Much to my satisfaction, more of our Block 3 lectures will be centered around biochemistry compared to those from Block 2. There’s something about chemistry which grabs my attention. Maybe it’s the interaction of functional groups or the catabolic/anabolic processes associated with various metabolites which just… makes… logical sense? I don’t really know, but I like it! Not to mention that I was a chemistry and biochemistry major in undergrad, so I’m just a little biased.

Also, I’ve started some mild-core (as oppose to hardcore) USMLE Step I review as we cover different topics in lecture. It’s a good feeling knowing what First Aid is talking about when they say “hemidesmosomes.” I just wish I knew it for the actual block exam. One thing’s for sure… this block is going to see Rishi giving a lot more of his time to studying rather than shadowing physicians.

In other news, I just finished watching the Rockets decimate the Utah Jazz at THEIR home court. That in itself has inspired me to pick up my physiology book and continue reading about the gastrointestinal system. So… here I go.

Facebook

Personally, I’ve had nothing but trouble with the Facebook application. This could be due to a lack of WiFi on the Tour, but then again, shouldn’t all Internet-driven apps be created with the mindset that users will be using the slowest connection possible? Since I still use Facebook, I still use the app to update my status from time to time.

UberTwitter

I love it. It loves me. We’re a match made in digital heaven. I tried TwitterBerry before, but UberTwitter is far faster and more suited to my needs.

Epocrates

If you’re even remotely involved with healthcare (medical student, physician, etc.), get it! Quickly look up drug interactions, doses, pharmacology, and even pill pictures. Epocrates is the trusty sidekick of any healthcare professional.

BlackBerry Pro v3 Black

This really can’t be considered an “application.” BlackBerry Pro v3 is the theme I use as it’s a.) free, and b.) free. Also, it’s free. The best part is… it’s free! And incredibly functional. Coupled with the WeatherEye, I have a great interface where I can access my frequently used apps with a single click.

Pandora

Those who have used Pandora’s service on on a desktop know it’s a priceless piece of software, especially for those long hours of studying. Pandora asks a user to input a song, and it automatically references the “Music Genome Project” to play songs similar to the input. So simple. So elegant.

WordPress

As a loyal user of the WordPress open source platform for nearly half a decade, I naturally jumped at the chance to have a mobile version for my BlackBerry. Whether I’m on the road or in the middle of a lecture (neither of which is a good time to be typing on a mobile device, mind you), I can quickly draft or publish a post on the go.

Vlingo

Vlingo is something new I’ve been trying out. Supposedly, it helps you speed through your tasks by minimizing the need for typing. Instead, you use your voice to dictate text messages, look up nearby coffee shops, update your Twitter status, etc. Pretty nifty application, but as with all voice-recognition software, it takes some “training” before it’s useful.

Viigo

The RSS reader for the ages. Viigo keeps me updated with the latest sports scores, tech/health news, blog comments, and a whole plethora of other information using the power of RSS.

While I’m at it, I thought I would also throw in my BlackBerry Messenger barcode. I’m more than welcome to answer questions or offer opinions.

I too wondered what else was in the pipeline for HGS in the months to come. Was this just a one-hit-wonder or an indication of HGS’ rise to power after having been in the shadows for years? The ongoing trials coupled with the success of the first trial convinced me to invest a considerable fraction of my portfolio in Human Genome Services – a decision that will be assessed tomorrow when results from the second of two late-stage trials of Benlysta will be reported. For better or worse, this single announcement will undoubtedly affect investors’ faith in the company as a whole.

Aside from the potential $3 billion/year drug (split 50-50 by HGS and Glaxo), let’s consider the idea of finally having an approved treatment for lupus. That in itself is incredible! As a medical student, it’s a pleasure to know that I’ve seen this drug evolve through trials, and one day, I may actually prescribe it to patients with autoimmune disorders. Another instance of research going from “bench to bedside.”

For those who are interested in how the drug works, the concept is actually not that difficult to grasp. HGS has a great write up on their website explaining the mechanism. Be sure to check it out!

Yes, as a student at Baylor Med, I’m inherently biased to promote a great image of the school. At the same time, when negative aspects of the school are expressed, I can usually appreciate/relate to them.

The following is a snippet from one of the comments left on the article.

“Sounds like Baylor Med is about down and out. If Rice doesn’t rescue them they can’t survive.”

The preposterous notion that Baylor Med will die without Rice is… ummm… a testament of how juvenile the reader’s knowledge is about the situation. Between a positive fiscal year in 2010 and a profitable outpatient clinic, Baylor is doing just fine. As a student, the idea of a Rice-Baylor merger is almost transparent as it hasn’t affected a single aspect of our education… except for the occasional: “Don’t worry if you break [insert furniture, lab equipment, etc] … Rice will fix it!”

Whether or not the merger goes through (which, personally, I think is just a matter of time), neither institution is facing its demise at the present moment.

For many of us, this workshop was the first time we had actually worked with unembalmed cadavers. Why did we use them? For the simple fact that their anatomy behaves more like a living person. What’s the point of learning how to suture on an embalmed cadaver when “living” skin has far more elasticity and tensile strength?

At every cadaver, there were three TA’s (one teaching suturing, one chest tubes, and one intubation). We had thirty minutes for each skill, and then rotated at the same cadaver to the next skill.

Let me be the first to tell you that no matter what you’ve seen on TV regarding intubation… it’s pretty difficult. It took me two tries to finally get it, but I’m glad I had the opportunity to mess up.

1. Does all your equipment work properly?
2. Is the patient’s head in the “sniffing” position?
3. Use your dominant hand to open the patient’s mouth using the “snapping motion.”
4. Start from the right side of the patient’s tongue and sweep to the left as you insert the laryngoscope?
5. How do you know that you’re in the trachea and not the esophagus?
6. Inflate the balloon and auscultate for equal breath sounds.

Suturing was really fun too! At this point, I think it just takes a lot of practice to improve a.) technique and b.) speed, but I feel that there’s still plenty of time for that.

Overall, the workshop was really impressive. Everything was set up, the TA’s were fantastic and extremely helpful, and I learned a lot!

Finally, we found what should have been the most difficult structure in today’s lab – the thoracic duct. This thin, almost pencil-lead sized lymphatic duct collects “garbage” from almost the entire body (except the right arm and right chest). Next, we found the trachea (offset to the left) anterior to the esophagus (offset to the right). We also studied the azygous vein system and its “backup role” for the vena cava.

The essence of biology stems from understanding that DNA is transcribed into mRNA which is subsequently translated into protein(s). If a particular DNA sequence has a mutation, then every protein which is ultimately created from this template will also be messed up. In other words, bad genes make bad proteins (most of the time).

Now let’s consider another scenario. A particular gene is normal; however as the protein is being translated from the mRNA, improper folding causes the protein to assume a shape which isn’t viable. Going one step further, let’s say that this poorly folded protein doesn’t get marked for degradation. It may actually go rogue and cause “normal” proteins to take on an “abnormal” physiology. Prion diseases (like mad cow disease) work in this fashion. Keep in mind, this is all due to a few proteins which simply didn’t fold correctly.

If there was a way to get into the body and help some of these proteins fold up properly, I surmise that the prevalence of certain pathologies would show a marked decrease. No wonder so much research is being poured into mapping out the “rules” for protein folding.

The great thing about USB is compatibility. You can take a device which came out in the days of USB 1.1, hook it into a USB 3.0 module, and just plug-and-play. Sure, you won’t be able to take advantage of the tremendous bandwidth, but who cares? We’re talking about backwards compatibility here. In fact, it’s hard to find a peripheral (scanner, printer, mouse, etc.) which does not come with USB as its standard interface.

If Light Peak doesn’t provide a way to accommodate the vast market of USB-driven devices, adoption of the “new standard” may take quite some time.

After removing the lungs from the chest cavity, it became clear that there are many ways to distinguish the left lung from the right. Since much of the heart is situated below the left lung, it tends to be smaller and has imprints due to the heart’s presence. For example, you can see an imprint of the aortic arch (emerging from the superior portion of the heart) on the inside of the left lung. The right lung doesn’t have these markings; however, with three lobes, it’s a little larger than the two lobed left lung.

Lung tissue is awfully squishy, but I suppose that’s what you would expect from something which provides about 80 square meters of surface area for oxygen exchange. The surface anatomy is pretty simple compared to the heart, but I’m sure studying the branching schemes of the bronchioles will be far more complicated. Oh well, still really interesting to see how the cardiovascular system works from an anatomical perspective.