I feel like I haven't written much for the past couple/few months, but in all honesty, it's because there just hasn't been that much to say. Basically life has consisted of class as usual, some relaxing with family and friends and D when I can manage it, and just general about-the-house kind of things. We did have a great time last weekend at the annual med school "Cadaver Ball"--D and I went with my friend F and her boyfriend and had a raucous good time with all our classmates (as well as the other 3 classes). It's nice to just let loose every once in a while (and in fact, I plan on doing so again the day after I take the boards).

The only other really exciting thing is that Thursday was my last official day of classroom learning. Ever. From here out, we have a week of studying, a pharmacology and psychiatry final, and then I'll be studying for Step 1 for about 4 1/2 weeks. Then 3 1/2 weeks vacation, and then boom--ob/gyn. While the idea of being in the hospital looking much like a deer in the headlights is admittedly a bit terrifying, I'm also really, really excited. I loved being in clinic last summer for the month opportunity that I had, and really, it's just so much more fun to learn in a "doing" environment, rather than sitting on your butt on a couch or desk chair day in and day out.

Speaking of sitting (or not), I've also been working on a program called Couch to 5K ever since D and I got back from Europe. You can check it out at www.c25k.com. Basically it's a program that's designed to help people who have never run seriously to get into a regular exercise routine. It starts out with almost no running at all and gradually increases the amount that you run and decreases the amount that you walk, until 9 weeks later you are running about 3 miles (or 5K). I'm currently getting ready to start week 7, although I'll admit that I cheated a bit and started on week 3 because I had been working out at least a bit going in. Thus far it's been a really good program, although the only problem I have (that I've always had with running) is the fact that I just plain get bored. After a few minutes, my brain needs something to occupy me. Even Goljan's Pathology lectures aren't enough. I'm thinking once the boards are over and I've had my fill of path and all else medical, I might load a Harry Potter book onto my iPod and see if that makes life a little easier.