Archive for May of 2007
Memorial day weekend
May 30, 2007
So summer is now here and there is now time to see the sights around LA. Here are some pictures from this past memorial day weekend:
FINALS ARE OVER!!!
May 24, 2007
Ahhhh finals are done, FINALLY! After two major proficiency exams and five finals in the last two weeks, I am finally done with my first year and I am now officially a 2nd year student! This week was one of the most academically strenuous weeks I've ever endured in my life...I had a final last Friday, then FOUR finals in a row (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday).
I was frustrated, however because I missed an "A" by 0.7% in my refraction class...I have done consistently well except for one single exam and that one exam resulted in me being 0.7% short of an "A" - a whole letter grade! I was really upset to the point where I talked to the professor about it, but he did not want to bump up my grade at all. But I felt much better after making a post in the Student Doctor Network Forum. And there was one person who replied to my post that mentioned a poem relating to my ordeal. It's entitled, "The Guy in the Glass":
So in essence, no matter how much others may feel about your competency, it's ultimately how you feel about your own ability and not others. So the moral of the story is - even if I did get bumped up to an "A", it would be only for the sake of getting an "A", which does not necessarily change what I feel about my own ability. So ultimately that 0.7% difference is negligible!
I was frustrated, however because I missed an "A" by 0.7% in my refraction class...I have done consistently well except for one single exam and that one exam resulted in me being 0.7% short of an "A" - a whole letter grade! I was really upset to the point where I talked to the professor about it, but he did not want to bump up my grade at all. But I felt much better after making a post in the Student Doctor Network Forum. And there was one person who replied to my post that mentioned a poem relating to my ordeal. It's entitled, "The Guy in the Glass":
When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf,
And the world makes you King for a day,
Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that guy has to say.
For it isn't your Father, or Mother, or Wife,
Who judgement upon you must pass.
The feller whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the guy staring back from the glass.
He's the feller to please, never mind all the rest,
For he's with you clear up to the end,
And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.
You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum,
And think you're a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye.
You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you've cheated the guy in the glass.
And the world makes you King for a day,
Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that guy has to say.
For it isn't your Father, or Mother, or Wife,
Who judgement upon you must pass.
The feller whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the guy staring back from the glass.
He's the feller to please, never mind all the rest,
For he's with you clear up to the end,
And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.
You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum,
And think you're a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye.
You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you've cheated the guy in the glass.
So in essence, no matter how much others may feel about your competency, it's ultimately how you feel about your own ability and not others. So the moral of the story is - even if I did get bumped up to an "A", it would be only for the sake of getting an "A", which does not necessarily change what I feel about my own ability. So ultimately that 0.7% difference is negligible!
Reading week and finals
May 16, 2007
So I'm in the middle of reading week right now. This past Monday was my Neurophys lab final, and studying for it was a real pain!!! It has enough material to be a four unit undergrad class on its own! Then yesterday was my Clinical Methods final proficiency - it didn't go as well as I hoped for some reason, but that's okay because I'm doing very well in the class overall.
Then for my finals schedule (the busiest that I will have so far):
- Friday: Ocular Motility
Then four in a row (gasp!)...
- Monday: Neurophysiology
- Tuesday: Clinical Methods
- Wednesday: Ophthalmic Optics I
- Thursday: Clinical Medicine I
I'm going to be ridiculously burnt out by the time Thursday comes along - and I heard Clinical Medicine is going to be hard!!! Oh man, here it goes...I'll keep you posted when I can...wish me luck!
Then for my finals schedule (the busiest that I will have so far):
- Friday: Ocular Motility
Then four in a row (gasp!)...
- Monday: Neurophysiology
- Tuesday: Clinical Methods
- Wednesday: Ophthalmic Optics I
- Thursday: Clinical Medicine I
I'm going to be ridiculously burnt out by the time Thursday comes along - and I heard Clinical Medicine is going to be hard!!! Oh man, here it goes...I'll keep you posted when I can...wish me luck!
T-shirt design for our class
May 11, 2007
Recently I submitted a shirt design and it was voted as our class t-shirt! How exciting! It's based on the Tumbling "E" Visual Acuity chart:
Source
And here's an image of what the shirt will look like...the color is still tentative:
Source
And here's an image of what the shirt will look like...the color is still tentative:
Going to Hawaii!!!
May 07, 2007
I've been meaning to tell you all about this, but this summer after I get out of school, I'll be going to Hawaii!!! And the best part of it is, it's an all-expense paid trip! You ask how this is possible? Well, remember how I am an Army HPSP (Health Professions Scholarship Program) recipient? Part of the requirements for this program is an annual Active Duty Training (ADT). And basically ADT for optometry students involves working at an Army hospital or clinic for six weeks, and HPSP students get paid for lodging, subsistence, and about $3,500 for 2nd Lieutenant Active Duty pay.
Actually, Hawaii is normally not offered as an ADT location, but I fought for it after about a month of phone calls and emails. During my training there, I'll be working alongside an Army Optometrist doing some refractions and other clinical duties. I plan to ask if I can sit in for some eye surgeries too (I'm crossing my fingers!). This will be an awesome experience for me because I'll get early patient exposure and more practice with the techniques that I've learned. Hopefully the optometrist there will teach me more procedures as well!
A picture of the hospital I will be working at (Tripler Army Medical Center):
Source
I'll also be working at the Optometry Clinic at Schofield Barracks:
Source
So this summer expect to see much more exciting things in this blog with my experience in Hawaii. If you have any questions regarding the Army HPSP and/or ADT, feel free to comment below!
Actually, Hawaii is normally not offered as an ADT location, but I fought for it after about a month of phone calls and emails. During my training there, I'll be working alongside an Army Optometrist doing some refractions and other clinical duties. I plan to ask if I can sit in for some eye surgeries too (I'm crossing my fingers!). This will be an awesome experience for me because I'll get early patient exposure and more practice with the techniques that I've learned. Hopefully the optometrist there will teach me more procedures as well!
A picture of the hospital I will be working at (Tripler Army Medical Center):
Source
I'll also be working at the Optometry Clinic at Schofield Barracks:
Source
So this summer expect to see much more exciting things in this blog with my experience in Hawaii. If you have any questions regarding the Army HPSP and/or ADT, feel free to comment below!
So sorry!!!
May 03, 2007
I totally forgot that my blog program moderates comments. That's why you don't see any comments!!! Oh and by the way, there's always automated robots leaving spam comments so you need to answer a simple question so that you can be identified as a human (sounds weird but basically these "robots" are programs that automatically spam blogs!). So please do leave comments...my apologies!!!
Omega Delta Banquet
May 02, 2007
Last Friday was the End of the Year Banquet Omega Delta (for the optometric fraternity I'm involved in). It was at the Orange County Mining Company - a pretty nice Old West Miner themed restaurant set on top of a hill. It has a pretty nice view but the road going up was very narrow and steep!
A picture of the restaurant:
My girlfriend and I + the view from the restaurant:
Some SCCO students among others:
A picture of the restaurant:
My girlfriend and I + the view from the restaurant:
Some SCCO students among others: