Aaaaaaaand cut! That's a wrap. Pre-clinical classes are ova.

So here we are. The end of a VERY busy fall semester. And actually, the end of pre-clinical courses (AKA the "sitting in class and studying your brains out by yourself when you aren't sitting in class" part of medical school). Most medical schools pre-clinical curricula run for two years, but UVa Med squeezes it into a year and a half. You certainly won't hear any complaints from this guy. I'm ready to get in the hospital and draw some blood and stitch some people up and deliver some babies and other medicalish stuff like that. I'm ALMOST THERE. Just like this baby panda:

 

Currently, the only thing standing between me and rotations is the USMLE Step 1 exam. Psssshhh. Just one test. No big deal, right? I've taken hundreds of tests in my life. WRONG. It's a very big deal. From what I hear, the Step 1 score is the single most important factor on a residency application. That being said, I'm just going to study like crazy for the next 6 weeks and hope for the best. That's all anyone can do, right?

Anyways, in an effort to pretend like I'm still keeping a blog, I'm posting now, since I won't be blogging for the next few months. So...without further ado, here are a bunch of November/December pictures with barely informative captions.

• I still go to UVa. And it's still beautiful. Cue Rotunda picture:

• Anatomy officially ended. We had a beautiful memorial service in the UVa cemetery to show are appreciation to the cadaver donors and families of donors.

• I also took a bunch of pictures by my house. I live in a beautiful place:

• I also visited my friend Tyler. We rode scooters and ate applesauce while wearing business attire, because, you know, that's what 25 year-old guys typically do for fun.

• We also visited Arlington National Cemetery on Veteran's Day weekend.

• Played some flag football. A lot of flag football, actually. When you're 5'10" and weigh a buck fifty, you have to take advantage of all available opportunities to play the non-contact version of a sport you love.

• I also got to pretend to be a doctor every Thursday from 1 pm to 5 pm with my clinical group. Fantastic group of incredible people. I mean, let's be real, I wouldn't know how to check for papilledema if it weren't for these people.

• Also. I attended the Medical Society of Virginia annual meeting at the Homestead resort, located up in the Appalachians near West Virginia. The accommodations were alright, I guess.

• And the speed limits were very specific. Which was good. I always appreciate well-defined expectations.

• I went to a vineyard with a bunch Africa-trip friends. What does a Mormon do at a vineyard you ask? Oh that's easy. Eat an entire thing of brie by himself. At least that's what this one does.

• And lest you think all I do is walk around Virginia taking pictures, here is a picture of what I spend 97% of my life doing. Not so glamorous, but it's the truth.

• Of course, I get distracted by the internet every now and again. But hey, I learn medical stuff then, too.

• Until I don't. But even then, I learn important life lessons, like how to handle finances.

• Or what to do if I run into wild animals.

• Or how to react if I'm attacked by a no-armed man.

• Like I said, I'm learning VERY important life lessons. On that note, I should wrap this up. It's been a crazy year and a half. Exams. Friends. Family. Charlottesville. Africa. Anatomy lab. Patients. Fun. Not fun. Studying, studying, and more studying. And the best classmates anyone could ask for. What a ride. Lucky for me, it keeps going. See you on the other side of boards!