So THIS is what problem based learning is...

Well, I haven't really had a chance to sit down and write anything since I've started this semester because I am so busy. This semester is different than last semester; whether this is different good or bad I am not really sure. In some ways this semester makes last semester feel like a cakewalk, but then I think about my huge anatomy exams and life doesn't seem so bad.

This semester I was finally introduced (officially) to problem-based learning. I had learned how to teach inquiry-based learning (which is very similar... in fact without looking, I don't know what the difference[s] would even be) with my education degree, so I was interested to see how I liked it from a student perspective. It's... interesting. There are times when I really love it; I love the discussion and coming together to bounce ideas off of each other. The group that I am in has an almost perfect dynamic and word is that we are eons ahead of the other groups in terms of being able to accomplish what we are supposed to from these sessions. There are other times when I am not so sure... this is mostly when I am spending anywhere between 4-8 hours researching outside of class time and creating 10+ page word documents with tons of information. Then, after discussion, sometimes it's still a little iffy as to what I need to know vs "extra stuff" that I had found.

But, all in all, it's pretty good. We just had our first exam that correlated with our PBL sessions, lectures and labs. It was hard and easy at the same time. Mostly, I messed up on small details (like what does a T1 wave MRI show) and vocabulary that I tried to learn but got mixed up on when it came to the test. It will be interesting to see if I pass it or not. The nice thing about these tests is that if we don't pass them, we simply retake them. So, I already know from taking it what information I was supposed to know that I was iffy on, so I know what to look over if I do, in fact, need to retake it. Plus, it's just not worth having a mental breakdown over. Or that's what I'm trying to tell myself.

I am finding my clinical skills lab time easier; we are actually correlating all that boring, background information with real therapy, like modalities. That's been nice. We just started electrotherapy though, and it is intense. There is so much information. We are having 3 lectures on it and 2-3 lab sessions on it. I hope that I end up understanding it all... our professor told us we should plan to re-read our class notes/the chapter in the book at least 3 times.

Other than that, my other classes are not so bad. I am enjoying Neuroscience so far, although to be honest, we have not really covered too much of anything. Exercise physiology is really boring, but I am trying to be a really good student since I've never had an ex phys class before... The only other course I have is my 1 credit Correlative Neuro and it's almost as time consuming as PBL, even though it's not supposed to be since it's a 1 credit course.

I need to figure out how to be more efficient in my information gathering for both PBL and Correlative, because I am just spending so much time outside of school researching it's insane. I need to learn how to reel it in and try to stick to my objectives and not go "too far" into detail if I don't need to... right now it seems like I go too far when I'm not supposed to and not far enough for other things... I think as time goes on and we do more and more cases, I'll get better at balancing and figuring out what is exactly expected of me from the course.

So, with that, I am pretty much done studying for the night; I tried to work on some of my Correlative but J* is on his way home from Tampa, so I'm anxiously following him/his flights and also had to take a brain break from the 3 tests (and 1 quiz) I took this past week.

About to start Semester 2...

So, tomorrow I continue my journey in PT School and will start my second semester. Honestly, this two week break for Christmas has been GREAT. It was just long enough for me to get caught up on all of my personal life issues (minus seeing a couple of friends) and enough to recharge my batteries. I am happy to say that I am not dreading going to school tomorrow like I was before I started.

This semester will be interesting, I have the following courses:

Neuroscience (4)

Foundations of Movement Science I (7)

Fundamentals of Exercise Physiology (2)

Correlative Neuroscience (1)

For a grand total of 14 credits, as was my first semester. This semester will be my first semester with problem-based learning (PBL) and I'm excited. Coming from a background in education I am familiar with PBL and how to teach it, so I'm excited to use that particular knowledge to (hopefully) succeed with the course. It's a large amount of credits and I'm really just interested to see how this is all going to play out. The course is 7 credits, and it is all day Tuesday/Thursday. We have our PBL groups in the AM and then a lab portion in the afternoon. I have no clue what the lab portion is about, but I'm assuming it will be similar to my course in the Fall that was clinical skills 1.

In any case, I am trying to start this new year off with some changes; I am trying to remain positive although there has been a lot of stress surrounding me outside of school. I am thankful that although I had so many factors going against me in the first semester, I managed to pull through with good grades and am able to continue in this journey.

So, wish me luck! :)

I Did It: Semester One

I am SO relieved to have made it through this first semester. It has definitely been more than just a small struggle; there are so many things that have been going on, that it really feels great to be done.

All I'm waiting for is my final grade for Physiology, but I passed my other 3 courses, so hopefully I passed Physiology as well! Now, two weeks off of full relaxation and Christmas fuuuuun! :)

T-minus 7 days to survival of Semester 1!

Well, I'm still here. In 7 days I will be done with my first semester of PT school and it has been really wild. I still haven't decided where I want to go for my 1st clinical, and I really need to take advantage of being in the first spot for choosing... I don't really want to think that far in advance, honestly. I'm too busy worrying about my anatomy and physiology finals. I am doing well in both courses, but I am at a borderline A and so one slip up could potentially have me failing either. Although I have my struggles about being in school, I would prefer it to be my decision to quit, not that I failed a course and was unable to continue.

A question I find myself asking a lot is, how do you figure out if something/anything is "worth it"?

Sometimes when I get A's on my tests it doesn't even feel good. Only because I know how much farther I have to go in this journey to even get through school, and because usually it's immediately time to start preparing for the next batch of tests. But, it hit me for a second the other day... I got a 95% in my clinical skills class... That means that I know 95% of what I was supposed to know... That's huge. Why am I acting like it's not? I think that I get so overwhelmed with everything going on around me, that I don't even realize how far I've come in just this short amount of time.

In fact, I know for certain that I passed two of my four classes (clinical skills) and my principles of practice course, because the finals were this week, in what I like to call "Hell Week #2" Remember Hell Week the first time? Yeah, not fun.

However, this time I only cried twice, instead of every day, and I didn't have a complete mental breakdown leading to a horrible anatomy lab practical grade. So, I've improved.

I took yesterday off after my last test and came home and stayed in bed all day, and slept in today and did some Christmas shopping. Now I feel like I'm ready to do this and get it over with.

My anatomy final is cumulative, so it's going to be hard and I need to try to remember everything I've learned along the way, and that's a lot... Physiology is all about digestion which is not my favorite thing to study, so I've got to gear up and get in it.

Hopefully, soon, I'll be celebrating that I passed all my courses and can move onto semester #2.

How I won the lottery...

I know what you're thinking, and no I didn't actually win the real lottery... I can't even win on a scratch off lotto ticket... but I did take part in a lottery where most would say that I "won"... allow me to explain... From the beginning.

At my school we have 4 clinical experiences. When it comes to choosing where you'd like to do your clinical they have instilled a lottery mechanism to be "fair and just". Basically, it happens like this... Before any of your clinicals, at the beginning of your schooling, you get a number. Whatever that number is (let's just go with #20) means that's when you get to choose your clinical. So, at #20, 19 people would get the chance to choose a clinical before you. So, #1 gets to pick first and basically gets to go wherever he/she desires. Then, for the second clinical they flip it, so #1 becomes #38 (in my case because there are 38 students in our class) and #38 becomes #1 so that it's fair.

Now, on the first clinical experience everyone is placed on out-patient orthopedic because that is what we spend all of our time learning about the first year. So, really, there is no choice, because everyone goes to out-patient ortho and you only get a choice as to where you go. The second-forth clinicals are a little more exciting because you can choose in-patient, skilled nursing, pediatrics, cardiopulm, etc... So, I was really hoping I'd get a "late" number so that I'd be near the top for when the choosing actually begins.

Low and behold... I am #1. I get first choice on wherever I want to go for my first clinical. And, I'm probably the only person in the history of ever to be mad about it. I would've much rather have been further up on the list for round 2-4 where there ARE choices, especially since some of the places I want to go to are going to be high on lots of peoples' lists.

But, this must have happened for a reason and I'm not going to complain about it, I'm just going to REALLY research the clinical affiliations and choose the one that I feel will be best for me and keep my fingers crossed.

In the meantime, I'm still freaking out about school, but I'm just trying to push it aside for right now with the end of the semester fastly approaching.

I just keep telling myself, well, I made it through today and that's one less day I have to deal with...

42 more days until the end of the semester.

Oh hi. What's new and exciting?

Same old, same old here. I should really be studying physiology and anatomy instead of surfing the interwebz and writing in this thing, but as soon as I'm done here, I promise I'll get down and dirty with my books.

I went to counseling last week and it was weird; I guess it probably always is... nothing really got accomplished. My counselor told me that I need to not get stressed out about things that don't "matter". For example, my house is in a constant state of chaos because I never have time to clean it. Messes stress me out, thus when I am at home I am immediately stressed due to the dishes not being done, dishes all over the living room, dirt on the floor, clothes strewn about, etc.

Unfortunately, "breathing deeply" does not help me feel better about any of these things, so although I wanted to follow her advice, it's not really doing any good. The house is still a mess and thus I am still stressed.

She also told me I need to join the gym stat. No kidding. Once again, I told her I would do it, and yet I have had no time to go over to join (I suppose I could be doing THAT now instead of this, but oh well). I haven't worked out at all since August and it sucks. I went from working out 2 hours a day 4x a week to zero. I can tell I'm gaining weight and that makes me more stressed. I just don't know how to carve the time out to go when I feel stressed to the max about not having enough time. I mean, I can't even clean my house, let alone leave the house to go do something else. Ugh. I just need to do it and get over it, but I'm not done whining about it.

Anyway, we'll see what happens over the next few weeks when I go and if we can evaluate my study habits and figure out how I can be more effective then maybe that will help.

B.T.Dubs, I got a 98% on my anatomy test and a 98% on my clinical skills written exam. I'm sitting pretty; just unhappy.

So, anyway, I am looking forward to Thanksgiving week because J* and I are heading up to NYC to visit my HS girlfriend and stay for a few days. I cannot wait to get away from school and everything negative surrounding me right now; it is much, much, MUCH needed.

Besides that, only 42 days until the end of the semester. I just keep telling myself as each day passes, it's one less day I have to deal with; I got through it and I just need to push forward.

We'll see where I go from here...

Hell Week

Well, I just finished the week that everyone refers to as "Hell Week" and just barely survived. Hell Week consists of 5 tests in four days and is allegedly the roughest week of the entire semester.

On Monday I had my second anatomy lecture exam, which wasn't too terrible. Although, I felt like I threw up all the information I knew onto that test and felt nervous for the practical the following day. I also had my "standard patient interview" with a faculty member in which he pretended to be a patient coming to my clinic and I had to gain information about him and his injury, hitting a number of must-asks, in an appropriate manner. No problem. Passed with flying colors.

On Tuesday we had our first "check offs" in clinical skills. Check offs consist of palpations and then either gait training/transfers/etc depending on what we have learned. The first check off was palpations of the lower limb and the shoulder and then gait training. You are given 3 structures to find for the palpation part (at random; you choose when you arrive at your check off time) and then you're given a patient situation in which you need to demonstrate appropriate interactions and decision making on choosing the correct assistive device (walker, crutches, cane, etc) for the patient. My check-off was terrible; as I've been writing from time to time I'm having a rough adjustment into school and haven't been happy since I started (in fact, to be honest, I've been quite miserable 95% of the time), thus it was a train-wreck that resulted in me having to re-take the check-off on Thursday.

Also, on Tuesday I had my anatomy practical exam. After my terrible morning I was feeling even more distraught about school and honestly didn't even feel like taking the practical; I just wanted to quit school and go home. But, I'm not going to make a rash decision when emotions are high, so of course I stayed and took it. And it was hard. There were too many people in the room so I couldn't follow my thought process and when the professor called "5 minutes" I had about 10 blank answers. I didn't stay to watch him grade it and later got my grade off the internet... 74%. Ouch. :(

On Wednesday, I had a free day. Some people were still doing their patient interviews, but I had done that on Monday, so it was a quick breather for me.

On Thursday, I had my clinical skills written exam, which went pretty darn well. It's not that I don't know the information, or that it's too hard, it's just that it makes me severely unhappy and I need to decide if I'm unhappy because I am constantly stressed or I'm unhappy because this is not right for me. Also, after the written exam I had to redo my check-offs, and I, of course, passed with a 100% and celebrated with lunch with my one classmate.

So, I am now home and feeling much better because there is no stress on me, however, as soon as it is time for another round of tests I will be feeling the exact same way, so I've decided to go to counseling to see if they can help me sort through all of this so I can make an educated decision that I won't regret.

Until then, I guess I'll just try to deal with being miserable.