Histology Final Exam

The last days have held nothing but good weather, hence the long trip with the boat both north and south of the west coast. However, we didn't have to travel far - the very best spots are close to the harbour.

The jet ski have been a steady companion and together with the newly imported GoPro HD camera mountable on pretty much any solid surface I've snapped some rather amazing photos and videos - videos that are to be retouched and edited into a neat film later when the weather is getting worse.
As promised, I will give a recap on my preparation of the final exam from histology.
Straight after anatomy I booked histology in the end of June. However, as I finished anatomy the relief took over and the motivation of studying was completely absent. I took almost a week off, spending time with Kristýna and fixing in the apartment. The fact that Kristýna wouldn’t be done with school until the end of July, due to internships, made me rearrange my plan. One day before the deadline I cancelled the term in June. My plan was that, since I would stay in Prague until August anyway I might take the time to study properly.

Rushing things are never good, but after the event I think it was a bad choice.
As I previously posted, there was quite an unfortunate issue with the sign up system and I did not get a term. I could blame it on the system, but I’d rather be honest and say that it was my bad from the beginning to cancel the first term. However, more students were struck by the lack of slots in the July term and together we managed to open up more slots.
I now spent almost 4 weeks of studying the histology with increasing intensity towards the end. It was very difficult to sit inside studying when the sun was shining, knowing that I could have been done already. Kristýna was a huge support, kicking my ass to study and took me places to rest my head in between.

The histology questions are divided into three categories; cytology, systemic histology and embryology. I finished off the first part during the first half of the second week of repetition. It took me way more time than I had anticipated. My plan was to finish the systemic histology in the next week and leave one week for embryology. I was told that embryology was manageable in one week but since I didn’t really keep up during the lessons it would prove to be a lot tougher. The systemic histology took a bit longer as well, and in the end I had only 5 days for embryology.

Drawings are essential for embryology in order to understand the developmental steps which are rather complex. There are different books to study from and I recommend one that is well illustrated.
The day before the exam was like every other day before an exam, freaking out feeling like a complete idiot with no knowledge stuck in the head whatsoever. My exam was scheduled at Friday and my flight to Sweden the very same day. I knew it would be stressful so I contacted the histology department in order to change it to Thursday. It was a bit of a problem but after much doubt they agreed and let me in to the exam – as the first student. I got Prof. Kucera, a young professor who I had no contact with earlier, since he was not holding any seminars.

The exam is held in two parts, first the oral examination and then a practical microscopical examination from three slide preparations. The oral part contains one question from each chapter, as mentioned earlier; cytology and general histology, systemic histology and embryology. My three questions were:

-          Blood Smear, preparation and interpretation.

-          Islets of Langerhans

-          Development of the Heart

Really nice questions, indeed. However, I had quite a hard time at the exam. I didn’t know the questions as well as I’d hoped.
It was a success after all, and I could finally finish the first year.
Now a lot of preparation must be made for the upcoming second year. But first, vacation.

Early dive into the cold

I woke up from the neighbour boat playing a fanfare on his horn at 7 o clock, or more accurately ten to seven. I didn't mind since I being here for only a couple of days have brought me back to my early habits and schedule that I used to follow before going to Uni.
   Yesterday's intense jet ski ride with Kristina "at the helm" took the leg power out of me since her only mission seemed to be to try to throw me off - she almost succeeded - and in the evening I fell asleep at the deck with our dog lying at my arms.

I am aware that I drift off far from posting anything that is even remotely related to school, although, in one way it surely is. Getting to rest in between the heavy studies are a key to success, if one is to believe Kristyna. When I packed my anatomy and genetics books with me she look at me with an evil look. The books still ended up in my backpack but I haven't yet opened them.
   I am very happy that I passed the last exam right before leaving, having to leave with it undone or uncompleted would result in feeling obliged to go back to finish it and I would not have the vacation that I now can have. My mind still drifts off towards school, however, they are thoughts of satisfaction and eagerness, to see what the second year will have to offer and what challenges it presents that must be conquered.
   There is a possibility to demonstrate during the first year student's winter dissection and I will do my best to pass the test and hopefully out rule the competition. The interest for the demonstrating slots are changing every year but I believe that more students start to see it as the great way to repeat anatomy, which actually is the core in medicine. However, the test to sort out the non prepared (after all you have to teach it) is different from the test seen in the first year anatomy. The slides one has to label are not taken from painters in atlases or computer graphics, they are rather photographs from the actual dissected body and if the rumors are corresponding to reality it ought to be quite the challenge.
   Another goal of mine is to help with the guidance at the first year's enrollment. I very much appreciated the system where guides from the upper years showed us around the vast campus in town and gave us pretty much all the information we needed in order begin the year with the question marks straightened out to exclamation marks.
   Ever since the military service, where I voluntarily took the position as responsible for the safety and working environmental issues at platoon level, I have began to see that doing something else on the side and to actually get involved in questions that are important to others (may it be the guy next to you in the trench or the colleague next to you in the school bench) is a rather appealing way to satisfy ones need of feeling important with out being egoistic. As you might have understood I enjoy sharing of, not just thoughts, but experiences and information - a personal need of, for me, great importance.
   This brings me to a third route. There is a scandinavian, or purely Swedish (this I do not know for sure since I haven't had time to look into it until now), group of people from all the faculties that engage issues and questions about the return of graduated doctors to their home countries.  Questions like these might be raised later even for me, although I have no idea what the future might bring, and I find issues regarding the Swedish system very interesting. It might seem early, but when they asked for persons to represent the first faculty, which surprisingly seems to be absent, I began thinking about joining in to see what it is actually all about.

I'm now sitting the the cabin of the family boat writing this (surprisingly fast) from my dad's iPad which I, not only hate to admit, but actually find really convenient. I'm not much for fruit and electronic hybrids - even if it seems they actually are resistant to worms...

It seems like the amazing weather will stay so today brings more jet ski, fishing and tomorrow we will travel north to other rocky locations in the West coast archipelago...
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Posted at the deep blue, via iPad

Jet Ski, Fishing and 20 sec Sunset

Today passed by almost too quickly, however, we got a lot done.
We slept at the mothership and woke up early (if you consider 8:30 early that is). After the breakfast we went into harbour to reload groceries and more importantly to get the jet ski.
At first the weather did not look too promising but after a while the sun overtook the clouds and the temperature increased.
Kristyna got her virgin ride and it took her by storm - she really enjoyed the speed, just as I anticipated.
Dinner did not end up at our hooks by lunch time, we had to cheat and use some of the fish my father caught at the oil rig. However, being patient and trying again later proved to be the way to go - four of them ended up in the smoker, and finally in our bellies.
The sun just set in the far west horizon and now we will settle in the mothership, open up a bottle of red, light up some candles and just enjoy the sounds coming from the sea.

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Posted at the deep blue, via iPad.

Finally my mind is set free

After three weeks being more or less locked up in my study room in Lipova the day of the final exam in histology finally arrived.
I'll give a full recap about in due time but at the moment I've relocated myself from dusty city to crystal-clear oceans.
Kristynka are with me and after one day in the west coast paradise we are sure enjoying it to the fullest.
My head is down at rest speed and set on jetski cruising, jumping off cliffs and eating the goods from the sea - the perfect recharge for the second year.
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Posted from the deep blue, via HTC Sense

English stripped Naked

I very much indeed enjoy studying Latin and its marvellously paradoxical two sides; complexity and simplicity.
By the end of the previous sentence I've used at least four strong words in English with non-English origin. Can you guess which of the following belongs to what language? 

Study
Marvellous
Paradox
Complexity
Simplicity

Study actually derives from Old French estudie, but for our sake lets deal with studium from Latin.
What about marvellous? Latin? Greek? Not at all, to my surprise, it actually is from Old French as well in the basic form merveille.
So, Paradox then, sure this could be Latin but by dissecting the word we can get the Ancient Greek prefix para-, and suffix -orthodoxos, indicating that this is of Greek origin. As commonly seen, many Greek words adopted a Latinized form and Paradoxos became Paradoxum meaning: 

"a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth" or "a self-contradictory and false proposition".

Complexity and Simplicity are English words with pure Latin origin; in its naked form rather complexus and simplex.

Latin at first sight is as complex as any new language (except Czech that is, which seem to origin from the green man "a planeta confusa") but as one embrace it and digs deeper it actually makes a lot of sense.
It's a language of great structure, at least if you have the honour to follow Prof. Svobodova's text book, and it can be broken down in an organized matter with, mostly, strict rules that can be applied to whatever sentence you'd like to create. This is the part of simplicity.

To give a brief indication of how a task and its translation might look like I'll give you an example from the book at page 172.
Translate:
- Superficial wounds in the pubic region.
- Bruises of the soft parts of the body.
- In the state after a severebilateral inflammation of the lungs.
- Sufficient doses for children.
And the solutions, in order:
- Vulnera superficialia in regione pubis.
- Contusiones partium mollium corporis.
- In statu post pneumoniam bilateralem gravem.
- Doses pro infantibus sufficientes.

I wish not to seem posh or act as some kind of Smart Aleck, nor will I in any way conceal my gratitude towards the Latin course - gratitude, when from my side expressed, has mostly been getting dull half-witted responses with little or no enthusiasm.
 Anyone that have had Prof. Svobodova, might not share my view - and so be it. You might even think I am vastly exaggerating by saying that she was indeed the best teacher during the first year. Again - so be it.
My opinion might echo alone but I believe that the facts speak for themselves; the structure and discipline of her lectures were always high and, if ever so often threaten, well maintained. She spent time explaining and made us practice in between - to me that is true teaching.
 The fact that she actually wrote the book, covering more than well the medical perspective of Latin, is something not to forget.
 This greatly shows itself in the way the course is built up, step by step until the rope is tightly shutting the sac closed. Unfortunately, for our group but mainly for the professor herself due to some family matters, we missed out on the last two lessons dealing with numericals and verbs but with some set aside motivation that was a part not too demanding, however, using the word "easy" would be a lie.

Why the "DIET" in Diet Coke is a hoax

I think it's great that someone actually explained this properly.
Not only will it give you the answer of the stated premise but also a great insight in the metabolic activity in the body in relation to pH

The Greatest Show on Earth

Today I woke up (early) at 8 am and after a long search for something to eat for breakfast but I soon gave up, took a glass of water and went for grocery hunting. I usually go to Andel, a shopping mall across the river, and decided to do the regular base ware shopping.

It took me a while to get to the tram. The pleasant part was that I crossed paths with a good friend on her way to her Latin exam and the less pleasant part was that I discovered that I didn’t have coins for the tram ticket.
There Is obviously a revolution going on in the commuting traffic, something called “open card” is on its way and it is going to overtake the old “coin-for-ticket”-system. I also discovered that the price for the ticket option got increased, if just slightly. I believe that signing up for the open card is the next right thing to do.

After some walking I managed to change for some coins and got the ticket.
Shopping is fun, as always, but this time I kept the expenses down a bit. With my groceries packed in my rucksack I dashed for the tram but stopped as I saw the bookshop right next to the grocery store. I went inside for a quick look and to my surprise I found three out of a handful books that I’ve, for quite some time now, been searching for.

Two of them I have already “read”, or rather, listened to as audio books. Some people don’t count this as saying that one has actually read the book although to me it is all the same – the content doesn’t change so to speak. Well, I bought them because I admire the authors and would very much like to read it myself at least once.
I was surprised how low the prices were on non-fictional pocket books and I consider it well spent money.

One of them I have yet to read, and it sure looks promising. Richard Dawkins is an amazing author judging from his earlier books that I have read. The title caught my eye at the first glance:
The Greatest Show on Earth
I immediately understood that this was going to be another book dealing with Dawkins favourite thesis; that evolution is fact and not fiction.
During the short way home at the tram I managed to read a couple of pages and this sentence made me smile, especially after passing my Latin exam the other day.
With the risk of being taken out of context, I quote,:

“Yet you find your precious time continually preyed upon, and your class’s attention distracted, by a baying pack of ignoramuses (as a Latin scholar you would know better than to say ‘ignorami’) who, with strong political and especially financial support, scurry about tirelessly attempting to persuade your unfortunate pupils that the Romans never existed.”

This sentence alone shows how beautifully complex and sophisticated Dawkins writing is and his fine ability to compose the text so that it speaks directly to the reader – simply wonderful.

I will end this post by saying that it is post number 200 in this journal - have I really written that many..?

Belief and Behavior

Sleep is great, especially by entering it while listening to Sam Harris as he reads his amazing third book. Moral questions at its best and belief from another perspective. If you are interested in the former I strongly recommend his books. I might put up a link tomorrow.