Life by PJ

Last Saturday, I got to volunteer for the Science Olympiad competition being held at Grand Valley. I worked the anatomy section of the competition - since I am somewhat biased in the types of science I enjoy partaking in. It was super fun to see middle school students look at anatomical dummies, posters, etc and work their way through problems. We even had an actual skeleton hanging up in the room! (I don't think any of the students knew it was real though - which is probably a good thing...) One of the students noticed a sign on the refrigerator that said, "Please don't place the turtle carcasses in this fridge." She had a momentary break-down, but was quickly reassured that the sign was merely a "joke." Yeah...a joke...We don't use turtle carcasses in cadaver lab or anything... Anyway, the day went by super quickly and it was a great opportunity to get to know Biomedical Science professors at Grand Valley!   Of course I had to get a pictur...

I apologize for how overdue this post is, however, I’m sure you understand. Anyway, I’ve decided to do a recap of my week in lieu of daily updates. Monday – An unremarkable day. The Monday following spring break is such a downer. It’s rough to think about how a week ago you were building an entire empire in the Sims Medieval and now you’re listening to your professor talk about organic oxidation and reduction mechanisms.   (I have a Sims problem – it’s okay, I’ve already acknowledged this.) Who wouldn't be addicted to this? Tuesday – I went to the 10 th anniversary black-tie gala celebrating GVSU’s literary magazine “Fishladder.”It was a fun night full of tasty hors d'oeuvres and fancy lemonade. And anyway, who doesn’t love an excuse to wear a fancy dress? We listened to a few poems and socialized but I had to leave early to go to my Pre-Dental meeting.         At my Pre-Dental meeting we discussed the overall process of getti...

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bestjobs/2010/full_list/index.html Recently, I read CNN's Best Jobs in America (2010) and I was pleased to read that dentist ranked twelfth. (Not too shabby!) Of course "Software Architect," (if that's even a real job...please tell me you detected the sarcasm in that) is ranked #1 and that's my boyfriend's profession. He always has to one-up me... Physician Assistant ranked in at #2, which is interesting because this is another profession I have been looking at recently. I feel like if I don't end up as a dentist, (heaven forbid some random change of heart or something) I would end up as something along the line's of a PA.  So give it a read and see where your future profession ranks. I wouldn't put too much weight on it though, because I believe anyone has the ability to make their job number one in its own right. Until next time, PJ

My judge badge. Aren't I so official? ;) Yesterday, I got to be a judge at the 55th Annual Southeast Michigan Science Fair. It was a blast seeing so many different creative displays and projects. It really brought me back to my elementary school days. I never won our science fairs, but I always thought I deserved to. (My ego clearly developed at a young age.) The only ones that really made me upset were the ones clearly done completely by the parents. I mean come on, are you so competitive that you can't even let your kid do their own project? Besides that though, I would totally do it again. PJ

Intended for anyone who may doubt my passion for my future profession... PJ

Last week was GVSU's non-official midterms week. As we all know, midterms week brings about a firestorm of stress and all around bad mojo, which can actually be worse than finals week itself since you're not given an entire week dedicated to exams. A multitude of embarrassing events happened to me during this time, and I figure I'm not helping anyone by keeping them to myself. If you know anything about me, (which you might not) I tend to do ridiculous, (usually funny) unintentional things when I'm put under stress. Call it a defense mechanism, call it a byproduct of my thespian background, ( Fiddler on the Roof has yet to see a better "Tzeitel" by the way) call it what you will. All I know is that I almost always have an interesting anecdote to share after a stressful time period, (midterms week being a perfect example.)  Me as "Tzeitel," from Fiddler on the Roof. Also known as the only time PJ will ever be a brunette.  Our first display of...

  Hello Blogosphere!  Upon a certain influx in anonymous online pre-med accounts that track their pathway to doctorhood, (yes, sometimes I create new words - I dare you to tell me they're not useful) I have been inspired to make an account of my own struggle to become a health professional. Lucky for you, I've decided to publish it so that everyone can laugh at my pain - I mean share in  my successes and my failures. No one said becoming a dentist, (my profession of choice) was going to be easy. But sometimes one wonders if the struggle will be entirely worth it. All the late nights studying Organic Chemistry, Microbiology, and Genetics, having to say no to many a social engagement, wishing you had time to catch up on your Bravo shows, (Patti Stanger - I have not forgotten you,  I promise!) The list of responsibilities goes on and on, but I'll keep it annotated for the sake of timing. Please don't be offended, Patti. I'll catch you on a re-run. ...