Moving On
Wednesday, May 25th, 2005 at 9:11 pm
I, at minimum, passed today's Parasitology final, with the final grade to be determined in light of some challenges to the exam. It was a much better exam than the Genetics final, but just a few minor things. Speaking of the Genetics final, (an 80-point exam that determines your entire grade in the course), the SGU "rumor mill" is running rampant as usual.
A friend of a friend talked to the Course Director [one of the full-time professors in the Biochem department. The class was actually taught by and the exam was written by a visiting Clinical Geneticist from Scotland], who reportedly said:
- People that previously had 4.0's failed the exam. (I know this one is true, but unfortunately not from personal experience.
- There were no A's on the exam. (The highest grade of someone I personally know was 85%).
- 65% of the class failed the exam. (This is plausible — I know one person that passed, everyone else I talked to has failed.)
- The Genetics final will be curved for the first time in 5 or 6 years. (Boy do I hope so…)
Well, we'll have to see what happens. In any case, I am now officially a second year medical student. Whoopee! Not that it feels any different from first year, it just means another year of book work. Sigh. I can't wait until we actually start doing some clinical stuff, but I hear that next term gets more interesting with Pathology, since it integrates everything and you actually start learning something useful. 
Oh and did I mention the BSCE I is on Friday? Basically it's a 200-question comprehensive examination with questions from all 1st year subjects (Anatomy, Biochem, Embryo, Histo, Physio, Neuro, Immuno, Genetics and Parasit). And I have all of one day to study. Then again I may not even study, since the exam is not entered on the transcript and doesn't count for anything. It's main purpose is to identify weak areas so you can focus on them before the BSCE II and the USMLE Step I (at the end of the second year).
Well dinner's waiting. (Did I mention I am eating dinner at 9:30 PM, since I have signed up for my required number of shifts, but somehow got roped into doing storage duty for my RA job today, when others haven't even signed up for a single shift. Grr. 
)
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Lothar Says:
Congrats on ending the year in one piece and offically being a second year. I lived with five Hopkins medical students my first year in graduate school, and each of them claimed the first two years were the worst by far. You have a lot to look forward to and you should be proud of your progress (and diving too
).
Thanks, DJ