ACLS Certified!!!!

Yes, it's another brag about Nick post. Sorry 'bout it. I'm just so proud of all his hard work! This past weekend was Sandblast (a big beach party put on by the school that I've talked about in previous terms) yet instead of participating in that, he opted for 3 days of Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support Training (ACLS). And, to the surprise of no one- he absolutely LOVED it!

Basically (in my layman's terms/understanding) ACLS is a systematic way of providing care to people who have either suffered from cardiac arrest or experienced other specific medical emergencies. The class covered topics such as the importance of team dynamics and communication, systems of care and immediate post-cardiac-arrest care. It also covers airway management and related pharmacology. Nick loved that it was so hands on and allowed him to actively apply things he is currently learning/has learned in the past. For a big chunk of the class they were given an issue and had to work together to "treat the patient" and spent a lot of time in the lab actually simulating real life situations.

I am not sure if an ACLS certification is a requirement for all health care professionals, but it certainly can't hurt and in many areas of health care it would be a necessary certification to have, so it's so great that he is already one step ahead of the game by getting it now! I'm so proud of him and all his work and loved listening to his stories each night because his enthusiasm was impossible to miss! I was not surprised to hear that he aced the written exam at the end of the course because when he loves something and is that interested in it, he soaks it up and thrives! 

He might not have gone to the beach party, but I think he actually had more fun playing doctor all weekend... if that doesn't scream nerdy medical school student, I don't know what does! Oh, and to all our family and friends- don't even think you can try and die on his watch now... he's the man at resuscitating people now ;)

I also feel like I should have thought it was more weird than I did to find this laying on our kitchen table when I got home, but these are the things I have become accustomed to. When I asked Nick where I should put his "weird body part toy" he excitedly exclaimed "it's the oral pharynx/larynx! Couldn't you tell from the tongue?!" Oh, silly me.... and in case you were wondering, it has only been moved from the kitchen to the living room so far.  Some people have vases and nice ottomans... we have a pharynx/larynx/tongue... almost the same thing.

Powderpuff && Dodge ball

SGU IEA hosted a Powderpuff football tournament for the first time this term- so naturally Nick's foobtall team (and their fabulous cheerleaders) had to put together a team! We had SO many players that we actually ended up being forced into breaking it up into 2 teams! At first we were bummed that we had to split up our fabulous gang, but in the end it worked out because we were all able to play a lot more this way. We thought the tourney would only last a couple hours and we'd just play a few games... well 8 hours in the beating sun and 6 games later... the tournament was over! Our team played great and went into the finals undefeated but unfortunately lost in the final game.

What an exhausting, but incredibly fun filled day! We had hardly eaten and did not drink nearly enough water (as we didn't expect it to last all day- we were severely unprepared.)  Nick actually ended up super dehydrated and sick (and most likely suffered from hypoglycemic shock) which was horribly scarey! What can I say? Powderpuff is hardcore!!! And... I could literally not move for a week afterward. Go Free Agents (and gals!)

Another fun event was the dodge ball tournament. Nick and the football boys have played in previous terms and have always been competitive, but this term they went in with 2 goals: 1)win the costume contest and 2)win the tournament. Nothing less.

After discussing what their costume should be continuously the week prior- they decided to paint their faces like the KISS Band members and wear white shirts that said "Kiss This" on it. It was pretty cute watching 10 guys carefully painting each others faces before hand. I am happy to report- they successfully accomplished BOTH goals! They won the costume contest AND tournament! It was so, so, so fun and nothing short of ridiculously competitive!

5th term for the Doctor-Man

So, what does 5th term have in store for the Doctor-Man-To-Be? Here's a little run down: 5th term consists of 4 classes, with the big one being Pathophysiology. Although you spend most of your first 2 years at SGU hearing about term 4 and Pathology the 13 credit monster- don't be fooled, Pathophysiology may be a slight step down, but it's no easy walk in the park. It rings in a close second at 12 credits and is not lacking for material. The other 3 classes are Pharmacology (drugs, drugs, drugs!), Intro to Clinical Medicine (5th term students go to the a local Grenadian hospital twice a week to get some actual hands-on experience. The hospital in Grenada is not exactly what we are used to in the States, which adds to the experience! But, there is no AC and Nick will be wearing dress pants, a dress shirt, AND a white coat (he's a doctor!)... so to say he will be a bit toasty during his couple hours a week there is putting it lightly! Nick's super excited about the hands-on work though and has missed interacting with patients, so it will be a nice change and break from sitting in a desk for a couple hours, two days a week!) and Foundation to Clinical Reasoning (something along the lines of applying what they've learned so far to clinical vignettes.)

Whew, that was a mouth-full.  Besides classes, Nick has also been bumped up from VP to Mr. El-Presidenté of the Emergency Medicine Club at SGU. This has already been keeping him busy as he plans events, speakers, clinics, and does all sorts of President busy work and running around. He loves it though. What can I say... the man loves to be busy and continues to love Emergency Medicine!

And last but not least, with the USMLE Step 1 Board Exam quickly approaching, Nick is also dedicating a few hours each week to reviewing and studying test prep materials. The big push for studying will come in May after 5th term is complete, but he feels that getting his bearings and attempting to stay on top of all the material now, will help him during those overwhelming cram-weeks later on :) He has also already submitted his application to take the test so we are just waiting to set an official date! Crazy! I think it's safe to say 5th term is officially in full-swing and the glorious days of having Nick around the house are over for now! Let the good times crazy hours of lecture and studying in medical school roll!

The Doctor-Man-To-Be himself, sporting his nerdy totally awesome, and crazy accurate anatomy shirt! He came home from school SUPER proud because all his classmates thought he was so cool... oh medical school humor! I must say, it is pretty cool though!

Term 5 ponderings

"You're term 5?!?! Wow, you've been here forever and must be so excited to be almost done with Grenada!" 

I can't tell you the number of times I have heard that just in the past week! What's the saying? If I had a dime for every time someone said it, I'd be rich? Yes. Yes I would be.

The thing is though, my feelings about being term 5 are not so one-sided or black and white... but how would I even begin to explain this to someone who has only been here a handful of days and is still transitioning to island life and the thought of completing 2 years and 5 terms of medical school (or whatever program or alotted time frame for your situation) is still overwhelmingly daunting... Yes I am thrilled to be term 5! This means Nick is one step closer to achieving his dream. This means he has so far conquered the basic sciences portion of med school like a freakin' champ. This means 4th term is behind us. This means I am one step closer to a job that includes a paycheck. However, we've been here a year and half- not forever. Yes, at the end of each term does it sometimes feel that way? Certainly. But really we love Grenada and all in all when I think about our time here on this wonderful little island, I think good things and that time has literally flown by! And when it comes to leave for good it will absolutely be bittersweet.

Another thing that always sits with me funny is the "done with Grenada" part. Will we ever really be done with Grenada? I don't think so. And I sure hope not. It's hard to top the feeling I get when I see the kids with big smiles on their faces racing toward me like it's the greatest thing in the entire world. And they react that way every time! It's unconditional love at it's best. At the same time, as much as I will miss being hands on with the kids, and seeing pictures of other volunteers with them will be wonderful but also make me miss them entirely too much- there is almost more I can do to help these kids from the United States. In the U.S I can do fundraisers and help in many ways that I am unable to here due to financial restrictions and distance from those I am hoping to reach out to for support once we get home. So, it's 6 in one- half a dozen in the other. For my own personal fulfillment, I will miss their cute faces and squeezes every day... but at the same time, I find solace in that I know there are many volunteers here who will continue to love on them, and I can take my talents and help them even more from a distance. Oh, and of course hopefully visit again in the not too far off future when Nick comes back to SGU as a guest lecturer and I can come back and play... hey, a girl can dream right? :)

To me- living abroad... more specifically, living in Grenada comes down to this: it is what YOU make of it. You have control to decide what type of experience have here. You are in charge of the extra activities you seek out to fill your time. You control your attitude. No one else is going to make Grenada be a certain way for you, but you can choose to make it the best couple of years possible.

Does this mean it will be amazing 100% of the time? No. I doubt it. I think you could have the most positive outlook on life ever and still have days that drive you bonkers... but honestly, that is just life in general- not just life here on this tiny island. I think it is easy to forget that sometimes.

Change can be a good thing- try to embrace it!
There are things to do in Grenada- go seek them out and explore!
Meet people & make friends- there are many other people in your similar shoes!
Start a new hobby- something that a hectic life in the U.S may not allow time for!
Remember the grass is always greener on the other side- in a few years when you are working a 9-5 job, sitting in rush hour traffic, surrounded by buildings and congestion- this life might seem more glamorous!
Volunteer- the kids in Grenada will undoubtedly steal your heart, or find some other organization you are passionate about. Whatever it is- Get involved!
Keep an open mind- your own small life box is not all the world has to offer, learn from new people and experiences!
Laugh at things beyond your control- tomorrow, next month, or next year... it will make a good story!

Look at me being so bossy... ha, but seriously. 2-3 years... is not forever. And with a little effort, positive thinking, and a little less focus on the negative, you just might find these few years go by super fast. You might find you had some fun. You might find you grow a lot as a person by stepping outside the box. You might find that Grenada steals a piece of your heart that you don't ever intend to leave completely behind.