Oldest Player Piano Shop in Cincinnati

I stumbled on this fine establishment one day and a got a few good photos from the experience. Please enjoy

Learning by Doing: Medvouc and the ER

Learning in the classroom gets boring, but listening to a lecturer drone on about the creatinine levels in the urine and plasma is a lot more enjoyable after I have seen the application. Knowledge has been sinking in and while I still know next to nothing connections are being made for the reasons to learn about the minute details of any number of physiological concepts.

I was given the pleasure of being able to shadow in the ER and although I worked in the Emergency Department at Fairview hospital it was nice to see things from the perspective of a doctor. I experienced a small piece of the end goal of medical school that is the practice of medicine and caring for patients.

Last night I participated in Medvouc once again and this time I not only was able to present my patients in a clear and concise manner but I was also to make a few diagnosis, with the help of the doctor, and devise my own treatment plan for each patient. One patient in particular was especially interesting to me. After having just finished the cardio block I was able to diagnose a Mitral valve prolapse/Mitral valve regurgitation through auscultation, patient history, and vital signs.

I did not realize when I started that I would be able to diagnose and treat minor patients this quickly. I still have a lot to learn, but the little clinical experiences along the way help me to plow through the mundane reactions of biochemistry.

Music of the Heart: The Finale of Block II

Music, besides its round about connections with similar principles of study and discipline, would help me decipher heart sounds. Arrhythmias come in all different tones and qualities form a grand Chopin Waltz to a smooth jazz and every rhythm in between. I think I even heard Dave Brubeck's "Take 5" in split s1 and s2 with a systolic murmur thrown. After dissecting and analyzing of all different types of music listening for qualities like tone, pitch and rhythm are second nature.  It is too bad that they were not tested on the recognition of the sounds in a practical exam format. That will come next year.

This block was all about Cardiovascular System. So far it has been the most clinically oriented section this year. The skills and knowledge are directly applicable to the practice of cardiology many of the techniques and knowledge gained are in use on a daily basis and not just the necessary background information.

Well, Another Block is finally over and time is continually increasing its speed. It seems like only a few weeks ago I was scrambling to move all my things down to Cincinnati and looking for a place to live. Opportunities have been piling up and filtering through the different group involvements has been challenging. Coming from undergraduate when it was feasible to participate in every extracurricular known to man to medical school where one must make tough decisions of involvement.

I have narrowed things down to a select few that do not conflict with each other. They are as follows:

• IPJH Vulnerable Populations Student Elective -  this ties into my work with the homeless and will enable me to have a heightened involved with the medically undeserved.
• Neuroscience Elective Scholars Program - will allow me to continue in a limited capacity with research and help me gain clinical experience in neurology and neurosurgery.
• Medvouc - which I have discussed in previous posts. This will tie into the IPJH elective.
• American Medical Association - a form of student leadership in a national medical organization.
• Medical Wilderness Club - this one is just for fun.

Writing these down seems like there is a lot of extra work on top of classes, but most of these are a long term commitments which only has about 3-4 hours per month or less, and working with these organizations comes in spurts.