I don't have guts all over it. I will just buy one at school and then order me a new one when I get there so it will be ready for next semester. Maybe I can use the old one for cooking? (eek!)

My deposit was also confirmed! Hooray! So I am all set to become a resident of St. Maarten. That sounds pretty crazy! It also sounds really cool too! How many people, who are not in the military, get to live overseas? I must say, this is going to be an experience. I am still scared I am going to fail, but like I said, I would think that no matter what school I went to. I thought I would fail ochem, and look how that turned out. I just have to remember that I already took anatomy, physiology, microbiology, half of biochemistry, and can do math well enough! I think I should be okay, no?

I was also approved for my first ever (government) loan! It's funny how fast they throw money at you when you want to be a doctor, but there is no money if you want to be a pilot! Ha! Well, I'll take this too! I've never took a loan out in my life, except credit cards. I guess that is why it took me FOREVER to finish the bachelor degree. The Pay-as-you-go program is a very slow deal.

I did NOT get to wash my hair yesterday, which is good because I chopped up about four gallons of ONIONS yesterday so that TJ can cook his food easier. Right now I am trying to get rid of the smell in the house. It will be worth it though... right? Well, either way, he should have enough onions to last until I come back. I think next time I will take my own advice and just buy pre-chopped onions.

So today is going to be a bit easier. I have to wash and iron some clothes, make a cake or something, re-pot the poinsettias (no I didn't get to that yesterday either), buy a few more things from the store, and pack up my bag with my food and kitchen supplies. That bag alone is about fifty pounds! I am still deciding if I am going to ship the duffel bags to allow myself to take a bookbag or ship the bookbag and take the heaviest duffel... blah blah it goes on and on.

No kitty kat pictures today, I need to rest a bit!

2011-12-20T09:06:00.001-05:00

Almost There!

I am ALMOST done with all my paperwork! I sent off my hard copies yesterday. Today I can try to send in my financial aid stuff. I still haven't heard back about the transfer... that's making me nervous! Where did I send my money?? IEEEE!

Anyway, I only have a few more things to do and then I am set to pack! Wow, can you believe I will be leaving in 11 days?? I can't.

I also have to go to the airport and see if my suitcase will fit in the overhead. I think it will, but Im not sure. I think they have a "sizer" at the airport to see if your bag will fit. Well, I know JetBlue does. Not so sure about any other airline. I am not sure when I will be able to do that though. I have been so busy and I would have to go with TJ so he can wait for me in the car. Ugh. Little by little, I am getting there.

Okay, just a "few" more chores today and I can rest a bit. I really need to wash my hair!!!

2011-12-19T11:11:00.001-05:00

Things Are Coming Together

It's funny how much more comfortable I am about going to AUC. At first, I was pretty scared. Now, I'm starting to get excited about finally getting this started.

This weekend was filled with tasks. And I am not done yet! I went and got my HIV results (negative in case you are curious), then I got mt TB test, my TDAP, and my flu shot all in one day. I had to lie down twice because all the shots were making me nauseous. I have never had a flu shot before and it was not pleasant. My arm was sore and I actually felt kinda sick. The next day, my other arm was sore from the TDAP and I felt like I was "getting over" some bad cold or flu. I was weak, my muscles hurt, my neck was cramped, and my lymph nodes in my groin especially were hurting all day. I had to drink two shots of whiskey to feel better. Yikes! Sunday I felt better, and only my TDAP arm was sore. Today I feel fine, but my TDAP arm is still a little sore. But I was expecting that so whatever.

This morning, I scanned in my "Technical Standards" form and emailed it to my coordinator because its due today. I am also hoping I can schedule my flight today. I have to hear back from them first. I am also expecting to hear back from my new landlord! That's right, I also wired in my security deposit on my new apartment in St. Maarten. Isn't that crazy? I can't believe I am going to live in another country! It's kind of exciting and scary at the same time. I chose AUC because it has the best island. Thousands of tourists some there all year. I will never be alone!

What's even crazier is that this is my last week in the United States! I will be flying to SXM sometime next week. UGH! When I say that, my stomach kinda gets queasy. I know TJ is still sad about me leaving, and I am too, but I think he is coming to grips with this reality. We just have to take it one day at a time. I told him we will talk everyday online. I also plan on writing a little paragraph everyday in a special notebook for him. It will be a cool keepsake once I am off this island recording our time (and only time I hope) apart. Of course, I will upload pictures and such on this blog and my webpage.

Right now I am contemplating whether or not I should order my AUC lab coat now or when I get there? I am not sure if I will have a chance to embroider it and if I will have to pay more over there because of the international shipping. Hm. Well, I have some time to decide.

I also decided in the fate of the GMAT. I AM going to take it. I am going to lightly study for it when I am in SXM and I will schedule to take it during my break in April. All I have to do is get above a 500 and I can apply to Quinnipiac. If I decide to not go to QU, I can wait to take it again and apply after my residency. There is an MBA program at the University of Tennessee that offers and accelerated one year MBA to physicians only (kind of like an EMBA). The best part? NO GMAT REQUIRED! HA! So now I just have to decide if I want the MBA from QU or UTenn. Each has their advantages and disadvantages, so I will see what I will do after I take the GMAT. One downside: I have to take the GMAT books with me! Oh well.

Today I am going to make copies of some vital info for TJ and do some chores. I have a couple of plants I need to re-pot. Oh and now I just remembered that I have to buy two big pots. Hm. I guess I can do that today. I also have to mail in all of my hard copies of my info for enrollment. I also have to try out my new folding bike. If the extra bag fees aren't too bad, I just may bring it this time instead of next since next time, I am going to bring Meux Meux! Awwww! I hope she doesn't miss me too much when I am gone for a few months.

Well, back to work! I have things to do!

2011-12-16T11:58:00.001-05:00

IT'S OFFICIAL

I just paid my enrollment fee. I am leaving Arizona to start medical school on St. Maarten.

2011-12-16T11:45:00.001-05:00

Can't Press The Submit Button

Here I am, on the payments page, all my info filled out, but yet I can't hit submit and send my payment to AUC. Im frozen! ARGH! And not because I don't put the heat on. It's because I am frightened that I am making a bad decision.

But what other choice is better? Even if Meharry gets back to me, I would have already started at AUC since I wanted to start in May. I know no one is going to interview me, so who cares? I would only be prolonging the inevitable.

I just have to keep saying "Urbana" or "KIrksville" and I think I can get my wits about me.

Okay, here I go..................

I DID IT. I AM OFFICIALLY GOING TO AUC! Uh oh, I feel sick...

2011-12-16T07:13:00.002-05:00

Today Is The Day

Today I am going to pay my deposits. I am scared and I am reluctant. To keep my sanity, I just keep telling myself this would be the same as if I was accepted to Urbana or Kirksville. I'd be placing deposits and moving far away from TJ. The difference is that where Im moving is a happenin' island where thousands of tourists go. That makes it a little better!

Right now, I am copying my medical records and lab reports. If I have time today, I will try to get my vaccinations and health certificate filled out. Of course, I have to come back anyway because I also need a TB test. So I can get most filled out today and then come back and finish it.

I was thinking about going right now, before the sun comes up, to the Tumbleweed tree in Chandler to take a picture. However, I think I will do that with TJ... and maybe Meux Meux tomorrow instead so I have a nice picture to take with me when I leave

Okay back to work! Its going to be a busy day!

2011-12-15T08:15:00.000-05:00

The List Is Getting Shorter

I did a lot yesterday! I got my HIV test and the results will be in on Friday. I bought some more school supplies, I bought some kitchenware, and I even found a brand new scrub top at Walmart for $5! Wow! I was also able to get my "letter of good standing" at the police department.

Today I have to get three passport photos. Im going to do my hair and makeup because I hate the way those pictures come out when you go "as-is." It's almost like they buy a special camera that takes bad pictures on purpose. Then I am going to see if my bank can wire money to SXM so I can secure my apartment. I spoke to my coordinator yesterday about the flight and he said that AUC was going to book it. Well, I am not sure how it will work because I have the extra luggage. I will see if I get an email back today from the other guy. I also have to pay my security for school.

So while I was out shopping for stuff, I happened upon this at the Dollar Tree:

Isn't it amazing what you can find for a DOLLAR?

I also discovered a new word from China:

It's FASHIONAL isn't it?

So today's activities will also include some food shopping at Sunflower Market and a stop at the new Goodwill in Scottsdale for some used scrubs. I want to get at least another shirt. I also have to put my folding bike together and complete the shopping lists for TJ.

My other dilemma is whether or not to order a dissection kit from Amazon. When I was in nursing, I had a cheap set and got rid of it thinking I'd get a nice one later. Well, Im not sure if the ones at AUC are that much nicer! Maybe I should get a nice one on Amazon? Or should I get a cheap one on Amazon? Or should I just get it at AUC? Hmm. Well, I will order my books today though. I will order the anatomy book at least. I have one already, and I am thinking of bringing it along in case I need another opinion. I don't want to bring too many books, but I like referring to them while I study. I hope they won't make everything too heavy. Then I will have to ship them Fedex. Ugh! Too much to think about!

Well Sunflowers is opening soon, so I am going to start early today! See ya!

2011-12-13T17:43:00.002-05:00

Mixed Feelings

Its been a tough day. All day Ive been worked up about all the money I am going to have to spend to get set up at AUC. I mean, I DID save enough for all this, but its very hard to part with my money. All I keep thinking about is how I am going to fail. Which makes no sense since I took anatomy and physiology before and all kinds of crazy classes and Ive always done well. I guess my main problem is that if I fail, it will be a very expensive mistake.

Today I ordered an old (2007) copy of the First Aid book. I was going to buy the 2011 version, but the 2012 one is coming out in January so I decided to get an old copy for fifty cents and start off with that one. If I like it and think it's useful, I can get the 2012 or 2013 one later. I going to order some other textbooks from Amazon before I leave, as soon as I get my wits about me. I didn't want to order anything yet because I am afraid that maybe I will change my mind and not do this med school thing after all. Could that be possible?

I am not sure if that is possible, but I must continue to think positive or else I will just give up. I have to think of all the adversity that I have had in my life prior to this moment and see that this is a better problem to have. I also can think of it this way: If I had applied to and was accepted to, say, AT Still in Missouri, I would putting down a large deposit and finding a place to live right now, just as I am doing for AUC. Right?

So tomorrow I hope to get back on track of finishing my application stuff. I have to go and get my HIV test and a "Letter of Good Standing" from the police station. I have a feeling I will have difficulty with that letter, but we will see. I think I may also get Meux Meux vaccinated for rabies so I can take her next semester. I also need to write to my coordinator about my plane ticket. I need to know how much baggage I can bring with me and if they are going to set it up or if they will reimburse me. I am still going to try and keep it to three duffle bags for checked luggage, but if they will pay for it, maybe I can bring one more bag. I was assuming I would be paying the bag fees anyway, so if they paid that would be awesome!

I am feeling a bit better now that I have all day to stew. I am HOPING that I can pull through! What am I going to do? Reapply? HA HA HA HA! Riiiight!

2011-12-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

Guess What

So I guess I am going to AUC. Not too surprised. I am slightly worried that I am jumping the gun given that "everyone" thinks its stupid to go to Caribbean school before all is said and done with US schools. I say "oh well!" If I wait until all is said and done, I will be going to AUC in September anyway. I really don't think I'm going to get in anywhere. I will be surprised if I get an interview invite somehwere once I start, but even if I went, I would assume that I would get rejected anyway.

I have put so much thought into this and I really think this is the right thing to do. I may even be able to secure an apartment instead of a dorm! I have to discuss it with TJ, but I think I will take the apartment. It will work out to cost less and they allow cats and they have internet included. I don't care for TV or air conditioning. I can handle it. It doesn't get as hot there as Arizona, so that will be okay. It will be like New York. I will have to see how to get my cat ready to go if I get this apartment though. Anyway, I think this is the right thing to do. I have the chance to FINISH EARLY. I can make up for a year I lost trying to figure out what to do. Of course I am scared and of course I think I can fail. But I would think that no matter what school I went to.

The other benefit to the Caribbean is that TJ can transfer much easier and we will have a place to stay (for almost nothing!) in NY. If I go to school in BFE, he may wind up never transferring to where I am anyway! That would suck.

I just keep saying to myself that if I study hard enough, I can pass just like anyone else. I am hoping all goes well!

Now if my mother would just answer her phone!!!

2011-12-12T08:20:00.001-05:00

I Find Out Today

Today I find out what the "decision on my file" is. I assume it's an acceptance, but I guess it can be anything. I am scared to find out. I am beginning to worry about all kinds of things: Will I pass? Will TJ and I be alright separated like this? Will he be able to transfer? Will I graduate early? Will I score well? Will I get a residency?

I kept telling TJ that this will be a $20,000 exploration. I don't know if I will pass the first semester and if I don't that is about how much I should be out. I guess its not too high of a price to pay to try graduate school.

I also received my MCB textbook and workbook. It seems really interesting. I want to begin reading it today. I skimmed over some of it already and it seems to be a mixtures of biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry. I'm also trying to decide which books to bring with me. I want to bring quite a few for reference. I wonder if it will make me go over the fifty pound limit for checked luggage. I don't want to pay extra fees for textbooks. I also could ship my books. We'll see.

I have so much to do in such little time! This week, I have to get all my immunizations and whatnot. I also have to prepare for Christmas. Ive been keeping a pretty good schedule so far. I pretty much bought everything that I need for school in the Caribbean. I just have to buy spices and I think that should cover everything. I am actually getting sick of shopping! I also have to make sure I have enough school supplies. I don't know if I will do that today. Today I have to ship off the presents, make a list of all the places I buy the groceries and stuff for TJ, and make instruction sheets for taking care of the plants and the birds. This week I have to start on my MCB book, test out my folding bike and see if it works, and see about painting the bathrooms. I had bought paint because I thought I would leave in April, but maybe not. So when I find out today when I start, I will have a better idea of what to do this week.

Oh my God... I just looked at the calendar and if I start in January, I only have a little over two weeks left here!! Come Christmas, I will be freaking out! Im sure everyone before me felt the same way, but this is new to me. Will I be able to do it? Who knows???

Btw, I hate this new blogger interface. IT SUCKS! Now they DEMAND that I use google chrome. They also keep ruining my HTML code when I want to check my speling. WHAT?

Okay now I wait for the call or call them. I will post the results!

2011-12-09T18:15:00.001-05:00

Got A Call From AUC...

But I didn't hear it! Damm! I called back but I must have missed him. Oh well. I guess he will call back Monday. I hope this means I am accepted! That would be awesome. If I am accepted, I will do everything I can to graduate early. Just imagine, this could be said and done in SIX years instead of SEVEN!

I am getting closer to this med school thing! Whoo Hoo!

2011-12-07T07:43:00.003-05:00

Workin' On It

So yesterday, TJ and I were busy wrapping most of the Christmas presents. We didn't even finish, but I don't have much left thankfully. I still have to ship them though. Fedex Ground, you know it!

Today I have a "well woman" appointment. I am hoping that my practitioner can write my prescription so I can get the whole year's worth, or at least six months of my prescription. That way I can just bring it with me to St. Maarten.

After my appointment, I am going to return an appliance I bought during the Black Friday madness because everyone has a gift already. Then I am going to buy some powdered milk and eggs and other things for my "trip." Yes, I assume I am going to AUC and nowhere else. I also have to start making lists and showing TJ how to use instant messenger, make bread, etc.

Tj seems to be taking it alright. Sometimes he seems happy and then other times he seems sad about the whole AUC thing. I guess I feel the same way too. I don't really want to be isolated for a year and a half, but what other options are there? Apply again and again? Take the MCAT again hoping to get a 40? No thanks. I'm getting too old to keep waiting for stuff to happen, I need to take action now. I think it will be over before I know it. I think it will be harder living in NY again than living alone in St. Maarten!

Well, I haven't heard back from AUC yet, so there is still a possibility of starting in May anyway. I don't think it will make the transition easier, but I guess it would give us more time to get used to this crazy idea.

Next week Im going to get all my blood tests and vaccinations done. I should hear from them by then I hope. I could also hear from another school. HA! Yeah well, I guess we'll see (not).

2011-12-05T07:29:00.004-05:00

Today Is The Day

Today I will officially change my start date at AUC to January. Then I will see if I am accepted. I guess I will let you know what happens.

This weekend was fun. I tried out my new rifle, the Marlin 795:

I went to Rio Salado Sportsmans Club to try it out and it worked great. It jammed once after shooting off about 150 rounds. TJ also tried out his grandaddy's shotgun, a Winchester 20 ga. from 1936:

My shoulder is still sore from that one! Dang that thing can kick.

Anyway, I have A LOT to do if I am going to get going to the Caribbean in three weeks or so. I have to get immunizations, paperwork filled out, buy things, pack things, etc. I haven't been accepted yet, but I think I will.

TJ and I were moping around this weekend too. It will be hard to be separated for that long. I have no idea how this will affect us, but I guess we will see. I think we are strong enough to get through this. I mean, once Im off the island, we never have to be separated again. So that is something positive. Yeah, we did cry a bit. It's hard to separate from those you care about. But I hope this is all for the best.

So today Im off to try and get tons of things done. I don't even know what I have to do first or where to start so I guess I will just wash my hair first and take it from there!

2011-12-02T09:21:00.003-05:00

Still Thinkin'

Well I still havent decided what Im going to do yet. Do I kind of wait it out and hope I get an acceptance (and not a waitlist) or as

as he had said at many graduations past?

I CANT DECIDE!!! ARGH!!!

2011-12-01T08:49:00.005-05:00

Shocking News...

I got a call from AUC asking me if I wanted to squeeze into the January semester. At first, I thought no but after some thought...

First, I am not scheduled for any interviews as of now. I am on only one waitlist and it's for an HBC-type school that will only take me if they need a whitey in the class. If they do take me, I MAY get accepted in March or April, but most likely after May 15 when waitlists start moving. As of now, Im shooting for the May semester, which will mean I may miss some waitlist offers anyway.

Second, entering in January will give me the opportunity to apply for the previous year match. Im not saying this will happen, but I have a chance to if I do everything right and keep up with paperwork. It will mean that I probably cant do the observership at SHC, but it wouldn't exclude me from getting a residency.

Third, they offered to pay my plane ticket! Thats a savings of $800! because of that, I may just buy two or three large duffel bags and try to fit all my stuff as a checked luggage instead of shipping it Fedex. I do plan to buy a folding bike and shipping that unless there are no baggage restrictions on the plane.

So for a couple of days I have been contemplating whether or not I should scrap the US schools and just go ahead with AUC. And start in less than a month! What else is cool is that by the time I would start in the US, I would already be finished with two semester (1 year) of med school! That makes it more tempting.

Of course, the naysayers will say that its Caribbean school and that I should exhaust my US options first. I would but you know, Im 31 and I aint getting any younger! In med school years Im like 50 year old! If I actually have the chance to start now, AND finish early, exhausting all my options is less than ideal. More ideal for someone who is 23.

Of course, I would have an extremely busy month ahead of me if I choose to take the offer. Everyday would be something to do. To doctor visits, notarizing papers, packing figuring out the logistics, etc, this month will go by so fast. Before I know it, I will be at AUC. And let's not forget how much I'm going to hate being separated from TJ!!!

Right now, I am wondering if I should buy this folding bike to take with me to AUC. Of course, if I buy this bike, that means Im probably going in January. (unless I stick with May and are rejected from all US schools!)

So maybe...

We'll see!

2011-11-29T17:49:00.002-05:00

Molecular Cell Biology

I just ordered some old MCB books from Amazon! I hope that I will understand them... I am hoping to get aquainted with this subject before med school starts.

I haven't heard from AUC yet. They have alot more time to give me an answer. I hope I get a "yes, accepted." If Im not accepted, I will have to consider Ross and Saba. Probably Saba first.

No other news! have to make dinner soon...

2011-11-28T07:47:00.004-05:00

Weekend Madness!

Well, not exactly mad, but enough that I can write about it.

Thanksgiving Day: In the morning, I started my "Black Friday" shopping online. I bought an air-tool kit, a tool set for kids, two poinsettias, and a six foot ladder from Lowes. At Walmart, I bought assorted gifts for friends and family that I probably shouldn't list in case they are reading this (hahaha!). Later on, there was nothing crazy, just dinner. I did finally perfect my vegan pumpkin pie. It was awesome! And I also made a nice chipotle-lime marinade for the tofurky. It actually came out really good, even I was surprised. I didn't have time to make the fresh apple juice though. Oh well. Oh yeah and Crisco came to the rescue as usual and made my biscuits so awesome! Crisco rules!

Black Friday, Part I: I then tried to go to bed at around 2100 (9pm) because TJ has to work the next day (good 'ol Fedex). I couldn't sleep, I guess I ate too much. So I got out of bed around 0030 (12:30) and went online to shop the Black Friday deals at Walmart. I wanted to get the coffee maker and griddle for $10 each. (Awesome price). Well, apparently, the sale wasn't online until 0100. So I waited and chatted on Facebook. Then I tried to put the items in my cart when the sale was on, but the website was crashing! I just hit the buy button and it deleted my whole cart! UGH! It took me a whole HOUR to get the two stupid items in my cart and delivered to the right Walmart (it kept wanting me to pick it up at some Walmart way out on the other side of Phoenix!!) Thankfully, it finally worked and I got the email conformation in my inbox. Whew!

Black Friday, Part II: So I went to bed and "woke up" (still couldn't sleep) at 0300, as usual. Unlike other mornings where I don't get dressed and just wear pyjamas, I had to get dressed because I was going to go to Target and Big 5 Sporting Goods to snag the Black Friday deals. I figured enough time had passed since midnight at Target where the crowds would be gone and I wouldn't get trampled. So I left for Big 5 first since it opened at 0500 and I wanted to get something REALLY bad. I got there about two minutes before it opened and ran over to the area. After some paperwork, I was now the proud owner of a Marlin 795:

It's a 0.22 semi-automatic rifle! Isn't it cuuuuuuuute???? I am very excited, it is my first rifle! Ive been wanting to own a rifle for a VERY long time! I can't wait to test it out at Scottsdale Gun Club. Im going to bring my shot gun too, just for fun! Yay!

Okay so after I bought this rifle, I headed over to Target and hurried to find something. (I can't say what because it's a gift.) And I snagged the LAST ONE! Yessss! So far, I am awesome. And that concluded my Black Friday shopping. Later on I went to Lowes to pick up my stuff.

Small Business Saturday: For Small Business Saturday, I bought paint at Ace Hardware for my bathrooms. Then we went to Michael's to get some copper wire for the car (you'll see why) and some bead glue. I returned my library book. Then TJ and I went to eat at a vegetarian Indian buffet restaurant called Udupi Cafe. The food there is so delicious, but you smell like curry when you leave. It's worth it though! Then we went to pick up our glasses and contact lenses at the eyeglass store. Yeah! The rest of the day we sat around because we were completely stuffed from the food.

Sunday After Thanksgiving (Pre-Cyber Monday? Syber Sunday?): I made a delicious breakfast of vegetarian chili, leftover salsa, white corn chips, and vegan cheese for TJ and eggs and salsa for me. Then I was going to try to fix the car. HA! Apparently, the positive connector for the battery wasn't staying on tight enough and the car wouldn't always start. So I figured I would get some copper wire to wrap around the terminal and that would make the connector clamp on tighter. At first I cut some wire and wrapped it around, and I said "I think I need some more." Instead of cutting some and then putting it on the terminal, I decided to just pull it as I wrapped. WELL, I SHORT CIRCUITED THE BATTERY AND THE WIRE BECAME RED-HOT AND BURNED MY FREAKIN HAND! WHAT?!?! OW!!! Thankfully, I was wearing gloves and they got totally burned up and luckily they weren't flammable! They just burned and fizzed out. My hand now has wire burns though. every finger on my right hand except the ring finger and my palm have lines burned into them. It hurt like hell at first, but its okay now. My palm got it the worst and actually opened up the skin. So that was oozing for a while. Id post a picture, but the wire was so hot and it happened so fast that the burn marks on the fingers closed up! So there is nothing to see. It's kind of like I got branded.

So TJ wound up just bending the connector to make an oval shape, and then I hammered it in. It seems to be tighter, but I guess we will see after a few hundred miles. I put my hand on ice and rested for a bit. When I felt a little better, I opened up the air tools I bought (we have a compressor we never opened). I was excited to use the tools because this kit came with a rotary tool, which would be perfect for drilling holes in beads, etc. So when we opened it, everything looked great and I went to finally open the compressor. After an hour of trying to figure it out, doing the "break-in" and whatnot, we tried to inflate our car tires. Well, no matter what we did, it didn't work! We tried the tools it came with, and the tools from the new set I bought. It seems like the regulator knob doesn't work! No air comes out into the hose. UGH! So we had to break out the little air compressor that runs on the car battery to inflate the tire. It says not to run it for more than ten minutes and I see why, IT STARTS TO SMOKE! HA HA! Oh lord. Anyway, we were able to inflate it enough to drive over to the gas station and inflate the tires. (The compressor left only 5 pounds in the tire!!) So we were really disappointed that the stupid compressor didn't work. To compound the problem, I compared the output of the compressor to the tools I bought and this compressor wouldn't even have run them anyway, its too small! UGHHH!!! What a waste! So I had to put everything back so I can return the tools because apparently, to do what we want, we need a gigantic compressor. So, I guess when we buy a new house, we will get a new compressor. Probably gas-powered. UGHH!!! By the time I went to bed, I felt like a failure.

Cyber-Monday: Well, Im obviously going to return the tool set today. I guess I will recycle the compressor. It's no use trying to fix it. All it can do it inflate tires and balls. Big deal. Why have a big noisy compressor for that? Then I need to buy a few things at the store. Nothing cool for today.

I still haven't started my GMAT stuff. Geez, I feel bad! I guess I'm waiting to hear back from AUC. I can't focus yet! I feel like my mind is in the limbo (as my mother would say). I hope they get back to me this week so I can focus again. I hope to have good news soon! I want to get in!

So that was my Thanksgiving weekend. If I go to AUC, this will be my last Thanksgiving for a while! I don't plan on returning to Arizona until the two-week Christmas break in December and January. I guess I will have a Skype Thanksgiving next year, HA HA!

2011-11-21T08:59:00.002-05:00

New Week!

Now that I have completed my shopping and have Thanksgiving dinner in order, I can FINALLY focus on that GMAT.

The first order of business is creating some kind of schedule. Perhaps I should study about five hours a day and take weekends off? I can get up have coffee, read the news, then get started at about 0600. Take a break with breakfast at 1000. Or maybe start at 0500 and end at 1000 with breakfast. Hm. Hmmm. I guess I can try the 0500 one first. I don't know if it will work because I don't like studying in the dark. Okay so that sounds like a good preliminary plan.

I guess during my five hours, I will just go through each topic on the GMAT syllabus. Kinda like the MCAT. Except this should be a little bit easier. I think. Anyway, there are about 41 subtopics covered on the GMAT within the four broad topics of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and "word problems." ("Word problems" aren't math, but I guess they have a lot of wordy math problems) I had already started some review, so I guess I will pick up where I left off.

I also want to review my bchem stuff. I'm not sure how I will throw that in, but I would like to do that as well. Maybe I can do a couple of hours after breakfast? Maybe something like that. We'll see. Bchem isn't my top priority, but I want to try to get it in.

I also attended the Ross University seminar in Scottsdale this past Saturday. The snacks were WAY better since they were in a better hotel (last time they were in Phoenix). The main speaker was talking way too much about other things, that I had to cut it short because I had an eye exam. I did get to ask another speaker, who happens to do the interviews, about my 13 year old prerequisites. She said that it depends on the application. I couldn't get a straight answer about being MERPed or not, so I said I would email her. I don't supposed I will get a straight answer because I will have to pay for the application fee, so I am not sure I will email her. I will wait until AUC gets back to me. I wonder how much longer they will take? I think it may be almost two weeks now. Is this a bad sign? Who knows. The rep did say they would probably take a month. Oh well.

So I guess I am off to start my schedule? I also have to go to Walmart (groan) to check med prices. UGH! If there is one thing I hate, it's going to Walmart Pharmacy. Booo! Oh well. See ya.

2011-11-18T08:05:00.002-05:00

Workin' On It!

Well, I didn't have enough time to schedule my GMAT stuff. UGH! Everything is taking forever. Well, I DID finish ALL of the Christmas shopping (!!) and I bought everything I need to decorate this year. And I think I even have everything for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner!! So at least that is all done.

The things I have left to do are wrapping the gifts and figuring out the dinners. I think for Thanksgiving we are going to have a Tofurky, fresh mashed potatoes, homemade gravy (vegan), pumpkin pie (made from scratch and vegan of course), rice (for me), bacon (for me), probably fresh apple and pear juice (I have a juicer), and maybe salsa (for me to eat with my rice and bacon, family tradition, ha!), but I'd have to buy some tomatoes.

Today is my next to last day at the hospital. I guess Im excited that this means Im close to getting into med school, but it also means that Im that much closer to going to the Caribbean. It also means I have a lot of studying to do for the GMAT. I should be able to put something together today for my gmat schedule. I don't have much left on my "To-Do" list. Im trying to buy everything I need for next month this month so that we can get the starter on the Acura fixed next month in case it costs a million dollars. Well, I think it's the starter.

So next week is all the Black Friday excitement, most of which I don't participate in because I don't want to get trampled to death for a $400 Emerson TV. Im only going to Michaels's so I can get some beads and stuff. Yeah I know I probably won't have time to do any beading once Im shipped off, but I can always keep the beads for later. Even if its much later.

Well, I guess I have to contemplate gifts later, time to go!

2011-11-17T07:17:00.002-05:00

Painfully Clean

Well yesterday I spent literally hours cleaning out this corner of the kitchen. It was covered in dust that smelled like crappy cat litter. Although Im glad that it's clean, my shoulders, arms and fingers hurt from all the scrubbing. And Im still not 100% finished with what I wanted to do! I had no idea it would take me over six hours. I even had TJ help me when he came home from work. Sigh. Well, at least I can use that corner again. This is step one crossed off my "Thing to do before I head to the Caribbean" list.

Next up is painting the bathrooms. I even bought a nice folding ladder yesterday from Ace Hardware. It was on sale too! I guess the bathrooms upstairs will be a beige-ish color and I will trim my bathroom in some kind of red color. I will pick a blueish color for TJ's bathroom later on. I think I will fix everything except the electric sockets upstairs first, then move to the downstairs. Then the outside.

I still have more spending to do this month (ARGH!). I forgot I needed coffee and such. Well, hopefully, it won't be as much as last month.

I want more coffee... I better order some before I drink it all!

2011-11-14T09:18:00.003-05:00

New Week, Yeah!

So this week I am going to start on my GMAT studies. I am also contemplating resigning from SHC. I already contacted the graduate medical education contact person and got only very little information about the residency program. I also learned that there is no more pre-match. Not likely that matters much, but it was a nice option. Anyway, I was thinking about leaving SHC so I can study hard for the GMAT and get some housework done before I am shipped off to the Caribbean (because that is my most likely ending).

I am going to take the GMAT in late March most likely, so that gives me about four months to study. That should be long enough. I also want to do things around the house, like paint the bathrooms, living room, and the outside of the house. I also want to install gutters and plant some oleanders in the front and install an irrigation system for them. I also want to plant oleanders in the back and lay down some rocks or mulch. I may also have to travel back to NY to clean out and fix the basement after my sister takes out her old stuff. If I go to the Caribbean, I will stay in the basement during the clinical part of the program. The basement needs insulation and I think I will install drywall instead of that old wood paneling, HA!

So you can see there is a lot to do. I am just not sure the $12 in fuel I spend driving there is worth it anymore. I will think about it some more before I make my final decision.

In any case, I am almost done with my Christmas shopping! Yippee! Today I am going out to see if I can get all but one gift done. If I get lucky, maybe I can get it all done. This year, I will actually have a tree to put up (remember I bought that huge tree at discount??) and I will have to put weights on the bottom so my cat doesnt knock it over when she climbs in it. I know she will.

Currently, I am staying positive about med school. I have no problems with Caribbean school and I think its a great way to get to your goal. I read that someone said that if they knew that their doctor was a Caribbean grad, they wouldn't see them anymore. Good! I wouldn't want to have them as a customer. I don't want to give discounts to an unappreciative person. If they want to pay $260 for a "physical," be my guest. In fact, because of what he said, I think that I will boldly display that "I am a Caribbean grad; take your business elsewhere if this bothers you." on my signage, webpage, door, whatever. I think that should get the message across.

Well, I should stop typing and order my moisturizers, then buy those gifts.

2011-11-09T17:05:00.004-05:00

Rejected Again!

Well, today must be my lucky day because I was officially rejected from USU! Not that I am super happy or anything, but I was expecting it. I posted my letter below. You can see it is very lengthy and I have no idea if it was actually written for me or if this is a general letter. I guess it doesn't matter!

Well, in a positive note, I have sent in the rest of my stuff for AUC, and I should be complete. My admissions representative said it could take up to a month for them to get back to me. Good! Although I would like to know sooner, I also would like to hold off on paying that $1600 fee. Well, wish me luck on that because I need all the luck I can get!

Anyway, I haven't eaten yet. I was shopping all day then I was working on this AUC application. I definitely need to eat soon.

2011-11-09T08:12:00.002-05:00

Time To Move On!

Okay I think I'm ready to move on, or actually, back to what I was doing. It's been about a week since my "waitlist" status, and I think I am ready to move on and get back to focusing on AUC, GMAT, and my husband.

I have many chores to do around the house. I have to paint my bathroom, paint the garage door, and probably the house, I have to buy a shipping crate and figure out how I am going to ship my stuff, I have to get accepted to AUC too. I missed a phone call from my regional rep at AUC last night. Well, at least he didn't forget about me. I should be complete by now. I even called City College and KCC to see if they sent the transcripts. The only one I am unsure of is St. John's but they are always fast in sending the transcripts, so Im not too worried about them.

Ive also learned that there is no more "pre-match" for IMGs. Not that I was banking on pre-matching since most if not all of the programs I desired were through ERAS (?) only. I only wanted pre-match to save me lots of money, ha! Now I HAVE to pay to get matched. Well, there are, presumably, going to be a very select few not-so-great hospitals that will probably not participate in the match at all, but you can't look up who that is right now on FREIDA because this hasn't took effect yet. So sometime during my med school stint, I will look up who still pre-matches and keep them in mind. I just have to score as high as possible on all of my steps to get a good choice in residencies. I guess it helps I want to go into family medicine. It seems no one wants to be their own boss anymore...?

In any case, I am going to do some grocery shopping today, then try to clear my head and make some kind of study schedule for the GMAT. I don't have much time left for that. I still have to do well on that test so I can't let all this med school madness thwart my studying for that test!

2011-11-05T23:14:00.003-04:00

My Lol Cats Picture

Hmm...

Sigh...

One moar...

Check email again...

2011-11-03T08:36:00.002-04:00

Staying Positive

Despite my recent bad news, I must remember that I must stay positive in order to get where I want to be. I do understand that it will be hard to move away, but if it benefits my family, I think its worth it.

Before this whole Meharry surprise, I was beginning to mentally adjust to the idea of Caribbean school. Now, it seems like I have to adjust all over again. Well, I don't have much choice, so I better start adjusting my attitude. I won't be able to do well if I mope around like a whiny crybaby.

Ross U is coming to my town in a couple of weeks, so I signed up for that. I want to ask them some questions, in case I don't get accepted to AUC. I am hoping I get into AUC, but you never know what will happen. I thought that if I didn't get into AUC, I would rather go to Saba than Ross, even if I have to take out private loans.

So here are some things Ive learned from this application process:

1)Applying early only helps if you are average or above. If one of your stats is below average, like I have, you will not be interviewed early if at all (I have yet to see if I get late interviews).

2)The military wants you to have at least a 28 MCAT. They will make you write a statement if you want to proceed with a lower score. They do not say this on their website.

3)The University of Arizona does not know what they are doing right now. If you are a resident and do not have at least a 29, you will not get the automatic invite anymore. You may not even interview. You may also be rejected right away. You are now useless to them since you only pay in-state tuition.

4)It hurts your application to be "old" (probably over 27)

5)It hurts your application to have community college credits.

6)It hurts your application to openly say you want to go into primary care.

That's all I got on that for now.

Today will be a new day for me. I hope to get my mind back on track. I thought I would be planning yesterday, but you know how that goes. So hopefully, I will do that today. I am also thinking about getting a part time job. Something to pass the time and help me save for Caribbean school. We'll see. Today Im going to buy a cheese grater. I was going to buy something at Coach Factory, but I just couldn't bring myself to go. Is there something really wrong with me? I mean I was waiting so long for that store to open, and now I don't even want to go. Oh well. Probably better if I save my money anyways.

Well, the sun is up. Maybe I should go and do something useful.

2011-11-02T11:24:00.002-04:00

Waitlisted!

Well, I got the dreaded "thank you, but you're waitlisted" email from Meharry. Sigh. That school was one of my best shots as well. Here is what it said:

Dear Interviewee

I congratulate you for completing the Interview Process for admissions to Meharry Medical College -- especially since we have so many applicants for the entering class. The Admissions Committee for the School of Medicine has recommended that your name be placed on our Wait List for this upcoming year. We are still in the process of reviewing other eligible applicants.

You should be notified on or before June 15th if you are selected for admission. If you are not officially notified that you have been offered a place in the 2012 entering class by this date, it will be necessary for you to reapply for admission in a future entering class.

In the meantime, I wish you every success in your quest for admission into the medical profession. Thank you for your continued interest in Meharry.

Sincerely,
Allen D. Mosley, M.S.
Director Admissions and Recruitment

So basically, I'm not accepted. I'm a "wait to be rejected" like everywhere else.

I guess I knew coming into this whole thing I had almost no chance of getting in anywhere. I didn't even want to go through with this AMCAS stuff; I just wanted to apply to Caribbean school. However, my husband really wanted me to "try." Well, here I am, trying to get a rejection in a timely manner.

Since Meharry was my next best shot, my only shot left is Kansas. And I really don't think I have a shot with them. They take an extremely limited number of out of state people and given my age and MCAT score, I'm not hot on anyone's list.

So on to Plan B. We all know what that is: AUC. Now don't get me wrong, I do not think I am golden for AUC. Given how competitive everything is getting, I fully assume the worst for AUC. I am holding off on applying to Ross only because I would rather go to AUC. In any case, I've already started my application at AUC and I emailed my coordinator earlier today to see what else needs to get sent in. I think he had said my transcripts weren't all in, but they should be by now! I will check to see if my checks have cleared when I ordered my transcripts.

Sometimes, I think "You're jumping the gun! If you get a late acceptance but start AUC in May, you're screwed!" Am I? I'm not sure. I mean, if I have no interviews by January, and my only waitlist is Meharry, I'd say I will have all the facts to start AUC in May. As of now, I am going to assume the only interview invite I may get is from Kansas. Remember, I applied June 1, 2011, right when it opened. I was verified the NEXT DAY. It is NOVEMBER and I only had ONE interview and no other invites. Every school I applied to has rolling admissions. If you think I am going to think for one second that I have some kind of shot as of now, you must think Im crazy! Furthermore, if I get an interview invite after January that is not Kansas, I would assume that I am interviewing for a waitlist spot, if that. Therefore, I am not so sure I would "jump" at a "chance" to interview at a school other than UA-PHX and KU because the rest are very far away and cost too much or are not seriously considering me anyway. Not that I think UA-PHX would be seriously considering me, but they are right here so I won't be spending too much anyway.

Then there is the letter of intent or the "please reconsider me" letter. At first, I thought it would be a good idea to send the "reconsider me dammit" letter to Tucson, but you know, it just doesn't seem worth it. What will they reconsider? I have nothing new to add. I've done all my pre-requisites. I've taken almost every math and science course possible, even electrical engineering! I don't have any research, I can't get any research, I don't even go to a university. And you can't say "well, take graduate courses!" because if I'm taking graduate courses, then I'm training for a job, not trying to get into yet another school. My only recourse is to send a letter of interest/intent to Meharry once it gets closer to them considering the waitlist people. Until then, there is nothing I can do except say Im studying for the GMAT. And since this is medical school, they dont care about that!

It is safe to say I am sad that I (most likley) will have to separate from my husband and live in a foreign country for a while. I'm also sad that I may have to live with my mother again if I do my rotations in NY! I know there will be a fight for me to get the basement apartment and a parking spot in the garage. I would love to live on my own, but it's so expensive there. And living with her is so convenient and could make up for having to spend so much on an apartment in St. Martin.

Of course, I could keep up false hope and "wait and see" if I get in somewhere in the US. The problem is that I am too old for playing games. I need to get this show on the road before I lose my drive. I wish it could have worked out for Tucson, but that is too bad.

I guess a bright side is that NOW I can focus on my GMAT studies and get that test over with in March or so. If that is a bright side. I am also considering getting started in bchem for real. I know most people will say don't pre-study but whatever. I need to be acquainted with bchem topics seeing that may be the hardest class. I did take an intro course this spring, but that was an intro course. It was basically the last few chapters of my ochem book. I have a bchem book that is used at Johns Hopkins, so that should suffice. Anyway, I will consider that once I discuss my options with the husband.

Of course, now I don't know what MBA program I'm going to go into either. I think I have the LORs I need for Quinnipiac. Should I just apply there? I can take one class and then not take one for four years or something. Or should I just wait? I have no idea. All I know is that I need to take the GMAT before it changes and get into a program from then until that GMAT expires.

So as of now, Im not in a good mood. Im hungry too. I guess I will use today to start planning my Caribbean future and my GMAT study schedule. Maybe I should get a part time job? Then I can save some money for the trip to St. Martin!

Ha ha. That was supposed to be funny...

2011-11-01T08:46:00.002-04:00

Waitin'

Well, it's been a little over a week and I haven't heard back yet from Meharry. Not that I am expecting to though. It would be nice if I did, but I am not expecting it.

So it's been hard to sit around and wait here. I should be studying for the GMAT, but I just can't! I was so excited to get an interview that I can't even focus. I haven't been to the hospital in two weeks either. I will go back this week, but I was just so exhausted/anxious that I wouldn't have been well going there.

I guess if I am rejected, I will go ahead and finish the application for Caribbean school. I put that on hold in case Meharry took me so I wouldn't have to spend $1600 on a deposit to nowhere. If I don't get into Meharry, we are back to square one and I will not anticipate an acceptance to a US school. That would be too bad because I would also have to wait to buy a new office chair.

I guess I would be pretty sad if I was rejected. I think I would have to plead my case to them. Well, here is hoping for the best.

As of now I am not working on the GMAT. I am just reading books. Like I said, it has been very hard to focus.

2011-10-24T21:30:00.002-04:00

Interview Done!

Today was my interview at Meharry:

I think it went well. I was the ten o'clock group. We started off with a Q&A session, then a financial aid briefing, then a campus tour, then lunch with students which was supposed to be part one of the interview, then we had our real interview with one faculty member. I think my interview went well. I said all the points I thought were pertinent and I hope that it does the job!

I was going to write a thank you letter and mail it off today, but I realized that I didn't bring any envelopes! DUH! I guess it's okay if I mail it when I get home.

So I am supposed to hear back within three weeks. So you know I have all my toes and fingers crossed!!

Right now, Im all packed and ready to go for tomorrow. I'm going to leave at 0500 and hopefully be in Amarillo before 11 pm.

You know what else is crazy that I learned? Last year, over 6000 people applied to Meharry, but they still only interviewed about 400 people. If these numbers are the same this year, then they are only interviewing about 6.5% of all applicants! Holy cow! I guess I am special! Yay!

Well, I hope I have good news to post soon! Im going to go to bed soon! Goodnight!

2011-10-20T21:02:00.002-04:00

Not Done But What Else?

Well I spent all day trying to figure out answers to questions. I think I have answers to all the complicated ones and Im pretty sure I can come up with answers to the easier ones. Im so nervous! Of course, TJ's brother and family has to be in town on this stressful day, but maybe its a good distracter.

Anyway, Im going to do laundry, then pack. At least I get to go to the Coach store tomorrow! And I have a coupon! I will make sure I take lots of pictures!

Wish me luck! I will update from the road etc.

XOXO!!

2011-10-19T09:06:00.002-04:00

Sandals

Now I know why everyone in Arizona wears sandals all year. Apparently, my three hours of sunning only helped a little bit. Its not as stark of a difference, as it did a little bit, but its still noticeable. I will try again today. I am just tired of sweating in the sun.

So yesterday I made rajmah beans and rice. Yum! I am always up for a new way to eat beans.

Today Im going to focus on crafting answers to difficult interview questions. I am also going to see if I have time to put together my interview packet.

I guess I better get started!!

2011-10-18T20:38:00.001-04:00

Finished Reading

This book (again):
How to Interview Like a Top MBA: Job-Winning Strategies From Headhunters, Fortune 100 Recruiters, and Career Counselors by Shelly Leanne

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Good book. I knew most of the tips already, but the phrasing of answers was very helpful. Get this book if you need to know how to phrase answers to certain interview questions or how to phrase your resume. This book gives some tips on etiquette, but it is not comprehensive.

View all my reviews

But now it's too late for notes. I will do that tomorrow. I am not sure if I got tanned or burned either. I guess I will see tomorrow. If not, I will just buy the bronzer stick.

I am going to make dinner. Some kind of Indian rice and beans/lentils.

2011-10-18T15:55:00.003-04:00

Need To Tan

So Ive finished figuring out my makeup and clothes. Now I need to tan out my feet. I went to Walgreens to see what kind of magic makeup can be used in case it doesn't work out today. They have some kind of bronzer stick available that I can buy before I leave.

Well, I checked my email and nothing new to report. So I guess it's time to eat and then tan. While I am tanning (or actually, I may have to burn my skin), I will be finishing up reading my MBA interview tactics. Then when I am done burning myself I can work on that.

Fun!

2011-10-18T09:28:00.002-04:00

Nervous Buildup

I was successful in securing a burgundy/crimson shirt that would go with my suit. In fact, I found two of them. One is a traditional button down and the other is more of a tank top. I bought the tank in case it is too hot to wear the long sleeved shirt. I actually found it at Dress Barn and Van Heusen (?). I've never shopped at these stores in my life, but I was desperate. The "real" stores didn't have anything! I got the button down for $20 and the tank for $10. Not bad.

Ive been trying to even out my farmer tan on my feet, but it doesn't seem like Im gaining ground. I'm going to keep trying, but it seems like I have to stay out longer. I don't want to do that because its still hot outside! I guess I will have to. I guess I can make my interview notes while I'm roasting, but if I stay out longer than 20 minutes, I will have to put sunblock on. If I do that, then I will have to be outside for an hour maybe. Maybe I should just burn the skin a bit like I used to do to start my tan. It will turn brown the next day. Hm. The problem is that if it doesn't, then my feet will hurt. BUT I have until Monday to heal. Hmm. I think I will have to try to do that then. This is taking too long and my legs are so much darker than my feet! If not then I have to wear makeup on my feet. Or buy opaque stockings?

Ive also been wearing my heels. Ive figured out how to get them to stop hurting with cotton balls. Im still deciding if I should wear them to the store today. I will have to wear pants so I don't look really stupid.

I also have to begin figuring out my makeup! I don't know how Im going to look yet. I guess I will have to do that when I come back from the store. Then I have to wash my new shirts, iron them, iron my suit, pot my oleanders, work on my interview answers, and pick my makeup and hair. Too much to do! IEE!

Okay it's store time!

2011-10-17T08:53:00.002-04:00

Need An Interview Shirt

Today I am heading for Anthem to find a burgundy shirt to match my suit for the interview. I am very nervous and excited about this! I keep saying "I'm so close!" I really hope this interview works out for me.

I was going over MBA-style interview tactics for my interview. I hope that I will sound polished and coherent. When I come back, I'm going to continue crafting well-versed answers to common difficult interview questions. From what I've read, Meharry asks you things from your personal statement and activities and so on. So, I assume it will be best to "study" my answers and know my application inside and out. I want to have this completed, and possibly recorded before I go so I can listen to it in the car as I drive.

Other than that, there is no new news. No one else has called me for an interview (big surprise). I don't expect to hear anything for a while. Unless it's a rejection. I have a feeling UA-PHX will reject me as well. Im just not sure if it will be before or after the interview.

My application is still pending at AUC. I haven't sent in my background check form yet. I will wait until I hear back from Meharry before I send that in. If they accept me, then I won't have to pay the seat fee for nothing. That would cost $1600.

Well, I pray hard everyday!

2011-10-13T14:45:00.003-04:00

Rejected!

From Tucson! What assholes. I knew they were going to reject me. With their new bullshit out of state policy, I was bound for the round filing cabinet. Here is what they said:

Dear Applicant:

Thank you for your interest in The University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson Campus.

We have been fortunate to attract a large number of highly qualified candidates for our limited number of seats this year. The number of such candidates precludes the ability to invite all applicants to interview. After a complete review of your 2012 AMCAS application, we sincerely regret to inform you that we are unable to consider you further.

We hope that by notifying you of our decision at this time, you will be able to direct your efforts toward those schools where your opportunities are more favorable. We wish you the best of luck with your educational career.

Sincerely,
University of Arizona College of Medicine
Admissions Office
Tucson Campus

Here is what I have to say: F**k you, Tucson! Even if I have to go to Caribbean school, I will make it, and I will smite you. And you know what else? I just may move out of Arizona! Apparently, I'm not needed around here. Well, then I guess some other state will like my tax dollars!

What is most annoying is that only a few years ago, they were taking people with 4 as a subscore on their MCAT. I clearly am much higher than their phony "cutoffs" and only one point lower than their phony "auto-invite." From what I saw on the message boards, people with high MCATs and GPAs were NOT OFFERED interviews. So what is this fake "auto-invite" bullshit? Please Tucson, you can't fool me. You are in so much financial trouble that you will screw over med school hopefuls, your state, your city, and on and on, just so you can keep the lights on. I will gladly graduate from Caribbean school over your school. Too much hypocrisy and bullshit. At least Caribbean schools SAY they are FOR PROFIT!

Now that I am done with my rant, I am back to making cheese.

2011-10-12T12:16:00.002-04:00

Cars Cost Too Much

Sheesh! I thought this month would go easier on my wallet! I was excited that I finished paying up for everything I needed. So I thought it would be a good time to get that hub seal on the Jeep fixed finally. Well, I guess it needs more than a new seal! It needs a new seal, new bearings (and that means it needs to be "machined") and new brake shoes (cuz they are low and have all this axle grease all over them), and more seals (cuz its leaking all over the brakes), and the oil change. It's supposedly going to cost almost $700! Good grief...

So I ain't going to buy anything else this month, except the shirt for my interview, if I find one, and a small camera case at the new Coach store. There is plenty of food in the house, so we will have to make due with whatever we have left. This is because I need the $350 to drive to Nashville and back! At least I can put this charge on my spiffy hotel card and get points for hotel rooms. This card allowed me to get three free nights in Nashville! Neat huh? I'd put it on my Amex, but I may need the rooms soon.

Well, I did buy the Jeep knowing that I was going to keep it and repair it as it got old. So far, I've only had to replace the fuel injector and that was because of the crappy Canadian fuel. Other than that, it's been good!

Today I am going over information about Meharry and coming up with questions to ask. Then I will go over some questions they may ask me. Hopefully, TJ will come home early so he can drive me to get the jeep. I guess his bumper will have to wait, heh heh, whoops! I still feel bad I scratched it, but its nothing serious. It just looks stupid. I'll fix it later! I only allow one big expense a month. My Indian cookbooks will have to wait too, sigh.

I'm sooooo excited about my interview! I really hope I get accepted! This would be most awesome!

2011-10-11T07:59:00.004-04:00

New Stats

I did manage to go to the library and look at their newest MSAR (which was 2009-2010) and look up Meharry. Turns out they interview even less people now! So I actually feel better.

Some Stats (from 2007-2008):

Median MCAT: 25O (8v, 8p, 9b)
Median GPA: 3.4
Median sGPA: 3.2
Resident applications: 231
Resident interviews: 54 (23%)
OOS applications: 4010 (not that it matters, it's a private school)
OOS interviews: 341 (8.5% DANG!)
Total applications (excluding international (Canadian) applicants): 4241
Total interviews: 395
Total interview rate: 9.3% (Double Dang!)
Instate matriculants: 9 (17%)
OOS matriculants: 86 (25% Of course, this is matriculants, not offers. Offers would be higher.)

The thing about Meharry is that you have to REALLY want to be a primary care doc and work with the underserved or minorities or whatnot. That is the only thing that can explain the interview rate. Lucky for me! I expressed that in my essays and I hope that I can convey that again at the interview. If I get accepted, that will truly be a miracle!

So to express my joy at this opportunity, click on the picture of the naan bread to see my "naan bread dance." This is now my "med school interview dance."

In other news, I finally received all of my makeup! So now I have enough makeup to last me through medical school. Hm, you know, I should be wearing my navy heels so they are good and broken in when I wear them for my interview. Oh! And I have to tan my feet! I have a farmer's tan! I guess I have to start that today too. Darn. I guess I will do that after I buy the tofu and stuff. I also have to buy bagels and English muffins. I better make a list.

Im also kind of excited because if I go to Nashville, I may opt for a family medicine residency there because Vanderbilt offers MBAs, as well as UTenn. UT offers MBAs especially for MDs. I've been interested in that program for a while, so I could do that program if I get a residency in Knoxville! Hmm, something to think about! I may mention that at the interview. I wonder if that will help or hurt me?

Okay so Im going to organize some interview stuff and start wearing those shoes! Then buy groceries. Yeah!

2011-10-10T11:31:00.003-04:00

Excited!

I had a great weekend knowing that I actually have an interview! I am flabbergasted, to say the least. I stayed up at night thinking about why they called me for an interview, what does it mean, are they for real, are they just pulling my leg (like Fedex) and aren't really considering me, and do they already want me?

Of course, I also stayed up thinking about how awesome it will be to go to Nashville! I ran out and took the MSAR out of the library (I don't think I can wait until Friday to see the newest one so Im going to drive to the library again today) to try and "decipher" the stats behind my interview. Apparently, Meharry interviews only about 20% of all applicants, and accepts about 23% of interviewees. Those are pretty good statistics! Of course, these facts are from the 2008 - 2009 MSAR. Im going to the library later to look at a newer book.

I will be so excited if they accept me! I will send my deposit back the same day I get the letter. I will consider Fedex Priority Overnight. I will also withdraw from four schools if I am accepted. I won't say which, yet.

Although I have already started my application at AUC, I will wait a bit to send the rest of the information they need (background check, letters, etc.) That way, I can see if Meharry accepts me first. If they do, I will not finish my application at AUC. If they don't, I will continue my application.

So today I have been collecting some common questions at interviews and going over them verbally. I'm going to read up on some med stuff and see how I can apply that to my goals. Then later this week I guess I have to organize my resources and write out my goals, purposes, etc. Then I have to prepare my interview packets. This will have all the info I need to back up my interview stuffs. Yeah!

I've already booked my room in Nashville for three days. I will be there at least the day before so I can practice and get my clothes and hair ready. Then I can relax during my interview. After the interview, I can drive around town and see how much I like it, where I can live etc. Then I will leave the next day.

I really hope I get accepted there! I will faint. Or crap my pants.

Right now I have to buy some food and then go to the library. Then pay some bills? THEN start on my interview stuff. I hope?

All I can say is please Lord let it be so!!!!

2011-10-07T09:32:00.002-04:00

INTERVIEW INVITE AT MEHARRY!!!

OMG!! YESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU LORD!!!!!!
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

2011-10-04T16:59:00.004-04:00

Phone Calls

So I got phone call #2 from AUC today. I couldn't really understand what he was saying, but basically, I'm going to get something in the mail that I have to fill out and send back.

Is this good or bad?

I don't know, but at least I am hearing something from SOMEONE. I feel more like I'm in the "waiting to reject" pile. An acceptance from AUC would be awesome. I would feel a lot better!

Yesterday I made my first batch of naan bread, soy "cheese," soy yogurt, and a loaf of regular bread.

Here is my naan bread

It actually tasted good! I used soy yogurt and soy flour to replace the eggs. Some puffed up a bit too much for my liking, but still tasted good.

I also made soy yogurt from soy milk and cultures from store bought soy yogurt. Its not as thick as real yogurt, so I suppose that is why soy yogurt uses seaweed to thicken it? In any case, the one I made from plain soy milk tastes WAY better than plain soy yogurt.

I also attempted to make a soy cottage cheese, and then pressed it to see what happens. Well, I guess I made tofu. A sweet tofu. Im going to see what I can do with the soy whey. The whey tastes good too!

Right now, I am going to start dinner. I was letting my hands rest from yesterday's work-a-thon. Im also going to curdle my whole milk and make cottage cheese to press into paneer tomorrow.

2011-09-29T08:40:00.002-04:00

More Waitin'

With each passing day, I get more annoyed that I wasted all this money on stupid med school applications that I knew were useless. I may have to hang this over TJ's head for a while. Usually he has good ideas, but this time, he missed the mark. I know it's still September, but interview slots are filled at some schools into January already.

So all I think about is getting into AUC. I hope my math prof sent out the letter. I know that my manager sent it. And my ochem prof will send it tomorrow or something. My bchem will be sent today.

I applied for the May 2012 semester at AUC, and I know that is going to come FAST. I'm actually starting to get nervous. Firstly because I don't know if they will take me and secondly because Im going to be alone. It's kind of scary to think about!

Ugh! Anyway, I havent studied for the GMAT since. I wonder if Im going to restart that soon or wait until I hear back from AUC. Hmm.

Well, here is to another day!

2011-09-27T12:47:00.001-04:00

More Waiting

So here I am at SCC waiting for my ochem prof... I think she forgot about me. She does tend to be late for every meeting I have with her. Well, I hope she comes soon because she only has an hour of office time today.

Sigh....

2011-09-26T10:21:00.002-04:00

Ready To Send!

Well, I finished my application for AUC. I just have to mail it out. Ive already sent a letter to my math prof and my ochem prof. I should meet with her tomorrow. Ive emailed my manager and my bchem prof. Ive already sent transcript requests for all of my schools as well. So I am hoping for the best with AUC since Tucson is just not going to work out.

Well, there is a small chance but who is going to count on that?

Ive applied for the MAY 2012 semester. It will be here before you know it so I am kind of starting to prepare now. If I get accepted, I have so many things to do! Find a shipping crate (plastic preferred), clean out the basement and garage of my mother's house (so I can live and park there when I do my rotations in NY), visit the island to see how to navigate and where to get an apartment, etc. It will be a busy few months. I'm not holding out for UA, so going to AUC is like going to any other out of state school. I also have to talk to the program director at SHC about their residency program. I want to see how she reacts to Caribbean school.

Ive been kind of sad that the reality is Caribbean school. Im really going to miss TJ! We haven't been separated for more than five days since we've met and that was only once! Im really going to have to find the strength to get it together. However, when Im depressed, I study better. So if Im depressed because Im so far away, I should do better in school! Odd, but true.

Well, the plan is to apply to AUC and get accepted. I will put in my deposit and see if I get ANYTHING by that "deadline" in March. Supposedly, if you are not accepted or on a waiting list by some date in March, you are going to be rejected. Many months later, but rejected. So I will know where I stand before I start class at AUC anyway. If by some miracle, I get in here, I will only lose my deposit. But since it's so risky to not apply now, I will lose $1600 for security. And if I don't get in anywhere in the U.S., then I'm already accepted to a med school and I can feel better.

So here's to the future!

2011-09-22T14:56:00.002-04:00

Half Rejected?

Well, Tucson finally decided to tell me:

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your continued interest in the University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson. We are unable to extend an interview invitation to you at this time. Your application is still under consideration and you may be invited for an interview at a later date.

We will notify you with any updates throughout the season.

Sincerely,
Admissions Office
University of Arizona
College of Medicine

Riiiiight. And I crap out flowers every morning. What annoys me the most is that if I would have applied a couple of years earlier, I would have gotten in. Why? Because they only used to take Arizona residents. Now they allow up to 50% of the incoming class to be out of state. You know, it's so they can make money. Do they really believe that allowing out of state students is going to benefit Arizona? They aren't increasing the number of residency slots so everyone is going to go somewhere else.

Well, I have to remain positive. There are still other schools that haven't rejected me. I guess technically, Tucson hasn't rejected me, but what they are saying is that if after they interview everyone and a bunch of those accepted realize they don't want to spend four years in Arizona, then they will consider me. So, I have to remain positive and hope that my AUC application works out.

The other thing is that since I feel slighted by Arizona, do I want to practice here? We'd have to sell the house though. I also don't want to punish my community just because of some stupid school. I would like to pre-match somewhere, but I had thought about applying to a residency in Alaska. I'd have to apply somewhere TJ can transfer to. Maybe I will stay in NY? Not too sure now, but this definitely changes things.

Right now I am going over my AUC application. I am now thinking about starting in May like I originally wanted to. Since I'm practically out of the running at Tucson, what is the point of waiting if I'd have to go out of state anyway? I think TJ will be disappointed if I start in May, but the earlier I start, the faster I come back to the US!

Well, Im going to hope and pray for AUC to come through!

2011-09-21T19:31:00.002-04:00

AUC Essay

I just completed my first draft of my AUC essay. I am going to let TJ read it and see what he says. I am going to schedule an appointment with my ochem prof this Tuesday. Tomorrow I will send my math prof the stuff he needs to send the LOR. I already ordered a copy of all my transcripts to AUC. I also need to get the LORs from the bchem prof and my manager.

I hope this will be my last application. If AUC rejects me, I don't know what then. DO school? I would have to shadow a DO. Well, I guess we will see. The good thing about AUC is that they will let you know if you are accepted/rejected within a month. Now that's turnaround! I was hoping to have heard back from US schools by November, but what it looks like is if I hear back, it's probably for a rejection. I guess that is okay, but I would have wanted to be rejected earlier.

I still haven't heard from Tucson. At least I don't have to go crazy about the GMAT right now. Im aiming for March or April. I need to take it at the last minute to maximize the shelf life of the test. Then I can apply for a program during my fourth year or so. Then start during residency maybe.

Speaking of residency, I need to speak with the representative at SHC about their residency program soon. I want to ask if they pre-match. If they do, I will definitely sign up. Well, not now obviously, but when the time is right. Otherwise I will probably have to do my residency in New York. It's not my first choice but I guess I will have to do it.

Other than that, things are okay. A Coach store is opening up in Arizona finally in October and I am going to be there!! I can't wait. I ordered the new Cascada CD. And I'm making more Indian food since I need to vary dinner from all the soy we eat.

So that's stuff for now. Now I make dinner.

2011-09-19T19:08:00.002-04:00

Nausea And Not Much Else

Well, another day goes by and still no word from any schools. Tucson just started sending out interview invitations yesterday or so. I'm sure if I get one, it will be a long time from now. I really don't think I have a chance with any of these schools.

So today I started on my AUC application. Ive finished making the first draft of the list of work and school. Now I have to fit it on one page somehow. Im also going to order all of my transcripts (again) and have that done by tomorrow. I am also going to meet with my ochem professor about the LOR and giver her the gift Ive been holding for a while now. I think I will meet her either Thursday or next Tuesday. I will also send my math prof a heads up about this LOR and give him the address where to send it. I still have a couple of more LORs, but those are easier to send out.

Ive been nauseous again. Probably because I know Im going to go to the Caribbean (well, Im hoping they take me!) and that means I will be apart from my husband for quite a while! Two years? Four years, if he doesn't transfer! I am not sure Im ready for this, so Im going to apply to the September 2012 semester. That way, we can have plenty of time to adjust. What's funny is that the only school that is close by is Phoenix and I don't really want to go there! Id rather go to Tucson.

Sometimes, I wonder why TJ even bothered to push me into this. I know he claims its because Im always complaining that I have no career and that all my peers are better off, etc., but is there another reason? I wonder sometimes. Not that I think he is trying to get rid of me or anything, but hm.

As of now, I am looking at this whole application process as a very expensive trip to Las Vegas. I will just pretend that I went to Las Vegas and gambled away almost $2000 and won nothing. Although I probably would have had more fun in Vegas than filling out these applications, I have to think of this loss as something remotely useful.

Of course, if I won the lottery or hit it big in Vegas, I wouldn't be talking about med school. Id be talking about my next trip or cruise.

So here's wishing myself luck on my AUC application!

2011-09-15T11:05:00.002-04:00

My New Pet

Ya hear the crunching?

2011-09-14T09:39:00.003-04:00

Stupid Missoni!

Thanks watered-down Italian fashion available at Target! Of course at the very same time I need to shop online at Target, Missoni has to be launching their "affordable" clothing and accessories line at Target literally crashing the website. I was FINALLY able to get on this morning! I'm not trying to buy Missoni, Im trying to buy SNAPWARE plastic storage crap. I am expecting my makeup to be delivered today and I need another storage bin. According to CBS news (at least in NYC), people were lined up outside Target for hours to get these products. Great. Right when I need storage bins, there will be a mob of people. Well, since almost all of the goods have sold out in one day, there may not be many people there after all.

We'll see!

2011-09-13T11:02:00.002-04:00

OW!!

Check out my stupid ant bite/sting

Although I don't think it was a fire ant, it itches like HELL! I was bit on Sunday when I was planting new plants in the yard. I guess he crawled over my shoe (I learned not to wear sandals anymore) and over my sock to get me. What a jerk! It's been two days now and it was much bigger yesterday, so at least it's going down.

All I can say is I hate you, ants!

2011-09-09T17:56:00.004-04:00

Hooray and WTF

Today was a day of polar opposites. It started okay: got up with TJ, make his breakfast, lunch, coffee, etc. Went online for a bit before my stint at SHC. Drive to the hospital back in to a spot and BAM! I backed into the concrete pillar! Oh Lord! I was so mad! I dented the bumper! And no it wasn't the Jeep (the pillar would have been the one dented) it was the ACURA! WAAAAAAHHH!!!!!!

Of course, or maybe luckily, it was super busy at the hospital. It kind of kept me distracted from the terrible thing I had done. I also had a scheduled lunch with a co-volunteer after the shift. I was hoping I wouldn't be too upset when that came around.

As a side note, we ate at Applebees and had this all you can eat soup and salad lunch special. I ordered the French onion soup and some shrimp salad combo and it was good! I was shocked!

Anyway, I felt better by the time I got there and I felt much better by the time I finished my lunch. I guess wounds are less intense after the fifth look. So, I go home and plan my weekend: do I study for the GMAT? Do I finish my application to AUC?

When I got home, I decontaminated myself and played with my makeup a bit to feel better. Then I noticed my phone had a message on it. It was Tucson calling me back about the dual degree! Well I called back and played phone tag once again. Eventually she called me back and told me that I DONT HAVE TO TAKE THE GMAT AT THIS POINT. You know what I said (inside)? WHOO-F#$%ING-HOO!!

And now I await TJ to come home and decide my verdict....

2011-09-08T18:08:00.002-04:00

I Can't Focus

Well today is a waste. I can't stop thinking about the aforementioned problems. I can't study today when I can't stop thinking about my application. I knew I shouldn't have applied to US schools. What a waste of money. TJ told me to! I should have just applied to AUC and been done with it. I guess there is a chance they wouldn't accept me either...

I am also annoyed about this MBA thing. I hate rushing my studies just to take it in October. For what? I wanted to take it in February or something. That's because the scores are only good for five years. And they are changing the test. So, if I take the test as late as possible, I can still use my study books and have five years to apply to b-school. I don't know why I am bothering with trying to take the test in October, just to apply to UA. They didn't even get back to me yet. And as I read, you can apply during your first or second year. I am not sure why they told me to apply now. So confusing. Maybe I should call them? Well, I just left a message. It seems if you call after they are open, no one answers.

Well, Im going to go and be confused now.

2011-09-08T11:53:00.002-04:00

Plans and Bleach

Yesterday I was certainly fed up with all the Kaplan study aids. Today I am going to start on the Official Guides. I think I will start with the quantitative book because that is what I think I need to focus on.

Now the real questions are starting to percolate and I need some answers! The first one is "Why is everyone taking so long to get back to me?" I mean, I thought I would have been rejected by all but Tucson and I thought that I would have had an interview by now. But no. Therefore, I am not sure how useful applying early really is. Phoenix has not extended anything to me yet. Tucson hasn't gotten back to anyone yet so who knows. All of the other schools besides Morehouse have started interviews already, but I have not heard a thing. Yes, I am annoyed and worried. I am both annoyed and worried because I now have to reconsider my plans.

The first thing I have to consider is Caribbean school. I am going to apply soon and now I have to wonder if I should apply for May and risk a last minute acceptance at an American school or do I apply for September and graduate a little later and have a bigger class? I can only pick one semester because it costs $500 to move your accepted semester. I would rather start in May, but starting in September gives me more time to find an apartment and get settled in. If I start in May, I can't bring my cat either, ha!

The second thing to consider is what to do about the MBA. Do I just take the test in October as planned and apply to UA and Quinnipiac? The problem is that I haven't got an interview invite yet and I don't foresee one coming by the first round deadline at UA November 15. I don't want to spend another $100 applying to a school Im not going to go to if Im not accepted by the med portion. If I still take the test (and risk getting a mediocre grade because of the time constraints), should I apply to only Quinnipiac and start on the MBA while Im waiting for med schools to get back to me? The program at Quinnipiac has three starts a year, like AUC. I can start in January, May, and September. If I took the test in October, should I apply to UA and Quinnipiac and just start in May if I don't hear back from UA? Because unless I get accepted to UA, Im 99% going to go to Quinnipiac.

But, and this is a big but, if I start the QU MBA, I would only have a few months to get started on the MBA program and who knows when I would be able to complete the next classes. The reason I do like QU is that as of now, they do not have a time limit. That means I CAN start a class or two, then hold off until later, then finish it. Here is the problem: If Im just going to finish it much, much later, why not just apply much, much later? The dilemma with QU is that they may get rid of the no time limit thing. If I apply to a better school, I would have to go full-time or part-time, no online class. I can't and won't leave a medical job to do an MBA, and I don't know if I could do a part-time class.

I guess I will have to talk to the recruiter again about the time limits and such. I think it would be more advantageous to start the QU MBA in January, but Im not sure that is a good idea. However, if I start in May, I will definitely know if I was accepted to the UA MBA, and most likely the medical school.

Everything is so confusing! I wish I knew what was going on with the medical applications!

Now that I have wasted enough time lamenting all my woes, I need to study!

2011-09-06T20:30:00.002-04:00

Going Up?

So according to Kaplan, Im awesome at the GMAT. I just took their diagnostic quiz, and scored about a 640. HAHAHA! Yeah, Im sure it's over estimating my score. When I took the Kaplan MCAT, I got a 28, but wound up with a 26. So I will say that I will probably get a 600. That isn't bad, I'll take it!

So my worst two topics are data sufficiency and critical reasoning. I get max 2 wrong in the other sections. That is funny because my worst section in verbal originally was sentence correction! Whatever, who knows. All I know is that my verbal section is awesome and I have been getting very few wrong overall. I want to make my math section like that too! Phooey! Well, it seems almost all of my errors are in data sufficiency. My Princeton book offers extra work on that section so I hope it helps.

This diagnostic didn't have essays, but I think I am okay with essays. I will do the essays when I do the full length tests and essay practice separately. Im sure I will do well in that area.

Now that my ass hurts from sitting all day, I shall stand. What I really want to do is play with my makeup. But now I am tired. I actually should get dinner started. It's pretty late. Okay, 'till next time.

2011-09-06T08:21:00.002-04:00

Not Quite

Well here I am getting all crazy about "studying now dammit!" and yet I realize today that given the lazy weekend, I forgot to make bread and buy some things for TJs lunch etc. Now I have chores to do while Im trying to study. Sigh. In any case, I am hoping that I get everything I need (I usually forget something) so I won't be interrupted this week.

I also have to write to my math prof to ask him to get ready to send the LOR to AUC. I am not applying yet, but I will let him know to have it ready. I think I will apply by the end of the month. I am also going to meet with my other professors to have them send a letter as well.

So today is the first day of interviews for Downstate and USU (I think). I haven't heard back from anyone yet. I wonder why they take their sweet ass time rejecting people.

I am also still thinking about my plans to go to a Caribbean school and a non-ranked b-school. I guess it wouldn't make much sense to go to a non-ranked (but accredited) b-school if that was your only school. I think that having the MD in conjunction with a non-ranked MBA is more useful than just a non-ranked MBA. But what the hell do I know? I am only drawing my conclusions because the MD definitely gives you a job. The MBA (especially non-ranked ones) won't. If I am to get the MD, the MBA will only help.

But you know, sometimes I wonder about the whole idea. Im sure most people will say its stupid etc etc. But why? If in the end, you can get to the same place, why not? Well, I am going to do it anyway. No one is going to convince me otherwise.

And now it's back to work. Even if I have to go to an unranked b-school, I want to do well on this GMAT!

2011-09-05T19:46:00.003-04:00

Wasted Weekend

That's it! after today, I have to focus on GMAT! I wasted two days waiting around for TJ's friends to come and go, all to do nothing. Boring! Not to mention a waste of time. Perhaps I am just anti-social, but I don't have much for conversation with anyone. It reminds me of when I would be dragged to my mother's friend's house and had to stay there for hours while I just stared at everyone and the fish tank. UGH!

Its annoying when people think that studying doesn't count for anything.

Anyway, I have improved my GMAT score about 40 points. Is that good? Who knows? Some days I feel that my future at a Caribbean school and an unranked b-school is not as cool, but whats the next option? To try for another three useless years applying to med school here? I don't think I'd get in anyway.

Well, enough complaining. I will play computer games or something.

2011-09-01T19:21:00.001-04:00

Canadians!

They are always searching for that essay prompt "successful politicians are motivated by...." Why is that one popular with them? Who knows.

What I DO know is that I am SUCKING at this Kaplan practice crap. I am scoring between 60% and 80% on the quantitative practice tests. WHAT?! Ugh!!!!!!

There aren't enough "exclamation points" to describe my frustration.

Im not sure about what to do about it. I guess I shouldn't flip out until I take a real GMAT practice test. THEN I will know how crappy Im scoring.

UGH!

2011-08-31T19:37:00.003-04:00

GMAT Barf

Ugh! Studying all day! Well, I think Im ready to take another practice test! Not that I want to, but I think I went over enough math to improve that section. Or maybe I should just do the quizzes on Kaplan first. Yes maybe that is better.

In other news, I am very excited because I get to buy new makeup! My eyeshadow is so freakin old that it doesn't apply correctly anymore. However, I only use creme eyeshadow, and Revlon doesn't make the huge palettes anymore. So Maybelline has a new line of creme eyeshadow and its very nice! Im going to use my Target gift certificate to buy almost all of the colors before they stop making them. I definitely need new eyeshadow!

Well, still no news from med schools! Boo! Oh well. I guess its Caribbean time!

2011-08-30T09:03:00.006-04:00

MCAT Essat Prompts

Click the clouds to download my MCAT essays in MS Word .doc format.

There is also a box on the sidebar called "Files to Download" which contains links to the essays as well as other files Ive posted on this blog. I hope this helps all of you since my strength is apparently not the PS section.

2011-08-29T18:52:00.003-04:00

Focus On The GMAT

Today I finished going over the math knowledge for the GMAT in my Kaplan book. It seems I have the most work to do in probability, moving faster with fractions, rates and percents, memorizing geometric formulas, and to stop screwing up the numbers by reading too fast. I guess when I finish this entry, I can make some flash cards or scan my math books for the topics I need to work on and find examples.

When I finish going over the math, I will take another practice test. I have plenty online and on my Kaplan CD. Then I guess start working on the "real GMAT questions" in my official GMAT book.

I have no idea if I am going to be ready for October testing but Im keeping my fingers crossed!

I still haven't heard back from ANYONE (except Tulane), but Im most annoyed about UA not getting back to me yet. HUMPH! Well, I guess I have nothing to do buy wait!

I guess I better get a snack and get back to work!

2011-08-25T10:00:00.002-04:00

No News, Just Nausea

Everyday this week Ive had nausea. At first, I thought I had contracted that brain eating amoeba since I was near all kinds of warm bodies of water. Although I do not like to swim in lakes and rivers, I was near them. I did put my hand in the Niagara River, but I didn't pick my nose afterwards. Well, either I am going to die tomorrow or I didn't get the amoeba... or I did get it and my body destroyed it. In any case, I was nauseous again this morning and I think that this past month-long road trip has screwed up my sleep schedule so bad that I am nauseous when I wake up. No, I am not pregnant. I could also be nauseous from my monthly visitor, who is making quite a visit. Stupid beeyotch. So as uncomfortable as I am, I have to go to the hospital tomorrow (for volunteering, not death!) even though I probably won't feel that good.

I am also considering compiling my essays as a link on the sidebar. It seems most people come to this page looking for hints on those MCAT essay prompts. I guess I can make the search easier since I have an old Blogger format that makes searches screw up. Expect that link soon.

So other than heartburn, nausea, pain, fatigue, "burning veins", and headache, Im doing great! No interview invites yet.

Today I am going to work on GMAT some more. Then I will look at the application for Eller. I think I have to download a form to give to my recommenders.

2011-08-24T18:30:00.003-04:00

Secondaries Are Complete

No, I am not applying to Harvard. I know that would have been a funny joke but I finished emailing my questions to the Admissions Office. I asked:

"The first is the probability of receiving a secondary. If I applied through AMCAS, do I automatically get a secondary or is there a screening process? Yes

The second question is once I get a secondary and apply for the fee waiver, would I have to pay first, then get a refund or do I apply and then seek approval? You request the fee wavier during the submission of the application."

Well, okay. I guess my first question wasn't specific enough. After searching the "internet," I found that they give everyone a secondary. Do they screen them? Yes apparently they do, but afterwards. But that wasn't the question I was asking. I wanted to know if applicants were screened in order to get one. I guess I really am too stupid for HMS! Don't speak no English!

And the reply about the request fee waiver during submission is a bit fishy. I think it's my original theory: pay first, then they see if they will give you one. Of course I won't get one and then they will reject me anyway. So no thanks! I don't spend money on vagueness!

Other than that, I have no invitations yet. As with HMS, I am also too stupid for an interview. Sigh. Well, I hope AUC takes me! I will get started on that application soon.

Also, Ive been working on the GMAT. Ive also been falling asleep during my studies. I guess I need more coffee. Ugh!

Im beginning to think that I bought all those new clothes for naught...

2011-08-22T19:06:00.002-04:00

Crickets Chirping...

So no word yet from UA-PHX or UA-TUC! I'm beginning to become worried. Well, it is still quite early on. I did get an email from Meharry that I am squared away and I am now being forwarded for review. Well, I hope so!

Yesterday I spent most of the day feeling ill for some reason, but I woke up feeling better today. Yesterday I figured out most of my plans for GMAT studies and the rest of my plan for medical school. So it works like this:

GMAT STUFF:
-Aim to take the GMAT at the end of October for first round consideration (UA due November 15)
-Review math mostly, then essays, then verbal
-Take next GMAT practice test
-Review the test. If the scores are bad, review more.
-If scores are good or finished reviewing, take the GMAT Test #1
-Review as needed
-Alternate test and review as needed until week before test
-Take GMAT #2 the week before the test
-Review as needed until test day

So this will hopefully be accomplished by the end of October. Then, I have to worry about medical school stuff. These things include:

-Apply to AUC in September for May 2012 entry
-Write/Visit my professors to forward LORs to AUC
-Apply to Eller in September, but only if I get an interview from UA-TUC or UA-PHX
-If I don't get an interview from UA, I won't apply to Eller obviously
-I will apply to Quinnipiac after I get accepted to AUC. This will be plan C
-Plan B is get into a different med school/b-school combo
-If I am attending AUC, but I get off a waiting list in the US, I will transfer

Today, I will start on my math studies after I go food shopping. I hope this test goes better for me than the MCAT!

2011-08-21T23:01:00.002-04:00

Enjoy The Silence

Or not. I still haven't heard back from Phoenix! Wow! And here I thought that if you apply early, they interview you early. WRONG! Apply early and they will interview you whenever they want to.

In any case, it is getting close to the time to apply to Caribbean school! I guess I have to write to my teachers to tell them to send off those next set of letters. I'm not sure when I want to start. I was thinking in September or whatnot, but I don't want to be too far behind you know? But if I apply for May, then I may not have all the answers from the schools yet. Hmm. What to do.

Tomorrow I will get back to studying for the GMAT. Ive been putting that off because I was on a month long trip. I will post pictures soon!

So I guess it's back to sulking.

2011-08-18T21:11:00.002-04:00

No Luvin'

Nothing from UA-PHX yet? Bah humbug! Well, I will just keep on waitin'... and waitin'...

I also got an email from USU. Somehow, my application is complete now, even though I had sent that application on JUNE 20, 2011. Huh? I'm so annoyed.

So I guess the new game plan is to stick to the original plan! I will apply to AUC in a few weeks and see how that goes. I can't wait around forever!

2011-08-17T15:39:00.002-04:00

Waitin'

According to MDApplicants.com, UA-PHX has started sending out interview invites! I haven't gotten one yet! I hope it comes soon! I will be mad if I don't get one.

Today I am working on my final secondary, Meharry. I don't think Im actually going to apply to Harvard sooo, I think Im almost done with all my secondaries.

I'm still behind on my GMAT studies. Oh well.

Back to Meharry!

2011-08-15T21:14:00.003-04:00

Secondaries Ending Soon

I finally sent away my Feinberg application! They give you about 400 words for most of the questions so you know that I used up 398 for each, ha! Soon we shall see what they say about my application. I probably won't hear back from them for months.

Anyway, USU already started giving out interview invites. I hadn't gotten one yet. Big surprise. I hadn't heard from any schools yet besides Tulane thus far. I have a feeling that I'm not going to be in the first round of interviews. I think it has to do with my MCAT score. And other things. I think they like the way I write, but they don't like the way I score. At least in the PS section. Oh well. Caribbean time??

So now I am working on my Morehouse and Meharry applications. Im almost done with my Morehouse one! After Meharry, I am finished! Unless I get a fee waiver from Harvard of course! HAHAHAHHAHAAA!!! I am really contemplating calling them up! It's not too late...

In bad news, I am SOOOOOOOO behind on my GMAT studies it is ridiculous. Well, I will try for October, but Im thinking more November. At least I know that I will do well on the verbal and essay sections, I think (?? Well, that is what the Kaplan test said). The application isn't open yet for UA so I don't know what the deadlines are yet. Let me check... nope, it still says entry term fall 2011. Okay I will try again next week.

Okay back to Morehouse!!!

2011-08-05T13:31:00.001-04:00

First Rejection, More Secondaries

Well, my first rejection came in: Tulane! I knew it was a long shot, but I applied because if I got an interview my chances were very good. However, getting to an interview was not likely. They just sent me an email saying how they will not consider my application any further, and that they can't consider all qualified applicants. They didn't specifically tell me why I was rejected, but I think I have an idea. Oh well.

I was also half rejected by USU. They sent me an email saying that they "noticed" my MCAT was below a 28, and that their average was a 31, and that they are wondering when I am going to retake the MCAT. If I don't plan to retake it, I have to send them an email explaining why not. I am not going to retake it. I already wrote that on the AMCAS application. So I sent them an email:

Dear Office of Admissions:

I do not plan to retake the MCAT. I cannot afford to retake physics, biology and chemistry at a university or a community college. I also cannot afford to take an MCAT preparation class. Because of these reasons, I do not feel that retaking the MCAT will place me at an advantage. Statistically, a 26 MCAT score correlates with passing medical school and the USMLE step 1. Furthermore, my subscores in biology and verbal reasoning also correlate with success in medical school. If the Admissions Committee feels that it is too risky to admit an applicant simply because of an MCAT score, I would sincerely hope that the rest of my application will at least be considered before making any final judgments. As my application shows, I would be a good fit and an excellent addition to the military. If the military is looking for diversity and an applicant that understands the needs of women and those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, I am what you are looking for. I would be honored to serve the US military as a physician. Because I am a non-traditional student, please consider my application as a whole as I am more a single MCAT score.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope to hear from you soon.

The next day I got an email saying that they updated my file. Probably to see where to place me in the round filing cabinet. Sigh. I think they already started sending out interview invites. Oh well. If I'm not flat out rejected, they will interview me in April. Well, we'll see!

In some good news, I received a secondary from Meharry! Wow, I hope they aren't just trying to make money. I will start working on those essays soon. I was also approved to complete the secondary at Feinberg.

So the only school I haven't heard from is Morehouse. I wonder if they will ever get back to me. I will write them a scathing letter if they dont, how rude! Anyway, Im glad I wasn't rejected from Hofstra or Downstate... yet.

Well, I guess we'll see what pops up later.

2011-07-27T23:34:00.003-04:00

Phoenix!

A few days ago, I received a letter from Harvard "encouraging" me to apply! HAHAHAHAAAAAAA!!!!

HAHAHAHAAAAAAA!!!!!

What? Are you kidding me? It's sad that they would solicit me just because Im not 100% white. However, they did say that I could get a waiver, but I'd have to call the office. Hmmm.

In any case, I got my secondary from Phoenix on July 25 or so, much later than the out of state people! What the hell! Well, I finished it and send in my payment etc., so I hope I get an interview.

Other than that, it has been quiet on the med school front. Im going to start up again on my GMAT studies and really focus on the math section. I completed the Kaplan book, and I still have stuff online I can do. I also have a Princeton review book to work on and some math review stuff. So for now, Im just focusing on math stuffs.

I hope it all works out for me!!!

2011-07-19T19:17:00.003-04:00

I IZ ASHAMED

OMG! I totally bombed my Kaplan test #1! I can't even post the score, its that dreadful. I will say its over 500...

So now that I know what I am sucking in, I can start preparing! I need to do well on this test! ARGH!!!!

I am totally going to buy more books! like RIGHT NOW!

Oh and here are my essays:

ANALYSIS OF AN ISSUE
Analyze and present your point of view...

"Some people argue that those who do not send their children to public schools should not have to fund these schools through taxes, since neither parents nor children benefit from these schools. They ignore the fact that everyone benefits from the strong economy that a well-educated populace generates."

Which argument do you find more compelling, the case for forcing everyone to fund public schools or the opposing viewpoint? Explain your position using relevant reasons or examples taken from your own experience, observations, or reading."

MY ANSWER:

A well educated society produces productive and prosperous citizens. It is therefore advantageous to the society as a whole to educate the young. For most people, this means that a public education is necessary. Some people will argue that those who send their children to private school should not have to pay taxes to support public education. Unfortunately, without a well educated work force, these same wealthy people would not be able to hire enough employees to run their businesses, manage their money, or take care of their children. It is imperative that every member of society contribute to the education of all children who need it.

In this country, there are people with different socio-economic backgrounds. Some people are wealthy and can afford to send their children to private schools or have private tutors. Other people are not wealthy, some extremely poor, and cannot afford private instruction for their children. These people must rely on their government to provide a minimal education so that they can grow up with at least minimal skills to hold a job. Since the vast majority of this country is not wealthy enough to afford private tutors, the majority of the population send their children to public school. Using allocated tax revenue, public education is available to all families that need it.

There are some tax payers that disagree with the idea of a public education. Some of those that argue this point are those that do not have their children in public school and they themselves have never attended public school. These people feel that since they are not using this system, they should not have to pay for it. This may sound like a compelling argument, however we must look at how a public education does benefit this particular group, and is therefore, using this system.

First, a wealthy family may open a business to make money. Perhaps at first the business is small enough that it can be run by family members. However, once it reaches a certain size, or if the business requires special skills that no one in the family has, they will have to hire outside help. Most of the time, a business will not require that the person they hire come from a background that indicates they attended a private school or had a private tutor. Furthermore, the most capable applicant may not even have such a background. Perhaps the best qualified person is actually someone who was educated at a public school. Hiring this person to produce profits for their business is using the public education system and its products.

Second, if a wealthy person decides to go to a firm that invests money, it is unlikely he will ask if his broker has a private education. If the wealthy person invests in many companies, it is very unlikely that the managers of all those different investments are all privately educated employees. Somewhere in the investment firm there will be workers that have graduated from a public education system. If one of these people happen to be managing the wealthy person’s money and creating profits for him, that wealthy person is utilizing public education.

Thirdly, not every person they come in contact with to provide services for their family will be privately educated. The babysitter may not have had a private tutor. The family doctor may have gone to public school his whole life. The personal trainer may have gone to a continuing education class at a community college. The chef may have started out in public school and made his way to a private school or vice versa. All of the people that the wealthy person who does not want to support public education comes in contact with may very well be products of public education. Because he is benefiting from the products of this type of education, he should have to contribute to public education.

On the surface, many people who have never attended public school may say that they should not have to support such a service. However, if they are indirectly benefiting from the products of public education such as personal services and a larger employee pool, these people should have to contribute to the continuation and support of public education.

*************************************************************************************
ANALYSIS OF ARGUMENT
Provide a critique of the argument below...

The following appeared in the advertising literature of Travelshack.com, an online travel magazine and vacation resort catalogue.

"Your vacation resort can ill afford not to publicize its offerings on Travelshack.com. Our readership has more than doubled in the past year alone and is dominated by savy onsumers with large disposable incomes. Witness the experience of Snowbert Ski Lodge. Since it began advertising itself on our website a year ago, it is regularly booked to capacity and its annual profits have increased more than threefold from the previous year."

Explain how logically persuasive you find this argument. In discussing your viewpoint, analyze the argument's line of reasoning and its use of evidence. Also explain what, if anything, would make the argument more valid and convincing or help you to better evaluate its conclusion.

MY ANSWER:
The job of an advertising company is to have as large as client base as possible who can advertise regularly with the company. To gain a large customer base, the advertising company must convey to the potential customer why their advertising agency is superior. The agency must provide information about who it advertises to, what is the income level of the target audience, and other demographic information. Travelshack.com recently published an ad to gain clientele, but may have missed some important and convincing information in their advertisement.

Travelshack.com claims that it is important for a resort to advertise with them because the website’s readership has more than doubled in the last year. Although this may seem like an impressive statistic, doubling of readership means nothing. It could have only doubled from 100 to 200 readers. It also doesn’t give any information about what these readers do on the website. If Travelshack.com offered percentages of how many of these readers actually purchase vacations, a readership number would be more relevant. The website should also offer statistics on how many readers buy expensive vacations versus only buying vacations when sales are offered, as well as how many readers actually stay on the website for more than three minutes.

The website also claims that their readers have large disposable incomes. However, the website does not offer any aggregated statistics on the incomes of the readers or the resorts that advertise with them. The website tries to back up its claim of large disposable incomes with the increase in business of one ski lodge. Since they do not explain what type of ski lodge this is and the average prices of rooms and amenities at this particular ski lodge, it is not sufficient proof that this website has readers with large disposable incomes.

Furthermore, using only one ski lodge to show that this website is successful at creating business for various resorts is misleading. It may be the case that all the readers of this website are skiers, and a resort in tropical Hawaii may not see the same result. If Travelshack.com wishes to gain a clientele of more than just ski lodges, it should show more information about different types of resorts. It should show that hotels in all locations have shown an increase in bookings after advertising with Travelshack.com. By giving only one success story of Snowbert Ski Lodge, one can not assume that their tropical hotel will have the same success as Snowbert Ski Lodge. In fact, one cannot even assume that the ski lodge’s success is solely attributed to advertising on Travelshack.com. The reader does not know if these resorts advertise on other websites or perhaps there was a sports event this past year hosted at that resort. Unless statistics on other types of resorts are included, this one successful case is not enough to make a sound decision.

Although the advertisement for Travelshack.com may be entirely true, it is not presented in a way that would allow confidence in a decision made by a resort to advertise here. There needs to be more statistical information about the readers of the website such as how long they stay on the website, what they purchase, and what locations they prefer. Offering other information such as what other companies advertise with this agency and how successful they have been is also helpful.

*************************************************************************************
Well there you have it!

Now I must determine why my test sucked so much.