toastedkelp's Virology quote post inspired me...to procrastinate a little more. Which isn't the best idea ever, since I still have yet to look at the hepatitis and antiviral lectures for the first time. Oh well! I managed to get a few quotes myself, even though I went to class about three times, total. Dr. Dermody was always good for a few gems.

"We're going to go back to biochemistry. You might need to put a seatbelt on." -Dermody

"There are plenty of great seats down here in the front! Two whole rows! No?? ..Okay." -Dermody

"Ah yes, it decreases entropy! It's like the opposite of children." -Dermody

" 'Cuz if it's not alive, then it's dead."- John S.

"You might know somebody like that. Always confident, always confident... sometimes right." -Dermody

"Bacterial colds: do they exist? (no response from the class) This is a closed-ended question." -Dermody

On viral transmission: "Think about that, people. Fecal...oral. Ewww." -Rotavirus guy

Later: "Vomit-oral! That's even worse!!"

"Cytomegalovirus means BIG OL' CELLS." -Dermody

"This is the paper by Epstein, Achong and Barr describing the virus. And what do we learn from Achong? Do not be the author in the middle." -Dermody

"Honest to God, we've got lymphocytes in us with antibodies to sheep red blood cells. WHO WOULD KNOW THAT??" -Dermody

I just had the worst dream EVER. I may never sleep again.

( Under a cut for the faint of heart. )

Goals for today:

Learn all the antibiotics
Put the finishing touches on my answers to the Top 10 questions
Review the unit's first three lectures, which I haven't looked at since we had them
Review the concepts we covered in Topics (strep and TB are important, right?)
Review the question bank
Look at all the clinical vignettes
Review all the toxins/virulence factors
Avoid flying squirrels.



Epidemic typhus...has caused more deaths than all the wars in history. In the U.S. the main reservoir [of R. prowazekii] is flying squirrels. -M&I Lecture 36, "Intracellular Microbes"

Every time I experience the slightest bit of eye irritation, I'm convinced that I have a Pseudomonas infection. Thank you, Micro.

Immunology lecture today was a review of stuff I should really really study before the exam next Friday. But it also involved the professor randomly throwing stuffed critters out into the class. Perhaps the best part was at the end of the lecture, when he asked for the critters back and got pelted.

Today was my first afternoon at my second preceptorship, pediatric cardiology. It was cool, and more laid back than the gastro clinic. I'm glad, because while I need to prepare for third year, I'm not quite ready to subject myself to that much pimping. If asked, I might've been able to come up with the four conditions of Tetralogy of Fallot, but only if I thought and thought and thought about it. But the doctor spent most of the time showing me things and explaining things, not asking questions. I spent most of the time wondering where exactly the heart was on the echocardiograms. Something that gets better with practice, I guess. Ooh, and I got to use my stethoscope on patients for the first time! I "heard" murmurs caused by aortic insufficiency, VSD, and something else that I forget right now. "Heard" is in quotes because the sounds were in my ears, but it all sounded the same to me. Another thing that comes with practice.

Kind of related to my complete lack of knowledge, I was struck by the level of completely undeserved trust and respect I get because of that stupid white coat. Parents let me, a total stranger, poke and prod their small sick children, and then thanked me when I was done being clumsy and ineffectual. They thanked me. Something is very, very wrong with that. Right?