biochem blues

November 4, 2004

3 days into this studying lifestyle, and i’m already starting to get a little stir-crazy. i think i need to get out more; part of the problem is that i have been spending far too many hours in my house in one room with no company. sad, isn’t it?

another part of the problem is that i don’t like biochemistry very much. somehow, i managed to avoid really learning any organic chemistry back in the day (too structural, too visual for my lopsided brain) and it means that i have to gloss over a lot of the material in the review book i’m using. fortunately, i have a feeling that the stuff i’m ignoring is stuff that’s also not very important for the exam, but i will seriously flip out if i see any cryptic organic chemistry figures on my boards. i mean, it’s nice to know the important pathways verbally – this helps you understand recessive enzyme deficiencies and some other diseases, and it helps you know why certain lab tests are indicated in some situations (for example, now i know why methylmalonic acid goes up when someone is seriously B12 deficient!). but could i pick up methylmalonic acid’s structure out of a lineup? HA! i would have trouble identifying ‘water’. there are some people who can look at structures and actually understand them, and they amaze me. they would make fabulous chemists. but i can’t believe that it’s important for practicing medicine. what am i going to do, shrink myself to the size of an atom and zoom around the patient’s bloodstream, looking for structures?

though it would be cool, i admit.

anyway. so yes, need to get out more. i think i’ll try to hit a coffee shop or something tomorrow, just to shake things up a little. i have to say i do have some pretty exciting things planned for the next couple of nights: tomorrow josh and a couple of other med school people are going to see appetite for destruction in chapel hill – a guns n roses cover band! very exciting. saturday night is the med school prom (and i still have no idea of what to wear – damnit).

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