Medical School Boot Camp

 To replace the clinical learning we missed in Year 2, due to the Covid lockdown, we were required to return to medical school 1 week earlier than the start of third year. 

I arrived back in Brighton to my new house on Sunday 6th September and was reunited with two of my housemates from last year. The third one moved in with her partner this year, and so we got a new fourth housemate this year. After 6 months apart it was great to see the girls and catch up.

The new house is actually the bottom two floors in one of these old five storey townhouses! It's so cute and has such high ceilings! And we're only a stone's throw from the beach, as well as being just five minutes walk from the hospital and our teaching building.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I didn't have any teaching until Wednesday 9th so I spent the first couple of days unpacking and settling in. We're hoping to stay in this house until the end of medical school, and it was unfurnished so we had to source furniture. I tried to also bring some sentimental pieces from home as well as a plant, which used to be my Dad's, and has been looking a bit sad, so I'm trying to revive it.

This plant is an Anthurium and this leaf is supposed to be BRIGHT red, so you can see how faded it is right now. Hopefully it'll get better and I'll let you know how that goes! Wish me luck... 

So, Wednesday rolled around and I headed to our old clinical teaching building on campus, armed with my facemask and hand sanitiser, for the day. There were six, hour long, sessions throughout the day.

 

Cardiovascular, respiratory and abdominal examinations

During this session we reviewed the cardiovascular, respiratory and abdominal exams we had previously been taught in second year, and practiced them in small groups on each other. Unfortunately, due to most people having not revised these examinations recently, we were pressed for time and didn't actually get to practice properly, just talk through the examinations and answer some questions about them. 

Examinations like these are used to help doctors look for signs of diseases in patients. We follow a systematic approach to looking for these signs. So, for example, in these three examinations, after looking at the patient from the end of the bed, we first examine the hands, making our way up the arms to the face and neck, then on to the chest and/or abdomen. We are looking for certain signs linked to specific, or multiple, diseases, for example, tar staining from cigarettes may indicate that a respiratory problem is more likely. 

For our end of year examinations we need to know what signs we're looking for, search for them systematically, and understand which diseases they are linked to. 

Paediatric Basic Life Support

We had previously been taught adult basic life support in first year but, as it is different for children, we had a separate session on this. This session covered CPR and choking, as well as the new Covid guidelines. Covid has changed the way basic life support should be given, as well as the way it is taught, for example, we were unable to provide rescue breaths to our mannequins. 

Knee Examination

This examination was actually new to us as it should have been taught towards the end of second year. Similar to the other examinations described above we follow a systematic approach to looking for signs of disease. In musculoskeletal examinations we think about how things look, feel, move, and function. We were taught where to look/feel and what to look/feel for, how to test movement and look for excessive movement, and how to assess function. 

Wound Management

Wound management is actually something most of us were taught during second year, but due to the rotation of small groups not everybody got a chance to do it, so this session was included as teaching/revision. The session only reviewed closing a wound with steristrips or glue, and did not review wound irrigation or dressing which we had already been taught. 

We each had a little station where we could practice opening a sterile pack and closing wounds on fake "skin". 

Shoulder Examination

Again, like the knee examination this was new, for the same reason. This examination also follows the same structure of look, feel, move, function, and so we learned how to relate this to the shoulder. 

GALS screening

Firstly, GALS stands for gait, arms, legs, spine, and it pretty much does what it says on the tin, those are the areas of the body we are assessing. Gait is defined as "a person's manner of walking". This examination was explained to us over Microsoft Teams during term 3 last year but this was the first time we got to practice it properly with a clinical facilitator. This examination seems kind of long winded to learn but, again, because it has a systematic approach it isn't actually too complicated. 

I think having a variety of sessions and switching rooms and topics every hour really helped to keep this day manageable after so long being away from class. Each session felt like it passed really quickly, but, I have to say, once the day was over I was feeling a little worn out! 

Excitingly, when I arrived home that evening my housemate had collected my new logbooks from the office for me! I had a little look through them to see what I was going to be getting up to. The red logbook is for module 301 which runs for the first two weeks of third year and is additional clinical and community practice teaching. The pale blue logbook is a new procedural skills logbook which covers all of the skills we need to learn and get signed off by graduation. They expect us to keep track of this book for the next three years! Eeeek!

Also on Wednesday evening I completed my elearning for my Immediate Life Support course and did some reading of the handbook they provided us with in preparation for the following day.

On Thursday afternoon I had my immediate life support practical training. This was provided at our new teaching building, at the hospital, for years 3-5.

 

This training encompassed learning about basic ways to open an airway, using oxygen masks and using a bag valve mask to provide breaths, before moving on to a basic assessment of a patient. We then learned about, and practiced, basic ABCDE assessment of a mannequin in different scenarios. An ABCDE assessment includes looking at the airway, breathing, circulation, disability (this is like consciousness level), and exposure/everything else (head to toe assessment). After this we learned how to use a defibrillator and practiced scenarios with the mannequin involving giving CPR, using the bag valve mask, and using the defibrillator. These scenarios had a different leader each time and so we also had to practice leading a team, working in a team, and using clear, concise, communication skills. It was a very informative session and I enjoyed the practical way of learning it. 

On Friday I typed up all of the notes I had taken over the previous two days onto my third year handbook, which I have been making on OneNote. This allows me to have my notes organised in a way which works for me and have them available for quick and easy access on my laptop or phone, even offline. 

At the weekend we took a trip to the garden centre and I bought some small plants for my bedroom, and also picked up a beautiful velvet desk chair I managed to find on Facebook marketplace! 

The next two weeks of teaching are getting us ready to go on our clinical rotations and it looks like lots of interesting teaching. I've also signed up for a bunch of online society teaching events so I might do some short blogs talking about individual topics as well as updates on third year itself! Oh, also, I think Wednesday afternoon is going to be the main upload slot for update blogs for now.

Thanks for reading.

Katherine x

Xmas Holidays

Xmas break this year was only 3 weeks, when last year we had 5 weeks, so it seemed pretty short. It was cut short due to the introduction of our immersive week placements, they made our year 4 weeks longer and so 2 weeks were cut from the xmas break and 2 weeks cut from the easter break. Fortunately, it means that summer break was at least left alone.
The first day I got back my sister talked me into going on a night out with her and her partner as one of our local nightclubs does a specific xmas night and this was it. I was tired from having my exam the day before but figured it would be a good night, and it was good fun.

The following day I went to visit Dad to take him a home made wreath which my Mum had put together and a xmas card. It was freezing out and all of his little leaves have dropped off. I'm just hoping he recovers well in the spring and hopefully has a good growth spurt too!

The next day I headed into the city with my Mum to make a start on my xmas shopping. Yep, it was the 16th December and I hadn't started yet. I hadn't had time during revision season and was starting to feel slightly stressed about it at this point. I didn't actually get much done that day but eventually I got it all finished!

I honestly spent most of the holiday being my Mum's little shadow. I went everywhere with her, to see family, to go shopping, to run errands, the lot, and it was really nice. I'd been used to being so busy for holidays that it was nice just to have some time to spend doing normal things with my Mum and my family.

I did squeeze in a couple of short days at work, not actually working, but shadowing with the urgent care team and GPs, and I was even given a chance to practice taking a couple of ECGs and manual blood pressures. Naturally I had to get that shameless stethoscope selfie with my work lanyard on.

A few days before xmas it was my brother's birthday, the big 21! He recently received a place to study at a language school in Tokyo and is due to move out there in April so we had to think carefully about what to buy him. It needed to be small and light enough to be packed to go with him, and it needed to be special enough or practical enough to make it onto his packing list. I chose a matcha tea bowl which was almost identical to one he used in Japan when we travelled there in 2018, and some matcha tea powder and a matcha tea whisk. When I was wrapping them up I pulled out a couple of tourist magazines we had picked up in Japan and cut out some pictures and stuck them all over the presents!

His other presents also included some guidebooks for Japan and Tokyo and a matching set of suitcases.

My Mum also made him the coolest Japan themed cake! It had Mount Fuji, cherry blossom, a Torii gate and a bamboo forest.


As soon as my Brother's birthday is over it is always a slightly mad rush to get xmas finalised. But we still had time to pop out and visit Dad again on xmas eve.









I think I mentioned it last xmas on this blog but every xmas since 2014 we have chosen a theme. This means that the house is decorated to the theme, the presents are wrapped to the theme and sometimes even what we wear on xmas day is influenced by the theme. Previous themes have included:
- The Nightmare Before Christmas
- Narnia
- Harry Potter
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
- Star Wars

This year the theme was The Hobbit, which was a relatively easy theme to do as it was just a cosy and homey vibe. The colour scheme for the tree was a classic red and green, the presents were wrapped in brown paper or paper with trees on, and we wore xmas jumpers on the day.

My sister decided to make xmas eve bags this year for me, my brother and my little sister and we got the cutest sloth pyjamas, slipper socks and blanket... not my brother, I can't remember what he got instead! But it meant that on xmas morning all the girls had matching pjs on and it was adorable.

I feel like this photo of our living room should come with a warning. The presents in here were for ten people (including the dog) so it looks more excessive than it is... but also, we like xmas I guess!

We had our grandparents, and the dog, round on xmas day, which is something we've been doing for a good few years now, and it's so lovely to have everyone together.

After opening the presents we got dressed and put on our cozy xmas jumpers.

We sat down for dinner while the dog enjoyed one of his presents!

After dinner we usually have a xmas game which wasn't part of The Hobbit theme. This year the game was Disney Brainbox.

Then we usually start a xmas jigsaw puzzle so we started that and after some time to digest dinner my Mum brought out the Hobbit themed xmas cake she had made.













We also received a game for xmas from my Uncle. It was an escape room board game, and it was actually really immersive and good fun. It came with 3 scenarios to solve but there are more available to buy. We played the first two scenarios within a couple of days and played the final one recently on a day when my Uncle came round.





















This year I decided not to go out for New Year's Eve, I stayed home and spent time with my little sister and watched the fireworks on the TV. On New Year's Day my Grandparents came over for dinner again and after dinner we played Newmarket which is a New Year's Day tradition in my family.

Before I headed back to uni I made time to visit my Dad's work. They had installed some pieces in their new memorial garden and they wanted us to see them. So I went with my Mum and siblings to take a look. The pieces they had chosen were just perfect and we loved them.

I headed back to uni at the weekend and prepared to head out on my second immersive week. In the next blog I'll finally be caught up to this term so I can start talking about how it's going.

Thanks for reading!
Katherine x

Neuroscience and Behaviour

This is going to be another long one, I'm afraid, while I'm still getting caught up.

My housemates and I arrived at our new uni house around 10 days before Year 2 officially started. We wanted to be in time for the champagne reception to greet the new first years 8 days before our new term started.

We have a medic family system where second years volunteer to be "parents" to the new first years and help them navigate life at med school, studying, writing assignments and preparing for exams (although in reality they don't ask us very much), and so the champagne reception is where we attempt to meet our "children" for the first time. Between the two sets of "parents" in my uni house we have seven "children" and we managed to meet a grand total of three of them on this first night! They all seemed so lovely, and well matched to us.

After the champagne reception we headed over to the sports bar on campus for a few drinks and more socialising, before eventually heading home.

A few days later we hosted our kids at our house for a medic family meal, which we themed as grannies and babies. Everyone was such a good sport with the dress up. Fortunately for our kids we didn't make them go out clubbing dressed like it... mostly because we were too lazy to go out clubbing!

Term started for us on Monday 30th September and the theme for this term was Neuroscience and Behaviour. The first day had us learning blood flow for the brain using strawberry laces from our lecturer, which we got to eat afterwards. It was a great start to the term. I can't say it continued that way!

Neurology and psychiatry are both complex topics and this term was well and truly dense. We didn't really have any more teaching hours but the amount we learned in those hours seemed like so much more, and included more complex concepts.

Now we're in Year 2 they also expect us to start learning how to read around the topics and learn more independently. For me, personally, this is something I was used to doing in my previous degree and so I don't mind it.  

Our clinical module has also ramped up compared to last year. We have a lot more different types of sessions to rotate through, and they also introduced immersion weeks where we pause study and spend a whole week on placement.

Clinical module is just on one day per week (this year it's Thursdays). In the morning we usually have a lecture followed by a seminar, and in the afternoon we rotate through different activities. This module runs throughout the whole year (rather than 1 term like the scientific theory type modules).

We still have workshops like we did last year where we learn about how to perform different types of examinations, such as a cranial nerve examination.

Virtually everything else in the afternoon is new to us. We have community hospital teaching, instead of the GP placements we had last year, which is where we go to meet patients and practice the history taking and examination skills we have learned.

Clinical technical skills is where we learn how to do things like observations and completing the chart, ECG taking and reading and wound care and closure.

Inequalities and Inclusion in Healthcare sessions are usually a lecture followed by small group teaching where we discuss things further. We learn about how healthcare is not equal amongst all people and about groups which can become excluded from healthcare in one way or another, like homeless people for example.

Time for Dementia afternoons are timetabled to allow us time to visit our allocated family for our chronic disease study and essay. This study is to help us to learn about how chronic diseases affect patients and their families.

The Initial Assessment programme is undertaken at the local hospital and these afternoons are to help us learn to assess unwell patients in different situations. This is the only group of sessions which I haven't had any of yet so perhaps I can explain it more once I've done it!

Outside of studying I decided to start a new Harry Potter jigsaw puzzle of the Marauder's map, which is honestly all one colour apart from the writing. I am still doing this puzzle now! Although I'm pleased to say I have made some significant progress!

I had a girls evening out with my housemates where we went to Lush to treat ourselves to some products, and then we headed to Sprinkles. Sprinkles is a dessert restaurant in Brighton which does ice cream/gelato/sorbet and cookie dough, waffles, etc. I feel like it has a bit of a retro vibe to it but I really like it. I've been back since!



















Halloween celebrations began early this year as I was home visiting my family a couple of weeks before Halloween. Naturally, my family were celebrating in themed style and we chose "The Lord of the Rings" for our party theme. Mum and I spent ages organising the food and labelling it all. I tried to think of a relevant quote from the films to go with each food.

Of course we had to include "What's taters, precious? What's taters?"

My family all gathered round at my Mum's house for food and a good catch up.

The same weekend, both of my sisters were performing in a dance show in our hometown and so I joined my family at the theatre to watch them. This was the first performance in my life which I have just watched, instead of dancing, singing, or helping backstage, and only the second performance I have ever watched there. It was a slightly strange experience. I find it quite emotional watching the girls (and boys) perform and I wonder if it's because I am so used to being up on that stage with them! I do miss performing sometimes, but I sure don't miss the nerves!

 
Back at uni it was time to get the Halloween decorations into full swing, and we definitely bought way too many pumpkins and squashes of various sorts. We only carved one though so the others lasted for ages as general Autumn decorations.

Our uni house is in a really residential area, packed with families and so on Halloween we stocked up with sweets and moved the decorations outside. We thought we would be able to watch a scary movie and get ready to go out but honestly we had so many children come to Trick or Treat that we had to run out for extra sweets twice! It was so heartwarming though, seeing all the little children and toddlers in their costumes! Eventually, as it got later, the knocking slowed up and we were able to get ready for a rare night out!

After Halloween it was time for the first of the new immersion weeks. There are four immersion week placement types - GP placement, GP teaching, Community placement, and Secondary Care placement and we spend a whole week in each of these placement types.

My first placement was Secondary Care at The Royal Sussex County Hospital. These placements are not just to learn about what doctors do, but to learn about what other people do, whether they are health care professionals or not. It is to help us to understand how the hospital runs and who does what.

My mornings were spent with physiotherapy, speech and language therapy on the neurology ward, main operating theatres, and advanced care practitioners on the cardiac ward. These placements were really interesting, although it turned out I have a bit of a problem with theatres. I managed to have a panic attack in the first few minutes, before the surgeon even arrived, and so I ended up spending the morning learning about clinical simulation instead. Following this experience with theatre I was offered the opportunity for a sort of exposure therapy. I'm going to cover this whole thing in more detail in a separate post.

The afternoons were spent working as a team, doing a scavenger hunt, working on a discharge plan, and presenting our work.


During immersion week it was bonfire night and so we headed out to Lewes to watch the parade. Rumoured to be the best bonfire celebrations in the world, I would highly recommend seeing it at least once. However, beware of the restrictions on driving, parking and public transport on the day. It takes a little bit of forethought to plan the evening. The website has more information (https://www.lewesbonfirecelebrations.com/) and public transport should be checked on the relevant websites too.

The end of immersion week signalled the yearly Medic Mayhem event, and this year I actually managed to go! It's a rare event where students from all five years attend and the idea is to dress up as a medical pun, for example we were cardiac arrest.

I squeezed in a couple of days at home for my Dad's birthday. We visited his tree and took a memorial plaque to him.

The next big event was Winter Ball. Last year this was after our end of term exam, but this year the addition of immersion weeks to the second year timetable means that it now doesn't line up with the first year timetable and their final exam was a whole week before ours. We couldn't have the ball after their exam with only days to go until ours, and we couldn't have the ball after our exam or all of the first years would have already gone home for xmas. So we settled on having the ball around a month before the exams instead. It was a shame to not have it at the end of term as a treat but it was still a nice evening out.

Before I got too deep into exam revision I had a day out to Drusillas Zoo while they had their winter husky petting cave open. I got to visit my Dad's sloth and pet huskies, it was a great day out! Then it was time to crack on with decorating for xmas and getting some revision done!

As soon as our final exam was over it was time to celebrate xmas with my housemates. We had wrapped presents for each other, stuffed stockings, and cooked up a full xmas dinner.

We had a lovely xmas day before heading home for our xmas break with our families. I'll cover xmas break in the next post.

Thanks for reading.
Katherine x

Settling into university

Before I get started let me pre-warn you, this is going to be a long one! It's been 4 weeks since the last blog, and that's because life has been wild! I will keep trying to get back on schedule, but obviously uni work has to come first.

Let's backtrack to the last blog: my last week before uni:
I worked two long days and three half days. On the Thursday I had a movie and pizza night with one of my best friends. And my Dad was unfortunately admitted to hospital again as his stoma wasn't working properly. I had a small leaving meal and drinks on the Friday and a couple of the GPs I work with gave me some lovely cards and presents.

Sunday 16th September:
My Uncle drove me and all of my stuff, down to Brighton University and helped me to move in.

There was a small welcome reception in Medical School in the afternoon, with nibbles and cake, so we headed over there for half an hour.

 

But, I wanted to get back and get unpacked and organised before classes the next day.

In the evening, after my Uncle had gone home, I headed back to the Medical School for a champagne reception and to meet my Medic Family. I got two Medic Dads from Year 2, and a Medic Brother and Medic Sister from Year 1. This structure of "families" is endorsed, and strongly encouraged, by the medical school to provide mentorship to new students and to help people make friends. After bottomless champagne (read: a bit too much) one of my medic Dads drove me and a flat mate home and I helped my flat mate bring in her ASDA home delivery!

Week commencing Monday 17th September: Lectures began at 9am on Monday morning but all week it was introductory and admin type lectures.

• Monday I had classes from 9am - 12.15pm then we had our first Academic Tutor Group 2-2.45pm. This is a seminar run by a member of faculty, not a medical doctor. We also got our first lot of homework - to complete a CV template and send it to our Academic Tutor. And finally an IT check 3.30-4. Back at home my Dad had to have another surgery. Key hole this time, to give him a drain type thing called a caecostomy, due to the cancer wrapping around his large bowel. 

• Tuesday I had classes from 9-11.15, and enrolment 2.45-3. Then I got the train into Brighton with one of my flat mates to get some food shopping, and buy some cards to send to the GPs who got me leaving presents. In the evening I had my Medic Parents Evening where I went for a meal and games with my Medic Family, where we joined another 3 medic families for a huge dinner of chilli con carne with rice, and a very competitive game of Articulate. 

• Wednesday was Freshers Fairs all day so the only thing I had to go to was an IT practical 3.15-4. I also went to the BSMS freshers fair and got all the freebies! So many pens! Signed up to the MDU and got a free medical dictionary. BMA gave me a goody bag for signing up. Also had a look at a bunch of societies. It was great! In the evening I went to a Freshers Bowling Night and played two games, and made some new friends.
• Thursday I had classes all day from 10.30am-5.15pm. 
• Friday I had classes 10.30am-1pm, then a Library Tour 2-3pm and a QuickScan Learning Style test 3.30-4.15. Then I had to get on a train at 5.10pm to head up to Watford Junction to meet my family for Warrner Brothers Studio Tour the next day.

Warner Brothers Studio Tour
This trip was supposed to be for my Dad's bucket list but he was still in hospital, so our Grandad came instead for his birthday. Dad was actually discharged later that day.

WB Studio Tour was running a Goblet Of Fire event which meant, in addition to the usual displays, there was additional GoF pieces taken out of storage and displayed. This included the Goblet which spat the paper out in the Great Hall, complete with paper to take home. There were also additional pieces from each task, and Tom Riddle's gravestone. I'll try not to attach too many photos!

I also tried the butterbeer ice cream, which was much nicer than the actual butterbeer drink, still quite sweet and sickly though.

My sister bought me a jigsaw puzzle which is on a piece of cardboard on my bedroom floor slowly getting done.

• Sunday I got the train back to uni and our flat had a meal all together. One of my flat mates cooked a veggie lasagne, which was yummy! And then we all watched Top Gun in the living room. 

Week commencing Monday 24th September: Lectures started properly this week, interspersed with a few remaining admin lectures. On Tuesdays we study Module 101 - Clinical Skills, taught by medical doctors, and on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays we study Module 102 - Foundations of Health and Disease, taught by scientists of the relevant fields. These modules are both Level 4 modules, so that's Undergraduate Year 1.

• Monday I had classes 9-11am and 1-4pm, including anatomy and physiology.
• Tuesday I had classes 9-12 and 1.30-3. This was about ethics, and we had our first seminar with our clinical facilitator - basically a medical doctor. 
• Wednesdays we always have a half day, so I had classes 9-10am and 11am-1pm. These were about molecular cell biology and the human genome. In our academic tutor group we got more homework! To complete the 10 numeracy practice questions by the following Wednesday, and our Tutorial Essay by the following Friday. This was a 1500 word essay on the public health focus on cardiovascular disease. This essay was formative, which means we had to do it but we don't have to pass it, although if we don't pass we may be asked to write part or all of it again after feedback. It's basically to check we can write a scientific essay. Wednesday afternoon one of my friends arrived to stay over. We went to ASDA and bought a selection of mini bottles of wine. I cooked dinner and we had a wine tasting and chilled out evening.

• Thursday I only had one lecture about body donation from 9-11am, the rest of the day had been blocked off for us to attend the University of Brighton freshers fair if we wanted to. But instead I went into the city with my friend and we had lunch, and walked along the seafront and had an ice cream. 

He was supposed to stay for a second night but unfortunately had to go home to sort something with work. That evening I met up with some uni friends and went to a Harry Potter pub quiz on campus where, of course, we won and got a mini bottle of prosecco each!

• Friday I had classes 11am-1pm about pharmacology, and then a computer practical 3-4pm where my team also won a challenge and we all got a bag of sweets each! I also finally got my occupational health clearance to go on placements! That evening I had to catch a train at 6.41pm, arriving back in my hometown at 11.31pm. I spent the travel time reading sources for my essay! 
• Saturday I went to work at my old job from 7.45am-12noon, then did a little bit of shopping with my Mum, and had an appointment at the bank at 1pm. That afternoon we had a birthday party tea for my Grandad. I also had to work through some online safeguarding modules and read more essay sources. 
• Sunday meant more safeguarding modules, and more essay sources. I had to catch the train at 3.22pm. The journey back to uni was a saga. A train got cancelled because they couldn't find the driver, the next train stopped at every station, I missed my direct connection to Brighton and there weren't anymore, so I had to go part way and then change trains, and my final leg was rail replacement bus. I finally got back an hour late at 10.15pm. But my amazing flat mates had a mexican night and saved me some tacos with salad, and a home made brownie and ice cream!

Week commencing Monday 1st October

•  Monday I had classes 9-11am about cell physiology. The afternoon had been blocked off for us to complete an IT skills review, which also had to be in by Friday, the same time as the essay. Honestly, I took a nap. Then finished my safeguarding modules, as they were due before Tuesday, and carried on reading essay sources. 
• Tuesday I had classes 9-12 about doctor and patient agendas. In the afternoon I had my first Primary Care Placement, in Eastbourne. I met up with my GP partner, and we missed our train. Great start. Rang the office to reschedule our taxi at the other end and got the next train, half an hour later. Thankfully we made it to placement with minutes to spare! We were there from 2.30-5.30pm before getting a taxi back to the station. It was half an hour before the next train back to campus so we treated ourselves to a subway for dinner. It was almost 7pm by the time I got back to my flat and my brain was exhausted. I took some time out to listen to some music, take a shower and relax, before one of my uni friends called about helping to build some furniture and eat pizza, so I went and did that for the evening. When I got back I finished reading my esssay sources. 

• Wednesday I had classes 9-10am and 11am-12noon. Academic tutor group was going through the numeracy practice questions, and I had to get up in front of the group and show my working on a question that only I had managed to get right. I hate public speaking but I think I'm starting to find it a bit easier. We were also advised that a numeracy mock test paper would be live online later in the week. The lecture was about biopsychosocial perspective. The afternoon was dedicated to working on my essay, after a nap, and I got it mostly done and sent it to one of my 2nd year friends (this was allowed, although we were NOT allowed to share it with other first years) to get pointers on structure.
• Thursday I had classes from 10am-12noon and 2-4pm. These were about DNA, muscles, learning and cell physiology. That evening I picked up the essay feedback from my friend and adjusted some bits I had written and then finished it off. I then sent it to my sister (also allowed) for proofreading and spelling and grammar checking. We worked through it adding in the commas that I always miss out! Then I finally submitted it. I also then had to complete the IT skills review and submit that too. 
• Friday I had classes from 11am-1pm about infection, immunity and medical microbiology - some of my favourite topics! The afternoon was very chilled as I had now submitted all of my major homework. In the evening I had another medic family meal to go to, and I got to meet my my medic "grandparents" (third years). Afterwards I met one of my flat mates, and his friends, in a pub, we were waiting for our other flat mates to come out and meet us, but my phone had died so I could only go where he was going. We ended up going to a couple more pubs and then getting the bus back to the flat. I had the longest night's sleep, it was amazing!

• Saturday I didn't leave the flat. I did some tidying, and just spent the day relaxing. And I found such a good music playlist on youtube, it kept me entertained for hours!

• Sunday I went with some flat mates to do my food shopping. I cleaned the bathroom, and dusted my room. Changed my bed and did all the washing. I watched a couple of films in the evening - Nightmare Before Christmas and Labyrinth.

This coming week:

• I have my first secondary care placement coming up, in musculoskeletal services
• I have a numeracy test - this is summative - I have to pass - but the pass mark is only 50%
• I have a flat mate's birthday celebrations and night out 
• And, of course, lectures every day! 

I hope you've enjoyed reading about how uni is going so far. Stay tuned for more updates, they will be as regular as I can manage!
Thanks for reading.
Katherine x