#MEDSCHOOLDIARY- HOW TO NOT BE DEPRESSED IN MEDICAL SCHOOL

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Medical school is a great experience. You meet all kinds of people- smart, funny, weird and you have to deal with them on a daily basis which is good for the most part. It’s also a great learning experience- I don’t know of any course with a more jam-packed curriculum. And where else are you allowed to cut dead bodies as part of your education? Yeah med school is great .

But there are so many depressing aspects of it;

1.) THERE ARE A LOT OF TYPE-A PEOPLE

And this can be especially depressing for you if you are not type a. They’re everywhere- They’re there always asking the professors difficult questions on topics you aren’t even sure have been taught. They’re always there when you go to the library. They’re always pulling all-nighters even when though classes start by 8am , and of course they are always seated in the front row when you arrive at 8:05am. I would have said ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ but then you’d be at greater risk of having a heart attack. So the solution is simple: Don’t try to compete with anyone. Just pace yourself and make sure you put in as much effort as you can. Don’t worry if you can’t study for more than three hours at a stretch. Devise a study schedule that best suits you and stick to it . And RELAX! YOU’LL BE FINE.

2.) 24 HOURS ARE NOT REALLY ENOUGH

The schedule is packed!! Lectures are from 8am to 5pm (Typically with a one-hour break in between which is never really up to one hour) Then there are a lot of extracurricular activities which are important because at the end of the day, it’s important to gain as much as possible from your medical school experience (plus they make your CV look good =) Oh and there are a GAZILLION things to read. And of course, there are always in-courses( tests that are like exams) to look forward to. What bliss

3.) And even though I’ve mentioned this before, I feel the need to emphasize it …THERE IS A LOT OF STUFF TO READ!!

So don’t be surprised if after studying for an entire day, you still have 101 things to read/revise. And this makes you feel like you’re a slacker which can be very depressing. But for me, the cure is talking to my friends about things I’m struggling with and realizing that everyone feels the same way. The most important thing is to study consistently so that your work doesn’t pile up (too much)

4.)THERE ARE NO OFFICIAL HOLIDAYS until after your final exams which are after a whole year( and by that I mean 12 months) There are little breaks- public holidays here and there but that’s pretty much it. And you can imagine how frustrating it is to have classes when everyone else is on Easter break.

This particular aspect of med school really got at me last Christmas when I had an in-course scheduled for the first week of January (Thank you Dr. I) and so my christmas break was as relaxing as you’d imagine.

5.)ALL YOUR NON-MEDICAL FRIENDS ARE ALWAYS HAVING FUN …..WITHOUT YOU and have given up on you showing up for events and meets because you’re always ‘busy’  So there are two ways to cure this kind of depression- console yourself by saying service to humanity is more important than brunch with your friends or if you’re like me you can just cry ( just kidding!) The deal is that you should go out once in a while and have enough fun to last another three months of all-nighters/in-courses/ medical drama.

Source: gurl.com

But seriously it’s okay. At the end of the day, all these depressing things will be worth it ( I hope) and you can laugh about all the times you cried because you couldn’t keep up with Empire.

Of course, this list didn’t come close to exhausting all the things that can make you depressed in medical school or any kind of school! So I’d love to hear about your own experiences( in the comment section)- whether you’re a med student or not .

P.S.I really apologize that I haven’t been posting often in recent times. I’m just starting a new year and Its been kind of tough balancing the increased workload. Thank you all for understanding and for all your kind comments. I appreciate you.

Love,

The Venus blogger.

LOVE LESSONS FROM REAL PEOPLE

“So it’s not gonna be easy. It’s going to be really hard; we’re gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me… everyday.”
― Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

I was inspired by Omotola Oredipe’s “5 Women that Inspire Me” post and decided to do an article on 4 young couples that inspire me. Though these relationships are not perfect, I am inspired by certain aspects of their relationships. Most Importantly, what ties all these couples together and why they made this list is their love for God and how putting God at the centre of your relationship makes it even stronger.

1) F R I E N D S H I P

As inspired by my parents, Femi and Lola Allen-Taylor

Though I titled this young couples, I am time-travelling to the time my parents were a young couple.  One of the things that their marriage has taught me is that friendship makes love grow even stronger.  Their friendship made it easy for them to grow together as a young couple and help each other overcome challenges. Friendship is very important in any relationship, because through it, you build a bond that can stand the test of time. It’s often the difference between marriages that work and those that don’t. You must be able to talk, laugh and play with your significant other. You must also be accountable to each other and always willing to support the other person.I love to look at pictures of my parents and their friends having fun in college but what I love even more is seeing these same friends, decades later , still married and still enjoying life together.

2) Z E S T

As inspired by  Deola and Sophie Apolola

For a long time, I thought once you say ” I do”, you lose yourself to another person, all your dreams, the adventures you’ve planned, the great things you hoped to do and  the exciting things you like to do all disappear.

Poof!

And all that remains is a shell of who you used to be. Your identity becomes ‘someone’s wife’ and you stop having fun. This couple have taught me that I could not be more wrong. Instead, they continually show me that being married makes life more fun, every thing you ever hoped and dreamed for does not change, but now you have a cheerleader who is always there to support you It’s really exciting because you can go on all your crazy adventures with someone who cares. They teach me life doesn’t stop when you get married and neither does romance. I love to watch them and their friends who are also young couples plan vacations, throw parties, go on boat rides, go dancing and doing things they loved to do as single people- just with each other. And while sometimes you have to compromise or may need your own space, it’s always reassuring to know you have a partner in crime who is waiting for you.

3) P A T I E N C E

Dayo and Yemisi Jegede

As inspired by Dayo and Yemisi Jegede
Their love story is not only beautiful but a testimony to the fact that true love waits. They remind me of Jacob and Rachel in the bible and how he had to work 14 years for her hand in marriage, that is some commitment. While they were dating, their relationship had to be a long-distance one for a while because things changed and they found themselves living in different continents. He travelled for his master’s degree and started working to make a life for them , before she finally travelled to meet him and they got married. I can not imagine the amount of pressure she would have felt with all those ‘neighbours’ and friends who would have been telling her “date someone else” “He isn’t coming back”, “You are getting older”, “He is probably seeing someone else” and despite all the things she was hearing, she waited.He probably also faced similar challenges but He chose to wait for his bride. She waited for him and he waited for her. They teach me that love isn’t always easy but true love will wait for you, no matter how long it takes.

4) P U R P O S E –

Even though this is the only couple I do not know personally, through them I have learned that you can influence a lot of people without even knowing it. They’ve taught me that everyone, every relationship and every thing has a purpose. You were not created by mistake, you do not meet people by mistake and there should be a purpose behind everything you do. They teach me that dating should be purposeful and intentional. It should have marriage as it’s ultimate goal. I know that I can’t see the future but I have learned not to go into any relationship that obviously has no future.

BY SEUN ALLEN-TAYLOR

THE FUNNY THING ABOUT LABELS

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There’s something funny about labels but before I talk about that, I must explain what I mean by labels…

Have you ever been called a nerd or a sissy or weird? Have you ever been called pretty or funny or bossy? or any other categorization of that sort? Obviously.. if you are human and live on this planet, you have certainly been called one thing or the other. And how did that affect you?

The funny thing I’ve realised about labels is actually not funny at all. I’ve realized that we subconsciously begin to adopt these labels as our identity. These labels become the driving force in our decisions, colouring every aspect of our lives. These labels…

Source : Rebellesociety.com

I’ve struggled with this bittersweet relationship with my labels but thankfully I recently had an ‘Aha’ moment. I realized how many opportunities I’ve missed , how many new things I’ve refused to try because I said ” Oh I’m a nerd , I shouldn’t think of any career in music or performing arts because that wouldn’t be right” and ” Yes I’m interested in fashion illustration but I shouldn’t bother pursuing it because you know, I’m a nerd”

Pardon my french but that is bullshit.

Because I don’t have to define myself as just one thing. I can be many different things and be awesome at them.  You see, in modern society we have many different boxes ( Think of them as the factions in Divergent) and you’re supposed to find out where you belong and stick to the script. But what if you fit into more than one box? or you don’t fit in any box? What if you are a ‘divergent’?

Source : quickmeme.com

The solution is simple : Create your own rules . Re-write and re-write your script until it suits you perfectly. Don’t define yourself by what people have called you. It is your duty to the world to find out the different things you are and to be those things perfectly. I think God created the world to be a colourful, diverse place and wants each of us to discover our uniqueness so we can exploit their full potential, So critque your labels, find out if they are limiting your dreams and be the best version of yourself .

The funny thing about labels is that there is no funny thing about labels

P.S: I’d love if it you shared your thoughts on this post with me. Thanks!

Love,

The Venus Blogger

GIANT OF AFRICA

Nigerians need to wake up. It’s not enough to talk about change, we need to make change. We are afterall the Giants of Africa…

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                                                                                          GIANT OF AFRICA

IF I HAD SEEN FARTHER THAN OTHERS THAT’S BECAUSE I WAS STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF A GIANT- ISSAC NEWTON

We all know what we mean when we use the word giant, it means something very big, large compared to others, synonyms with the word giant are words like ‘immense’ ‘gigantic’ and ‘vast’

For a country to be seen as the giant as compared to the other countries, that country shouldn’t just have a large population size, but have large and efficient sectors such as health, political, educational and agricultural sectors to mention a few. In my own opinion the giant of Africa is

A country with low crime, corruption and unemployment rates

A country with constant power supply

A country where her people go to the polling unit with the beliefs that their…

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I’M LEAVING YOU

Photo credit: alwaysinfo.co.uk

My big bad good break-up…

Sorry to those of you who are here for the gory details of how and why I broke up with the love of my life. This is different kind of break-up and to me, somewhat more important. This is about how I broke up or rather am breaking up with…

S E L F – C O N S C I O U S N E S S

Some people call it shyness, being ill at ease, insecurity, I like to call it self-consciousness.I’ve realized that pretty much everyone struggles with this. This state of excessive self-awareness that cripples even the brightest and most gifted. Cautiously calculating every word, every gesture, every activity because everyone is watching you. They are watching your every move and waiting for you to make one mistake so they can pounce on you like the savages they truly are.

News flash!

NOBODY IS WATCHING YOU! THEY’RE TOO BUSY WATCHING THEMSELVES!

So stop over-analyzing everything. That lady looking straight at you is probably just lost in thought and that comment you made on facebook? It’s really not that big of a deal ! Stop thinking of past conversations and what you should have said or done because guess what? It’s in the past! Nothing you can do will change it so please move on.

Photo credit : apkfun.co

There’s a difference between being self-aware and self-conscious. Self-awareness is understanding who you are as an individual; your strengths, weaknesses and how you relate with people. Self-consciousness on the other hand is putting limits to how you express yourself and it’s a trap.

Why?

Because it paralyses you and makes you a sucker for society’s approval. You’re way better than that. Your eyes are not too small. Your forehead is not too big. Your butt is not too big/small. You laugh is not too loud (or maybe it is) . The point is you’re perfect just the way you are.

You see, all those little things about you that are not ‘perfect’ in society’s eyes are what make you YOU! 

So stop being so self-conscious ,cripple your fears and accept yourself because you, my friend are perfect in your imperfections.

You’re AMAZING just the way you are.

Even Bruno Mars thinks you’re amazing =)

P.S : I’ve taken a huge step in breaking up with self-consciousness. I’ve joined orator’s club, it’s my school’s version of toastmasters and I’ll be giving my first speech pretty soon. Wish me luck!

Love,

The Venus Blogger

GOOD ‘OL FITNESS

So I decided to give this exercise ‘thing’ a try and got myself these cute gym clothes.I even made an elaborate plan on how to run for an hour every morning and mapped out my route. But the problem is….

I love to sleep!!!! So I always hit the snooze button and comfort myself with the sweet words ” I’ll do it tommorow”. Three weeks after I got my track outfit, I still haven’t worn it…Not even once. Maybe exercise isn’t for everyone? Or maybe I need to start small? Anyways I googled exercises for lazy people also known as better-than-nothing exercise routines and I was pleasantly surprised!  I’ll share the good ones;

1.) The walk and talk

This just involves pacing while you make long phone calls. Like I don’t already do that B-)

2.) March while you brush your teeth

3.) Play on a playground….just make sure there are no kids =)

4.) Carry chubby babies

5.) Instead of meeting up with people for coffee or lunch, have a walking meeting. Apparently Steve Jobs was known for doing this.

6.) Use stairs instead of elevators

7.) Neat freaks will love this….

Clean your room/house. Doing house chores for a significant amount of time e.g 30 mins counts as exercise

8.)Get off the bus one or two stops early and walk for the rest of your journey

9.)Play a challenging  musical instrument like the violin for up to one hour

10.) Ride a bike to work/school

11.) Dance!

12.) Stand up while you play video games

What do you think ? Are these tips worth trying?

PS : I’d love to meet up with you on twitter 

MEMOIRS OF AN AWESOME CHILDHOOD

So I was reminiscing a few days about some of my favorite movies growing up and how I used to obsess over them. I realize that I was way way more into movies then ( I could watch one movie up to ten times if I really liked it!), but now with all the demands that come with being an adult, I often find myself watching 2013 movies in 2015, way after everyone is done talking about them. On the plus side, my taste in movies has diversified. Before I only used to see chick flicks( you know comedy, romance comedy and high school drama) but now I find myself fangirling over blockbusters like Fast and Furious and Robocop. Ok maybe not Robocop.

Back to the list; Most of the movies on this list are chick flicks but I think you already know why

10.) HOME ALONE

Seriously, if you did not see home alone as a child, I might have to question your existence (just kidding!)

Fave line: I made my family disappear?!

Fave scene:

9.)ARE WE THERE YET?

This movie is just hilarious. I especially enjoyed the fact that LIndsey was sassy and had blacktitude ( you know how we roll)

Fave character: Lindsey

Fave line: O B V I O U S L Y (Hint: Movie Title!)

Worst scene: When the car blew up! That car was too fine 😦

8.) LIFE SIZE

Every girl’s dream: Your new doll turning into human being except you’re like Casey and you HATE dolls. Awesome movie plot.

Fave scene: When everyone at Ben’s work party danced to “Shine bright, shine far, don’t be shy, be a star. where you live, where you are. Be a star”

7.) THE PACIFIER

I love this movie because Vin Diesel’s role was so different from what I’m used to him playing.

Favorite part: when Vin Diesel sang the Peter Panda song to open the safe

6.) ZENON

What makes this movie awesome?

• Girl lives in a space ship
• Girl is from the future (2049)
• Girl comes to earth and falls in love
• Raven Symone is girl’s best friend
• This song!! :Zoom, zoom, zoom
  Make my heart go
  Boom boom
  My super nova girl
  (x4)
• Nuff said

5.)AQUAMARINE

Don’t you just love the name Aquamarine?

It’s just a really funny movie. Aquamarine( the mermaid) tries to make a popular guy fall in love with her in three days to prove to her father that true love exists . In the end, the boy does not fall in love with but she still gets true love ; the love of her friends!

4.)LITTLE MANHATTAN

As much as I loved the lead character’s wit and charm in courting the love of his life who happened to be an eight year old? I have only seen this movie once . I have been trying to find it and watch it for free( no such luck) maybe I’ll have to buy it online.

Favorite line in this movie: My parent’s were on a one-way ticket to the jerry springer show (classic!)

Favorite scene : when he took rosemary on a date

3.) MEAN GIRLS

This movie is probably the greatest chick flick ever made. The most epic scene for me was at the spring fling when Cady shared pieces of her crown to everyone in the crowd and said ” We’re all winners”

Besides, Tina Fey was in this movie =D

2.) LEGALLY BLONDE

If only I could be the Elle Woods of medical school *sigh* Sadly, the rigours of Anatomy and Pharmacology have not been proven to mix favorably with extreme fashion forward sense and bimbo behaviour

1.) A CINDERELLA STORY

Best cinderella remake ever. This movie is so inspiring. I especially loved this quote :

Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game

Favorite line: “Waiting for you is like waiting for rain in this drought, useless and disappointing.”

Favorite scene : When Sam and Austin danced at the school dance

Plus I had a huge crush on Chad Michael Murray at the time and thought Hilary Duff was an amazing actress (still do!) so a movie in which they both starred just had to top my list.

What are your favorite childhood movies? Please share in the comment section

PS: I’d love to meet up with you on twitter

Love,

The Venus Blogger

#MedSchoolDiary

Hi everyone,

I’ve decided to start a journal about my life in medical school. For two reasons ; 1.) A lot of non-medical people are curious about the medical school experience 2.) I think it’s a fun thing to do and I can always laugh about this in future.

Basically, I’m going to be spilling the beans about med school; the good, the bad, the frustrating, the parts that make you cry, the awesome moments, the rigorous exams and of course the fun!  Yes medical students have fun too  -___-

But of course I can’t do this without your help, so I’ll need you to tell me what kind of posts you would like to see, what kind of questions do you have about med school life and what do you think about this new column?

Thanks!

Love,

The Venus Blogger

I dare you to move

For people who are addicted to comfort zones or need pushers for them to get anything done. For those who have dreams and ideas but are too afraid to try.

I dare you to move.

I have to admit that comfort zones are a tad addictive but the truth if you want get anything anything amazing done, you will have to leave your comfort zone. Yes, it’s hard and challenging and requires a lot of effort, but in the long run, you won’t regret it.

These are a few tips that will help you take the bull by the horns:

1.) Stop over-thinking

I plead guilty to this; overthinking every detail, analysing every possibility( usually the negative ones) and just wasting time thinking of ‘doing’ but never actually getting anything done. Yes, trying out new things may require planning but you need to be honest with yourself. Is it all that planning really necessary or are you just trying to buy time? Stop overthinking and learn to go with the flow. Don’t underestimate your abilities. Be positive and optimistic.

2.) Stop waiting for perfect circumstances

Image source: http://www.pinterest.com

Ecclesiastes 11:4 says if you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.

How true is this? 100%

There will always be an excuse, a reason why you should not start doing something, so if you actually want to get anything done, you must ignore the voices that say ; ‘now is not a good time’ or ‘ if only I had this, I would start’

3.) Just do it

Just do it. Put yourself out there. Breathe.

Because in the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take.

So follow your dreams, try something new, do what you’ve always wanted to do because you’ll survive and who knows? things just might turn out pretty awesome.

4.) There will be challenges…

But don’t worry, those challenges will teach you grit. So don’t give up when things don’t go as expected. A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. Never lose sight of your goals. Where there is a will, there is a way…

So go ahead. I dare you. Move.

Love,

The Venus Blogger

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. –Eleanor Roosevelt

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I DON’T RECOGNIZE ME

I don’t recognize me

The timid girl with a low voice

You know, the one who can’t maintain eye contact

The one who hides in plain clothes and blank stares

Just so she can fade

Just so she can be invisible

……………………………………………………..

I don’t recognize me

The people-pleaser with low self-esteem

Who hides her feelings and buries her thoughts

The girl who feigns indifference because of fear

Because she is afraid of the sound of her own voice

Afraid that it might be called beautiful

…………………………………………..

I don’t recognize me

The one who carried self-consciousness like glass

Fragile and easily scarred

The girl who was afraid of everything

Afraid of fear

The girl that felt less than perfect

Never good enough

I don’t recognize her

…………………………….

I don’t recognize me

I don’t recognize this person I’m becoming

This girl that loves adventure and heights and red lipstick

Who believes anything is possible

This girl that loves to explore and try and try

She loves to dream and inspire and do

She is not afraid of rejection, not afraid of failure

I don’t recognize her

…………………………..

I don’t recognize me

This girl that is comfortable in her skin

And has a voice to her name

This girl who looks the world in the eye

Unapologetic

I don’t recognize me

But I love this journey

This road to the new me, the real me

I’m thankful for this journey, for my mistakes , for the lessons

I don’t recognize me

…………………………..

Photo credit: http://www.rollingout.com ,www.giphy.com and http://www.motherblogger.info

Btw, I used images of Solange because lately I’m loving her hipster-edgy-colourful sense of style !

Love,

The Venus Blogger

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