Testy Tuesdays

Immediately after I woke up, I felt an itching sensation all over my legs. Although the anti-itch cream I applied last night gave me some relief, no cream lasts forever. Since proctor night was tonight, I planned on making a trip to CVS Pharmacy for my own batch of creams and sprays. I seem to be the only student at VSA experiencing this extreme a case of bug bites. I'm hoping this passes just as fast as it came. And with my fair share of bites, I needed my own set for personal use.

For those of us who stayed inside the classroom for the first half of today, we watched an episode of "Grey's Anatomy", "Scrubs", and "Private Practice." While watching, we took notes on what we found to be unrealistic and realistic, and ethical issues that were prevalent. In all three TV shows, there was no clear cut line between business and pleasure. Because it's made for entertainment purposes, I didn't expect it to realistically depict the life of a doctor in any way. In addition, I noticed a couple unrealistic actions done by the doctors, one because of the BLS class I recently took. Of all three, I enjoyed "Grey's Anatomy" the most. In particular, I liked the way Dr. Bailey in which she taught George O'Malley that day. Although his patient was presumed dead before reaching the hospital, Dr. Bailey had George do everything that could save his patient's life. It didn't occur to him why Dr. Bailey had him perform these procedures until his patient's family arrived. And right before he came to talk to them, he realized that they do anything possible so that they can say they did everything in their power to save their patients' lives. I appreciated that aspect being shown because it's something that makes medicine appeal to me as a possible career path.

The second half of class dealt with a technique used in medical schools like Vanderbilt University Medical Center, TBL, short for Team Based Learning. There are three phases: Pre-reading, the Readiness Assessment Process, and Application. Based on the notes we read yesterday, we were first given an individual readiness test. From there, we got into groups where all of us were to come to a consensus. After both tests, all three teams could get instructor feedback if needed. With the third phase, we were given another sheet with a fictional scenario based on our knowledge of the lecture notes. Jon didn't expect any of us did get over 50% on our readiness assessment tests. While some did, some didn't. Some of its terminology was a little hard to follow. But the more we discussed, the more I understood the coronary heart disease and its treatment. TBL slightly reminds me of Socratic seminars I've participated in my Speech and Debate Team. It makes learning more interactive than lectured based lessons. I may not have had all the answers, but at least I know the answers on a deeper level.

Luckily, my left wrist was no longer throbbing. And by the end of class, it didn't throb as much as the first day. During my Arete, I was paired up with Thomas. We learned a couple finger techniques when getting strangled or getting grabbed by. Without this class, I probably wouldn't have the skills to properly defend myself. Although it may be slightly rough, I'm acquiring a skill set I can use for the rest of my life when in danger. My instructors make sure that each pair in the class is correctly performing each technique. It reassures all of us that we aren't just haphazardly going through each move.

Alex and I before heading off to Cabana for dinner.

Since it was proctor night, not a single VSA student had dinner at the Commons. Instead, each group had their own set of plans for the night. My proctor group decided to eat at Cabana. I decided to share a couple appetizers and two pizzas with Alex and Amber. We decided on having calamari and chicken enchiladas as our small dishes(appetizers) and a blanco and margherita pizza as our main dishes. All three of us had more than enough food to share. I was more than satisfied by the portions and quality of each dish. After dinner, we made a quick trip to CVS Pharmacy to buy a couple snacks for our movie, "She's the Man." While buying popcorn for later, I also bought Benadryl's anti-itch cream and OFF! Deep Woods insect repellent. In doing so, I'm hoping that they each do their job. I'm not taking any chance of having more bugs feasting off of me.  

I loved every second of proctor night. With such diversity, it's crazy how all of us gravitate towards one another. Outside of proctor meetings, most of us somehow find each other during meal times or during free time. Since I have no class with anyone from my group, it's great when I do get the chance to catch up with any of them during the day. And in a span of a week, all of us have grown to be good friends. Rather than be afraid at the thought of meeting new people, it should be enticing and exciting. After all, people don't bite, bugs do.

Cabana for proctor night with my proctor group!