The summer is coming to a close and I'm starting to see some of my classmates come back to campus. I'm in a pretty tight program starting in the fall. I'll be one of 13 people out of a total of 50 or so applicants that start this paramedic clinical/degree program in September. Some are new faces. Some are people I've seen (and liked a lot) for the past year and a half. Peaches is in the program too, and we're two peas in a pod. It'll be neat to see how we do. We're already talking about competition for the fall semester.

Peaches (or me) in a dress update: As of the end of the 1st session, Peaches was ahead of me by 0.1 percent (that's one tenth of a percent). The second session ends on Thursday and we'll score from an average of the two.

For those of you who haven't heard. Peaches and I have been taking Anatomy and Physiology I and II together this summer and we're very competitive. Whoever gets the higher grade at the end of both sessions gets taken to dinner by the loser. To sweeten the deal, the loser has to wear a dress! Wooo Hooo! Peaches is tall and skinny and I think he's look GREAT in a blue floor-length slinky thing with a slit up to his hip. Me? If I lose, I'll wear a tube top and a miniskirt. I'll not shave for a couple days and introduce myself as Peaches's "Hungarian girlfriend." I'll hang all over him like a whore onto a millionare and make sure everyone knows how much he loves me. Even if I lose, I'll win! There will be pictures. I promise.

As to my classmates for the fall. I'm seeing these people again and I'm looking forward to working with them in the next 2 years. The ones I know, I like. Each and every one. I've been introduced to a couple new ones and they strike me as competent, eager and likable. I'm going to have blog names for them as they develop.

The fall semester should give me a lot of blogworthy materials. I'll be taking pharmacology, cardiac patients, respiratory patients, EMS leadership and critically ill patients. All of these classes will be with a group of people whom I find to be as interesting and likable as they are different from each other.

I'll also be working at the University health center as a Medical Assistant. Peaches has worked there for a couple semesters and has told me about it. He says I'll treat a lot of STDs, burn (or freeze) off a lot of warts, and give a lot of flu shots. I'm looking forward to the non-emergent clinical experience. I think it will round out my paramedic training a bit and give me a perspective on medicine when there's not an imminent threat of death. It will also give me a chance to get really good at HIPAA confidentiality since many of my patients will also be classmates. (HIPAA is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a US law that basically says you have the right to have access to your medical records, take them with you and your medical information is private. It holds ALL medical workers accountable for maintaining the confidentiality of patient records, conditions and identities.)

Ok, I have 2 finals and a practical exam on Thursday. I need to get some sleep so I can spend all of tomorrow in the lab getting ready. Wish me luck! Thanks for reading.

--maddog