Study Time for Pathophysiology

Uggggh! Test time coming this Monday and it's hard to start reviewing. My brain is tired after a long week of OR time at LAC-USC. "Focus, focus, hocus pocus .... What ever it takes to get down to business and do the work that needs to be done to do well for this exam". This is the self talk that goes on sometimes in the wee hours of the morning and long into the night. To become a CRNA is a lot of work, we all knew this when we started. Now is the crunch time.

How to stay focused. I don't know if that is a question or the answer. What I do know is that this quality of tenacity and sticking to a routine is what has guaranteed success so far and what it takes to keep going. Once in a while as a student it is necessary to just breathe deeply and smell the fresh coffee, hold the cup in your hands and enjoy the moment.

This makes me think about the different kinds of runners. The physical characteristics of a sprinter, the shorter thick powerful explosive energy build into their frames are wonderful for the short sprint. Take a look at the long distance runners and the body habitus is very different. The distance athlete has the lenthy thin muscles and ability to keep churning out the miles. These guys are not so good in the sprint but after 10 or so miles they are warmed up and can really start to glide along the road. Being in this nurse anesthesia program is like that too. You have to find your own rhythm, the routine of getting up early, finding moments to hours to study; taking care of all of the responsibilities and finding your routine is like this long distance runner. The longer these runners go, the better they get.

That is the key for me today. Find my own rhythm and stick to it. I am not good at cramming just before an exam; its the daily flow of reading and clinical practice that works best for me. Now, I just to maintain that rhythm, at least until Monday afternoon.