4th Semester: A lot to do and Physikum is always in the back of my mind

Hello out there!


I officially welcome you to my fourth semester. This means a lot of stress ahead. Its my Biochemistry semester with a dash of psychology and a pinch of integrated seminars to spice things up. I am continuing my job as English teacher for the MTA Radiology students and have been accepted as anatomy cadavers class teachers assistant (a dream job I've wanted for a very long time and which allows me to jump into my father's footsteps). I will continue to play in the Medical Faculty Orchestra, be active in the student body government and still have to choose the work out classes I will attend. Oh and on the side I think I will study medicine, lol. No, but seriously, this semester will be a challenge. The Anatomy semester was the hardest I ever had but it only focused on one subject. I have to know everything I learned in the last 1.5-2 years by the 23 and 24 of August when we have our written 1st doctors exam. The anatomy job will keep me up to date on anatomy and I am planning on taking one day in the week to review a subject in physiology and histologie. My goal is to learn a lot over a long period of time and not start after the biochemistry exam.


Last Monday we started our biochemistry lectures. The professor is so motivated and gets really excited when he gets to taking about the chemical bonds in amino acids. Its quite comical but at the same time motivating. The fourth semester starts the lectures 2 weeks before the official begin on request from the students so that we have more time to study for Physikum (first Med exam). We also have to take psychology curses that last a week and run all day. I was supposed to have that week at the end of the last semester but then they offered another class during the first week of lectures. I switched which gave me an extra week of vacation! Most of my friends already had their class so while they chilled in the sun, I sat in the room listening to presentations. My presentation was about sexual medicine. It just seemed natural after taking Human Sexuality 160 at UW Madison. My professor even mentioned that he learned something from me. All in all the week was fine though and the other presentations were mostly done well. Friday I used my 20% missing allowance and drove to Stuttgart for a wonderful weekend visiting my grandma, great aunt, great cousin and his baby. 


Now we are in the second week of lectures and I still really haven't found out what exactly we should know from the lectures. The professor always shows a lot of structures and tells a lot about it but none of us know how much we really need to know of it. We also started with psychology lectures yesterday. The lady is not the nicest and her presentation was 95% the same as in my block curse. I hope it'll be better today. I guess I'l see!