Summer Plans

So a few words to update things are probably in order - it has been a while since I last posted.

The most pertinent news regarding me and my future is that I've been offered a place in the Lake Erie class of 2011, and I've accepted. So I was wrong about what I predicted before: it won't be M.D. Jordan, M.D.; it'll be M.D. Jordan D.O. If you're unfamiliar with osteopathic medicine, the related Wikipedia article is a decent starting point, though it can be a bit biased (as the article was likely written by allopathic med students). I think as of right this second I'm thinking about Emergency medicine, but I don't know yet. I plan on going in with an open mind and figuring out during 3rd and 4th year rotations exactly what interests me the most. The way that LECOM works is that for the first two years you're in Bradenton, following their "Problem Based Learning (PBL) Pathway" where you are put in small groups and proceed to work (over 2 years) on a couple hundred cases, each of which requires you to go and learn on your own. I think such an individualistic approach will work pretty well for me - I'm certainly motivated.

Speaking of motivation, I should be lacking it right now - at least from a school standpoint. Lake Erie starts in June or July (I don't know which), which means that I won't end up finishing my Chemistry degree at FSU. At the end of this semester I'll be two classes short of the degree - Advanced Analytical Chemistry and Spanish III. So that means right now I'm taking classes for a degree I won't get. Realistically there's no reason I should care about doing well, but I guess I'm not wired like that. For starters, in the case that I might someday come back and finish this degree it'd be dumb to do anything but put in my best effort. Also, I'm doing well enough in these classes that there's no reason to give up now.

Shifting to the social side, working two jobs and going to school full time has pretty much swallowed up all my time. I think that I probably won't see much of a difference in my day-to-day free time when I get to med school - I'd just switch my current work hours for study hours. I really can't wait to get started. Playing "hurry up and wait" for the last two years got old about a year and a half ago, so the mere prospect of finally getting to do what I want to do will be a welcomed change.

Since classes end for me at the end of April and I'll likely start med school in June (or July, I don't know yet) that leaves me some time to hopefully travel and see some friends before I'm stuck with my nose to the med-school grindstone for the next two years. If you're game for a visit, let me know.

In a more humorous note, if after med school I ever decided to further my engineering licensing, I could attain the illustrious title "Matthew Jordan, D.O. P.E." which is probably the greatest title ever. I'd be a professional D.O.P.E.


[Update: 4/8/2007]

So, I got a letter from LECOM the other day stating that I needed to be there on July 30th for the first day of orientation (school starts a few days later); this falls on the last week of classes for the Summer semester at FSU. What does that mean? Well, since all I need to do to get this degree is simply pass these classes, I might be able to swing this 2nd degree after all. That's great news to me, as getting 95% through with a degree only to fall short is none-too-appealing. Now I've just got to see if this will actually work.