"Oh Happy Day"

It is official:

I have completed my first class in medical school! That's right... done, with one whole class!!! I have made it through histology/embryology. Our three hour final was yesterday and now I'm free (sort of). To say that I'm happy would be an understatement: I'm ecstatic. Histology, for those of you wondering, is studying the cellular structure of the body (think anatomy through a microscope). Basically, it's spending lots of time determining which pink looking cell is one of the many types of cells, then, once deciding that determining what this tiny cell actually does.

For example, the above picture (via lumen) is of the kidney (the outer portion of the kidney). But let me tell you a little more, so you can have a sense of the ridiculousness of what we need to know:

• The big circle structure is the renal corpuscle (or Bowman's capsule + glomerulus, aka membrane and capillary). Within this structure there at three types of cells with different function (and different structures when looking at electron microscopy pictures). I won't go into more detail for you.... but just know there's numerous pages on these three cells.
• The circles with fuzzy circles are proximal tubules, these are the first tubules to come off of the renal corpuscle (at the urinary pole to be exact). These are involved in reabsorption of lots of good stuff (including glucose by active transport.... which means if you have too much glucose, aka diabetes, your body only has these area and only so many transporters to recollect it, hence too much means glucose in your urine).
• Also seen are distal tubules, also involved in reabsorption, but of sodium. Meaning, helping concentrate your urine. You may even see a few cells that look close together at near the renal corpuscle.. this is the macula densa, which is involved in raising blood pressure as well as controlling water reabsorption through a mechanism I won't get into know (but again, is a few pages of notes).

This is just from the area around one corpuscle on one part of the kidney, which is only one part of your body.... now imagine doing that for the whole body. Can you see why I'm a little excited to be done with that class?

However, to histology/ embryology's defense.... I did enjoy the class. In fact, I knew quite a bit from my undergrad histology class and was thus really looking forward to this class. If I was grading it, I would pass it with a B+/ A-. There were parts that could have been better, lecturers that should never teach again, and boring labs... but all in all, I had a good experience.

That's not to say that I'm excited for something new. I'm getting really excited for physiology... not so much for biochemistry (both starting in a week). However, before I get there I have another "week" of gross anatomy!!!! Which I'm even more excited about being done with (NO MORE GROSS LAB, which I was sick of by unit two...) The bad thing is that I was working so hard for histo this week, that I have completely neglected anatomy and thus no nothing on the unit being tested this coming Friday. AHHH. Time to hit overdrive.

But before then, I'm taking a little mental break. Last night was dinner and a movie with friends at our place and this morning is working at a clinic... taking vital signs and basic history's. Reminding myself of the goal. :)

Until next time, have a great week!