2.20.2013

Dame Maggie Smith

Wellness

02.20.13
1.) Ate breakfast
2.) Prepared healthy meals for lunch and dinner
3.) Finalized PI for the summer, started planning before summer's arrival

02.21.13
1.) Ate a healthy lunch and dinner
2.) Exercised tonight: 100 pushups, 100 situps, 5 holds on pbars and handstands
3.) Rescheduled visit w/ bunny lady for foster rabbit to arrive

02.22.13
1.) Only missed 1 question on the TBL- helped members to get better scores
2.) Ate lunch w/ classmates- socialized a bit during my day
3.) Ate a healthy lunch and dinner (kale, broccoli, baked chicken)

02.23.13
1.) Woke up around 10 AM- trying to get enough sleep on the weekends
2.) Ate a health tuna avocado salad sandwich for lunch
3.) Ate a healthy dinner of kale, broccoli, chicken, w/ garlic, star anise; exercised at night

02.24.13
1.) Ate my leftover chicken from Saturday to save on expenses
2.) Took a break from exercising for my body to recover
3.) Studied until 5 AM to be prepared for the test as well as LG

02.25.13
1.) Presented to my LG group basic science concepts pertaining to Parkinson's Disease
2.) Worked on my creative side by planning my piece for the art show next week
3.) Rewarded myself for being so health w/ Wendy's

2.19.2013

Brain Hax

Brain Hax #1

Stuff I read from blogs that offer help on learning more & better:

1.) expose myself to confusing material (meaning threat: to find meaning somewhere)
2.) withhold answers from myself (for productive failure: generating ideas about nature of problems and potential solutions)
3.) test myself before learning (fertile ground: helping learn info better once I encounter it)

Wellness Pt 1

I've decided to move my wellness journal into Blogger so that I don't have to see it in gmail anymore.
The wellness journal is a part of med school's idea to find 3 things that we did well each day and to explain why.
The supposed purpose of the journal is to prevent burnout... I think? It was not explained too clearly during our longitudinal group sessions.

01.14.13
1.) Finished all of Monday's lectures on time
  Not falling behind on material
2.) Ate healthy today (salmon, cereal, milk)
  Good for my health, lose fat, get essential nutrients
3.) Responded to most urgent emails
  More prompt w/ my responses

01.15.13
1.) Got a haircut
  To look professional for LP
2.) Took care of grocery shopping for healthy foods
  To start trying the paleolithic diet & see if I feel better from it
3.) Random act of kindness: buy quinoa for friend
  Important to let people know you listen to them

01.16.13
1.) Finished errands related to EC activities (signatures, letters)
  Able to send out official letters to invite people to the retreat
2.) Scheduled meeting for summer EC program
  Wanted to do an activity outside of studying that was meaningful
3.) Ate a sweet potato
  For health benefits

01.17.13
1.) Prepared well for my FOSCE
  Usually anxious or blunder them before/during/after the fact
2.) Ate less heavy food today
  Could sleep much better, not feel as bad
3.) Prepared notes to fill in for next day's lectures, actually finished 4 of 5 lectures today, even though started around 7 PM
  Know that I can be extremely productive/effective w/ my time

01.18.13
1.) Finished all lectures/e-modules for the week
  I am usually behind on reading material
2.) Drank 3 L of H2O for the day
  I usually never drink the recommended amount of fluids
3.) Ate healthy snacks in the afternoon (carrots w/ hummus)
  Better for my health & GI tract to not eat junk food anymore

01.19.13
1.) Accidentally ate dog food today, which brought amusement to friends
  I did not know that it was meant for dogs
2.) Hiked 6 miles at Hocking Hills w/ friends
  Have not exercised in a while
3.) Cleaned dishes, did laundry
  Took care of cleaning the house after letting things sit for so long

01.20.13
1.) Purchased home gym equipment to start body weight exercises
  A start to adding exercise into my day while the weather is still bad
2.) Shopped at the grocery store for healthy food options
  Continuing the practice of eating well
3.) Studied on a Sunday
  Making my weekends more productive with regards to school work

01.21.13
1.) Finally put on that faucet cover my mom gave me over break
  To prevent the pipe from freezing, bursting, and damaging the house
2.) Packed lunch for tomorrow before going to bed
  So I can wake up later in the morning without having to prepare food
3.) Did some leisure reading before bedtime
  Better to do other activities than always concentrate on med school

01.22.13
1.) Woke up earlier than usual
  Helps me transition into becoming an early bird
2.) Ate breakfast before going to school
  Usually never eat breakfast, even though it kickstarts my metabolism
3.) Ate healthy snacks and lunch all day
  Slowly weaning myself off fast/junk food

01.23.13
1.) Got a lot of studying done during the day
  I tend to procrastinate or have trouble focusing
2.) Prepared a healthy dinner, ate a sweet potato for dessert
  Finding more options of healthy meals to eat so that I don't get bored
3.) Read some leisure books about body weight exercises
  Helps me figure out what beginner regimen to start doing for exercise

01.24.13
1.) Attended a seminar about being a future physician scientist
  Reminds me of possibilities in the future & how to plan for it
2.) Studied productively in a new location besides home
  Changing locations helps reinvigorate the studying mood
3.) Slept more than a few hours the night before the quiz
  I usually do not sleep much before a major exam, but healthier to

01.25.13
1.) I did better on my quiz than in the past
  Boost in confidence, reminder that my current studying method works
2.) Ate a healthy dinner, studied material on the same day after a quiz
  I usually take the day off after a quiz, but I wanted to stay on track
3.) I spent time with friends over lunch at a new restaurant
  Part of my list to try out all the restaurants in Columbus

01.26.13
1.) Slept over 9 hours
  Good for the body/mind to catch up on sleep, to not burn out
2.) Drank at least 12 cups of H2O throughout the day
  Got my adequate fluid intake for the day
3.) Ate salmon for dinner, prepared grocery list for shopping tomorrow
  Being more prepared for the day as well as the day after

01.27.13
1.) Shopped for groceries, healthy options like tuna, chicken
  Persisting with the healthy diet
2.) Studied 5 of 9 modules overdue from last 2 weeks
  Catching up even though I have fallen behind
3.) Did handstand pushups for exercise
  Starting doing the gymnastics exercises from my book

01.28.13
1.) Did 3 handstand pushups, worked on parallel bars
  Increasing the amount of exercise for the day
2.) Finished assignments for Monday
  Task completions are fulfilling
3.) Took out the recycling bin before the morning of pickup
  Pre-empted the bin becoming too full

01.29.13
1.) Slept for 8 hours
  Feeling well-rested after sleeping more than 6 hours
2.) Took the initiative to organize place, topic, time for next LC dinner
  Becoming a more proactive individual
3.) Upgraded to 3 handstand & parallettes, 6 seconds for each hold
  Either becoming stronger, or wanting to exercise more each day

01.30.13
1.) Sent out an email to organize the next learning community dinner
  Following through with my promises
2.) Planned out travel, lodging, food for spring break trip
  Planning for the future way in advance rather than living in moment
3.) Finished notes for lectures this week; can catch up on past lectures
  Turned this day into a productive one

01.31.13
1.) Attended an interest group meeting after a long time
  Got my mind onto something outside of medical school curriculum
2.) Took a break from healthy eating to eat a son of baconator burger
  Acknowledged that moderation is still okay
3.) Exercised: 3 handstand pushups 10s, 3 parallettes 10s, varied
  Keeping consistent with an exercise regimen

02.01.13
1.) Was able to shadow another preceptor (vitals/empanel/ROS/exam)
  Learned more about different endocrine disorders
2.) Ate a healthy dinner (chicken salad w/o mayo, pasta & tomato)
  Back on track to eating well
3.) Went to bed early (midnight)
  Tried to set earlier bedtime (early to rise) for a more productive day

02.02.13
1.) Slept 10 hours
  Extremely well-rested, not feeling as tired throughout the day
2.) Started preparing material for Step 1, read ~ 50 pages
  Initiated my study schedule for Step 1 outside of class material
3.) Exercised more: 5 handstands, 5 holds on pbars (10s per hold)
  Keeping to my exercise schedule, feeling a little fitter

02.03.13
1.) Slept 10 hours
  Resting well at night; trying to figure out ways to fall asleep faster
2.) Did laundry so do not have to the weekend before midterm
  Predicting time needed to study & taking care of errands in advance
3.) Went grocery shopping
  Helped to prepare house with food in advance to focus on studies

02.04.13
1.) Slept 8 hours, redesigned study schedule to cater to healthy habits
  Helped focus work at home to cater to diet & exercise
2.) Added spinach to the tomato sauce in my pasta to make it healthier
  Felt that I was lacking enough vegetables in my diet
3.) I socialized w/ my neighbor about shoes and cervical laminectomy
  Becoming familiar with neighbors & my neighborhood

02.05.13
1.) I started studying lectures on top of anatomy for the midterm
  Usually study them separately, which made the material confusing
2.) I ate a healthy lunch and dinner w/ sweet potato for dessert
  Healthy diets make for healthy minds
3.) Added pushups, situps, and stretching before my exercise regimen
  Wanted to increase flexibility along with strength

02.06.13
1.) Volunteered to pick up the van for driving around interviewees
  Becoming a proactive individual, dependable when in need
2.) E-mailed faculty member for summer rotation, set up appointment
  Planning future in advance, securing a position in the lab
3.) Purchased toys & pellets/hay to prepare for foster rabbit's arrival
  Found a new calling/volunteer activity

02.07.13
1.) Woke up early, started studying material before noon, ate breakfast
  Starting work earlier in the day helps to finish work earlier as well
2.) Attended dinner to meet w/ interviewees
  Being a proactive member of the medical school
3.) Got some studying in after dinner even though full & tired
  Tend to just have a relaxing night after draining conversations

02.08.13
1.) Had an engaging meeting w/ a potential summer rotation PI
  Interests coincided w/ his lab, & hoped I would get along w/ the lab
2.) Walked a long distance to pick up the rental van for interviewees
  Added some cardio exercise to my day
3.) Spent dinner talking to interviewees, getting to know a few
  Socialized w/ people even though I am an introvert

02.09.13
1.) Had breakfast w/ the interviewees, drove 5 back to the hotel
  Started my day early, so that I could get to work early
2.) Exercised more, doing bodyweight exercises
  Continuing my exercise plan, sticking to a routine
3.) Slept early
  Wanting to wake up earlier so that I can start work earlier in the day

02.10.13
1.) Finished studying most neuro material regarding vestibulocochlear
  Catching up on material even though fell behind during the week
2.) Kept in touch w/ an old friend from college by texting
  Good to maintain a close group of friends throughout life
3.) Slept a few hours before the midterm even though I wanted to study
  Sleeping always helps me perform better even though i don't think it

02.11.13
1.) Studied as much as possible for the midterm
  Felt that even though I did not study everything, I studied effectively
2.) Ate a healthy dinner, & then washed all dishes in the sink
  Took care of errands around the house
3.) Performed body-weight exercises (handstands, pbars, cartwheels)
  Resumed exercise after a few days off studying for midterm

02.12.13
1.) Got my team together to write up the final draft of the CHE paper
  Had a task that needed to be finished; was proactive about it
2.) Worked on ideas for organizing the joint retreat this summer
  Even though months away, good to prepare to plan for the worst
3.) Went to bed by 11 PM
  Sleeping earlier and earlier each night, though falling asleep difficult

02.13.13
1.) Slept for 8 hours
  Discovering that some time around 8 hours is ideal for me
2.) Polished the final version of group's CHE draft before submission
  Wanted to turn in a quality piece of work since paper is for a grade
3.) Accepted a Vday dinner date at Whitecastle Burger?!
  I tend to shun holidays- maybe spending it w/ someone would be fun

02.14.13
1.) Ate a healthy breakfast & lunch to make up for dinner
  Wanted to offset the heavy meal I would encounter later in the day
2.) Caught up on most material for this week
  Keeping myself to some studying each day to stay on track
3.) Spent VDay @ Whitecastle w/ somebody else's gf
  Break from healthy food to indulge in chicken rings

02.15.13
1.) Started working on the mental health fellowship
  Troubleshoot any initial issues with continuing the fellowship
2.) Was able to take a Hx and give an oral presentation at LP
  Practiced basic skills of patient interviewing
3.) Did some body-weight exercises after 2 nights of fast food
  Helped me feel better after eating such unhealthy food

02.16.13
1.) Did laundry; ate Irish steel-cut oatmeal for breakfast
  Usually eat cereals, which are healthy but still high in sugar
2.) Sent out e-mails for summer rotation; replied to MD candidate
  Taking care of business
3.) Met w/ friend to find a bike, try an ethnic place, watch movie
  Doing fun things on a Saturday (atypical of me)

02.17.13
1.) E-mailed prof to finalize summer rotation; set up LC dinner
  Following through on commitments
2.) Ate oatmeal w/ honey in the morning
  Eating a healthier alternative for breakfast
3.) Bought art supplies to use for contest
  Keeping with my intentions to do something, following through

02.18.13
1.) Ate breakfast this morning, ate lunch in under 30"
  Keeping consistent w/ morning meal, eating efficiently, saving time
2.) Brought chocolate to LG for classmates
  Feed everybody during the afternoon, get rid of sugar from my house
3.) Submitted my application to Medicine & the Arts
  Ensuring my commitment to finish an art project by a deadline

02.19.13
1.) Vacuumed the house, cleaned the bathroom for rabbit's arrival
  The house has not been cleaned since my parents' visit
2.) Ate cereal for breakfast
  Bought shredded wheat, a healthier option to eat
3.) Sent an email to a PI for my summer research rotation
  Offered plans to get ahead, arranged to follow up on later meetings