Thought: Starving Student Lifestyle

Does anyone else find themselves wondering how people afford what they do? It seems that almost anyone I talk to has either recently bought themselves a new toy or gone on an extravagant vacation. Where does all that money come from? I'm sure some people really do have killer summer jobs, but not everyone, right? I can't complain, of course. I myself took a 2 month "study abroad" in Brazil. That wasn't exactly inexpensive. But that has been my one splurge. I use a car that I got for a great deal (thanks Julie!) and is practically worth about two iPods now. I have no cool phone, a practical laptop which probably isn't even worth as much as my car, and a few board games that cost me about $100 total. Those are my most valuable possessions. Granted, I could and probably should spend a little bit more once in a while, such as for my clothes that I frequently wear holes into, but I simply don't understand how other "poor starving students" have iPods, smart phones, macs or other expensive laptops, new cars, amazing cameras, attractive bikes and at least one gaming console. Are their parents paying for this all? If not, where does all the money come from? And I'm pretty sure lots of them are not on scholarship, so add in tuition to all of those expenses. Sometimes I just can't help but wonder.

Fun in the sun

Stadium of Fire

Last night I worked as security at the Stadium of Fire. I was on the job at 5 PM and started with a nice pork BBQ sandwich courtesy of the police department. From 6 until 8:20 or so I peeked in an innumerable number of purses. All of the ladies had to throw their candy away and dump their water out. Most people accepted it without complaining, but a few people weren't very happy, and I even got sworn at once.

I got to go in to watch the show soon after.



About 600 scouts, 500 dancers, Jenny Oaks Baker, the Five Browns, and some others took the stage. When they finished Carrie Underwood was on. I think she put on a great show. I'm just not a big fan.



Once Carrie was done, the real show began. The fireworks were some of the best I've seen. I tried to get a couple photos, although the pictures do not represent how great the show was. In addition to the big fireworks, they shot some straight into the middle of the stadium! That always got a gasp from the crowd.



There was a big USA chalked onto the field. The scouts lined it with glowsticks at the end and the dancers filled the map with sparkling lights.

Earlier in the day I wasn't looking forward to giving my whole evening to the event, but now I'm glad I did. The work was really sort of fun, and it was pretty much a free show. I would recommend it.

Lagoon

Tuesday I met up with my family and cousins at Lagoon. I invited a few friends to go along too. I didn't get any very exciting pictures, but at least you can see what my mom and dad do when they're at an amusement park! Wicked is their best coaster. You are shot straight up, crest a peak, then go straight down. It's a pretty nice ride. I also really like the Samurai. You get thrown around in every conceivable way. My favorite part of the park though is Lagoon a Beach. I really enjoyed cooling off for one, but the environment is just really relaxed and fun.

Moving On

Team USA was a big disappointment yesterday. The World Cup ride has been a fun one, but it ended on a low after they failed to show up against Ghana. And this one they can't blame on the refs. I'll still following the matchups, but I'm learning the frustration involved in being a fan of USA Futbol. Rumo a hexa-campeao Brasil!

I can't think of anything of note that happened in this past week that is worth sharing. There was a bit of irony in my Advanced Writing class on Friday. My teacher, who is really just a primary teacher teaching grownups, was talking about the importance of using the active voice and not the passive. She had us do some practice exercises where we eliminated "to be" and replaced it with an action verb. The first sentence was "A good author is aware of his verbs." She asked us how we would change it and my classmates responded with the verbs, "uses, knows, understands" and so on. I decided to share my opinion and said, "I wouldn't change it unless there was a good reason to use a different verb, because each way has it's own particular meaning that differs from "is aware of"." She immediately rebuffed me and responded that we had a good reason to change it. Anyhow, she continued her teaching but not 30 seconds later I caught her saying "are aware." I glanced at my friend and we smiled knowingly. And she was only getting started. At least 5 times in the next 15 minutes she used the phrase "are/is aware." So much for using those verbs.

I've learned a few things about myself in the past week. It is really HARD for me to work full-time. It is really hard for me to work just part-time in my current employment. I had cut my hours to about 10 per week over spring and the end of winter. After all I had the MCAT and shadowing I had to do. Well I've been wanting for money recently and decided to pick up my hours to at least full part-time, 20 hours per week. That means 4 hours per day, but I can hardly last an hour straight without needing some kind of break. I know a lot of it has to do with my job, but I also know that part of it is just who I am. I love to have variety to my day. I handle the variety of school pretty well, with work and research time mixed in, even if the days are long. But tell me to work 8 hours straight at one thing and I'll languish and lose my focus quickly. I hope medicine will give me that daily diversity that keeps me engaged.

World Cup Fever and Such

The games are on! The World Cup has definitely taken me by storm over the past week and a half. I'm particularly emotionally invested in Team USA, although I've really enjoyed watching the powerful European teams lose and tie to all of the underdogs. I love the World Cup! The last USA match left me feeling robbed, but relieved at the same time. And though I hated the goals we allowed, I couldn't help but laugh at the way the Slovenians celebrated their goals. Take a look at the highlights if you don't know what I'm talking about. Hilarious!! A win this week is what we need. Go USA! I've got a fever and the only prescription is more World Cup. USA, unfortunately, does not have a realistic chance of winning the whole thing, but luckily I can cheer for Brasil in that regard. I watched their opening game with the BYU Brazilian Association. It just made me laugh. Brazilian spontaneity is priceless.

The mundial did not effect my grades thankfully. I pulled A's in both classes this spring and enjoyed a brief 3-day respite. Tomorrow I'll be back in the trenches with an advanced writing course (dreadful) and a statistics class. My goal is to start strong and never let off. It's a definite plus that after this term I'll have finished all of the classes I don't want to take but have to anyway. Graduation se aproxima.

I took a fun little hike yesterday with Jose Carlos, my El Salvadorian friend. Jose e gente fina. We went to the top of Y mountain. Jose really knows how to enjoy the moment. We got to the top and we stayed there not for 20 or 30 minutes, but for an entire hour. I owe the little bit of sunburn above my knees to him. Hablamos bastante. Unfortunately my memory card was not in my camera and Jose left his phone in my car, so we had zero pictures. Well we actually had one that we asked a stranger at the top of the Y to take with his camera and send to us later. The hike was beautiful and hot. I made a collection of wildflowers as I went along, and now they're sitting in my kitchen in a tupperware.

The flowers adorned the table today while we ate dinner. I made a deal with Dallan, my roommate, a few weeks back: we eat well every Sunday, and we take turns on cooking duty. It was my turn today, so last night I decided to make Orange Chicken. I found this really simple recipe online that only asks for chicken, salt and pepper, onion soup, and a can of OJ concentrate. I put the meal together this afternoon, with rice and a pan of stir fry thrown in as well. The food turned out rather delicious. It's likely to be a sort of last supper with John. He's leaving this week. I enjoyed the meal, but at the same time I couldn't help but think, "Man, they're eating a ton!" I myself didn't hold back either. I guess that's a compliment when they eat my food, but I can't help but be jealous of what I make sometimes. Thankfully I've got two lunches worth of leftovers for this week.

The EMT class ends this week. It will be ending without me. I've attended pretty much every night I have been supposed to be there, but I have not made hardly any effort on assessments (100 required, I've done 30) or the readings and quizzes. I just did not want to do it I found out. I did have some time and I likely could have pulled it off, but I really lost my respect for the class about a week into it. I made myself continue attending for the learning experience, but honestly I would hardly feel qualified with the training I received to be an actual EMT. For example, the day they taught CPR they showed us how to do it, had us practice with a partner, take a quiz as a group, and put us in line so they could hand us our certificates. It was bogus. No one at any time actually observed me to see if I was performing CPR correctly. Not that I think I learned it incorrectly, but when the training is done that way over and over again it does not build any confidence in me. So the 700+ dollars I've put into the class will be mostly for naught. I have learned some significant things, such as taking vitals and the essentials in an emergency situation, so it wasn't a complete waste. I finally gave up on any idea of finishing the course some time last week, and the truth set me free. I'm glad I can move on.

Dumb Ideas

Have you ever heard about something and thought "That is just about the dumbest idea I have ever heard!"? I have a couple of those I just can't keep to myself any longer. If these things didn't keep coming up I could ignore them and move on, but since they do...

My roommate just got off the phone with his brother. He picked up this idea from him of running barefoot. So about every time he goes for a jog he leaves the shoes behind. The other day we went to play some soccer with friends. As we were wrapping up he asked me to take his stuff home for him, including his shoes. Unsurprisingly everyone asked me, "He's doing what?" I could only shrug my shoulders and say that I think he's crazy too. He says he does it because it lessens the impact on his knees and because its fun. I think he does it because it makes him feel like a man. So today I come home to find him limping around the house. He had just got back from a run and, surprise surprise, he had some painful blisters on his feet. I've already told him my mind. I'll just try to close my ears when I hear him talking about it in the future.

As for the other dumb idea, in the school newspaper I am continually albeit unwillingly updated on the progress of a family on a pioneer trek across the United States. This family decided they would go back in time, but not really. The last update had a picture of their 3 or 4-year old son sitting exhausted in a lawn chair. Poor kid! Apparently they are walking across the Great Plains pulling a handcart, but they still get to stop at the local gas stations for a shower and a bite to eat. At times I like to reminisce on and smile about the family road trips I went on as a kid; this family can do the same with their pioneer trek. What were Mom and Dad thinking! I suppose I shouldn't judge. After all, it could be that this is a family-saving outing. I can't help but think though of any number of alternatives that could be just as beneficial to a family without making your kids march for an entire summer. So when I see these updates I'll just shake my head and try not to let it get to me.

I don't know why these ideas bother me so much. It's not me that's risking my bare feet or suffering from the crazy idea of my parents. So why does it get under my skin? What do you think?

Lord of Catan

We had a nice round of Settlers of Catan tonight. My roommate John and my neighbor Seth came over. The first round was one of those bummer games. Nothing really rolled my way, but thankfully John only took about 30 minutes to finish us off. He was Lord of Catan. Second time through was a different story. The game was competitive from the beginning. It looked for a second like I was going to get stuck again, but then I had some fortuitous trading that helped me block John. I raced ahead for a little while. Meanwhile, John and Seth were competing for the same location on the board and they had roads that ended there but no settlement. Both of them were stuck with about 10 cards and no wheat. I was raking in the resources at the same time. It was a location that I did not intend to go after, but suddenly I had what it took, and I was like, "I'm only doing this because I can." I built two roads and a settlement on their coveted location. John became vindictive, but not very. I couldn't stop laughing!

Despite my progress, Seth gained the upper hand in the game. He was on the verge of winning. John and I used all our 7's and soldiers to delay him, but it wasn't going to be enough. I had one last chance. I was sitting with 8 points, built a city, and then knew I had one shot to get the win - a victory point. I bought the card but didn't want to look at it... Okay, so I waited half a second and turned it over and WON! Woo-hoo! Seth was frustrated. He'd just been cheated out of his victory. I was lucky. And my luck made me the new Lord of Catan.

It's amazing how this game can get my adrenaline going. It really is meaningless, but that doesn't stop me from being ultra excited when I get 4 wheat when my 11 is rolled. I was rolling in that wheat! On my way to becoming Lord of Catan.

Personal Statement

This is my medical school statement. Give me your comments for editing.

My desire to attend medical school has grown from several of my life experiences. I have not always known I wanted to be a physician, but as I have been afforded exposure to the medical field and time to think over the value of a career as a physician, my aspirations to attend medical school have become strong and concrete.

There is nothing that gives more purpose and meaning to my life than the joy and satisfaction I feel when I am able to serve another person. I want to go to medical school so I can help others. I feel that my personal worth increases as I am able to fulfill a need for someone else. Medical school will permit me to have a specific set of skills which will provide me with many opportunities to assist those in need. I have found my activities to be empty and unfulfilling when I fail to focus on reaching out to others. My most significant volunteer experience has been a two year religious mission in Brazil. These two years were dedicated to helping others improve their lives through religion. My service played a vital role for many Brazilians who were looking for religious truth and standards of moral strength to anchor them throughout life. My years of service continue to be rewarding as I maintain friendships with those I taught and as I continue to volunteer my time within the local Latino community.

I believe that practicing medicine will be rewarding in a similar manner. During my mission I became acutely aware of the extensive economic disadvantages that a large portion of the population suffers. I have since had the opportunity to participate in a volunteer care clinic that serves individuals that cannot afford healthcare. Some of these individuals would tolerate a serious medical condition for a significant period of time so that they could dedicate their monetary resources to their family before taking care of their own physical well-being. Through volunteer work health care professionals can eliminate a lot of this suffering. It is an aspiration of mine to consistently volunteer my time as a physician in addition to my regular employment. I wish to assist those who are most in need.

My undergraduate education at Brigham Young University has been challenging. With the challenge, however, comes a feeling of satisfaction. Due to the difficulty of my courses at BYU, I feel that they are that much more valuable. I have learned that the more effort I put into an objective, the stronger my feelings of elation are when I achieve that objective. A career as a physician will be quite challenging. I feel, however, that the challenge validates the worth of being a physician. I am not yet certain of which field of medicine I will pursue, although I will likely work in primary care. I understand, though, that each specialty is faced with its own set of challenging conditions and delicate situations. I believe that accepting these challenges and overcoming them will bring great satisfaction.

Until recently I had not planned on a career in healthcare. Even though I have always been interested in the medical field, it had never seriously occurred to me as a possible career path for myself until approximately one year ago. My father is an electrical engineer and no one in my family has pursued a profession in the medical field. I had originally intended to be a biomedical engineer. While this field of study still interests me academically, I realized that I would not have the same ability to interact with patients as in a healthcare profession. For this motive I decided to change career paths, apply to medical school and pursue a medical degree.

My decision has been confirmed as I have spent the previous year completing pre-medical course work and increasing my knowledge of the medical field. I particularly enjoyed my anatomy course and the subsequent course in physiology. The human body is a facsinating organism. I continue to be amazed as I learn more about how it functions. Academically there is no other subject that I enjoy more.

I have also increased my exposure to the medical field through hospital volunteering and physician shadowing. I frequently find myself wanting to understand the exact nature of the illness or injury of the patients and the possible treatment solutions. As a volunteer I am not privy to this information. This serves to increase my anticipation for the education I will obtain in medical school. I am excited for the opportunity to learn.

Shadowing physicians has opened my eyes to the reality of working as a doctor. The hours are long and the work is challenging. There are many unappealing parts to medicine that cannot be neglected, such as keeping accurate and detailed records. Doctors make mistakes, but even when they do their best they still get sued. I understand that I will not always feel appreciated when I am a practicing physician. Despite these drawbacks, the happiness I felt as I watched a physician treat patients in need, or the compassion I felt as the same physician diagnosed a woman with breast cancer, were strong confirmations to me that I have made the right choice to pursue a medical degree. I believe a medical degree will be of great worth both to me personally as well as to the many individuals I will see throughout my career.