midterms are upon us

With a vengeance! They are! They're doing 2/3rds of the readings in the first half of the semester so we can go into clinical actually knowing stuff.

the good: Well, pharmacology math, I passed with a 98. I can't believe the question i got wrong, the first one, and a simple conversion I got right in my calculations next to it..and then tickied the wrong one.

Then there's the first few theory midterms, which I've done pretty well on (can't recall exact marks, but nothing under 85 out of 100) and today was practical skill test - I lost out at least 20 out of 100 on forgetting to verbalise that I knew what my doctors order was despite the fact I did, clearly, and told my dummy all about why I was doing it. I also managed to break sterile field once. We only got one lab to learn that skill earlier this week. I'm not horribly horribly upset, as I know it was literally a slip of the hand. We worked with foreceps once, yes, the odd item is going to drop sometimes until I've practiced it some more. Still, I passed.

Now in the mean time, I have four more midterms next week. One is practical, and that would be a relatively doable one, I deem. Three theory. I'll pass, the only question is what kind of mark. I'm going to have to put my nose to the grindstone.

The thing that vexes me though, is pharmacology. Not the readings, I don't mind those though they are american based -and I do have to question the amount we have to learn about a different countries legal system - and we're in Canada. No, its the drug cards.

You can buy perfectly good drug cards. You can read them and learn them before you go in. no, they want something like 96 drug cards for midterms, and again as many for finals. Its worth 15% of our grades, so I can't afford to give it up.

But typing that much, and there is a good bit of data on one drug card, really isnt' learning it. You type and its straight data entry. Or I guess most of my classmates are writing but I find it faster to type, and I manipulate word well. Besides this way I can read 'em!

Still, I can't give up the marks. But this strikes me as several days of work I can better spend studying the material. Its makework.  I'm going to end up playing with craft paper and glitter glue again.
An example of one of the cards:

Metoprolol aka Lopresor

Contra: uncompensated CHF, pulmonary edema, cardiogenic shock, bradycardia

Drug Class: beta blocker, antianginals, antihypertensive Preg Cat C

Route: PO Adult	Angina/hypertension: 25-100 mg qd/BID, up to 450mg qd MI: 25-50mg q 6 hr/48 hr then 100mg qd 3months
	Heart failure: 12.5-25mg qd, doubling/2 wks to 200 mg

For: hypertension, angina pectoris, prevent/treat MI's, management heart failure

Check: BP, ECG, HR, I&O, lab tests, freq/character of angina

Side effects: BRADYCARDIA, CHF, PULMONARY EDEMA, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, weakness

Teaching: - take as directed, do not miss

- check pulse, bp biweekly

- orthostatic hypertension and drowsiness may occur

Still, I guess at least its legible?

Semester 2, week 3

Well, we've had our first two out of fourteen weeks. No clinical yet, that comes after they pump our brains full of more stuff. And I already have two midterms in week 3 and 4. And a math exam that counts as a midterm. We barely got started! and as I started late..well..i'm still 2 days behind but I'm working on it.

Went to a medieval event yesterday and was there late, which didn't help matters with the brain, as usually i'm good at math and nursing math is not an exception. Its 'rithmetic. I do a lot of that without scratch paper. Today however, I can't even divide 75 by 2. I suspect its that cold i'm coming down with. Cannot brain, have the dumb.

Still, we're getting into med administration. I'm not sure if I think its awesome or terrifying that by the end of the semester we'll be sticking needles into people. I have no issues with needles -stick away as far as I'm concerned - but sticking needles? that's a different ballgame. Suspect I'll be fine once I actually get to do it.

I"m doing one course less than most this semester because of the way I did anatomy and physiology last semester and I"m very glad for the head start. Its making things a lot easier.