My Vocabulary List
PathAssist: Short informal term used for Pathologists' Assistant
AT: Anatomical Techniques
DM: Disease Mechanisms
MA: Microanatomy
HISTO: Histology
Hiya guys.
It's been a while since we last spoke. Life has been moving along, and I am finally getting the hang of school. I couldn't even tell you how many exams we have had so far. I completely lost track.
Let's catch up on school.
This past month has been busy. Exam after exam and studying every day is what my life has consisted of. Our class did embedding and microtomy with HISTO and even practiced frozen sections. In AT, we have seen a variety of new specimens, such as: uterus, placentas, testicle, lumpectomies, penectomies, thyroids, and much more! Overall, I think my favorite specimen is the placenta or the uterus. I honestly couldn't tell you why, but gynecologicalspecimens are fun to me.
I love how our classes all connect in a way. The material you learn in HISTO and MA comes in handy when discussing histologic findings in AT or DM. All the material is correlated in a way that makes learning easier. I also appreciate our program for allowing us to use the gross room at our morgue for labs. Most programs don't have that opportunity until their second year of clinical rotations. Additionally, everyone in our class will get a chance to be in the gross room for a whole week this semester and during summer semester. This will definitely allow us to be prepared to take on clinical rotations my second year.
Check out some of our classmates embedding and using the microtome in HISTO:
(Click arrow to view pictures)
Some more AT specimens:
(ROLL OVER EACH PICTURE WITH YOU MOUSE FOR CAPTION)
Let's catch up on my personal life.
At the end of February, my classmates and I met up for the first time out of school. Nothing too big, but it was pleasant to talk outside of school and classes. I think at that point, we all needed some decompression. Food + Drinks + Laughter = A Good time. I can truly say I had an enjoyable time, and had a better chance of getting to know my classmates.
Coolest kids on the block (And some significant others included)
WVU PathAssist Class of 25'
I am finally back in the gym and doing yoga after falling down the stairs. Of course, I am not straining too much on my leg, but it feels good to get those ligaments moving at the gym since I still have a pretty severe sprain. Along with being active, I started developing a food hobby. I love making homemade sour dough bread and butter. Don't get me wrong, it can be time consuming, but my boyfriend and I love homemade sourdough and butter. I guess I can say I'm becoming a sourdough connoisseur.
My focaccia sourdough before and after baking, so yummy:
We recently went on spring break, and I had a fantastic time. My boyfriend and I's original spring break plans didn't work out, so we traveled to Berkeley Springs, WV. This place is gorgeous! They have some of the oldest natural springs in the area. If anyone knows me, they know I absolutely LOVE natural springs. They have free spring water, so we brought 28 gallons home with us. While staying there, we did the Old Roman Bath (look it up; it's awesome), and I treated myself to a fantastic facial and massage by Lindsay at the Main Bathhouse (1929) in Berkeley Springs State Park. We stayed in a gorgeous cabin in the mountains, so we got some days of exploration and hiking in.
Check out Berkeley Springs:
Another positive development is that I am now working part-time for my business. I've already had my business license and website, but have amped up my advertisements for sales. I have even participated in a few farmers markets in the area, and had a good turn out! I don't have to be work at the moment, but handling my own business is my heart. Plus, it balances my work-study schedule. So it's a win-win situation.
Entrepreneur + PathAssist = Happy Lexie
I think these last few weeks have flown by quite quickly. Through all the studying, tiredness, feeling overwhelmed, I cannot complain. If anything, I am becoming more and more adapted to challenges of the program as the weeks go on. Three months down, many more to go.
I can truly say having an amazing support system has been the most important part of school for me. I just want to give thank my AMAZING boyfriend, family, friends, a couple of my classmates for consistently encouraging me and letting me know this program is worth my while. They are the BEST! My surprise flowers, cards, and gifts, mean more than you know.
Just a side note, I'm excited that I've had over 20 individuals reach out to my blog about our WVU program with questions. Once again, never hesitate to reach out, I'll always be glad to help!
Until next time.