1 Down....

Well if you haven't figured it out by now either by my announcements on facebook or AIM, or whatever mode of communication I am using, I have finished my first semester of PA school. I have 2 academic semesters to go before clinical rotations begin. Not that I'm looking forward to being done with my academic semesters....or anything.....

This summer was a summer of ups and downs....a roller coaster ride if you will. I cannot believe how much knowledge and personal growth I have achieved over the past 2 1/2 months. I was able to put both my knowledge and interpersonal skills to use today in a program QU remains close with called KEEP (Kidney Early Evaluation Program). Health fairs are set up in areas of greater New Haven or Hartford where many people live without health insurance or access to a doctor. PA, med, and dental students set up stations where we can screen for things such as weight, height, blood pressure, blood glucose levels, urinalysis (checking for blood cells, creatine levels to see how well the kidneys are filtering), blood draws, etc. I was mostly in charge of taking blood glucose levels. The actual measuring of blood glucose is very simple (a small finger prick and a drop of blood put into a glucometer). I also found it beneficial to educate these very gracious people about diet modification, family histories of diabetes, and for those who had diabetes, how to remember to manage a schedule about taking medications regularly. Overall, it was a very rewarding experience, one I hope to be able to repeat over time.

Speaking of time however, I was oriented to my Fall Semester schedule. They weren't kidding when they said the fall was insane. I am in class on average 8 hours a day, 12 hours on Tues and Thurs, with 3-4 exams per week. Woohoo!

So, hello 3 weeks of vacation. R + R is simply an understatement for my state of mind. :-)