Actually, the new academic year started 2 months ago, 2 modules ago. But it’s always a good time for a bulleted list!

#1: exercise and diet

• We are harpooned on a daily basis about the evils of obesity, how it is a risk factor for nearly every health problem — heart disease, cancers, pulm problems, even gynecomastia for men. The demands of school make it easy to slump into an inactive lifestyle. Lucky for me, I have these daily reminders from lecture instilling fear in my heart, and super health-conscious classmates to set an example. I would be bet that we have a much higher prevalence of triathlon athletes at Emory Med than in the general population. I, on the other hand…am not a good swimmer. Let’s just leave it at that. My goal is more modest (350 cal/day x 20 days/mo = 7000 cal/mo, @ 3500 cal/lb = 2 lbs/mo — see, we learn things)

#2: Get involved in research

• I feel that this is where you can make the most impact in the # of people you can help if you come up with something good. Learning about the history of insulin and Exenatide last module was pretty inspiring.  Ideally the research should have something to do with the field I decide to go into, but that is also a mystery. Module-wise, I liked GI and Endo. This year I am taking my elective in E.M. Also, I think it’s pretty cool when the Pathologist explains the autopsy on CSI… The real nuts and bolts will come down to rotations. I am definitely looking forward to seeing how things work in the real world.

#3: Save up for that tricked out stethoscope

• No, I have no C.O.I.’s , no secret deals with the stethoscope makers. What I do have earwax or something (perhaps a not-colorful-enough imagination), that make it difficult to hear soft sounds. Anyways, it would be nice to have one so I don’t miss out on the wards.

And finally…

#4: Design a line of professional clothing that is machine wash/tumble dry-friendly

• What is this hand wash cold, inside out, upside down, lay flat to dry nonsense? With all my recently acquired ‘clinical attire’, laundry has become complicated. And I should know–my people have been running laundromats in this country for centuries. Zing! Jokes aside, this is a serious problem.

Atlanta restaurant week back in August.

I still think that if you open me up you’ll find nothing but fairy dust. But can you believe that there are a bajillion muscles in the feet, and a gazillion nerves in the neck? We all started anatomy around Thanksgiving, and had our first Block (module/anatomy) exam before Christmas break. So while Anatomy takes up a lot of time and doubles the workload, it is fun. Most people will agree on this. First of all, it is a very collaborative course. We work through every 3^rd dissection with our partner, and then teach the other people in our group (6 people per group, split into 3 teams of 2). Secondly, there are the the anatomy urban legends — “and when she woke up, beside her head on her Egyptian cotton pillow was…a piece of fascia!” (true story, just ask Sheila J).

Because we don’t know her actual name, my group has affectionately nicknamed our donor body “Agatha”. I like to wonder about her. What kind of person was she? What made her decide to donate her body? At Emory, before we started Anatomy, we were given stern lectures about how to treat the bodies with respect. We even have a lab reverend to help us with any ethical or religious issues. Knowing all this, about how the bodies are in good hands, I still don’t know if I could ever donate mine. It is a serious decision. It’s got to be one of the most generous things you can do — for your children (who would not have to pay for cremation services), for science, and for mankind in general.

I wish there was a way (a non-creepy way) the donors can talk to us — to make it clear what exactly they want us to do with the knowledge we gain from their bodies. There was probably some specific, outstanding reason as to why ‘Agatha’ would take the huge risk of relinquishing control over what happens to her body to the unskilled hands of fumbling, scalpel wielding strangers (that’s us, btw). Perhaps she wanted us to find a cure for lymphoma. But we don’t know for sure. In the end, there is only an unspoken trust that because of her sacrifice, we will become more skilled physicians who will do everything we can for our patients when the time comes. So I guess even though that’s not a direct line to the netherworld, it’s pretty cool, too.

So that’s it for now for school stuff. Christmas break was FANTASTIC. I was very happy to slum at home in Baltimore for a week. Christmas break at the Lu’s — let me paint you a picture: The scene is in the living room. My mom is on the recliner– with her laptop; my dad is on the other chair — with his laptop; I am on the sofa — with my laptop. My parents are both very busy people. Since my mom is now taking classes as well as working full time, when I call home she is always the one saying “Oh, I’m so busy I have to write a paper and study for a test”. It’s a pretty funny role-reversal. Over break, I also did quite a bit of shopping, eating out, and going to church with the parents. Since there are only 3 of us in my family, we spend major holidays at the church potluck with other small families (which are more festive if you can imagine than the aforementioned scene described above). I spent the second week of Christmas Break in South Carolina — also a fantastic, relaxing time. So, Happy 2009 everybody!

My mom, wrapping up food to take to the Christmas potluck

Dear Everybody, I am Teng–very happy to be your blogger.

(That’s me in purple on the right)

When I was applying for medical school, I read some student blogs to get a feel for what life is like as a med. student, so I hope that someone will find this helpful. Feel free to think of me as your Valerie, passing on wisdoms on toilet paper that inspire you with purpose as you toil away in applications. Know that even though I do not know you, with all my heart, I love you…
(V for Vendetta…anyone?)

Introductions:

You will be asked ‘officially’ introduce yourself many times in the first few weeks of medical school, to your small group, society, and to any member of the administration who has just met you and wants to be your buddy. At your Emory interview you probably have to do this in a circle with the other interviewees. My blurb would go something like this:

1 Personal background — I claim to be from Baltimore, even though I have spent very little time there. Baltimore is just where my parents live now. I actually spent the first 9 years of my life in Xi’an, China, where up till the 3rd grade I sat with my hands behind my back in class, suffered some physically abusive teachers, and learned about Mao. And Math. Just kidding…kind of. Anyways the rest of my childhood was spent in Clemson, SC, with a brief stint in Vancouver, Canada.

2 Educational background — I attended college at Clemson University. I majored in Biochemistry, did research, some service, etc., tied it up in 3 years and went off to Bethesda, MD and did the NIH Post-Bacc. IRTA.

Looking back, I would advise against graduating early. Live it up. Hang out with your friends. Double major. Read some fiction. Take a class in Aesthetics or Slavic languages. College is great.

I would advise taking a couple of years off after college before medical school. Doing research full-time after college helped me realize that medical school was really the place I wanted to go (instead of grad. school). Even though I loved my project, I wanted to know how everything in the human body worked together instead of just focusing on one pathway. Also, I wanted patient interaction and to see the fruits of biomedical research applied at the patient’s bedside. And research is just one option. The point is to take some time for yourself so you can start medical school rejuvenated and excited about learning again.

3 Why Emory? – You’ll definitely be asked this at your interview, so be prepared. For one, Atlanta is great. It’s only starting to get chilly here so that means more pool time per year. There are many concerts and shows. So far I’ve been able to see Wicked at the Fox Theater and Maroon 5/Counting Crows in concert. There are always events at the High Museum. In sports this is home of the Braves, and UGA football seems to be a big thing amongst my classmates. So there you go.

Emory itself is amazing, too. Great building, great people, great research, great education. You’ll hear more about my experiences in the SOM as this blog thing gets going.

Your blurbs I’m sure will be infinitely more interesting. Maybe some of you will even work in a joke or political reference. Take the other people in my class for example: there’s a skier, several people who did Peace Corps, an opera singer, and someone who biked across the continental US. I don’t remember who did what after that first week when we all introduced ourselves, but the point is that they’re all here. Just ask around when you’re here and everyone will have a good story to tell.