Pack it in!

I am halfway through finals and getting ready to go home in a few days. I'll return as an MD2 and there will be a whole new crew of MD1 students starting up. I've been getting tons of emails from incoming students asking for advice on various things. By far, the most frequent question I am getting is "What do I pack? It is so hard!" I remember having these troubles myself! So this post is for all of you incoming students trying to decide how to use your precious packing space. At the end of the day, don't forget that after four months (which will FLY by), you will get to go home and replenish your stock. Don't worry about getting every pair of shoes you own into that suitcase! When you go home and then come back, you can bring those beloved belongings with you the second go round. It will feel like having a whole new wardrobe!

Here are some things that you may want to consider squeezing in:

1. "School Supplies" - You probably want to bring most of your school supplies (paper, pens, whatever) because it is hard to find good quality stuff here that doesn't have outrageous pricing. Make sure you bring pencils as all of the tests are done on scantron. You can buy stuff here, it just might not be what you are used to using.

2. Seat cushion- the seats in the classrooms as super uncomfortable...I am talking PLASTIC. You may want a thin cushion to sit on since you have to sit there all day long. Most people have that on the top of their list of things to bring back with them after Xmas.

3. External hard drive - You will go through the space on your computer quickly. Also, lots of files (PDFs, videos, etc) get passed around at the beginning of the semester so extra storage space is helpful if you want to take advantage of these awesome resources. 

4. Clothes - Make sure you bring some warmer clothes. A lot of people packed only "summer" clothing - and the classrooms are quite chilly with the A/C (People currently sit in class cuddled up in their snuggles!)  You may want a set of scrubs for lab and for volunteer events (if you choose to do them). Also make sure to bring some business casual clothing for presentations.

5. Toiletries -  I'd suggest bringing enough toiletries to get you through till christmas. They are expensive here - toothpaste, mouthwash, body wash, etc. For the ladies, bring enough make up and stuff to get you through, especially if you are picky. You can't find anything that is decent quality on the island. Also, things like hair clips, hair ties, bobby pins, etc. You can find some of the same things at home but it can be difficult sometimes. If you like certain lotions and stuff, bring them!

6. Medications -  If you are on any prescription meds, bring enough to last until christmas. They won't fill your prescriptions here, you will have to see an island doctor for a new script, and some medications aren't available. You may also want a stock of over the counter stuff that you use because you can't find everything here and some of it is expensive (ex. Advil, allergy medication, cough drops, etc).

7. Kitchen supplies - Most of the apartments come pretty well stocked with kitchen stuff…but if there is anything specific you want you may want to bring it because it's expensive to buy things. Ex. I brought my magic bullet and rice cooker because I can't live without them. You can sometimes find things to buy off other students that are leaving. Oh, and you might want to bring some tupperware, so you don't have to buy it here.

8. Food - you can find most food items on the island. I wouldn't waste too much room trying to bring dry goods and things because you can most likely get it here, or at least something similar. If you are crazy about certain spices (ex. to cook indian foods) you may want to bring some but you can find most things.

9. Afterbite and bug spray. Mosquitos/sand flies are relentless.

10. Work out gear -  if you like to work out. We do yoga and T25/insanity at the school regularly so if you'd like to join in bring some stuff! 

11. Powerbar -  outlets in the classrooms are limited…it is helpful if a few students bring power bars so everyone can plug in!

12. Textbooks - a lot of people have questions about whether or not to buy books at home and bring them with you. Lots of upper year students are always selling their textbooks so I'd save the space if you can. Textbooks are also available as PDF files and are made available to all students - just depends if you are the type of person who likes to have a hardcopy. Some students get by without textbooks at all but that is an individual preference. Teachers typically make their powerpoint slides straight from the books, but the actual textbooks can be great for reference material, a lot of people find they don't need the textbooks at all. I would definitely recommend the BRS books, especially for embryology, histology, and anatomy. They have great practice questions and are a good summary of high yield material (they are available as PDFs as well).

Those are my main suggestions. If any current students are reading this and have suggestions of their own, please feel free to leave them in the comments section at the bottom of this page! Happy packing and looking forward to meeting everyone next semester!!

Craniotomy...I think it was just what the doctor ordered!

Down to the wire now, only five more days of classes and final exams after that and I will be home! I am so excited to see my family and friends, I find myself aching for them more and more. Of course we still have an embryology quiz tomorrow (which I should probably be studying for...but I feel pretty confident) and a histology group presentation on retinal detachment later this week. The end is finally in sight, although there is a lot of work and studying involved in getting there. I am finding myself feeling quite burnt out. Learning and studying all day every day for four months really wears a person down. It's hard to find the stamina to keep pushing through. I find myself more and more distracted, thinking about going home and getting these subjects behind me. I know I just need to put my head down and get through this, even though I'm kind of tired of putting in all the effort.

At the beginning of this block, I was so fed up with anatomy already. The enormous amount of material that you have to memorize is absolutely insane. I thought to myself -- "OK, head and neck...that's all that's left. Can't be that bad". WRONG. Just because the head and neck physically take up less space than the rest of the body doesn't mean jack. There are so many tiny vessels and nerves to be crammed. The famous twelve cranial nerves might be the death of me. The skull is full of tiny little holes and you have to know what each one is there for...what travels in and out of them. Every move you make from a stuck out tongue, a flare of the nostrils, or a wink of the eye has such a complicated pathway to make it happen. How does the brain do all of these things? What will happen if there is the tiniest problem with one of the nerves? How does each part of the head and face get it's blood supply? What lymph nodes drain fluid from each part? And hey, quick, learn this in a couple of weeks.

Today was definitely one of the most awesome days in the lab -- we did a craniotomy. I helped to manually saw off the skull of my cadaver and remove the brain. What a rush! And a lot of work....a couple of the other students and I stayed in lab an hour late, sawing away. Then we took a chisel and hammer to the skull to get it off and finally got at the master control centre of our body. Holding a human brain in your hands is definitely a once in a lifetime experience. It's hard to believe everything we think, do, say, and feel comes from this slimy, intricate organ.

What else has been happening? Other than study, study, study...not a heck of a lot. Most people seem to be feeling the same way as me, just doggy paddling toward the light at the end of the tunnel (well...the tunnel that is MD1, anyway). The students in MD4 are getting ready to have their White Coat Ceremony on the weekend, then they leave the island for good and get to move on to the next chapter. I can't imagine how they must be feeling. It will be sad to see them go! They are a great group that bring a lot of energy to our school. I'll miss my group of friends that I do yoga with at lunch three days a week, and others that I have become close with in the last several months. I am sure we will cross paths again in Chicago. And hey, they can keep in touch and give us the low down about what happens on the other side.

In my last post I was mentioning that we were going to be celebrating American Thanksgiving at our place -- we did, and it was awesome! About half of our class showed up to the potluck. There was an insane amount of amazing food and it was great for everyone to just relax and have a few hours to not worry about school. It was a little late for the Canadians, but it was a night of reflection and thanks. We are all going through this thing together, we are together all day long five days a week, and it is nice when once in awhile we all do something that is not related to school.

What a feast :)

ROOMIES! 

Our MD1 Clan :)

Well...I must get studying for this embryology test tomorrow. The countdown to home continues!

XOXOX

23 days till rooster, goat, and cadaver free!

The countdown is officially on until I will be home for Christmas break --- only 23 more days and I get to spend two whole weeks back in Ontario. I must say, the homesickness has really kicked in the past couple of weeks. I must say…I think that is one of the most challenging things about this experience - being away from my family for so long. I find myself fantasizing multiple times a day now about what it's going to be like to see my sister for the first time after so long and give her a HUGE hug. I miss them all so much. Two weeks definitely isn't going to feel like enough time, that is one thing I know for sure.

I've been here for 3 months now, written 18 exams, taken 12 smaller tests, dissected the human body from the neck down (we still have to dissect the neck and the head this block). The amount of information we are expected to learn is absolutely unbelievable. It's amazing and interesting and overwhelming all at the same time. It's kind of like trying to drink out of a fireman's hose…you just can't possibly drink that much no matter how thirsty you are.

I would definitely say I have adapted to things here, gotten into more of a routine, and have learned how I need to study. I've accepted that there's a ton of stress. It comes in intervals. Exams are once a month - you spend two weeks of the month going crazy with stress, you get through it, then it gets a little better. You find ways to cope with that. I've made good friends that are supportive, talk to people at home that remind me why this is all so important, get exercise, and take time for myself. These things all get me through. My focus is better - I guess this comes with practice. Things are going well. This is an endurance race it's important to keep things slow and steady and keep your head in the game.

I've done lots of awesome things since my last post. Right after the last set of block exams a big group of us went over and spent the night in St. Martin for a mini-vacation. One of the hotels there offer a "local price" which is a great deal. We celebrated one of our classmate's birthdays, did some shopping, and had a fun night out.

Here are some photos from our night out in St. Martin. I learned how to eat with chopsticks (sort of). I am still practicing!

I participated in the Breast Cancer Walk of Hope, which was a five mile walk/run through Anguilla to raise awareness about breast cancer screening and prevention with some of my classmates.

This was a group of students that participated in the Breast Cancer Walk. There were hundreds of community members that participated as well. It took place right after writing a couple of exams so it was a great way to blow off some steam.

As part of the SGA, we organized an "Olympiad", which was sort of like a student appreciation day. There were a bunch of organized games in which students competed against students in other classes in various events, and we provided lunch and drinks. I'm proud to say our MD1 class beat out the other classes that day :D

This is most of the MD1 group of students that participated in the Olympics (THE CHAMPIONS!)

Classes were cancelled today due to a huge power outage on the island (half of the island lost power for about 8 hours). We considered this our equivalent of a "snow day" - and a bunch of us hit the beach for the day. It was really nice that this happened right after exams because we could kind of take it easy and relax rather than spend the day studying. Here are a couple nice island shots:

 

My Roomie Mike and I at the beach today on our "snow day"

So, as you can probably tell, life's been busy but I've still been able to find time to have a life outside of school. The upcoming few weeks before the break will also be hectic. There is another round of exams right before break, we have a group presentation to do, a paper to write, and a bunch of tests in between. American Thanksgiving is tomorrow, so we are throwing a huge MD1 family potluck at our place tomorrow night (TURKEY and all!), and there is another Red Cross event next weekend. This should help the time until Christmas vacation pass quickly :)

XOXOXOXO

The Best Things in Life are Free

     Exams are over and we are a week into our next block. The last couple of weeks have really been a blur, so I guess I should probably have lots to write about! I am finding it really tough to do the little, relaxing things that I like to do -- like writing in my blog, doing my yoga, going for walks…the simple stuff that keeps me sane.  I have only been to the beach once in the past three weeks! It feels like a constant balancing act here, just trying to stay afloat of everything. The phrase "there aren't enough hours in a day" has never been more true! Don't get me wrong, I am really enjoying what I am doing here. I love being in such a challenging environment, being around so many ambitious and intelligent people, and being ridiculously busy. I am learning so much, so quickly. I find myself wishing sometimes that I had more time to spend learning about the things I am finding interesting. Really though, it's learn what you need to know and move on at this point, because there just isn't the time if you don't want to end up miles behind the race.

      So, one piece of news that I don't think has made it to the blog yet is that I have joined the Student Government Association (SGA) as school Historian. It is a really exciting role -- along with the other Historian, we will be creating a student SGA website, which will have all of the school's calendar of events, apartments for rent and cars for sale of upper year students that are leaving, meeting minutes, info about the different student clubs, etc. (There isn't an SGA site yet so this will all be new). It also involves taking photos at events, monitoring and updating the Facebook and twitter accounts and recording attendance of students at events and things like that. I the website will help create a continuum of what is and has been going on at the school, and will be helpful to the students, and also to new students that will be coming in. Prospective students will also be able to check it out to get a feel for what goes on at the school as well. This won't happen overnight as we are all busy studying but we hope to get it up and running soon!

      So, like I said, exams were last week. We had two exams on Friday and then four the following Monday. It was stressful, and exhausting, but it turned out well. I am glad that is over! It's hard to believe I will have to go through that once a month for the next (almost) year and a half. Friday night there was a post-exam party at Elvis' Beach Bar, which is an outdoor bar right on the water. It was really nice and was also a fundraising event for the MD4's white coat ceremony. There was a good turnout. There was a big screen projector playing American sports so the men were all happy.

     Yesterday morning there was a Red Cross event held at one of the big grocery stores (Best Buy) for the community. A lot of the people here don't get regular health care or checkups, so it was a very basic health screening. People had a stress test, blood sugar test, BMI check, blood pressure check, and  eyesight check done. It was amazing how receptive the community was to this service and how many of them hung on to any word that we had to share. It was also an eye opener to see how little insight they had into some of these basic health identifiers, such as not even knowing when the last time they had their blood pressure checked, or what it meant if their blood pressure was high. This was also such a great experience for the students -- to start getting used to talking to patients, teaching patients, doing simple things like taking blood pressures, and blood sugars. These kinds of things are what it's all about and it was nice to see so many people take advantage of such a wonderful volunteer opportunity.

                               

I've received several comments/facebook messages from prospective and upcoming students that have come across my blog - and just wanted to say that if you have any questions at all about anything, PLEASE feel free to contact me… drnicolefox@gmail.com I am more than happy to help out! I know how crazy of a process this is and how many questions pop up.

XOXO Lots of Love

Nik

Block Exams...Round One

I'm writing a quick update because I have had several people ask why I haven't written a blog entry in a while. In our program, on top of our regular assignments, quizzes, etc, we have block exams - which are exams that happen at the end of every month. They happen over the course of two days and we have an exam in each of our courses. This semester, since we have five courses, we have five exams in the two days, plus our anatomy practical, in which they basically stick a bunch of pins in the cadavers and we have to identify the structures that the pins are sticking in to, as well as answer whatever other questions they ask pertaining to those structures (for example, which nerve innervates the muscle they are pointing to, or which blood vessel supplies it, or which function it performs).

Our first round of block exams start Friday - so we have exams Friday and Monday. Studying for these exams is pretty crazy -- the exams are worth 70-100% of our "block" mark, depending on the course, so they are quite obviously really important. In the past three days, I have been at the school for over 45 hours, studying my tail off. I'll admit, it's been pretty stressful. I've got a pretty awesome study group - we work really well together and it's been really helpful working through things them. We've been using the study rooms in the library, then catching the bus home at 10pm. By the time I get home (around 1030), I'm exhausted, and have just enough energy to have a shower and wash the sweat, tears, and cadaver juice from the day off, and jump in to bed. Just to do it all over again. I do have LOTS to write home about, but it will have to wait until these exams are over. I assure you all, I am alive and well!

More to come soon! 

XOXO

It's a sweet sweet life, livin' by the salty sea

So another week has passed and it was an exciting one! It's hard to believe we have finished two weeks of classes already (although by the amount of material we've covered in classes you'd think it was four). 

We had our first test of the year on Friday (in histology...shoot me now) but it went pretty well considering its the scariest subject for me. We have three more tests this week so the studying and cramming feels never ending. 

The island is generally noisy which is a little frustrating for studying. At any given time you are guaranteed to hear one or more of the following: dogs barking, noisy beaten up cars with post factory stereos driving by, the famous orchestra of chickens, loud people...fighting, partying, or laughing, drum band practice which happens almost nightly up the street, ice cream truck that plays the super Mario theme song and tends to hang around the area for at least one hour intervals. The list goes on. Second biggest frustration: lack of vehicle. The bus for the school takes us there, leaves at 3, 5(when our classes typically end) and then not again until 10pm. So, if you need to stay after school is over to buy groceries, meet with a study group or work on a group project or anything like that...you're pretty much stuck till 10 at night. This makes for a very long day seeing as we get to school at 7am. I will stop complaining, life here is generally pretty sweet and I wouldn't give up what I'm doing for anything. 

The cadaver lab continues to be pretty sweet. On our second day in there we dissected the upper back muscles, opened the spine, and went into the spinal cord to see the different layers. 

I joined AMSA (the American Medical Students association) which is a nation wide club for medical students. We have a division of this at our school which will provide us with different learning workshops for free and hook us up with different volunteer opportunities and whatnot in the community. 

Friday night there was a welcome party on a tiny island just offshore of Anguilla called Scilly Cay. It functions as a small restaurant/bar and there is a large fishing community in that area so there are always a lot of fishing boats parked around it. A lot of the students went and a few locals as well. It was a great time and nice to get to know some of the other students outside of the classroom and have a break from studying. 

That's about all my news for now:) xoxo

Very Interesting Study on Hypertensive Medications and Dementia

I came across a study that has shown that people taking a common type of antihypertensive medication, ACE inhibitors, show slower rates of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease and Vascular Dementia. As dementia is very near and dear to my heart, I found this very intriguing.  ACE inhibitors are a class of medications that are commonly used to control blood pressure. All of these medications end with -pril.

Some examples of these are:

• Captopril
• Ramipril
• Enalapril
• Lisinopril 

(And there are several several more)

The link for this article is : http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/264008.php

for anyone who wants to check it out :)

Forgot to mention...

One last thing...I forgot to mention, one of the hardest things I've been struggling with. It has been so hard for me to SIT...ALL DAY LONG! For YEARS...I have had jobs, where I am on my feet running around all day long. Now, sitting in class all day long is such a challenge. Maintaining focus for so many hours is difficult. We get short breaks during and in between classes where I always take advantage and have a quick stretch or walk, and that's it. Then, we go home and night, and sit some more while we study, study, study. This has definitely been a tough adjustment!

Med School is tough...and some other random discoveries

It's about a week and a half into the start of school now. Classes have picked up in speed quickly and things are already quite busy so I will have to keep this pretty quick and to the point, but wanted to give everybody an update about how things have been going since I haven't really been able to talk to many people with all of the studying I have been doing! The thing I'm about to talk about may seem random and all over the place, but here goes!

• School has been totally great so far. It's awesome being around so many other students with similar interests and goals. The upper year students around the school are very helpful, always willing to answer questions and give advice about what to study, how to study, what professors are like, and what to do around the island, and just about anything you might need to know. They will approach you often and ask how things are going, which is so nice!
• Classes are TOUGH...and tiring. We have eight hours of classes from Monday - Friday. We catch the bus at 7am and usually get home around 5:30pm unless we stay at the school late for something. Histology is especially tough for me because I have barely any background in the subject (such as cell biology/molecular biology/organic chemistry). I have to do a lot of extra studying for this. There is also an extra review group a few times a week at lunch that I am going to go to for extra practice so hopefully I will do OK. We already have a test this week, three next week, and five exams at the end of the month.

I talked earlier about a crazy big spider that Lisa and I saw when she was here visiting. I am pretty sure it was actually a tarantula! There have been lots of crazy spider sightings around the island - here are a couple of pictures (props to the students brave enough to take pics of them when they have been spotted -- Lisa and I certainly weren't brave enough!!)  

• Did anyone ever play that South Park nintendo game about 15 years ago where you had to run around and kill as many chickens as possible? Those chickens made a really annoying noise. That noise can be heard about 20/24 hours a day around here. There are chickens everywhere - and they are as loud as you could possible imagine!
• I discovered a Mango tree right in our yard with awesome, juicy Mangos. Nice! (ooh, and Free :)
• I (almost) adopted a dog. There was an old, limpy dog that was spending a whole lot of time on my front porch in the shade. He was very timid at first but later started letting me pet him and wouldn't run away as we approached him. I started feeling bad, wondering "whatever will he do when we leave in a year and a half?". I even named him, "Bruno". A couple days ago I found out he actually belongs to the neighbour (our busdriver) and just likes our company, and his name is Toro! Don't feel so bad now :)
• We had a lizard in our classroom the other day. Some mean medical student crushed it and threw it in the garbage. Yuck. Anyone ever heard of catch and release?
• Yesterday we had our first day of Anatomy lab. We are dissecting human cadavers this semester. The first day was pretty easy - we started skinning the back of the body. We didn't really get to see any internal structures, other than the different layers of skin and a little bit of muscles. It was a good day for students to get accustomed to the bodies and the different dissection tools. Starting the dissection really did not bother me at all. The nurse in me, however, did find myself thinking about this person before they died - about them making the decision to donate their body for medical research, and about their family going over the procedure follow their death with whichever agency organized it. I have had patients that have adamantly wanting to donate organs and body parts to research and it is a very noble decision.

 

My Roommate Rachel and I on are first day of Anatomy Labs 

Well..it's time for Embryology class now :) Xoxox

First Day of Class

Today was the first real day of classes. We had an orientation day yesterday, but it was just a day to get to know other students, sign policies, and get to know the very tiny school campus. I woke up early around 0600, which is not a problem on the island because there is an orchestra of roosters that can be heard starting around that time, and the sun rises long before that. My roommates and I caught the school bus at 0700 (which is actually a van which holds about 9 students plus the driver and his buddy). Lucky for us, the bus driver lives next door so we never have to worry about missing the bus. A lot of the other students weren't so lucky, and we heard several complaints later in the day that they just never got picked up. They all made it one way or another.

My roommate Michael and I in front of the school before the start of the first day (our other roommate Rachel missed the picture because her husband was leaving the island to head back to Canada and they were saying their goodbyes)

Although we were in the classroom more than a half hour early, the front six rows were already jammed with people. This competitive nature is not what I am used to! Usually a third row seat is easily attainable. It didn't help that at least half of the people sitting in them were in the six-foot range. I had to settle for a seat about 2/3rds of the way back right in front of one of the flat screen TVs so I knew I at least had a good view of the presentation and set up shop for the day.

The first class was Anatomy from 0800-1000, Doctor Pocheko did a brief introduction and then dove into a ton of material. We have a couple of brand new doctors teaching the course and they sat at the back of the room to observe the class. Anatomy was followed by Histology from 1000-1200. That class was more laid back and informal, but Dr. Okorie insisted we should enjoy it because it wasn't going to last past today. The last class today was Embryology from 1300-1500, taught by Dr. Villagomez. She was very fast paced, but knowledgeable. She is from Bolivia, and has taught in many places throughout the world, including University of Toronto. Class ended early today at 1500 because labs don't start until next week, so we are studying (and writing my blog) at the school since we still do not have internet at home. Exams are going to happen every four weeks so it will be very important to stay on top of material. And stay topped up on caffeine!

Until next time! Xoxox

Anguilla...Where roadkill consists of chickens, Corona is cheaper than Coors Light, and your bank card WILL NOT work!

So it is kind of overwhelming to even try to write this post since so much has happened since my last post. I have moved into my apartment and it does not have internet yet so the few brief moments I have had with wifi I have spent quickly chatting with people and checking emails etc. It has been a busy few days since coming to the island so I will briefly (although I am sure this will wind up being longwinded) break it down for you!).

Friday:

Lisa and I arrived to the island on the ferry around 9:30 in the morning. Rented a small economy car (which I still have, thank goodness) and checked into our villa. Met with the lady that coordinates rentals for the students and looked at about six different apartments, one of which I really liked. Wanted to secure that rental but they were very wishy washy about it, and couldn't give me a guarantee that I would have it and said it wouldn't be ready until at least Tuesday. I would of waiting around for it except they wouldn't even let me sign a lease or anything guaranteeing that I would end up with it in the end (stressful!). Relaxed at the villa that night. While sitting outside, the HUGEST spider I have ever seen creeped up on us. Lisa and I were both standing on our chairs until it went away. This this was about as big as my cellphone and hairy. Pretty sure it was a tarantula. Absolutely terrifying! Also, the inside of the villa was full of tiny red ants, they were in the bed, kitchen, everywhere! Couldn't get the creepy-crawly feeling off for at least 24 hours!

Saturday:

Called one of the locals (I got his number off of an upper year student) as he had a three bedroom apartment for rent). He was able to show it right away so Lisa and I raced over to look at it and it was perfect and $500 a month cheaper than the place I saw the day before that I liked, so we decided to take that apartment instead. It was move in ready and had everything there that was needed. We booked a different hotel for that night due to the bug situation which was miles nicer and right on shoal bay. It was beautiful, the beach was gorgeous, and the view was spectacular. We decided to stay there for the night to allow the landlord time to give the apartment a good clean and time to get last minute stuff ready. It was nice to have a bit of time to relax now that we knew I had found a place! We walked up the beach to a small beachy snack bar and grabbed a burger and fries (just what we had been craving) and took it back to our patio, watched the sunset, did some swimming, and just took it easy.

View from our balcony at Shoal Bay Villas

The beautiful sunset that night

Sunday:

Sunday was Lisa's last day on the island as she had to fly out of St. Martin early Monday and there isn't a ferry from Anguilla early enough that would get her to the airport in time to fly out. First thing in the morning we moved my stuff to the apartment, then went to the grocery store to buy some basics. I went to several ATMs and realized that my bank card would not work on the island to withdraw cash, which TD at home told me I would have no trouble, so spent lots of time on the phone with them trying to figure that out (and never did, they basically said they could not help me). We set up the apartment and a bit and then spent her last few hours exploring the island's different beaches and views. It is absolutely breathtaking here and we found a few absolutely amazing spots!

View along the drive

Mead's Bay

Mead's Bay

Boat race that was going on at Mead's Bay

Mead's Bay

The view across from Rendezvous Bay (St. Martin)

Rendezvous Bay

After our sightseeing tour, I dropped Lisa off at the ferry, wished her farewell, and I was on my own which was a really weird feeling. That night I just spent the night unpacking and cleaning the apartment and things like that.

Monday:

I woke up Monday, was about halfway through getting ready for the day and the electricity went out. Also had no water. The gas for the stove hadn't been hooked up yet either. This was a tough day for me. I was in a country where I knew absolutely no one, had no electricity, no water, no gas, no phone, no internet, and no access to money. I drove back to the bank and got lost on the way there. My card still didn't work (although the TD rep on the phone insisted if I went back the next day to try again that it would). So I decided to open an account at the scotiabank here and just transfer money between the two accounts. I went into the bank, waited in line for about 45 minutes, and spent another 45 minutes explaining the situation to them. They were good and tried help, called my bank for me and everything, but couldn't get anything figured out and couldn't get me any money. They wouldn't let me open an account unless I had a rental lease from the landlord (along with my passport, student acceptance letter, and driver's license)...which I didn't have yet because I HAD NO MONEY TO PAY RENT!! Frustrating! My landlord is very understanding though, she ended up giving me a lease and I got it worked out, they also came over and fixed the electricity and water and stuff later that day. It was just a frustrating morning! That afternoon I picked up another incoming student that was arriving alone and helped her look for an apartment. It was nice to have some company.

Tuesday:

My roommates arrived on Tuesday, finally! I picked them up at the ferry and did two runs in the little rental car to get them and all the luggage to the house. It was so nice to finally meet them and I was relieved when we instantly all got along! I took them to the grocery store for some stuff and we just sort of hung around the house so they could get settled in. I could see the initial shock that exists when you see the island for the first time...how little there is here and how small the stores and restaurants are etc. It will definitely be an adjustment! The people here are all super friendly though. If you are pulled over on the side of the street within two minutes someone will approach the car to ask if you need help or directions which is a very nice feeling!

Wednesday:

Took the roomies to the school so they could check it out. We chatted with some upper year students in the lounge for almost an hour and asked them all sorts of questions about the program. Went to shoal bay and hung out for a lot of the afternoon and did some sunbathing, swimming, and relaxing. Walked down to the grocery store near our house to check it out (it is tiny and just has the necessities). Later at night walked to the beach again to see if anything was open to have a drink but everything was closed. It was still a nice walk. Went to bed early!

Here are some pictures of the apartment:

My Bedroom

Rachel's Bedroom

Michael's Bedroom

Patio wraps around the entire apartment

View from the patio

That is all I have to say for now, I've been sitting at the school far too long considering I still have four more days of freedom before the fun really starts! Miss you all!!! xoxoxo

The Journey Begins...

Ever since I found out I was accepted into school, it seemed as though it was ages until I'd actually be moving away. Then, all of a sudden I'm saying my goodbyes and packing my suitcases! My stepmom Lisa and I arrived in St. Martin yesterday afternoon. The first day was a long one. We left Barrie at 330 am, caught our flight at 6:20, had a quick layover in Miami, then arrived on the island mid afternoon. We're staying two nights in Marigot on the French side of St Martin at Hotel Beach plaza and heading to Anguilla tomorrow to start looking for an apartment. 

St. Martin is pretty quiet in August. Yesterday we walked into the main area of Marigot to find a place to have dinner. There are lots of nice shops there but all of the restaurants are closed down. After walking around for about a half hour we walked back to the hotel, asked for their suggestion of somewhere upbeat to have supper (preferably with some live entertainment or something) so they called us a cab and off we went. We got to the restaurant called "Le Sand", sat down, and the waiter came to the table and told us they were just closing for the night. We walked up the street to the nearest hotel (Mercure) and had some dinner in their restaurant which was excellent, although by that time a chip truck or street meat stand would have been sufficient. We asked their lobby staff to call us a taxi, and a half hour or so later she was able to get a hold of one. By the time we got back to our hotel we were spent, but full, and turned in early. 

This is the view from the hotel in St. Martin

My last week in Canada went by really fast and was pretty emotional for me. I had my last two night shifts at work, and on the second of the two my grandma was admitted to the floor next to the one I was working on. I spent much of that night popping in to check on her or just watching her sleep, feeling so helpless and hating the fact that if these things happen while I'm away I wouldn't be able to be right there (she's doing MUCH better now just in case anyone was worried!). Then came all of the emotional goodbyes and realizations that my relationships with everyone who are close to me are going to be different for the next several years, no longer able to pop in for visits with family and friends, or meet up for a coffee on a whim. All I can say is thank goodness for Skype, email, Facebook, and all of today's technologies that will allow me to keep up with everyone I'm going to be missing so much!! There's lots of people I wish I could have spent more time with before I left but it was so hard to juggle everything. 

We are catching the ferry to Anguilla first thing tomorrow morning. I am excited to find a place to live and learn my way around the island. That's all I've got for now :) I have some sunbathing to attend to! xoxoxo

Saying Goodbye to Nursing

So today was my second last day shift of my nursing career. What a surreal feeling. I was sitting alone in the cafeteria on my break, one of the few times I've sat in that cafeteria alone and one of the few day shifts I've actually taken a real break! A typical break during a day shift would consist of sitting in that same cafeteria with coworkers, enthusiastically dicing apart the exciting, annoying, or unusual things that had happened so far that day. Situation or weather permitting, sometimes it would consist of jaunting around the building doing the same to blow off steam. After my next few shifts were over, who knew when I would be in this building next. What could change? Would these memories be so far away they would then only be slight recollections? Running up and down these halls to get blood for patients, picking up new admits from emerge, or taking patients to tests would no longer be second nature.

I have been working in nursing roles for over six years already. Time has really flown by. I had great patients today and it reminded me why I loved what I do so much. I found myself wanting to stay longer at the end of the day. To stay with my patients, and make sure they were alright - to watch them improve even  more. Until I thought "Hello Nicole!! Nursing burnout 101!! Know when to quit!!" That is one thing I am going to miss so much though - taking care of people. It is amazing sometimes how you can watch someone improve over the course of the day. I keep telling myself "In a few more shifts, you're not going to be a nurse anymore"...and that to me is just crazy! That's my identity as far as I am concerned. That is where I thrive, where I am happy, where I'm comfortable, and confident. Saying goodbye to work is hard. I am so happy that I've done things the way that I have because I couldn't imagine taking this next step before the one below it.

Leopard Print Suitcase

When I was in grade 7 I got my own email account for the first time. I remember sitting at the computer, thinking about what it should be and then typing "drnicolefox@hotmail.com". I was so excited that it wasn't already taken and that I could save it so I'd have it one day when I became a doctor. I knew then that becoming an MD is what I wanted to do. 14 years later, that email address is long gone because it became so overridden with junk mail, but I am 3 weeks away from my first day of medical school. I am not doing medical school in the most traditional way. I will be completing my first year and a half of studies in a small little hidden gem of a place in the British Virgin Islands called Anguilla. It is a gorgeous, but tiny island only about 35 square miles. It has a very small population and there isn't much there, but the weather and beaches there are beautiful. I am persistently cold and I know I thrive in the warm weather so I feel like this is an ideal place for me, which I am sure a lot of people would. And although the isolation feels like it may be overwhelming at times, the lack of distraction from the every day dramas of home will be very conducive to focusing as well. After the four semesters in Anguilla, I will be continuing on to Chicago for the final two years of the program, which are called Clerkships. This is where you rotate through the various disciplines of medicines and do placements in hospitals.

I leave for Anguilla in two weeks from now. In the last couple of days, it has really started to hit me. Hello...moving to another country is stressful! There is a lot involved! Over the last 6 weeks or so there has been a lot of organizing to do...getting loans into place, budgeting, looking into things such as health insurance while I am away, insurance on loans, making sure you have appropriate vaccinations, the list goes on. The school has all sorts of paperwork they need you to run around to do such as police checks and notarizing of documents and health clearances from doctors. Then, picture this fun activity...packing! Imagine this. Let's play make believe together, my friends....ESPECIALLY my lady friends...

You look around your house. At all of your things....at all of your clothing, at all of the stuff in your bathroom, look at all of your shoes, your makeup, your linens, towels. Just take a walk around your WHOLE house and look at all your stuff. Is there anything in your kitchen you couldn't do without? Do you have any special gadgets that you love? Now just imagine that you had to pack everything that you would need for a year and a half into a couple suitcases!! Oh, and don't forget, you have to take enough school supplies and toiletries to last until at least Christmas because there's not a lot that you can buy there and what you can buy is crazy expensive! It seems nearly impossible, I feel like I could fill half a suitcase with shoes! I guess it is all part of the experience.

So back to how it started to hit me...I went shopping today to try to find the biggest, lightest suitcase I could. I looked at a bunch of stores and finally found the biggest one I could (which happened to be leopard print). I wheeled it out of the mall and as I did, I could picture myself wheeling it through the airport in a couple of weeks and could almost feel how surreal it will be when I am actually leaving.

I wanted to start this blog for a couple of reasons. I want to capture my experiences in school as they happen and be able to share them with you all. I remember how I felt when I was starting nursing - how exciting everything was when it happened for the first time. We were forced to write about those experiences and I still reflect on them to this day. I can promise a couple of things, my posts won't always be this long, and I won't post as often as I want to! I know I'm getting into a very busy and exciting time of my life and I am so ready!

XOXOXO