It's almost a month into the New Year. Glancing back at my previous entry, I realize I've already broke one of my resolutions (write more). I've been making tons of mental notes about interesting topics to write about in my blog, but have been struggling to find the time to transform all my mental post-its into actual entries.

Since the start of Life Cycle, we have learned about the complexities of development and embryology, taking a whirlwind tour of development from fertilization to the development of the fetus. We attended our last anatomy lab (forever) and histology lab (no more of those microscope slides). I presented my research poster at the UCSF Research Symposium and taught the mechanics of breathing during the pulmonary MSP session. I've also been busy getting the Surgical Skills elective rolling. I am preparing to teach my last MSP lesson in February and will be teaching suturing at the next surgical skills session.

It's been a busy. Time has become a scant commodity. I always find myself thinking- there are just not enough hours in a day. Right now, the time pinch is even more palpable. The second years have starting to slowly go into hibernation. By that, I mean they are becoming preoccupied with preparing for the boards and revisiting all those topics of medicine, we have since forgotten.

The exam looms on the horizon, an unwelcome presence all the time- in the library (in the form of First Aid books and other prep books), in our day-to-day conversations, in the lectures (with lecturers dropping the "B" word so much more), and in our tired faces. It's boards fever! And it's spreading, sucking the life and energy out of MS2's. I can feel it.

I've been trying to maintain balance. But balance has become more of predictable routine- school, study, exercise, eat, study, sleep and repeat all over again. Sounds fun, doesn't it? I have found time for friends and running, which has made all the difference.

I am trying to live by my motto: there will always be things that have to be done, but there is also a life to be lived.

As they say, every cloud has a silver lining. In our case, that sliver lining is in the form of thinking of the road ahead- clerkships. We are in the process of planning our third year rotation schedules, including making decisions about enrolling in either a structured or traditional program. And we also must start thinking about how to order our core rotations, which inclide family community medicine, internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, neurology & psychiatry and OB/Gyn.

It's a matter of getting through the next months and then moving on to an even more exciting chapter of our medical training. When I start thinking about actually seeing patients, I am reminded of the reasons why I came to medical school.

The test shall pass. Life will go on.