Today Alana and I did norebang and I really REALLY wish we had taken pictures because it was one of the most fun nights ever. I looked around on Google and got the experience in cartoon form:

You get your own room and a karaoke machine and get to sing a variety of top 40 hits and korean songs very loudly. Our repetoire tonight included

- Under the Sea

- Barbie Girl

- Roxette

- New Kids on the Block

- and many more

Now that I know this sort of thing exists in Winnipeg I'm going to be dragging many people there.

This weekend we went to the Harvest Moon festival in Clearwater, Manitoba. Where is Clearwater? We're still not too sure. After 2 and a half hours in the car and several wrong turns (involving us being led back to Notre Dame!) we finally made it. And I finally got to see Sarah spin!

On the way back, we continued to be lost as we explored the Pembina Valley.

Here we are checking out the windmills:

The Carms match has opened. Let the hyperventilation begin.

I can't feel my legs...

In this, the start of my final year of med school (and almost out of the woods), I would like to address some of the past myths and fallicies that were passed onto me by previous medschoolers, premeds, my parents, and other such people. These were the myths that had terrified me during my premed days.

1- Myth: med school is ridiculously, stupifyingly hard. You will always be struggling to barely make the grade.

Fact: Okay, its a bit hard. I can see why they do all that screening, but the fact is, that the information is taught, and then reinforced, and then reinforced again. We learn concepts by reading, through lectures, through small groups, through fake-clinical scenarios, through real clinical scenarios, and through tests. After all that repetition you're bound to retain something. And while I may not be an expert on positive pressure ventilation the way I WANT to yet, I sure can treat acute COPD exasterbation. Who would have thought that I would be confident about THAT 4 years ago??

2- Myth: Med school will suck up all your time until you are an out of shape, anemic puffball who cowers at the sight of sunlight and who spends all their freetime getting to know the library better.

Fact: Okay, I spend a lot of time studying. But its not, like, my LIFE. I have lots of time for other interests, YES even THIS PAST year, my 3rd year, the one known to be the time sucker. Sometimes I have to study on Saturday, but not every Saturday, and not all the time.

3- Myth: Relationships are impossible to start or maintain during med school. If you're not attached when you start, kiss your hope of ever meeting anyone goodbye and settle in for a life with your cats.

Fact: well I HOPE this isn't true!! Lots and lots of people in my class have started dating people, have gotten serious with people, even married people they met while in med school. I guess I don't go to the bar every night, but really, would you want to meet your next date at Coyotes??

4- Med students are nerds who can't relate to normal people.

Fact: Maybe this is true. I'm trying hard for it not to be. I know that sometimes people don't get that I really find myelodysplasia really, really interesting, and sometimes I'll leave a patient's room kind of psyched that they demonstrated an interesting clinical finding. But I'm trying hard to balance that with the compassion for my patients and understanding into their lives that I wanted to have when I started med school.

So those are my myths and facts. Don't worry future med students! You're in for a good time!

Andrea sent me a birthday greeting:
Isn't it cute??

Alana is back!!! Finally after a year of being away in Korea, she's back in Canada for a month. Let the bad tennis games and Goldeyes's watching begin.

And I turned 27 yesterday. I'm very old. Its a bit scary.