11 days

until I take my Step 1 exam. I have been studying for about 14-16 hours a day since April 15. Tomorrow is my birthday and I will be likely studying most of the day away as well. Right now, I go to bed at 5am and my exam starts at 7am on the 7th. So I have to somehow change it around so I'm waking up at 5am. Wish me luck.

Also, did you know that if you take someone and dunk them face first into cold water, all of their peripheral blood supply clamps down so there is more flow to the brain, heart, and other vital structures? This is the same exact reflex that marine mammals use when they dive deep into the ocean. Pretty cool evolutionary remnant, huh? One of my favorite teachers here, who actually sounds a lot like the "mmmkay" guy from South Park, is an emergency medicine doctor and was trying to save a patient who was losing his blood supply by dunking his face over and over into an ice bucket. Talk about thinking on your toes.

Another fun fact: if you were to die drowning, it would be better to do it in fresh water rather than salt water. In fresh water, when you finally breathe in the liquid into your lung, the fact that there is no salt in the water makes all of your red blood cells explode. The contents inside the red blood cells puts your heart in an arrhythmia and you basically die quickly from your heart not doing its job. On the other hand, in salt water, your red blood cells are fine and you simply breathe in the liquid and have to wait until your brain runs out of oxygen.

Upcoming adventures

In two months I will be on the wards. I'll basically be riding the curtails of established doctors, vying to take part in something productive, all the while being completely sleep deprived. Check here for more updates.

For now, I'm studying like a madman for USMLE step 1, the first certification exam to become a doctor.

Back to wrestling the lion in the den.