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Studying Effectively, Part 1: Chunk the Chunks
When a subject feels overwhelming, it is helpful to break it down into learning chunks. Chunks are the building blocks of later and advanced studies and helps the brain become more efficient by organizing data.
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Writing Your Personal Statement for Residency Applications
My guess is that what makes a GOOD personal statement is OBJECTIVE—clear, concise, well-written, grammatically correct. It doesn't raise any red flags. Meanwhile, what makes a GREAT personal statement is subjective.
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Back in Clinic
As this is one of the last clinical rotations I will do before I return to the world of pathology, I take my sweet time when seeing patients. I take all the time I need, so much so that I receive compliments on how wonderful it is to have a doctor who carefully asks questions, gently examines, and simply listens. Patients say that I do well what I do. I courteously say thank you, a bit embarrassed by the trust placed in me. But in moments of silence, away from the busy humming of clinics, when I can actually hear myself think and cannot be charmed by the gratification of being front…
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Pink with Hope
But to me, Leni was suddenly more than these manifestations of her virtues and the tangibles of her projects. She has always been a beacon of light in the murky landscape that is Philippine politics, but with her announcement came the lifting of that air of heaviness and the sudden stillness of hearts before furiously beating again. All of a sudden, there was hope. Leni is that hope.
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Research Paper Review: Subareolar Tissue Biopsy and Occult Nipple Involvement in Nipple-Sparing Mastectomies
Nipple-sparing mastectomies are preferred for patients with breast cancer that do not involve the nipple-areolar complex. In practice, subareolar tissue is submitted for intraoperative frozen sections, and the pathologist examines the specimen for microscopic signs of malignancy. This paper examines the reliability of this method in detecting occult nipple disease and the tumor features that predict a positive biopsy.
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Research Paper Review: Imprint Cytology for Lymphoma Workup
Imprint cytology is a valuable tool in evaluating specimens received for lymphoma workup. Whether the specimen is abundant or scant, imprint cytology helps in triaging tissue allocation for subsequent studies.
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Reading Scientific Papers in Pathology
By reading current and relevant scientific papers, I not only deepen my understanding of topics in my present rotation—I also familiarize myself with possible existing research questions, thereby allowing me to generate my own hypothesis for a project.
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Book Review: One by One by Ruth Ware
A locked room, but up in the snowy mountains. A tech startup company, there for a retreat, with warring parties in the face of a buyout. People dying, one by one. Who's the culprit, and why?
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Towards a Successful CaRMS Match: Ten Tips for IMGs
Note that my way is by no means the only way, but my suggestions include those recommended by friends and colleagues I have crossed paths with over the years. As for you, fellow traveler and bearer of the Rod of Asclepius, I look forward to seeing you on the other side. Best of luck on this adventure!
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The Mask as the Great Divider
The COVID-19 crisis is not likely to go away anytime soon, despite the denial of some that it exists, the insistence of others to get back to their normal lives, or the fatigue of most from taking precautions. There is then, obviously, a balance between cowering in fright and hiding at home versus stepping into the world to live life carefully, accounting for not just my rights and my health but that of the people around me. This acceptance of a new reality has made it not only easier to adapt to the present but also to prepare for the future.
