This Student's Life

22 Sep 2010
Comments

6 notes

Genetics- Down’s Syndrome (Trisomy 21)

I’m doing notecards for the diseases I need to know for the first exam in genetics, and the one that had the most detail in it was the one for Down’s Syndrome, trisomy 21. So, I figured I’d share some knowledge.

We all know (or should know) that we normally have 46 chromosomes altogether…46 XX if female, 46 XY if male. Every now and then, however, problems will arise. One of those problems is trisomy 21, which is 3 copies of chromosome 21. The incidence of a female having a child with this disorder increases after the ripe age of 35. It is the single most common cause of mental retardation, with 1 out of 800 newborns being affected. Below I have included a few symptoms and pictures.

*short stature

*simian crease in palm (single transverse line)

*mental retardation

*delayed language development

*flat face with upward slant of the eyes

*clinodactyly- curving of the 5th (little) finger towards the 4th (ring) finger

*low set ears

*large tongue (macroglossia)

*hearing, eye, and skeletal problems

*dementia

Also, it is important to note that there is a protein found on chromosome 21, the beta amyloid precursor protein, that is also found in people afflicted with Alzheimer’s. Needless to say, people with trisomy 21 have a higher chance of also developing Alzheimer’s.

1 Sep 2010
Comments

2 notes

MED2

Semester 2 starts in 5 days…

I think I’m having mixed emotions about going back to the island. On the one hand, I’m kinda looking forward to it because I need something to do! I’m losing my mind…I think it has something to do with the fact that I haven’t really been using it for the last two weeks…you know what they say, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.” I’ve always liked school. I’m a total geek. And I miss my friends. But on the other hand, I like being in America. There’s NO place like the USA! And this is where my family is, and I love my family. I wouldn’t be who I am today without them.

I hope the classes for the upcoming semester aren’t impossible. But then again, it’s med school. We DO the impossible. Now that I look back on it, Anatomy class last semester was pretty impossible, but we managed to pull through. So I sense that things will be no different this semester…and the 538 semesters we have left till we graduate.

My flight back to St. Kitts is tomorrow. Med2, here I come!

21 Aug 2010
Comments

Mini-vaca!

First semester of basic science: check!

Only 9 more semesters to go!! (give or take)

I’m looking forward to spending a nice mini-vacation back in Miami. I’m afraid I’ll miss the constant studying, though. In med school, you get into this groove of studying daily (I’m not even lying) and it just works out. You wake up, study, eat, study, eat again (if you’re lucky), study, and go to sleep. Monday through Sunday. It becomes a ritual, and it becomes comfortable. I finished finals 2 days ago, and I have woken up these past two days and said “What the hell am I going to DO today?” I feel so…lost! But, I do admit that it will be nice to spend some down time with loved ones. I have a lot of catching up to do back home, with this thing called “life” that has kind of been put on the back burner for the past four months. I also need to get away from drama that seems to be seeping out of every one’s pores lately around here. Maybe it’s the stress. We’re all so damn stressed and tense all the time that (I swear) causes us to act like high schoolers once again. Not that I mind so much. I enjoyed high school. It was definitely good times. It adds some spice to our dull student lives here on the island. Alright, it’s bed time. Miami-bound in T-14 hours!

18 Aug 2010
Comments

4 notes

Last exam for first semester…T-0.5 hrs

Heart palpitations, sweaty palms, nervous glances, on the verge of hyperventilation…that’s me right now. The anatomy final is looming over my head like a smoker’s cloud. I KNOW my stuff, but do I really? If they tag the palatoglassal arch on the cadaver, will I be able to identify it?

The more I review, the more I feel I don’t know anything. I read something or see a picture and realize there’s just one more thing I didn’t study. The amount of material for anatomy is astronomical. There are soooo many structures! And they left the hardest section of anatomy for the end: head and neck. Who knew the amount of crap you had in your head and neck exponentially increased every time you opened the book to ‘review’?!? Don’t be fooled by the picture below. That’s only about 1/5 of the things we need to know.

The culmination of Med1 is now. I have busted my ass this semester, studying like I’ve never studied before. Monday through Sunday at school with an open book in front of me. I’m proud of what I have learned, and gracious for the opportunity to learn it. I go back home in 3 days. I get to see my family, friends, and my home. I just want to leave this island for break knowing that I passed everything. Maybe I just need to have a little more confidence in myself.

::breathes in and out::

Ok, I’m getting ready to walk down to the anatomy lab with the rest of my long-faced peers. After this, we all deserve a full-body massage with scented oils. And some vodka. Yea, that would work.

Phew!

9 Aug 2010
Comments

4 notes

whatsnuwithju:

(via aryeo)

bahahaha awesome

31 Jul 2010
Comments

55,403 notes

What we always go through.

whatsnuwithju:

stfusarahh:

racheldisaster:

jadaemonee:

likeitstrey:

kaysaur:

calezg91:

wearestardust:

chawginger:

Every New Semester:

After First Week:

After Second Week:

Before the Mid-Term Test:

During the Mid-Term Test:

After the Mid-Term Test:
Before the Final Exams:
Once Get to Know the Final Exam Schedule:
7 Days Before the Final Exam:
6 Days Before the Final Exam:

5 Days Before the Final Exam:
4 Days Before the Final Exam:
3 Days Before the Final Exam:
2 Days Before the Final Exam:
1 Day Before the Final Exam:
The Night Before the Final Exam:
1 Hour Before the Final Exam:
During the Final Exam:
Once Walk Out From the Examination Hall:
After the Final Exam, During the Holiday: