The end of 2nd semester

This week was the end of 2nd semester. I had 4 finals - one each day this week. What a week! Having been out of the undergrad schedule of finals, this was a lot for me! 1 was completely accumulative - Microbiology. This required knowing the organism, what it looks like, all the diseases or problems it can cause, and how you would test for it in the lab.

2 of them were semi-accumulative: Neonatology and the Physiology/Biochem class.

Neonatology consisted of 2 exams for the entire semester. I had a TON of slides to memorize but it was more than that. The exams were more application, which is good but hard to study for. For example, a 36 week gestation baby is born with X vital signs (Blood pressure, pulse, respirations, etc.). The mom has a history of X and had X complications in pregnancy. The baby is now having trouble breathing - what do you think the problem is or what kinds of tests would you order?

Physiology and Biochem was the class I was most concerned about but it went really well. The exam is all write in/short answer. Sometimes it is hard to know what the prof wants because the questions are a little too vague.

The last exam was in Women's Health and that one went well too. It was just a regular exam but after a week of studying for other exams, my brain was just shot! :-) I needed sleep and my brain needed a break! It is hard to keep cramming information into an overflowing brain. I have never been so ready for a break than right now.

Wednesday night (the night before my Women's Health exam), I took part of the night off to go to my campus Bible Study where we read the Christmas story. We each had a part to read. I hadn't done that in a long time and it was a lot of fun! It is easy to lose the Christmas spirit when there is so much going on in the season. I am thankful for all this time off before Christmas to "get in the mood" and prepare (mentally) to celebrate the birth of Christ.

Now I have a little over 3 weeks until I have to be back so I am visiting my grandparents. It is nice to be away from school, relax, sleep in, and hang out with my grandparents. Being so busy throughout the school year, I have very limited chances to see them.

Right before finals

2 Corinthians 12: 7-10 - 7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

This is a great passage to reflect this semester. God has definitely been refining me over and over this semester - and sometimes it hurts. I have felt very weak and incapable this semester but God is my strength. School is quite challenging and when you are used to having your hard work pay off with really good grades and accolades, it is quite humbling (and feels a little painful) to not have that anymore.

I will say that I am encouraged by how much I am learning. This last week I had to do a physical exam on a practice patient in 45 minutes, including 187 steps! I got really good feedback that my technique is really good which is what really counts. I can learn all the textbook stuff and still not be a good PA. Skill is what matters - and bedside manner :-)

We got our schedule for Spring and it looks like a lot of time with patients which I am looking forward to. I have realized I am not a career student - I am ready to be out in the real world, working with patients and not just filling my mind with knowledge. I desire to learn so I can be a better PA, not just to know random facts.

By Thursday, I will have 2 semesters down....one step at a time.