This trimester is going faster than any other trimester! I ended up coming back to Illinois this week from Maryland, even though we don’t have to be back until week 10. I wanted to be able to get settled back in (I had been gone for nearly 3 months) and get back into the groove of life in Illinois before classes start. It is so strange being back on campus! My apartment was exactly how I left it, but campus is different. The willow tree near the lake has fallen over, or at least part of it. There aren’t any swans in the lake, and there are surprisingly very few geese (which I am super thankful for!).

Well, we all survived the first round of midterms, also known as week 5 of the trimester. It is always a stressful and challenging time in a typical trimester. I have found that online distant learning due to COVID makes some things easier and some things more challenging. I love some of the flexibility that is offered, such as my ability to do all of my school work from Maryland with my family. 

I am in a class right now called Advanced Diagnosis and Problem Solving. In this class, we have a simulated patient every week, which now has to be done via Zoom due to COVID-19. A simulated patient is a paid actor who acts through a case as a patient, and then gives us graded feedback afterward so we can improve.

Illinois is still under a stay-at-home order due to COVID-19. Therefore, all courses continue to be done through online/distance learning. The current plan is to be back in person for face-to-face labs July 13. I decided to spend this time doing distance learning in Maryland. I am staying with my sister so I can help with her crazy little ones (and let me tell you, I am absolutely loving every second of the insanity)! The down side to staying at my sister’s is that I can’t see my parents who are only five minutes away. We are practicing strict social distancing to help keep our loved ones safe. My sister is an essential worker, and must work out of the home, so it is best for us to all keep our distance from those outside the home. 

School has officially been online, and Lily and I have been quarantined for over a month now. It has been a wonderful opportunity to take inventory of my blessings, and the things that matter most in my life. I grew up with a big family, and in a very noisy and hectic household.

We have officially finished our 3^rd week of quarantine and online coursework. It is very different to be learning some of this material over the internet instead of in our very hands-on lab classes. I am so thankful for current technologies that are enabling us to continue our education and learning during this world-wide pandemic. I figured I would take this time to express my gratitude for a handful of the things in my life I am thankful for. Similar to the type of post I do for Thanksgiving every year:

Week 8 of every trimester is Diversity Week. And, Week 13 is always self-care week as it falls right before final exams kick off. But for Diversity Week this trimester, Dr. Coe (who is the one that took the photo) had an idea that she wanted to do for a photo.

Let me start by saying the Post-Grad Department at National University is amazing! They host some great events for alumni and local doctors that provide some of the required continuing education credit requirements for maintaining licensure. And, they offer a discounted rate for current students, which is greatly appreciated. 

I took my first set of board exams a couple weeks ago. It was HARD! I felt very prepared for it, both through the coursework I have completed so far at school, and through my dedicated study time. I don’t know that it was enough, and I may have to take it a second time (which isn’t super uncommon). Now begins the long, six-week waiting game to find out. 

I know I mentioned getting to work with standardized patients in the last few months. I am so grateful for the experience we get by having the opportunity to interact with standardized patients in our Primary Care course. I seriously LOVED the experience so much and feel that I learned a lot about how to improve my interactions with real patients in the future thanks to that experience.