Hello BME 301 Students;

 

Just a friendly reminder that EXAM ONE IS COMING RIGHT UP (February 12th) and we want you all to do really well.   If you have already received a free BME 301 t-shirt, be sure to wear it to class the day of our exam.  You will get two BONUS POINTS.  If you don’t yet have a BME301 t-shirt, you only have to find your way to the basement of ENS to visit me and then you, too, can be one of the cool people.  Of course, the coolest people are those that will get an A on their BME 301 exam, even without the surgeon-general-t-shirt-bonus-points.  What are those people doing right now?

 

  1. Reviewing all their class notes and reading assignments
  2. Downloading the practice exam without answers and working it in 1 hour and 15 minutes
  3. Downloading the practice exam with answers and checking their understanding
  4. Reviewing what they missed and getting help from Dr. RRK and Mark and Dina about things they didn’t get.

 

The cool people are NOT waiting until midnight the night before the exam to do all this!!  We will also do a review for the exam in class on Thursday if you have questions on the practice exam.

 

            There have been many improvements to our class website in the last few days.  The dates that the different groups will present are posted.  IF your name is not on that list, you have a problem and you need to: 1) FIND A GROUP, 2) BE SURE MARK KNOWS WHAT GROUP YOU ARE IN, 3) BE SURE YOUR GROUP IS ON THAT LIST.  You need to do this NOW. 

 

            There have been a few technical difficulties with the website and the polling system.  We think we have all the problems solved now, but if you are not convinced, please send me an e-mail describing the problem and the browser and operating system that you are using.  We will do our best to get it fixed.

 

            Finally, this week’s reading recommendations.  Our category is:

 

Two Sad but Hopeful (even Funny) Books About Lymphoma,

One Book About Moving On After a Mistake,

and The Saddest Book that Dr. RRK Has Ever Read

 

Mom’s Marijuana by Dan Shapiro – This is the book that I mentioned in class.  Dan Shapiro was in graduate school when he developed lymphoma.  This is the story of how he fought the disease and went on to become a psychiatrist who helps others deal with medical catastrophes.

 

Bald in the Land of Big Hair by Joni Rodgers – Joni was in her twenties with two small children when she was diagnosed with lymphoma.  This is the story of how she and her family coped with the diagnosis and the treatment.  A really funny book with an important lesson about keeping things in perspective.

 

Delivering Dr. Amelia also by Dan Shapiro – I also mentioned this book in class.  It is about a young obstetrician who makes a tragic mistake at the beginning of her career.  Dan Shapiro was the psychiatrist that helped Dr. Amelia deal with the aftermath.  His child was born at about the same time and he tells of his struggle with wanting to help Dr. Amelia and wondering how he would feel if something like that happened to his family.

 

A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton – Sometimes you just need to cry.  This is the saddest book I ever read.  The tale of two families in a small Wisconsin town.  It is about dealing with tragedy and feeling like you don’t fit in.  The movie (starring Sigourney Weaver and Julianne Moore) was wonderful, but the book is a jewel.

 

And finally, this week’s guest recommendation comes from fellow BME301 classmate Meredith, who suggests “anything by Jane Austen.”  Well said!