Whirlwind of Immunology

"You guys and medical students all over the country have had your blood drawn right now," said our professor yesterday. She was referring to how medical students are typically used as experimental subjects in studying the relationship between stress and the release of cortisol, a steroid that affects our immune system. Apparently, medical students the day before a big exam represent one of the best stress model.
And increased stress (chronically) leads to suppressing the immune system, which explains why you are more likely to get sick right before the exam.

Do we really get that stressed over exams? Apparently we do (and research studies have shown that). While I was studying, I looked up at the T cell-mediated toxicity poster on my wall and realized I actually now knew what was going on. I know, I'm a big nerd for actually posting a poster about T cells on my wall. It just fills white space (I'm being serious).

I'm feeling more relieved right now.

After 11 days of immunology, we finally took our Final at 1 PM. For the last few days, I have been mastering (or trying to master) the language of nerd and watching my cortisol levels rise.

CD4, CD8, IL-2, IFN-gamma, IL-12, cytokines, MHC, APC, DC, CTL, CMI (just a few of the codes that have been drilled into my brain).

The immune system is complicated but one of the most intricately designed systems that mediates our body's defense to pathogens in a series of cell to cell interactions that is as elegant as a waltz dance. I have a deeper appreciation for a microscopic process that can selectively recognize and destroy a foreign particle, while discriminating between the gazillion self cells. With this foundation, I can view pathology with a new lens. If only I had microscopic glasses to actually see the intricate world of immune cells.

For the first time in medical school, we were given a written exam (no multiple choice). When I got the exam today, and saw the white spaces, I was reminded of the days of undergraduate education, when you studied to regurgitate. The strategy back for questions you were unsure about was to write everything that came to your mind and hope it made sense the poor grader. Today, I was really avoiding that. And writing a book causes my hand to hurt.

It seems like we move in light speed in second year.
Onward to bugs- Microbiology starts tomorrow!

Cheers to finishing Immunology!