Semper et ubique

I think I already mentioned it: I‘m going into research. Yeah, you didn’t misread, I‘ll do some research that‘ll conclude into a scientific result.

I am not talking about a doctorate, my curriculum wants me to go into research for four weeks (or even more if you like to spend your holiday in the lab). The aim is to get us in contact with research early on not only in order to let us publish better dissertations later on. The task is clear: Look for a study group that works on a topic you‘re interested in and elaborate a subtopic that leads you to a conclusion that you may publish at a medical convention. Again, you didn’t misread. The university will hold a convention where every student will speak for ten minutes about what he and his study group worked out. Plus, the four students with the best speeches will receive 50€.

Whoa, this‘ll be so awesome. I can’t wait to start with research! One step at a time. First of all, I need to find a study group and a topic. Since I want start my post-study career at the university hospital it’s advisable to do every internship here and on the same subject so the people will get to know me and I will become somewhat a part of the huge team. This is why it would be great if I would start right away with this research internship on the same subject I‘ll somewhen become a consultant. Hard task, I am still not sure what do become after studies.

Anyway, I think oncology will be a big deal, so I‘ll look out for study groups on this subject – and keep you up to date!

Bigger (sorry, there is no English version)

Translation:

Endocrinologist wanted

The country council of Norbotten, Sweden seeks energetic doctors on the subject of Endocrinology for Kiruna Muncipality. Come to Sweden and benefit from the advanced Swedish health care system!
Kiruna is situated only 145km north from the arctic circle and captivates by its copious winter landscape. We will help you with learning the language.
We would be pleased to hear from you!

Send inquiries to Ann-Margret Edström, Landsting Norbotten, Hamnamsgatan 12, 97125 Luleå

• People throw stuff at you that goes with a big BANG.
• People around you throw stuff that goes with a big BANG-BO-BA-BANG.
• You spend more time on your way to all those parties than actually at the parties.
• You meet more friends and acquaintances on your way than at said parties.
• Your evening plans change constantly – you‘ll eventually return to the party you were at initially.
• You end up having let off only one of your firecrackers (for which you had spend a considerable amount of money).
• The beautiful viewpoint is so crowded you‘re the only one who notices this SPARKLING, SHINY 5-Euro-Bill on the ground! (Well, that makes up a bit for said firework.)
• You extensively discuss topics such as „Nationalsocialism brought no unique ideologies“, „German commemoration of holocaust and WWII is ambivalent“ or „Northern languages and their similarities“ with an icelandic stranger in a mixture of English and Swedish.
• Nothing goes as expected.
• The day after seems so bloodily short.

Studying medicine means to learn quite a lot things about this and that, basically things you‘re constantly wondering to what this might be relevant. They teach you a lot but beyond any curricular knowledge there are some worthy insights that could simplify your life as a medical student. Here are ten you won’t want to miss:

• Sexual medicine is a subject of great ambivalence: On the one hand you will never know that much about anatomy in advance, on the other hand you will never overlook a by-sight-diagnosis of a STD in non-patients.
• A „rare disease“ is always more common than you might imagine. In fact, concentrating your learning efforts on these conditions will sky-rocket your reputation among fellow students. Unfortunately usually not among professors or even during exams.
• However, knowing this, one will more likely diagnose these diseases in patients that actually have other, more profane conditions. Your motto should be: „When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.“
• Such wisdoms can be found only in superior books like „House of God“ – which is also the reason why they don’t have them at the university library.
• If they offer a lecture or seminare two or more times a day, never attend the first one. Instead, call those that have been there and make sure it is worth your time.
• Another advantage that comes with that: You aren’t bound to any dates. You went to a party last night and prefer to sleep until one p.m.? Never mind, take the seminar at 2:15!
• Or take it to the next level! Don’t attend any of them, instead gather all the scripts online – learning was never so easy!
• Rehearse this trick and you can leave mandatory practical lessons whenever you want: Willingly water your eyes while pretending to have spilt something of this infectious fluid in our eyes – it’s marvellous!
• During anamnesis, always double-check your patient’s medication and pre-existing conditions. You will often experience situatins like this: „For this super-elaborate heart surgery I‘ll have to ask a few things. Do you have any chronical heart or vessel conditions?“ – „None. I am fit as a fiddle.“ … – „Do you take any drugs?“ – „Jup. Aspirin 100, Simvastatin, Metformin… Oh yeah and this one for the coagulation. What’s its name? Marco-… Marcu-… Marcumar? (Oh and I have some drug-eluting stents, dunno if this is worth mentioning.)“ – „Great…“*
• Whenever a patient thinks he has H1N1, he hasn‘t. Whenever a patient with several chronical diseases thinks it’s just an ordinary flu, it isn‘t, it’s H1N1. Anyway, Tamiflu won’t help the first one and for the second one it’s too late…

Do you know other worthy insights from medical school?

* All these drugs have to do with the heart, the vessels or coagulation. Plus, and this is the kicker, surgeons will be anxious to touch a patient who has drug-eluting stents since this is an uncontrollable source for some severe surgical complications.

Well, Swedish lessons still are the most motivating part of my week – I really adore the course, the language, everything! Every week I wonder what progress I made. Jag älskar Svenska!

However, did I already write about my plans for the practical year („PJ“) in the 11th and 12th term? I would really like to go to iceland for one of the three parts of the PJ! That’s why I already search for Icelandic courses… Ég elska Íslenska!

Christmas is coming. It’s only one week until Christmas Eve. I hope, it will be a lovely christmas time this year.

The christmas mood find it’s way into the apartment: Right now, I am in the warm living room, resting on my couch. Some candles gleam, the fluffy fur on the warm, boarded floor invites to snug into it. Selfmade biscuits, walnuts on the table, next to the already packed gifts, the scent of fir and incense fills the air, the peaceful music by Sigur Rós plays in the background while the Räuchermännchen watches over the cosy, festive mood.

I thought about buying a christmas tree, the lights, the decoration and everything else. I didn’t so far. Actually, I am not sure which choice would be the sadder one.

Thinking back, last year it was the saddest and most unpleasant christmas time I ever had, which just followed the best and most lovely one I can remember. Though I will celebrate the days with my family, my parents and grandparents, the rising christmas mood can not conceal that this year, I may feel somewhat alone.

Kind of sad. I am not entirely sure why.
Perhaps, I should concentrate on the few days with my family. It seems I am compensating with gifts: This year I bought loads of them. I don’t care about what I may get. I don’t even have any wishes. Like every other year. I just want to have a merry christmas.

I‘m lacking motivation. Seriously. Regarding my current effort and achievements I cannot imagine to pass the exam taking place in february. Well, it’s not that it is too difficult for me; it’s almost the opposite. I don’t know why, but I cannot spur myself on to actually take some time and learn some of the things we agreed to elaborate.

It’s not that the topics were boring, in fact I liked most of them. Talking about this week, we agreed to gather knowledge about HIV, its pathogenesis, its treatment, the diagnostic methods envolved and another immunological topic. This is absolutely interesting, yet I couldn’t find enough motivation to actually learn something. I read a few pages – that was all. Too little to keep it in mind.

Thinking about next week, I don’t see my situation getting better any soon. Next week will be stuffed full of courses, most of them taking place in a remote district. Plus, the topic will be very nasty: antibiotics. It is almost impossibe to speak about this huge group of drugs without missing anything. Unfortunately, this topic will be very important for the exam…

Furthermore, in retrospective, I can’t remember to have thoroughly learned something during this term. Oh my, oh my, oh my, I don’t want to know how much I‘ll have to cram to make it all good for.

The preparations for my ERASMUS year get more and more tangible. (I already wrote about it, didn’t I?) About half a year ago I made the decision to study abroad for one year, Sweden was one of my options. Later on I was sure it‘ll be Sweden so I started my preparations. In order to get my achievements there accepted here so I don’t lose a year of study I need to take care of quite a few things. Actually, it’s easier than I thought but it is still questionable whether it is any possible.

But that’s not the only problem: My plans so far involve Stockholm as the city of choice though I cannot be picky due to the high demand for ERASMUS studies in Sweden. Anyway, Stockholm’s medical university, the famous Karolinska Institutet (they declare the nobel prize winner for medicine and physiology), will only allow students to study there who have quite excellent knowledges of the Swedish languages. As I already wrote I attend a weekly Swedish course offered by my university – unfortunately it only leads to the language level of B2 (see Wikipedia), one level less than required. Well, Karolinska will also allow students with excellent knowledge of the English language but then I surely won’t find the courses I need to attend in order to not lose a year of study.

Whatever – I adore my Swedish lessons! Taught by a native speaker and having classmates that are as eager as me to learn this language we proceed incredibly fast! I‘ll have my fifth lesson tomorrow (adding up to eight hours of learning Swedish) and I can already have smalltalk with strangers, introduce myself, ask for the time blah blah blah – the basics. You wouldn’t have imagined how easy this language is (at least for Germans and British). Take this brief conversation and you‘ll see:

„Hejhej, jag heter Matthias. Vad heter du?“
„Hej, jag heter Lars. Varifrån kommer du?“
„Jag kommer från Tyskland. Jag bor i Berlin. Du då?“
„Jag kommer också från Tyskland, men inte från Berlin. Jag bor i Hamburg.“ (They could switch to German here, anyway…)
„Jaha. Var arbetar du?“
„Jag arbetar på ett företag. Företaget heter IKEA. Du då? Var arbetar du?“
„Jag arbetar inte. Jag studerar medicin på Charité.“
„Förlåt. Jag förstår inte. Charité? Vad är det?“
„Det är ett sjukhus och ett universitet i Berlin.“
„Jaha.“

Fairly easy, isn’t it? (Oddly enough, they say „Lasch“ for „Lars“…)

I cannot wait for my next Swedish lesson!

Hejdå!