TRI-5, Wk2, Day 274, 275 - Tue & Wed

Even though we only had 2 1/2 days of class last week and three days of class this week, I'm already thoroughly intimidated by this semester. I've been dead tired by 5 p.m. the last couple days. Yesterday I managed to stay up until 9 but today I fell asleep before 6 and got a couple hours sleep. I could tell I didn't feel as stressed when I woke up.

On Monday we had our first professional development class hosted by Dr. Jason Goodman. What I remember most is that he encouraged us to step up our game each trimester. I'm pretty sure the DC program at Logan is geared to get progressively more challenging with each trimester in spite of the fact that I found Tri-4 to be my easiest trimester to date.

Last night, on my way home from school, I stopped by Best Buy to buy a digital recorder and after recording four of my classes today I'd have to say it was a *very* worthwhile investment. The length of my commute allows me to listen to two full one hour class lectures. I listened to Cardiorespiratory Dx on my way home today and then listened to Basic III and Biomechanics after I got home. I'll listen to Rad Positioning on my way to school tomorrow.

Tomorrow we'll kick off the day with Dx Imaging - a small three hour class that tripped up an awful lot of upper tri's so I need to head the implicit warning and make sure to study hard for this class. I know Dr. Kuhn said to read a little bit each day from our Yokum text.

With 11 classes; only 10 minutes of attention to each with a minute of transition between each class we're looking at two hours and I could probably spend 10 minutes just on organizing and keeping up to date. I'm not sure how practical it is to hit every class every day but, as noted Dx Imaging will need to be a priority in spite of the fact I have four other classes which constitute more credit hours.

I'm going to have to schedule my study times more efficiently. Friday and Saturday are already pretty good study days since I have a class mate to study with.

I noticed one of the guys sitting in front of me in Dx Imaging had his book with him so I think I'll do the same thing for tomorrow. It was this class - Dx Imaging on Tuesday which started my feelings of intimidations ...

Laboratory Dx is our 2nd class tomorrow. I'm certain we're going to have more powerpoints forthcoming in that class. Currently we're discusing the various advantages and disadvantages of different types of clinical laboratories. One interesting aspect of these discussions have been the scams a couple labs have tried pulling over the years. One place in St. Louis was able to bilk medicare out of 2 milliion dollars in 90 days. Another place mentioned took the government for 22 million dollars over the course of 18 months.

I've been typing out the power point presentation in class to a word document. This seems to help keep me involved and allows me to quickly add additional information given by the teacher.

Class hours 3 & 4 tomorrow are for Diversified IV. I mainly just need to show up for this class and I should be set as far as gowns are concerned. Having bought 7 gowns thus far, I now have two spares kept in my locker at school and a third gown in my doctor bag.

Cardiorespiratory Diagnosis is our 5th class - Again with Dr. Christy. I've already listened to his lecture a 2nd time today and have a decent handle on that class. I'm hoping to do very well on the first exam. If I do well enough on the first three exams (meaning I have an A average) then I can omit the final exam which will be very helpful in providing extra time to my remaining classes.

Laboratory Dx is our last class of the day and all 3 groups will be meeting at 12:55 to fulfill some OSHA requirement. If we miss that class we can't do any of the subsequent labs. I'll be there :)

Today, I was a little stunned in Physical Dx to learn that we have a mock practical coming up next week and an actual Practical the following week! Dang - that was fast! It was just last week that I listened to my first blood pressure sounds. Those sounds, btw, are called Korotkoff sounds which is a name I was trying to come up with when chatting with a guy that works out with my Dad.

SHC Practicum I is on Friday and I'll definitely need to start typing in ppt notes from that class for two reasons - one is because I was falling asleep in class last week and two is because the ppt's shown in class don't match up with the ones provided to us by the instructor.

I think I'll end the night by going to FlashMyBrain.com and making up some flashcards for various X-ray views we'll need to know for Rad Positioning.

Today's picture pertains to Rad Positioning, it's an oblique cervical view. It's basically a view of the human neck with the base of the skull up top and a couple of ribs at the bottom. The black holes seen along the cervical vertebrae are IVF's or intervetebral foramen. (the word foramen just means "hole")