Holding at Day 385...

I need to make to this quick so I can get to bed by 9 :)

Dr. Mike Wittmer had some interesting things to say this past Tuesday at the end of our Diversified V class. He talked about how, when he was a student, he would determine what grades he wanted at the beginning of each semester which, in and of itself isn't too unusual. What made his planning a bit unique, in my opinion, was that in determining his grades he also calculated how much time he thought he would have to commit in order to obtain each grade.

He gave an example using anatomy. He figured to get an A he would have to put in maybe 40 hours per week but also figured to get a B he might only have to put in 10 hours per week so, in that case, he might opt for the B so he could devote the balance of his time to other interest.

This weekend I was a bit up and down with my studying. Friday was alright, Saturday consisted of more time sleeping & napping then studying but today, Sunday, was pretty decent.

I realized I was freaking myself out (i.e., adding undo stress) from conceding that I didn't know everything well enough to guarantee I'd be able to get an A on tomorrow's Phys Dx II exam. So, instead of wasting time worrying that I didn't know everything as well as I wanted to I sort of throttled back my expectations and told myself I just wanted to do better than I have been doing in that class. That small shift in my mindset made it much easier to focus and get some productive study time in.

This is almost something I learned in my past but had forgotten about. The whole notion of setting extremely high goals and wanting to be perfect can also be a cleaver way of avoiding action all together since it's very easy to tell yourself that you probably won't get an A (or reach whatever high standard was set) and then throw in the towel since the high goal probably won't be reached anyway. I used to pull that kind of crap a lot in my younger days.

I am passing the class but ....that's all I can say. There are so few questions on these Phys Dx exams (30 total) that as little as 3 questions can swing thing an entire letter grade. 20 out of 30 is a solid D. 23/30 is almost a C+. hmmm, 24/30 *is* a C+ and an even 80%.

I'll get up no later than 4 a.m. tomorrow and head out ASAP to get to school as close to 5 a.m. as possible. Coffee is ready to go and I'll be getting a decent night's sleep tonight.

Tuesday is another issue. I've got a Pediatrics exam and am holding with a solid B in that class. I've kept up with that class the best I can but don't have any focused studying in for the upcoming exam. Sleep might be sparse tomorrow night but, we only have 4 hours of class on Wednesday and no exams so, little sleep may be acceptable.

We also have to make up two vision board type of goal posters for out Patient Communication class. I'm thinking I'll print some stuff out from the internet and paste it to my poster boards. My goals are pretty simple. One board is to be of out professional life, what we want to do and achieve as a chiropractor. My hope is to be able to help a lot of people. As far as income is concerned, I'd like to be in the black my first year out and maybe had my monthly income at least half of what it was when I was working before going to Logan. In my second year I'd like to be able to match what I was making before going to Logan.

For my personal life ...well, a lot of my satisfaction is going to be derived from my chiropractic profession. It's kind of a given that I'll be getting a convertible 968 Porsche which isn't too huge of a goal. Those cars were only made from 1992 to 1995 and they're old enough now that decent ones can be bought for under $20,000. I had it's predecessor, the 924 back when I was 19. The 944, which most people are familiar with came next and the 968 was the last of it's line. I've never had a convertible before and I'd like to have my first one be that 968. Beyond that, I don't have any huge material dreams but, a main reason for that is because I'm single. If I had a wife then I'm certain new goals would naturally materialize such as a bigger home so as to help support a more traditional family life, including children. Which ...makes me think of pediatrics again ....

Neurology is another class I need to do better in. I'm doing a little better than just passing in that class but not nearly as well as I'd like to be doing. I know the things I'd like to know in that class and just need to learn them. I don't know my spinal tracts as well as I'd like. I'd like to have lesions and symptoms at the tip of my tongue and not something I have to grope around for. As a chiropractor, I think these are things I should know as well as anyone.

Well, in spite of the 1,001 thought ruminating around in my head, I better conclude this blog and get my butt to bed.

Today's picture is a cross section of the spinal cord. It's a nice, clean simple picture. We've studied everything listed in that picture and I recognize everything labeled in the picture but I need to know everything better ...much better.