Marathon Days

There are so many things to write about today, but where to start? My days seem to take on the characteristics of a marathon. Each morning, I wake up and prepare for the day with a good breakfast. Lately, that has consisted of an energy smoothie. Now you might ask, what's an energy smoothie? Six months ago, I started following the advice of a biochemistry PhD who specializes in nutrition named Clyde Wilson (http://www.smiweb.org/nutrition/dr_clyde.html). His theory is to create full energy meals that are portable and meet all nutritional requirements, including essential fats, protein, complex carbohydrates, and antioxidants. My power smoothies consist of: whole oats, mixed berries (raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries), bananas, peanut butter, flax seeds, green tea, and plain yogurt. The resulting smoothie is similar to Jamba Juice but with less sugar.
Following my morning shake, I've been cranking away with eight hours of class with a second smoothie at lunch, and three to four hours of homework, an easy 40-50 minute run, and seven hours of sleep. That's the formula for surviving class on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
However, I enjoy the free time that is afforded on Wednesdays. Here's a bit about my last Wednesday:
7:15 am - woke up and drove Kate to the Oakland Airport so she could go to her cousin's wedding
9:00 - 10:00 am - visited my physical therapists at SOLPT and gave them cookies to thank them for a year of teamwork to get my legs healthy for running
10:00 - 11:00 am - edited a draft of a sleep paper from my time at the Reiss Lab
11:00 am - 1:00 pm - drove from Oakland to Stanford, stretched, ran 50 minutes, stretched
1:00 - 2:00 pm - did a TB placement and bloodwork to demonstrate immunity from Hepatitis B and Chicken Pox
2:00 - 3:00 pm - drove home, showered and changed for Standardized Patient Interviews (more on that later)
3:00 - 4:00 pm - got fitted for a mask, in case I work with patients that are suspected/have TB
4:00 - 4:30 pm - prepared for group presentation on Cell biology lectures
4:30 - 5:30 pm - participated in a Standardized Patient Interview. Each first-year student gets to conduct a mock interview with a patient-actor in order to learn how to conduct an interview. After introducing myself and asking her for her name, I asked her why she was coming to see me. My patient was complaining about shortness of breath when she would walk up stairs and later revealed that she was a smoker. Despite getting that information from her and asking about her family history, I managed to forget to ask if she had any immediate family! One of my classmates later revealed that she forgot to ask her patient (complaining of similar symptoms) if he smoked. Again I repeat: Stanford Medical School has their work cut out to teach us the basics!
5:30 - 7:30 pm - went to a study group for Cell Biology and we presented the lectures to each other
7:30 - 8:00 pm - got a burrito at Whole Foods, drove to committee meeting for Running of the Bulls (www.bulls5k.com)
8:00 pm - 10:00 pm - Meeting of The Running of the Bulls. I have been involved with organizing this road race for 4 years. To quote the website: "The Running of the Bulls 5k Run & Walk and the Running of the Calves Kids' Fun Run are humanely inspired by the annual bull-running in Pamplona, Spain. Here in Palo Alto, our Bulls and Cows are Olympic athletes in costume! Our Olympic Bulls and Cows have a delayed start and run in timed intervals, so, whether you run or walk, you're bound to rub hooves with one along the way. Beat one to the finish line, and you’ll win the prize associated with that Bull! Mingle with them and graze on delicious treats from our sponsors after the race...the Running of the Bulls is simply an event like no other, showcasing some of the world's fastest athletes and bringing them together with the local community for an event that encourages athletics in children and challenges even the strongest non-professional athlete. We've made it our mission to nurture and inspire healthy, active lifestyles in people of all ages, and to enrich the fabric of our community." This year, we were one of three recipients of a Community Grant from Balance Bar that helped fund our event. In addition, we've received support from Molly Stones and other local community businesses to promote our event. The proceeds from the event will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Partners in Education (an organization that raises money for Palo Alto Schools), and Sports Medicine Institute. I hope everyone will consider coming out to support this great event!
11:00 pm - to bed
So in summary, it was a long day filled with both school and non-school related activities. One of the hallmarks of Stanford Medical School is the opportunities they afford students to participate in additional activities with unscheduled class time. I feel lucky to be a part of such a wonderful program and know that my schedule is not unique - every student I meet has an amazing story about their interests and pursuits outside of medicine. The culmination of students with diverse interests yield an eclectic class ready to tackle the world.