The End of MS1! || NB2, NB3, BSCE || SGU Term 2
Life Updates.
DIYs. I started yard work on revamping the backyard. So far 4 shrubs have been removed! Once I saw big spiders crawl out, I knew I was done for the day. I hope to remove the spider-harboring bushes and put some more modern and desert friendly landscape. Most of my veggie babies have died since transitioning outside, except bittermelon which is abnormally resilient - wish I had her spirit.
T2 breakdown. After T2, I feel physically and mentally run down. I’ve been following weightlifting programs for the last 5 years. This was the first period in my life where I let it go. Sacrificing my health routines for more study time felt right at the time, but in retrospect…I gained weight, skin, and hair breaking down - it’s an awful feeling. I feel like I became the worst version of myself and I didn’t like her.
The vlog. I filmed 2 weeks’ worth of NB2 and then realized none of the audio was usable (lol). I considered doing a Korean style vlog where I caption everything, but it didn’t feel right. Starting in Term 3, I’ll try again. I’ve got some tips on how to better film so fingers crossed!
Winter break plans. I have so many books I’m so excited to read! I have some home improvement projects on the queue. I need to go weed my animal crossing island! I seriously can not wait to be a human again. Oh, and the holidays!
NB2 & NB 3 Module.
It’s getting easier to identify high yield. It only took a year! I feel like I’m in a relationship with SGU. I’m starting to understand what it likes to talk about and test on. Overall, neuro felt like a wean off from SGU lectures. Personally, I felt like I wasn’t taking in how they were teaching. From what I heard, T3/T4 (because they’re pretty much one long term) content is even more difficult to understand from lectures. I utilized a LOT of Ninja Nerds, Dirty Medicine, First Aid, and B&B.
A note of caution - the flurry of tests at the end of Term 2 seems to come out of nowhere if you utilize the “just get through now” attitude like me. The week before the end of the term, we took our lab and OCEX (clinical/physical exam skills) exams. The week after we took NB3 and then the BSCE 1.5 days later. I wish I had planned to divvy up my study schedule beforehand.
Study Schedule
I was not one of the wise ones who had followed a strict BSCE schedule from the start. It would have likely saved me a bunch of tears. Halfway through NB2, I settled on staying with the lecture materials instead of trying to get ahead. I continued to do the 4 passes of pre-read by making summary outlines of the lectures, watching the lectures, making the summaries as post-read, and then Anki. I relied on Anki heavily to lock in the minuscule things like developmental milestones and mental health diagnostic criteria.
Some of my NB2 summary notes
Content
NB2 felt like NB1.5. There was some neuroanatomy, but it started to lean heavily to psychiatric medicine. Many of the things I was confused about in NB1 finally made sense in NB2. NB3 was 90% psychiatric diagnosis criteria and treatments.
Outside Resoures
FreeMedTube remains my save all to watch B&B and osmosis. Wow, if I could redo NB I would have started Ninja Nerds neuro series a lot sooner. For neuroanatomy, they made the concepts so clear! I’ve also maintained some NB2 and NB3 YT playlists.
Timing
I couldn’t wait for the break. After 2 terms worth of fatigue, I was running low on motivation.
Extracirriculars
PLG and AEP saved me for the BSCE! Though it was hard to prepare for my exams and also prep for the sessions, it really did help.
Advice looking back
I’ll be writing an advice to T2 and T1 entry, but what is regularly preached is mostly true. I think the most important way to succeed in NB is to identify what resources you are going to learn from. I spent so much time running from DES groups to Ninja Nerds back to lecture trying to understand what the heck was going on. Also, stay consistent with Anki - as always it saved my butt.
A year down, I can’t believe it! Cheers and see you next year!