Whoa....long layover....

A lot has happened since my last post...wow, it is crazy to even sit back and think about it. In the last two months, I have finished up all the classes that will be covered on the boards, waded through the first half of my second year of dental school, been lucky enough to receive a huge scholarship and I have become a father. I sit here at 2 am in the morning and really don't believe it all. I do know one thing, after a long day of my new son being awake, he is finally asleep. I know what you are all thinking, "silly rabbit, the kid is sleeping, go get yours" but the extended fam is still up and in the middle of a vigorous game of countdown and youtube'n it, so here I am thinking I may get caught up with the last couple of months of my life.

So, to the catchup.

I have pictures, I really do. I just, uh, forgot them back in Philly. I swear. Really. So this catchup is all words. School first, seeing how that takes up 76.89% of my body, mind, and time (an accurate stat, I had my people verify it this morning). School ended the 14th of December, after 8 finals. As I sit here and look back on this semester, it really wasn't bad. If I absolutely had to re-do a year (knock on wood that it never happens), I would rather re-do this year. It was hectic at times, but overall, the material seemed more straightforward and easier to study.

8 Finals; Path Lab, Ortho, Restorative, Path, Micro, Dental Public Health, Perio, and Oral Surgery. Technically 7, but I split the Path into two separate finals seeing how the classes weren't too related. Finals started out with the dreaded Path final.

I actually went into the Path test feeling very confident in my knowledge of the pathological conditions that would affect the body that might happen to appear on the current investigation of my intricate knowledge....okay, I'll level. My complete lack of knowledge. Thinking of how well I did on the midterm (100% Woohoo!) I kinda coasted a little in my study leading up to this examination and it showed. I received an 80% on the written, and I got a 50% (WHOA!) on the slide portion. It really rocked me, until I looked on blackboard and realized that I scored the class average. So, I am amazing at my midterm, and perfectly average come finals.

The next day was the Ortho final. I studied about 1/2 hour for that class, because, frankly, that class was a joke. All we did was bend a few wires and look at a bunch of pictures of the wonderful work our instructor has done in the past. And the final matched that. So, chalk up an A in Ortho for me.

We then had the weekend, which we really didn't. I spent the whole weekend studying Perio, Dental Public Health and Path. Actually I spent the whole weekend studying Path, seeing how I hadn't touched it since our last test in the class. After a Friday, Saturday and Sunday of Path, I decided that it would be wise to look at the Perio on Monday, the day before the test. Which was wise, because Perio was cake. The general stuff relating to age, smoking, and a little bit of viral. All in all, nothing to worry about.

After Perio, I went home watched some Family Guy, then busted out the DPH. I spent about 3 hours studying for that, which was about 2 hours too much.

Then came Path. I was worried about Path, not due to my grade going into the final, but to the fact that you needed a 74% to pass (which is higher than the other classes) and we had a student in our class that failed it last year and is now class of 2010 instead of 2009. Nobody wants to be that guy. So I basically spent all my time going over Path again and again and again. Over and over and over. Until about 3 am the morning of the test. I took a three hour nap, woke up and began the drilling over again. I traveled to school repeating the differences between AK, SA, basal cell carcinoma, etc hoping that some of the information would stick in my sleep deprived brain. Well, I am glad to say that some did stick, and I passed quite easily.

I was so relieved at having Path done for a couple of months (until I have to get ready for boards at least) that I celebrated by coming home, heating up a Swanson Meatloaf frozen dinner and called it a night. I slept like a rock, and for about a day. And taking my cue from that plan of action, and seeing that it is now almost 3 am, I am off to bed. I shall plan to return on the morrow (or later today, depending on how you look at it) and finish this less than riveting tale of my finals.

Night.