I shadowed a family physician today who has a bilingual practice. It was very scary at first, especially because I was unsure about my french skills and whether I would be able to handle it. But I started with a very nice patient who made it very easy for me to do an interview, and was very patient with my lack of skills and knowledge.

One of the best parts of the morning was that I was starting to understand what was going on! They would order tests, and I would know what some of them did; we did physical exams and I partly knew what to do (with a lot of coaching); history taking was a bit scattered, but I got all of the points down.

Maybe not a doctor yet- not even close- but a little closer than before.

My word of the day: scrofula. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

I'm back from BC and a weekend of very good times. Thursday night I dashed home from school, packed in a panicked frenzy, and then took off for the airport with my Dad and Alexis. WE got into Vancouver at about 9 pm and then rented a car and took the infamous "sea-to-sky" highway in the dark up to Whistler. Along the way we saw the memorial where 7 people were killed last week. We got to our condo- which in fact belonged to my Uncle from Australia. HIs son (my cousin) Nick and his friend Stewart were staying there for a month, and so the five of us went out for dinner at some random ski-ish place.

Whistler is a lot like Banff, except bigger. There are a lot of bars, stores withy ski-gear, fancy and not -so-fancy restaurants...there are also a lot of Australians and English lifties. The best part about Whistler (as compared to Banff) is that all of the accomidation is essentially RIGHT ON THE HILL and so we would get up, walk out of the hotel door, and head up the Gondola. It was pretty sweet- no 45 minute drive!

Friday skiing was amazing- sunny, warm (like +9 at the base) but the snow conditions were good. I've never skiied where I wasn't cold all the time- I could go without a neck warmer and at the end of my runs I had to undo my jacket because I was so hot.

I'm getting to be better at my turns- i wish i had some way of looking at my form so I could see what i need to do better. I really love doing mogul runs, but i look super ugly coming down the hill- some of them were right under the chair lift and I was so embarressed with my form...oh well more practice is needed.

Friday night we all went hot tubbing and rented some shitty Antonio Banderas movie.. saturday was another good day of skiing despite some clouds. At night Nick, Stu, Lex and I went out to the night-spot of Whistler- Garfunkels. It was pretty fun- I love parying with Australians, even if they are my 19 year old cousin and his friend- but the bar was a huge meat market. This was first amusing, and then annoying.

I've never skiied with a hangover before. It was an interesting experience. It may have improved my performance- Sunday was some of the better skiing of the weekend.

After our ski SUnday we drove into Whistler and got the full day-time view of the BC coast, and then we had fantastic sushi dinner and walked around Robson street. It was really warm out, but raining.

We checked into a hotel really close to the airport and spent the night. This morning Lex and I woke up at 5am and flew home- my dad is having his own little adventure on Vancouver island and will be home Wednesday.

All in all, excellent ski trip. I might have to try to get out again this winter.

Also I went out for drinks yesterday with Jam and she was telling me that her house has a ghost in it. I'm not normally scared of stuff like that, but her story freaked me right out. She is a brave, brave woman to live in a house infested with ghosts.

My friend John just returned from Morocco and was describing some of the adventures on his blog...,

"Remember the inanimate carbon rod from the Simpson's "Deep Space Homer" Episode? One bus in Morocco used this exact rod based system to keep the back door closed."

Funniest post ever, mostly because I love that episode...

"hey what is that? Its an inanimate carbon rod! " And then they have a parade.

Its Tuesday night and I'm feeling very...something. Bored? Lonely? I'm not sure, something- needing a change. Thank goodness I'm going to Whistler this weekend.

I got my block 2 exam back and i kicked some ass! (Well, if you consider 82% to have kicked ass- which I never would have before this point)...
Yesterday I went out for my friend's birthday and then to a house party-the problem with being in medicine (and I'm not saying this in regard to myself, but some other people who got trashed)... is that everytime you do anything stupid you have people turning to eachother and whispering under their breaths..." that guy is going to be a doctor?"

Stupid medicine- the judgement extends into house parties.

We have spent many hours with our cadavers this week- it is cool but very smelly. My clothes and hair stink for hours afterwards. Our cadaver died of lung cancer- opening her up was disgusting. I never realized how much cancer could be in someone's body by the time they died. Basically her entire respiratory system was covered with hard little lumps of cancer, and one of her lungs had dissolved into a pile of goo. It has sworn me off of smoking, smoke-related products, second-hand smoke- campfire smoke...