March has been an incredible month! We had the NBME shelf
exam, which really pushed me and tested my ability to focus and study massive
amounts of material. It covered all of the medical pharmacology from the entire
year. To study for it I reviewed the Katzung shelf exam book, Kaplan book and
did many practice questions from UWorld. Overall it was a great experience
studying for it and I learned a lot about what studying techniques work well
for me, how to memorize immense amounts of information and how to quickly read
and understand clinical vignettes in the Step 1/NBME style. I think all of this
will be a huge help in medical school. Before the NBME I also went to the Gulf
Coast Tough Mudder with some friends. It was easily one of the most fun days of
the entire year. I pushed myself to the limits physically and had a tremendous
amount of fun working with my friends as a team to conquer each obstacle. Although
the experience left me super exhausted for the next few days afterwards it was
completely worth it. March also brought March Madness and bracket competitions
in our class. I did some research and tried to make good picks but a few
unlikely upsets put me behind and I am currently about middle of the pack. As
classes wind down I am spending more time exploring the city and doing as much
as I can with my friends. Although many friends will be staying in New Orleans
next year, many will also be leaving and I want to make sure to have as much
fun with them as possible before they have to go. Hopefully our final month and
a half is the best of the entire year!
