Week 17

I am officially a P1.5!!! Celebrations occurred the night of my last final, not too late though because I was so damn worn out from the last two weeks of hell. But I made it through and that is all that matters. Now I am working full time and trying to spend as much time with Marie as possible, I owe her for the last three months of nothing but studying. I am hoping next semester will be more manageable, due to the fact that I have done this before and maybe I have some understanding of what I need to do to be a successful pharmacy student. For those out there who are thinking about joining our ranks of sleep deprived PharmD candidates, it feels great to have accomplished so much so far. One feels depressed, down-trodden, and disheartened while attending classes and going through 5 finals a week and sleeping two hours a night, but when you finish, words cannot describe the excitement and joy you feel. When I walked out of that last exam, I had this pressure inside my chest, this rush of happiness, that felt like I need to scream with joy at having finished. I almost shouted out, "Suck it Pharmacy school!" However, I am too polite for that.

Since the semester is over, and this blog is about the PharmD life, I am going to take a break on posting until the week before the Spring Semester starts. I plan on removing myself as far as possible from the PharmD life during this much needed break. I do plan on writing the papers we have due for Introduction to Patient Care over the break, but other than that, NADA!

I hope you all have an awesome break. I will see you next semester!

As a treat I decided to compile a list of what all you gain, besides a PharmD certificate, when you graduate pharmacy school.

• Gray hair
• bald spots
• weight gain or loss
• heart burn
• anxiety
• insomnia
• ulcers

May the force be with you! Goodbye to another week in the PharmD life!

Week 16

As you can see I gave up on the week numbers being in different languages, got old. I am now reporting to you as an almost P1.5! I have taken three finals and only have two more to go! Very exciting, I am not gonna lie though, this week has been very stressful, but as Marie says, I wasn't forced to go to pharmacy school so no point in biotching about it.

Comprehensive pharmacy phinals (as us cool kids call it) kind of suck. Okay, they suck pretty bad, I am not gonna lie, but they are doable, especially in some classes where they let you know what you need to focus on. Of course these last two tests I have no such luck, so I am going through hundreds of slides worth of material trying to pull out the gems from the crap. I don't know where that analogy came from, but I am gonna roll with it.

This week has also been killer to my sleep schedule, staying up until 3 or 4 and then getting up at 6 is no bueno. I am going to sleep for a day after this semester is over! Which is in only 3 days!!!! Passing this semester (hopefully) is going to be the best thing ever. I cannot wait to get my life back. I miss hanging out with Marie, that's for sure. So all you pre-pharmacy kidz, get your family and friend time in now, cause it pretty much goes bye-bye when you step into the realm of a PharmD candidate. And be prepared to stay up late and get up early! It's not uncommon to pull multiple all nighters in a row. Caffeine pills will be your best friend!

Okay, back to studying now, sorry the PharmD life hasn't been very interesting lately, but when all you literally do is eat, sleep (HAHA), and study, not much can happen.

I'll leave with some advice from a P2, "In pharmacy you have to learn to adapt, or else you're not gonna make it. If that means sitting in the same spot for a day studying or sleeping only two or three hours at a time, then you just do it. Carry a toothbrush on you and get it done." -Frank Da Tank

Week fifteen

Wow, there is not too much to say about a week like last week. It was a totally mind rape, I felt dirty and in need of a shower after Friday. Five tests in one week are never fun, but when the last one is for Physical and Chemical Principles of Drugs, you just want to die at the end of it. I don't know why they decided to put all our last exams the week before finals. I guess there really isn't a choice and I am glad to have made it through. All I have been doing for the past week is studying and it's hard to make myself get back on it for the five comprehensive finals we have. I am going to celebrate so hard when it's over. I plan on throwing up at some point that night. We'll see how it goes. I am going to have to cut this post short cause I spent the whole day watching Harry Potter and hanging out with the wife. We needed a break and it is our SIX YEAR anniversary of being together. Six years ago we were crazy high school kids and I forced her to go out with me. We then went to Sonic Drive-In, don't judge, and I was in so much disbelief that this sexy awesome girl would date the fat me, that I ignored her and acted funny. But the next day we started the dating game and now here we are! I am so glad that this first hellish semester is almost done, and I can't wait for three and a half years from now! I am not going to post for next week until Wednesday following finals. No distractions, I am sure Marie will make sure that doesn't happen, and I am going to crank these finals out and then jump for joy! After a nap of course. I hope that all is well in everyone else's world, and that all those still in school have a great set of finals. May the force be with you.

Week tizennegy

That's Hungarian! Alright, this blog is going to have to be short. Last week was awesome! Only two days of class and then Thanksgiving! I hope everyone was able to eat until they vomited. The most American holiday of them all, stuffing your face and drinking beer! Well, it's keeping us in business, I believe that cholesterol medicine is the number one prescribed drug. So this last week we only had one test, and it was on Tuesday so it made the time off start a little later, of course. Anatomy is probably one of the trickiest subjects, not because the material is hard, but because the questions are worded so wonky that it throws you off. Oh and this time he put a question that said "Inhibition of a parasympathtic nerve would least disrupt... Urination, defecation, erection, ejaculation, or your honeymoon." The answer was ejaculation, but it really depends upon what you do for your honeymoon,not to mention lesbian couples. So a girl asked him whether it was a trick question and he said, "I would sure hate to be your husband." Classic. Anyways, I thought that was a gimmie question also, luckily I figured he probably wouldn't give us an easy question so I chose the correct answer. Anyways, I just thought you should see some of the questions we deal with.

Thanksgiving was a mess, we had to eat two dinners and I felt like dying after the first. I didn't even eat a plateful, but it's all such heavy food. It just sits like a rock in your stomach and no amount of peristalsis is moving that sucker. Another awesome thing about pharmacy school, you can't stop thinking about it. I felt guilty Wednesday and Thursday, because I didn't study. I can't even enjoy the little time I do have off. Oh well, three weeks of tests and then I am officially a P1.5! Then it's only three and a half more years until I become a real person! No more tests, no more studying, actually enjoyment of life! I cannot wait! But I am getting way ahead of myself thinking about that.

Anyways, I gotta get started on studying for the five tests next week. I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving and are ready for finals to be done and Christmas to arrive! And speaking of Christmas, we already put up our tree! I have to say, it looks good. Marie finally talked me in to getting a real one and it looks loads better than the Charlie Brown tree we had before.

Marie is the mastermind behind decorating. Please ignore the thermostat.

If you want to hear more about Christmas and other holiday stuff, my wife's blog is going to get very festive soon! Here is the link. I hope no one got pepper sprayed yesterday, Black Friday, and I'll talk to ya'll again next week! Signing out after another crazy week in the PharmD life!

Week tredecim

Another week closer to getting my life back! Too bad these next couple of weeks are going to blow harder than Monica Lewensky! We have a test before Thanksgiving, four tests the week after, and then we start finals. Two weeks of don't sleep, don't eat, don't blog, just study! Five comprehensive finals in a semester that felt like a years worth of coverage of material. It's going to be rough to say the least. I love pharmacy, but pharmacy school..... We don't get along so well. So once again, for those pre-pharmacy people, know what you are getting into and make sure that you are going to be able to handle the material and the course load. Also, enjoy your life now, cause you won't have too much of one once you start. That being said, pharmacy school is a great place to make friends and you have the support of everyone around you, from P3s to the deans, they would all do anything for you. I honestly have not met one upperclassmen or professor that won't talk to you about school, work, or anything in between. They will help you with stuff you don't understand, or just tell you, I know it's hard, but you'll make it through. It's very refreshing from undergrad, where you were competing with everyone around you, and most professors really didn't care.

I still cannot wait to graduate though! I want to be able to sleep, watch TV, kill zombies, eat a real dinner, go for a drive, not feel guilty every second that I am not studying, spend time with my wife, and just enjoy my life. I know it'll be worth it, and if the semesters keep going as fast as this one, it'll be here before I know it. It's nice to be able to vent on this blog though, so vent I shall. I probably should have started an anonymous blog, so I could say whatever I want, but for the most part I get it all out. If you want to read a more down and dirty blog of what retail pharmacy can be like, click here. It's not always as bad as he says it is, but there are some bad times, especially when you work in a bad area. If you have never worked retail, and you think it might be something you pursue, I would 100% suggest reading his blog, and work in a retail pharmacy as an intern or tech for a little bit too.

Just got off work and now it is time to study, so I am gonna wrap it up now. Wish me luck and I wish all of my fellow PharmD students luck for these next four crazy weeks! Like I mentioned above, I probably won't be able to do to in depth of a blog until after the semester is over. I am glad to have made it another week in the PharmD life! May the force be with you.

week dymbedhjete

I want to apologize for the delay in posting this blog, as you will see, I took the weekend off and that included from blogging.I promise not to let it happen again! So this week we had an exam in Pharmaceutical Biochemistry, always a fun class. The lecturer is awesome, but the material is sub-par to say the least. So we learned about the Serine proteases and crammed our heads full of vitamins. Oh and GLYCOLYSIS and Krebs cycle or Citric Acid Cycle, I call it The CAC, pronounced cack. It was a demon to say the least. All of you pre-pharmacy studs reading this, be sure and learn it now and save yourself some time. Other than that, and changing up professors again, it went pretty smoothly last week. Speaking of changing professors, I get the concept, each teaches what they are best at, and it hasn't been too bad so far. However, it is kind of annoying to finally get used to one's teaching style and then have it all shifted on you. Some is for the better and some for the worse, but you think the one thing they could keep stable for you in the crazy life that is PharmD would be the profs. Nah! That'd be too easy! I guess the biggest change from undergrad to PharmD is the craziness of it all, I feel like I am perched on the edge of a great abyss and it'll only take one more little thing to push me over. I know I am not the only one to feel this way, but I guess it is for the best. Pharmacy is almost never structured and every day is a new day. So it is best we be prepared for the craziness that is being a pharmacist. One of our labs is finally done! Woot! And we had our last Introduction to Pharmaceutical Care, or whatever that class is called. To say the least, it feels like the end is near and it's nice to have a little more taken off our plates before the three weeks of hell that follow Thanksgiving.

In other news, as I said above, I took the weekend off and we went to the Renaissance Festival (RF) in Plantersville, aka BFE, and Wurstfest in my hometown of New Braunfels. Both of which were way fun and a nice relief from the usual study filled weekend. Though I did feel guilty every once in awhile, I think I needed the respite. Otherwise I might have fallen off the edge of slightly insane to bonkers.

The RF, acronyms all day baby, was quite enjoyable, especially since I got to wear a kilt all day and have a healthy breeze. It's a little uncomfortably sitting down, but other than that is was fine. We walked and looked at all the crazy shit and watched a whip cracker, who was cracking jokes as much as his whips. (BA-ZING) They had many weapons and I totally wanted to get a sword, mace, and battle ax, but it just wasn't in the cards. They also had some sweet hats with big plumes on them, but the $80 price tag put a damper on me being a pimp with that hat also. Whenever I graduate, I am gonna buy one of them hats fo sho! We had great fun and met a wizard!

This dude was a baller to say the least.

Here we awesome folks be, my sleeves were very puffy, and would have been perfect for stashing a wand. EXPECTO PATRONUS!

The Wurstfest was also a great time, and we had lots of beer! It's a little bit pricey, what isn't these days, but since it was the last day we got in for free! Plus we woke up late, had breakfast, then went back to sleep. It was a much needed break from living life in the fastline that we have been doing. We ended up running into my mom and my little brother and had a great time with them. Got to dance to the Chicken Dance and some polka. Oh and did I mention they had beer, lots of beer! Potato pancakes, that we waited in line for 45 minutes for, but were amazing, and brautwurst in a stick. Marie dressed up but wasn't able to make me a costume, so I procured a hat and we made plans for me to be rocking the lederhosen next year.

Marie's awesome costume, and my hat.

A.J. doesn't mess around when it comes to the Longhorns. Check out that serious face!

Alright my blogger friends, I need to start studying! I have a whole weekend to make up for and a test the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to own and not get owned by. I hope you enjoyed this week, remember to give an animal some love, the good kind only! Pervs. Just glad to have survived another week in The PharmD life. Pray I make it through finals!

Week Zwolf

Sorry for the delay, I am just now getting the chance to sit down and blog. It's been a pretty action packed weekend, between working and partying I haven't gotten too much done. So last week blew big dragon ballz. To start off the fabulous 3 test, 3 quiz week, my body decided to pull a fast one on me and get sick. So I started the "hell" week feeling like crap, and didn't start to feel better until yesterday. So I took a whole bunch of knowledge assessments with a head full of more boogers than knowledge. Hopefully I didn't fail any. I think it's crazy how much my perception has changed since undergrad. I honestly considered B's as a failing grade in undergrad. Now I just want to pass. My brain is sore from all the exercise it's getting and I have no time to rest it. Even if I don't have a test to study for I still think about tests coming up. It makes me want to vomit. But enough of the biotching, I have made it through another week in the PharmD life and I haven't failed out yet, so there is still hope.

I got to relieve some of my stress by going to a Sysco roll out party for the new warehouse they're opening. Open bar and getting to hang out with my wife and the in-laws. It was perfect! Then we went to Perry's Steakhouse, good food, ridiculous prices. I had a $40 steak, thankfully Sysco picked up the tab. Then we ended up on 6th street and things got crazy. Marie's dad's friend from work was plastered and buying us drinks and being all crazy. We quickly vacated or else we knew we'd be puking in the bushes. The hotel room was amazing, it had two TVs and a living room with a couch and table! The place was bigger than our apartment! It was a wonderful little mini vacation. Marie and I got to spend some time together without pharmacy notes. I wish it wasn't over already. Now back to the grindstone.

I found out how much of a nerd I am and how much pharmacy school is drifting in to my normal life. As I am laying in bed last night, about to pass out, I start hoping that I have enough Alcohol and Aldehyde Dehydrogenase enzymes to be able to convert the ethanol to the less harmful acetyl form. How nerdy/lame is that? And then I start pondering whether water is used in the reaction which is why people become so dehydrated when drinking heavily. And then I passed out. Only a pharmacy school kid would be wondering about their converting rate while still drunk. I cannot escape it! Luckily my rate is good and I had no hangover to accompany me to work today. I think that extra hour of sleep really helped out.

Alright, that's all folks! I need to start studying for my Bio-chem test on Wednesday. I hope you enjoyed my 12th week of Pharmacy school craziness. Hopefully I won't be crazy when I get out of here. See you next week in the PharmD life, if I make it that long......

week одиннадцать

First of all, those are some weird letters huh? I did copy and paste them and as part of the interactive blog you can copy/paste into Google to find the language. Secondly, this blog is going to have to be short this week, somebody hates us PharmD kidz and decided next week would be perfect for three tests and three quizzes. Oh well, story of our lives. Just got through a rough Anatomy exam and came home last night and prepared to start studying for pchem. Unfortunately, the Rangers game and huge glass of boxed wine got in the way. Instead I spent a little time hanging out with my wife. It was well needed! I feel bad for her all the time, I have to spend all my life wrapped in school that I think she is getting the short end of the stick. We just keep telling ourselves it'll be worth it. Marie had a similar blog just yesterday about how crudy our lives are right now. It could be worse though and that thought is what keeps us trucking on.

For all those thinking about Pharmacy school, and I know I have said this before, be prepared for a rough 4 years. It's no walk in the park and for the most part it isn't very fun. There are some people who hang out and have fun over the weekends, so if you are smart enough to not need to study everyday, then you can still have fun every couple of weeks. Just don't take this life choice lightly and DON'T put things off. Get stuff done whenever you can, there is a lot of busy work, and you will be less stressed and have more time for you or your mate or your family or your dog/cat/bird/snake/scorpion/rat/hamster/ect. or your television or your Facebook account.

So to recap, this week sucked a little, next week will suck a lot and I have now made it through ELEVEN weeks in the PharmD life. Only eight more in this semester and 84 more total. I'll keep taking them on one by one and hopefully I'll come out a Doctor of Pharmacy. Thanks for reading and since this is a kinda lame and sad post, I'll leave you with an awesome pic.

That is Sophie helping Marie cheat at Scrabble. What a fatty!

Week Zehn

This week in the PharmD life we were in the eye of the storm. We finished a week of three brutal tests and then, nothing. Now we begin the onslaught of tests again. We have the second Anatomy test and it is going to be hard. It is over the nervous systems and that happens to be our professor's specialty, so he likes to make it very in-depth. However, I have faith that all of us can make it through. Everyone above us, save a few poor souls, made it. So why not us? There was a silly research paper due on Thursday that some people put off and they ended up pulling all nighters to finish it in time. That sucks! I think I would probably die if I tried to stay up all night. My hat's off to you, and I hope you get to catch up on sleep this weekend. Who am I kidding? We are all going to be studying this weekend. Gotta learn the material! Because it is vitally important to know what wouldn't work anymore if I got shot on the left, lower side of my spine. That way I know how much I need to cry while bleeding on the ground.

In other news, Marie and I have been very bad and watching MOVIES! I flipping love movies and that is one of the main things I have had to give up while in pharmacy school. So it has been very relaxing to get to sit on the couch next to my wife and enjoy an escape from the real world. We have been on a Halloween theme and watched Hocus Pocus, which is a very good movie and reminds you of all the ugly crap the 90's had to offer, Sleepy Hollow, Johnny Depp is such a good actor, Beetlejuice, a classic for certain, Casper, not gonna lie, this was Marie's pick, and the only actual scary movie.......The Shinning! Jack Nicholson can play one creepy MoFo. Those freaking eyebrows! I swear he doesn't have control over them and they are trying to be an actor also. The score in The Shinning is amazing and, in this day and age, the only thing that really makes that movie scary. I cannot wait until I graduate and we are able to watch movies whenever we want! And maybe even go out on a date and see one! How awesome such simple little things sound when your life consists of nothing but tests.

October is already almost over and next comes November and then it's December! (A sneak preview of Rachel Black's next song) Which means that we are almost done! One more full month and three little weeks between us and freedom! Freedom for a month at least. Then it all begins again. But I think it'll get better as we move on, or we'll just think it's getting better. All that matters is that I am one week closer to getting that beautiful piece of paper that says Dr. Brendon Hogan is a bad mutha! Oh and then I have to take an exam to get my license. Hopefully that'll be a cake walk after all we'll have been through. Enjoy your next week my spooky friends and I will talk to you again next week! Piece out from this worn out student in the PharmD life.

Week Huit

That's French. I looked it up online. I figure I'll use a different language for the number every week. That way we can all learn something!

Alright, so yesterday night was the end of the most hellacious week to date in this man's pharmacy school career, but I know it can only get worse! I am thankful to have made it through three action packed exams and a quiz that I would call a test in undergrad, just shorter. Maybe that is the definition of quiz? Oh well, the point of the story is, that every type of examination that you undergo in pharmacy school is hardcore, and needs to be treated as such. It's like a lion, treat it with respect and caution, or you'll get eaten!

The Pharmaceutical Biochemistry exam started the week off with a bang, Monday night at 7pm. It actually wasn't too bad in my opinion, I am very glad I learned the Amino acids! Why does my computer not know how to spell amino? Anyways, so if you are planning on going to pharmacy school, learn the amino acids! I have already had two exams that cover them and honestly, they're essential to life, so know them! Then we had a day off, HAHA! as if there are such things as days off in pharmacy school, from tests and we all studied our brains out for the coming Biopharmaceutics exam on Wednesday morning. It came, and went, nothing spectacular. Just a lot of memorization. Then Thursday night showed up. Medicinal Chemistry Lecture and Lab tests, at the same time! They give you two tests and say have at it. Vomit! And don't think that the lab is lab so it's easy, nope, the lab was the harder of the two. So we'll see how that week turned out. Hopefully I'll check blackboard on Monday and find three nice and crisp A's! Even if they are 90's I'll take it!

Needless to say, everything else in my life had to take the back burner. I shoved my brain so full of knowledge that it literally ached every single day. I never thought that I would have a study induced headache. I guess the longer you live the more experiences you get exposed too. Just remember that pharmacy school is a huge undertaking, so know that this is what you want to do, and make sure you're okay with not getting to do much else besides study. Now a lot of people do have fun on the weekends, so if you can get away without working, I would suggest it. Or work like once a month.

We finally have a free week, besides those stupid lab quizzes, this week. It is our last free time before the real fun begins. We have tests every week leading up until finals, and then we have more tests! And a Saturday one to boot. But at least we will be done earlier by taking one on Saturday.

Enjoy your weekend and get some rest, but don't fall behind! For all the pre-pharmacy students. Enjoy your life while you still can! Or alienate all your friends and family now. It'll make it easier when you start school! Remember to have your pets spayed or neutered, and stop by The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and buy a ribbon for the Austin Humane Society. Not only will you get a discount all month, but you are helping the animals! And as a reminder for why you need to help the animals, I will sign off with this beautiful picture of a true study breaker.

El seventh weeko

Awesome! We have made it through three tests so far! Not to mention plenty of quizzes that are fairly difficult as well. Things are starting to roll pretty quickly and we are fast approaching the end of the semester. This week ending actually marked the half-way point of the semester! I know Marie is glad about that! Hopefully we all survive together. 

I wanted to take a little chunk out to commend all of the spouses/significant others/boyfriends/girlfriends out there. Pharmacy school is rough, but not just on the PharmD student. I know my wife is having to make a lot of sacrifices and she is stressed out over this too. So be sure to let them know you appreciate what they are going through as well. It will be worth it in four years!

Next week is our first week from hell. We have a test Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, plus two quizzes on Friday! I know my brain is going to fall out when I finish, but this week will only be an appetizer to what happens after Thanksgiving. Those last three weeks are going to be miserable. Hang in there my Dear Readers! We will survive this turmoil, we MUST survive this turmoil! 

A little note from the working side of me. Do NOT take negative things patients say to you, to heart. You will be called names, cussed out, yelled at, pleaded with, bribed, and many more, in your career. Just let it roll of your back, give them a smile and thank them. Don't go home and cry yourself to sleep about it. If you cannot handle being cussed out, pharmacy is not for you. If you cannot tell people no, pharmacy is not right for you. Well retail and hospital anyways, go into research if you can't handle these types of things. The good news, you will have patients that are so nice and you care so much about, that you think of them as family. It is these people that you wade through the manure everyday to help. Don't expect to have an easy life as a pharmacist, expect to have a rewarding life. 

I am going to start studying some bio-chem now! Pre-pharmacy students, MEMORIZE THE AMINO ACIDS NOW! Pharmacy students, good luck and may the Force be with you for the next four years and beyond.

Another week has passed in the PharmD life and I hope the next 188 weeks pass by as quick as possible!

Seis Semananas!

My Dear Readers, today is a joyous day, it is the end of the school week! We had our first exam this week. Some people thought it to be easy, others challenging, and some even cried. I myself though the material was fair, but the questions were a little rough. Almost every question had a none of the above, all of the above, A and C but not B, A on Tuesday B on Wednesday, and all other crazy types of combinations. It completely defeated the purpose of having multiple choice which, upon reflection, may be a good thing. However, being the red-blooded American that I am, I always wanted there to be an answer so I wasn't comfortable putting none of the above, I missed a question because the answer was "Not enough information given", and I just thought I was doing the problem wrong and chose the answer closest to my worked out answer. When I saw that I just about puked in frustration. It was a learning experience and I now know to expect there to be answers like that on the test. So now we have begun the crazy loop-to-loop, corkscrew, sharp turn, head banging, chest slamming, scream filled decent, of our roller coaster ride that I call pharmacy school. We finally made it past the ka-chink phase and so far have survived. Five tests in the next two weeks! May the force be with you my PharmD seeking brethren.

In other news, I did a volunteer stint at the American Heart Walk this morning. We did a health screening and it was very fun and enlightening. I took blood pressures and directed traffic. Put listen and ask a lot of advice from you if you wear a white coat while doing it. Pretty neat. I didn't get to do the glucose and cholesterol checks this time, but next time I will be sticking folks like a porcupine! I was also interviewed by someone from the American Heart Walk Association and she said she is putting it up on the national website! Now I just have to wait to be discovered! I always told Marie I would be famous one day.

I have decided that sleep is going to be something that pharmacy students are not allowed and hopefully I get used to that soon. For now I will just pop caffeine pills like they're Tic-Tacs. I realize why a lot of pharmacists have trouble sleeping after they graduate. This is a rough life style to get back out of afterwards. Hopefully Marie will understand. By the way if you don't read her blog, you should fool! It's good! Lot's of arts and crafts and great recipes. Also she has a very cheerful disposition and it's a good read. And this is coming from a completely unbiased third party. Here's the link  http://marieeliz.blogspot.com/. 

I will leave you with a picture of one of the few things that brings me pure unadulterated joy.

Is she not the most ridiculous thing you have ever seen? No doubt about it, her and Greg are our babies!

I hope this next week treats you well my homies! I will hit you up again in seven days. Peace be with you!

Fifth Week!!!$!

The fifth week has come to pass! Kind of crazy to think that it has already been five weeks. Time certainly is going by fast, I just wish I could speed it up a little bit more. Maybe fast-forward to the day I get my licence, that'd be nice. So this week we had a lab quiz on Monday that was super easy, still a long day though. Tuesday and Wednesday passed pretty uneventfully at school.

However, Wednesday night Marie, her mom, my mom, and I went to the Comal County Fair. It was very exciting. Well, as exciting as fairs can be. We rode the Ferris wheel, and the whole time I thought about a wheel made out of Fe2+, played some games, and ate some fried stuff! I won the dart throwing game, my prize, a fifty-cent frog. Oh well can't always expect gold plated toilets. It's crazy how much the prices have changed in the last five years. I remember it being two dolla billz to play the games, now it's five big ones! I don't see how the majority of the goers pay for all the stuff, especially when they have 3-5 kids wanting to play and buy everything. And of course, being as it's in the NB, I ran into to a couple people I haven't seen in years, people I tried to erase from memory. Can't go to New Braunfels and not run into someone you know. All in all we had some fun though, it was nice to take a day off from school work.

Thursday was an action packed day, I went from class to an APhA event to visit my resident to work out to going to dinner with CAPA. So we'll start off by elaborating the CARE visit. My old lady is so sweet, probably the best, she constantly tells me I am "gorgeous", and this time she told me she loves me and gave me a kiss on the cheek good-bye. She has Alzheimer's so we repeat a lot of our conversations, which is probably why she tells me I am gorgeous all the time, so I didn't expect her to remember me. Well she didn't recognize me when I walked in, but about five minutes into our conversation she said to me, "Did you say you have a little brother?" I sat there shocked, because I hadn't mentioned my little brother since the last visit two weeks ago, and then told her yes I did. She remembered something about me! So maybe there is hope after all, at least maybe a chance that she'll regain some short-term memory. I would love to walk in and have her remember me and her kids be so happy and grateful to know that with patience and effort, she may remember them and their children. I know it's a long shot, but you gotta have something to believe in or else this world will chew you up and spit you out.

For dinner I got to attend my first wining and dining event sponsored by Merck for CAPA members. CAPA= Capitol Area Pharmacist Association. It came included with APhA membership. It was awesome, we ate at the Shoreline Grill and I got two giant glasses of wine and one of the best filet mignon I have ever had. FOR FREE! I can get used to this! I can't wait for even more events! I will for sure sign up for all the free dinners once I am a pharmacist, we deserve a free meal every now and again.Not only was the food good, but the presentation wasn't bad either. So it was definitely a win-win situation. If only I could have brought Marie, I tried, then it would have been perfecto!

Friday was yesterday and tomorrow is Sunday! Then Monday follows and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday...... then Friday again! Stupid Rachel Black. Anyways, Friday sucked but I am getting a little more used to the suffering every week. This time it was Mike's stomach growling. Then I got to go eat Outback and enjoy some beers and a movie. We watched Equilibrium, very Matrixish, pretty good though. Christian Bale is pretty hardcore and I liked the literary ties to 1984, Fahrenheit 451, and Brave New World. I recommend re-reading those if it's been awhile or not at all. Makes you wonder what we start to sacrifice for the sake of peace and equality. Today I worked and didn't have too much trouble.

So I had an interesting experience on the bus Wednesday morning. I kept feeling something hit the back of my seat followed by a "ping" noise. I finally turned around and found it to be a man's head hitting the metal bar every time the bus lurched, which is often. The pinging was pretty loud and sounded quite painful, so I watched him to see if he would wake up and lean back. He didn't move except for the sway of the bus. This occurred for about five minutes before I began to the]ink that the guy was dead. So I questioned the bus in general, "Do you think this dude behind me is dead?" I received only one response, "I think I saw him move awhile back." So here I am sitting with a dead guy behind me and I am really wondering what my mode of action should be, shake him and risk him being alive, but drugged up, and attacking me, or let him continue to bang his head against the pole and assume that the city was gonna have a funeral on its hands. Before I could make up my mind a slight cough slipped out and I took that as proof of life. Who knows, that may have been his last breath.

Then a transsexual gets on the bus and starts talking about God to another passenger. The bus driver got angry and asked her to stop because that is soliciting and it's a city run bus and people shouldn't have to listen to that if they don't want to. She then starts arguing about free speech and religion, so the bus driver tells her not to speak to him because it's not safe for the other riders and that's a rule. She keeps going at him so he presses a button that announces over the speaker, "Please do not speak to the bus driver for your safety." She finally get's the message and starts talking to the guy next to her, claiming that since there are no Arabic, and therefore no terrorists, riding the bus that she can talk about the Father, Son and Holy spirit all she wants. I am not making this up! She said that all Arabics are terrorists. That just doesn't sit well with me, but I am not going to go any further into this discussion. Let's just leave it at this, Austin is a strange place and a lot of weirdos ride the bus!

Sorry this was such a long post my lovelies, but I had a lot to cover. First test is this next week on Wednesday, I'll let you know how it goes! Stay strong and pass the vodka!

Fourth Week.....

So today marks the end of another week in school. I am not gonna lie, I wish it could go by even faster! I have been staying up late and getting up early everyday of the week. Except today, I had off and finally got to sleep in! Too bad I have to study! School has been pretty rough and I can tell all my friends are starting to feel the pressure also. Our first test is in a two weeks and we are all nervous as to how it's going to be. After that test it's non-stop until finals week. I am kind of ready for it though. I feel like I am at the part on a roller coaster where it is slowly bringing you up to the peak before you go flying down the other side. The "Ka-chink, Ka-chink" part. And I have that feeling where I am excited for it, but also kind of regretting getting on the ride. Hopefully all goes well.

So I decided to transfer back to my old store in Dripping Springs. It's a longer drive but a lot less stressful of an environment. I called and told my pharmacist and she said she started jumping up and down. Apparently they miss me and things haven't been going to well since I left, though I am pretty sure it's just because school started and business picked up. So we'll see if I make any difference. I wouldn't mind working over there as a pharmacist when I graduate, the people can be a little rude, but the area is very nice and lots of land equals lots of fun!

Mondays are now going to suck pretty bad, as the lab we have is fairly ridiculous. It took three hours to go over 10 problems. And that was with us just copying down the answers. I still need to go back through and re-do them all for the quiz on Monday. Thank god for Tuesdays and Thursdays, it's very pleasant to get out after only two classes, they are my "I'm not gonna freak out on everyone" days. Wednesdays aren't too bad and well Fridays, Fridays are the days I get to come home, after nine hours of class, and have a beer and reflect on the week. It's the little things that help you make it through pharmacy school. So Rule# 39: Enjoy the little things.

For those of you out there reading this that plan on going to pharmacy school, don't let this blog discourage you. Just be prepared for a very hectic and slightly depressing four years! It will be worth it once I have that beautiful doctorate and a nice number from the Texas State Board of Pharmacy though! If only I were master HP, then I'd use a wine out of nothing spell and enjoy a nice glass right now. So long Dear Readers, see you next week.

Oh my gosh! I almost forgot! We went to Ikea yesterday, and there was a family of hipsters there. One of their kids name was "Satchel"! WTF!!!!! What is wrong with people! How is that poor kid not going to be made fun of, and why would you as a parent name them that. SOOOOOOOOO DUMB! It's people like that, that make my heart sad for the future of this world. "Satchel". (Shaking my head slowly) I guess their next kids will be "Fanny Pack" and "Beach Tote". Pathetic! Also, Ikea screwed us again. They never have everything in stock that we need. We got the book shelf but they were out of extra shelves for it! Even Marie was saying "F Ikea". And they are never close enough to where it's like, "Ok, I'll just drive ten minutes to come back another time." It's always forty-five minutes away!

Third week!

I have officially made it through three weeks of pharmacy school! Nothing killer, just a lot of busy work and a lot of stress. We had our first real quiz yesterday, I did alright I think. I spent too much time on the first problem and had to rush through the last two. It was pretty poopy! Why is poopy not a word, spell check, it's one of the most widely used words in my vocabulary. So let's see what happened this week. Tuesday I don't think anything crazy happened. Sameer, a school friend and personal trainer, and I started our get Brendon swoll workout regime. Hopefully it has results, I bought protein powder and everything. If he would stop going to the gym without me!

Wednesday, I had my CARE program orientation. This is a program within the pharmacy school where we go visit with residents in assisted living facilities and then we discuss them and their problems, all using codes of course, in a group discussion setting. Kind of interesting, kind of a big chunk of study time. My residents, of course I got two, were both very sweet and seemed happy to have me there. My first resident was nice but bed ridden, she seemed completely lucid and unaffected by age mentally though. She talked quietly and was watching a movie, Kill Bill Vol. 1, so I felt a little awkward sitting next to her and talking. We mainly just watched the movie together. My second resident was a "HOOT"! Who says hoot? I do! But not in real life, that's something my mom would say. But that's also the best word to describe her. When the nursing director introduced us her face lit up. It was incredible to see the difference. I soon found out why she seemed so happy to see me. After chatting with her for a little bit, she has Alzheimer's so the questions repeated themselves a lot, she leaned in and said, "Don't tell anyone, but you are gorgeous." I laughed and said, "Thank you, my wife thinks so also." Then she blew me a kiss as I was leaving. She's a super cute old lady, I have to admit. Watch out Marie! It was fun but also kind of sad conversing with her. She would forget almost everything I told her, but then she would say, "I don't know why I am here, my husband should be picking me up soon." I'm not sure but I think her husband may have passed, because I think she has been there for awhile. I wonder if she'll remember me when I go see her again. I have this like vision of her remembering me and it being like some huge accomplishment and my visits actually making a difference in her life. Then again I may just be being egotistical.

Thursday was just another day and Friday was horrible, again! Those days are going to kill us, especially those of us who have labs. 9-6 without more than a ten minute break is super bad. It makes me miserable at the end of the day, vitamin D deficiency hardcore! It was funny because Sameer kept making the day longer and long. "Man we've been cooped up her for like six hours!" Then, "Man an eight hour day without breaks, this is stupid!" To finally being, "We've been stuck in this same damn place for twelve hours now! I am going crazy!" It does start to feel like twelve hours though after awhile. And the last thing we do for the day is a stupid quiz. Hopefully I didn't bomb it and they kick me out of school. That'd be embarrassing, I'd feel like such a douche if I flunked pharmacy school.

Finally we arrive at today, the end of the week and the start of another, puke. Allen Jon Barta turned ten years old today! Quite exciting. Marie and I had  a lot of fun out at the "Jelly Stone Park RV resort" in Canyon Lake. It was Yogied out and we got buttons with yogi on them. The pools were really nice and Marie and I owned some pool. And by owned I mean sucked for the most part with a few amazing shots on both of our parts. I jumped the eight ball and got my ball in the pocket, and Marie hit the middle of two balls and shot them both into pockets. We also scratched a lot and we both got the eight ball in too early on two separate games. Then we all swim/sat next to the pool watching the kids try and murder each other with water guns. And of course cake and presents!

A.J. had a blast and so did my mom and Allen, you can tell by how A.J. is trying to beat them with that blow thing-a-ma-jig (pretty sure that's the technical name).

All and all a pretty productive week in the PharmD life. Well Dear Readers, this is the time I tell you good bye and hope that you enjoyed this weeks blog. Remember to have your pets and weird neighbors spayed and neutered! Oh and that old lady wasn't really watching Kill Bill.

Labor Day Weekend

Alright, I know this is a little early in the week, but I needed a study break! So first I hope everyone who didn't have to labor this whole weekend had a happy Labor Day weekend. Of course people need drugs and yours truly labored so that Mrs. F could get her norcos! JK! (Sorta) Not everyone that came in got norcos this weekend, for non-pharmacy/hospital/doctors/nurses/crackheads, norco is hydrocodone-acetaminophen(APAP). It is highly addictive and highly prescribed. Anyways, I decided to make this post have a little bit of the real life pharmacy world in it for those who have yet to experience it or never will. So PRE-PARE (only Marie will get that, Super Smash Bros.) yourselves for a soap-box rant.

First of two, a nice lady, who looks a little drugged up, Mrs. F, comes storming into the pharmacy on Sunday. Too many commas so I shall start afresh. Anywho, another aside, for those not in pharmacy you don't know this, but holidays are the number one times for people to come and get their legal drugs. CIII-CVs fly off the shelf like they are going out of style. Why is this? Because most people need medication to deal with family and the stress that, that entails. I will not go any further since I do not have a clever false blog to hide my true identity, though I do have Clark Kent glasses! So back to the story! Jeeze! Mrs. F comes storming back to the pharmacy and demands her refill, the associate at pick-up sends her to me at drop-off. She stomps over to me, dragging her clueless looking spouse/boyfriend behind her. "I need to pick-up my refill!" "Huh?" Those literally were the first two words of our conversation. As Dean Wilcox demonstrated, pharmacists are not mind readers, please give us more than that to go upon. "I need my refill!" "Is in not ready?" "NO!!!" "Okay what's your name?" "Mrs. F, and I need them filled now on CASH, not my medicaid." DING DING DING!!!! Red flags go off! This is going to be trouble. "Alright, which medication?" "My norcos, I need them filled CASH, not Medicaid." "I am sorry but those are too early." "I told you! They are too early for Medicaid but I am filling them with CASH!" "I am sorry, but it's not just too early under Medicaid, it's too early for that medication." At this point, as the pharmacist is glancing over my shoulder nodding her head, the lady twirls around and starts walking towards the door. As she is stomping off she calls out "Well I never have problems getting them!" HUFF HUFF.

Rule #1: If someone offers to pay cash when they have insurance get ready for something to go wrong.
Rule #2: When you tell them no and they just turn around and walk off, be thankful, but also know they were doing something wrong. If someone has legitimate need for their pain meds a little early, they will rationally explain the situation, ask for an override if the insurance company allows it, and pay cash only if necessary. If  someone basically runs away from you, it means they know they are doing wrong and are peacing out before that magic word, "Police", comes out of your mouth.

Alright rant two, I'll keep it short, though I hope you are entertained enough to want more, but Marie says to long equals no reads. Back to the topic, chain stores, independent, mail order, and any other type of pharmacy, DO NOT set your insurance co-pays. I repeat, DO NOT set them. So please don't yell at me because you have to pay $95 for a $500 drug, be thankful you have insurance and pay what they tell you to pay or change companies/groups. If you are set up through work, I am sorry, but I can't change it. We use this thing called the interwebs, I think it's a whole bunch of PVC pipes with wires running through them, and send the information to your insurance and they send us back a co-pay. You can yell about Out of Pocket payments all you want, the company does set those, but not your insurance co-pays. Obviously I am just the messenger, so don't shoot me. It's against some treaty or another.

Both these rants are spurred by true events that occurred this weekend, and almost every other day at work. And in that first one, I didn't even embellish on the conversation, that is actually what she said! People are nuts!

A little bit about school so far this week. I am learning the amino acids and I swear I probably sound nuts sitting alone with the cats saying. "Cysteine, simple cysteine, what do you look like simple cysteine?" Simple cause it's a methyl (CH3) and a SH. Here's another of my favorites. "Lysine is a B-E-A-N pole" I spell out bean because it has four methyls and then shout "POLE!" and draw the amine(NH3) at the end. Hopefully I don't shout out "Bean pole!" during the exam, people may judge.

Alright, Dear Readers, I hope you enjoyed the blog and I will throw in some more pharmacy antics as they occur. Remember to have your pets spayed or neutered.

Second week

Alrighty then! Who would have thought life could get even busier! It's totally insane! I know that if it weren't for Marie I would never eat anything more than a frozen dinner. Have you ever had so much on your mind that you literally aren't hungry because you can't think about it? So the loving wife cooks and forces food down my gullet. She's beautiful.

On to the good stuff, so we still haven't started one of the labs, Physical and Chemical properties of drugs (VOMIT), so Monday wasn't too bad. But it'll get there. The rest of the week up until Friday was just like undergrad, maybe a little more intense, but not too bad. Thursday I had to go to an event for UT-APhA-ASP, short name huh? It was fun but time consuming. But the duties of Historian call! It's really funny to play games like Taboo and Apples to Apples with a whole bunch of nerds. We use drugs as clues, for example, the word is allergies, first thing out of my mouth "You take diphenhydramine for it!". We are super fly!

Friday, Friday, please kill me on Friday! Get there at 830am leave at 630pm. Oh and no breaks! Literally class-class-class-to god kill me-class. Then a lab! Three hours in the same room listening to someone explain Arrow Pushing is not my idea of fun. Then you're supposed to go home and study? NO WAY! Applebee's and cheap beer to the rescue. So Marie and I got to enjoy some us time that night, Bridget Jones' Diary, Marie says I kind of look like Collin Firth and she has a mad old man crush on him. So I guess it could have been worse. I do know that Fridays my brain will be too full to add more info after I leave school.

Then that brings us to today. Work my butt off, but at least the time goes by quickly. So check it, the pharmacist I work with is the wife to one of my professors! What are the odds of that? Out of all the CVSs we happen to work at the same one. So of course I threatened to make her life hard if she didn't tell her husband to give me an A. You know the norm.

Our cats are crazy! Greg tried to jump up on my shoulder and instead sunk his claws into my neck. I spanked him and then felt bad about it as he gazed at me with the "Big Eyes". Such a douche! But so damn cute! Sophie is asleep on my socks, freak.

Well that was another week in the PharmD life. Pretty soon Dear Reader, you will graduate with me and we can practice pharmacy together! Wouldn't that be nice! Now time to write my paper! Elderly People and Why we shouldn't not care.

Peace

First Week of School

Alright so here is my blog for pharmacy school. So last week was the first week of school, two days orientation and three half class days. Monday and Tuesday ended up lasting about 12 hours each. We learned about what to expect and did touristy stuff. Easy but tiring. Oh and Monday we had a White Coat Ceremony, give us our coats and put everyone to sleep with a talk on the history of pharmacy. Mine is a little too small and looks like on Tommy Boy when he puts on David Spade's coat, "Fat guy in a little coat!" 

Then Wednesday the fun began, we had two short classes and a lecture on Alzheimer's. Or was that Thursday? Oh no! Early dementia, seriously though I think my mom my have dementia, though mild. Then Friday we got done early and Marie commandeered me, even though there was a Luau with free BBQ, she wanted to have some alone time and we went to a sushi place for dinner. It was happy hour and we got a ton of sushi for cheap, not to mention two pints! Then we went to bed at....... 830pm! We were both so worn out from the week, and we ended up sleeping for twelve hours. 

Saturday and Sunday weren't too eventful, just hung out then did school work. And now it's Monday! Time to start the real schooling, I am starting on my research paper and then I am going to study for two hours. Greg is being the baby face and rubbing on everything on my desk, because he loves to help! 

Oh and Target and Old Navy both sold out of polos, so we'll have to go back another time I guess. How do you sell out of polos! Stupid school starting and what not! Oh and I got my hair cut at a super nice place, you may have heard of it, "Super Cuts". I think it's French or something. 

Any ways, I will try and update once a week so all of y'all wanting to go to pharmacy school can see what it's like. Oh the best thing about pharmacy school is that 125 of us have to do the same thing at the same time, so we have crashed two website servers and counting! Just another week in the PharmD Life.