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!