Flight!

I got to fly an airplane today!!!! I'm hooked. I may have to wait a long time before I will get to fly again, but until then, the anticipitation will be killing me.

The Cirrus SR-22 that I got to chase the clouds in today!

Aerospace Medicine!

I can't believe I am getting paid to do something I love so much. (I admit, I don't always express this while I'm in school, but...I'm a lucky, lucky girl) Today marked the first day of my 2 week training period of the Air Force's Aerospace Medicine Primary Course. It's is the first step enroute to becoming a flight surgeon. Please note that the term "flight surgeon" is a historical one from the days when any physician in the military was considered a surgeon.

Wikipedia had a pretty good definition so here's a condensed version of what they had to say:

A flight surgeon is primarily responsible for the medical evaluation, certification and treatment of aviation personnel. They perform routine, periodic medical examinations for the personnel and are trained to fill general public health and occupational and preventive medicine roles. Flight surgeons are typically on flight status (i.e., they log flight hours), but are not required to be rated or licensed pilots. They may be called upon to provide medical consultation as members of an investigation board into a military or NASA aviation or spaceflight mishap. Occasionally, they may serve to provide in-flight care to patients being evacuated via aeromedical evacuation.

I'm currently at Wright Patterson AFB and just being back on a base has been a lot of fun. It's weird transitioning from knowing the Air Force as a trainee to an actual officer, but I feel like today was a good step forward as I was reminded by a Major in my program that we are on a live base, so saluting is necessary, oops! I'm also getting used to using the words sir and ma'am again which just isn't natural when you don't come from the south.

Overall though, SO aweome. After completing this program, the doc gets their "wings" and, if you ask me, is much more of a military officer than a medical doctor. It's unparalleled in the civilian world of medicine. So much more variety, action, and flying. It's got me thinking...I'll keep you posted. Oh, and I get to fly! (weather permitting) I'm so excited!

Time

Since beginning med school, my concept of time has been completely thrown out the window. Med school is weird, for instance, we have no consistent schedule from day to day like in undergrad and classes may end or begin at any point throughout the semester. My perception of time (which is really no perception at all) continues to evaporate as the days of each week all sort of blend together. Mondays feel like Fridays and last month feels like it happened about a year ago. It makes me wonder how this women we just recently read an article about in class viewed time...after a mere 122 years.

Here is an excerpt from the article, it made my morning yesterday!

In 1997, the oldest person to have ever lived died at age 122 years and 164 days.¹ Jeanne Louise Calment lived in France, took up fencing at age 85, and still rode a bicycle at 100. She did quit smoking when she was 117, reportedly because she was nearly blind and felt embarrassed asking for a light. In 1965, when she was 90 and had no living heirs (she had outlived her daughter and grandson), she entered into a legal agreement to sell her condominium apartment to lawyer Francois Raffray, who was then age 47. He agreed to pay a monthly sum, similar to a “reverse mortgage,” until she died, so that he would obtain the apartment. Unfortunately for him, she survived him, and his widow had to continue the payments. In many ways, one can view the life of Jeanne Calment as an example of “optimal aging.”

Fit to be Loved.

Meet Amanda. Her name appropriately means "fit to be loved" or "lovable". And she is just that.

She is the source of all things good.

1. Quinoa stuffed peppers and a mexican fiesta! A welcome back dinner from our beloved weekend off after pharmacology--the class I'd never wish upon a single soul.

2. Bookmarks from Turkey. She spent a year there with Campus Crusade for Christ. In the words of her insightful nephew, "She went there to tell people about Jesus. Can you believe the people there have never heard of Jesus?!?!" The baked peach was dessert from the fiesta night. De-lish.

3. Practical floatation devices. While I won't mar her good name with this crazy idea, I appreciated her
supporting my upside down lifejacket as a means of floating carelessly in Lake Lansing. Mom, Dad, and Mal and her friend Katie came to Lansing last Sunday with the boat. I was more fun than any med student should probably have...

4. Fashionable sunglasses. They are perfect, see picture at the bottom--or better yet see her in real life. Amanda is just fashionable in general...even if she's going to dissect in the cadaver lab. I secretly admire her style and wish I could be one of those people with her own style. For now, I'll stick to choosing clothes they put on mannequins. And admire hers.

5. The Bible and Straight Up Truth. I don't know if you remember, but I wrote a blog a bit ago about how I want "to learn to tell Bible stories like it's my job". Amanda constantly reminds me of this goal by doing it herself. Anytime someone needs advice, encouragement, or discipline, Amanda ever so eloquantly puts her knowledge of God's word to use. It's inspiring.

My friends here are my source of strength, encouragement and fun. I am convinced that there is no other group of people on the planet that I would want to spend the two most potentially fun deprived years of my life with. They make me love being in medical school. Thank God for that. Thank God for Amanda!

Hidden Lake Gardens

Yesterday morning a group of us took a morning field trip to Hidden Lake Gardens in Tipton, MI (Shout out to the Hunt's hometown!!) We went for a little break from school and to spend some time in nature with God and great friends without all the distractions of home, school, and the like. I woke up before dawn to make some apple crisp, it was such a good recipe, TRY IT! Overall, I was reminded how beautiful Michigan is. Here are some pictures to lure you into going yourself. It's SO wonderful. I'll be going back. And they're open year round so you can hike or snowshoe in the winter! I can't wait to see it in the fall.

Who knew there was more than one kind of hosta?

The Bonsai Garden! I want one...Some were over 50 years old!

My favorite Bonsai Tree from the Bonsai Garden

More of the Hosta Garden!



Part of the Conservatory which had 3 green houses
housing plants from Arid, Temperate, and Tropical Climates



Favorites.

Two places I love here. The Tuba Museum aka The Traveler's Club. And Horrock's Market.

This is the awesome tuba fountain on the back patio!

 This Monday after CMA a group of us went over to the Traveler's club to enjoy some delicious food and drink. We had some new first year med students and Alex (Bre's main squeeze) join us!

Here we all are enjoying one of their hundreds of options of beer from all over the world :)

 Today, Erin and I ventured to Horrock's Market and our fridge and pantry our filled with wonderful, healthy and delicious food. With it, we had crab stuffed flounder, homemade hummus!!, cooked carrots, and wine for dinner tonight.

The spice wall at Horrocks, and Erin admiring the aloe juice

 I have decided to do the unthinkable....and run a marathon. A bunch of med students are running either the half or full in Detroit this fall and I figured now is as good a time as any to do it. Mostly because of the flexibility of my schedule and even more because of the fact that I have awesome friends to train with. I imagine this is about what I'll look like...hopefully smile and all! I wish I could take credit for this picture, but it was from one of our most recent OMM lectures. How can it not make you laugh! I love it.

hahaha...ha...ha...ha...

Guacamole Hummus!

Last night a bunch of my friends and I had a litte post exam week BBQ and my contribution was a new recipe from Martha Stewarts Food magazine that I'd been wanting to try. It's super easy, the perfect excuse to invest in a food processor if you don't already have one, and it's delicious!

Simply add the following ingredients to a food processor and pulse til smooth.
- 15 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed
- about 2 cups of fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 large avacado

Once it is thoroughly pulsed, add about 3 TBSP of olive oil and 1 TBSP of fresh lemon juice while the processor is on to allow it to mix evenly. Then add salt and pepper or more lemon juice to your liking.

Serve it with tortillas or pita!