I've got just over a month left until my final undergraduate exams. Unfortunately I think in the two horse race to dominate my mood, Impending Relief has already powered past Crippling Sense of Doom. I had to compose a presentation to give on my research project recently, it is truly amazing how much time you can spend achieving nothing on Powerpoint. Although it must be said I've done something pretty special with a delayed, slow fade, piece of cheese.
Most Immature Thing I've Done Today - Dropped a crisp on my way downstairs to eat outside with my friends. Not only neglected to pick it up but then later in the day encountered same crisp on the stairs and went considerably out of my way to kick it all the way down the stairs with me.
Friday, 22 April 2011
Sunday, 27 March 2011
Valves & Passages
So while I'm mired in revising for my very science-y undergraduate finals, it can sometimes be easy to forget the interesting parts of studying medicine. Here is a gem.
The nasopharynx, the cavity just above your mouth and behind your nose, contains a myriad of features that require naming in anatomy exams. The Eustachian tube connects the back of the nasopharynx with your middle ear. This guy is famous because opening it, by swallowing or building up pressure in the nasopharynx, equalises pressure in your middle ear and alleviates that unpleasant sensation you get in your ears when flying.
However there is another tube that connects your nasopharynx with your lacrimal sac (= collecting bag of eye tears). This nasolacrimal duct is designed to only flow one-way, from eyes to nose, and contributes to the mega-attractive runny nose when you cry. However the two valves at either end of this duct, Hasner's & Rosenmuller's, are not that sturdy. Therefore if you build up serious pressure in the nasopharnyx, the flow can be reversed.
I wanted to talk about these valves for two reasons. Firstly it's amazing what scientists/doctors will put their name on, although having said that I would jump at the chance to be immortalised in some small diverticulum or recess. Secondly, and much more interestingly, I once saw a man in the throngs of hyperemesis (= uber-vomiting) generate sufficient pressure to fill his nasopharynx and overturn Hasner & Rosenmuller's best efforts. Impressive, sort of.
A detailed diagram. N.B. tears are not red, I had merely already used my blue pen. This anatomy stuff is difficult.
The nasopharynx, the cavity just above your mouth and behind your nose, contains a myriad of features that require naming in anatomy exams. The Eustachian tube connects the back of the nasopharynx with your middle ear. This guy is famous because opening it, by swallowing or building up pressure in the nasopharynx, equalises pressure in your middle ear and alleviates that unpleasant sensation you get in your ears when flying.
However there is another tube that connects your nasopharynx with your lacrimal sac (= collecting bag of eye tears). This nasolacrimal duct is designed to only flow one-way, from eyes to nose, and contributes to the mega-attractive runny nose when you cry. However the two valves at either end of this duct, Hasner's & Rosenmuller's, are not that sturdy. Therefore if you build up serious pressure in the nasopharnyx, the flow can be reversed.
I wanted to talk about these valves for two reasons. Firstly it's amazing what scientists/doctors will put their name on, although having said that I would jump at the chance to be immortalised in some small diverticulum or recess. Secondly, and much more interestingly, I once saw a man in the throngs of hyperemesis (= uber-vomiting) generate sufficient pressure to fill his nasopharynx and overturn Hasner & Rosenmuller's best efforts. Impressive, sort of.
A detailed diagram. N.B. tears are not red, I had merely already used my blue pen. This anatomy stuff is difficult.
Saturday, 26 March 2011
Not to be all Gap Year but...
Yeah so I thought I should put something vaguely interesting on here. I took a gap year and spent a couple months coaching football in South Africa. This was in no real way altruistic but I did get to see/do some cool shit that is borderline worth sharing.
On our first day in the townships, we turned up and our coaching was cancelled because someone had stolen the water pipes from the school we were supposed to be teaching at.
At one school the kids were going crazy and wouldn't settle down for us white folk so their unbelievably scary teacher (who they all called "Mr. Stick") came out to sort them out. And I quote "No misbehaving children, no misbehaving, we don't want that... or else the AIDS will get you!". Remarkably effective though it was tough not to laugh guiltily as the children ran away from AIDS in the air like it was an imaginary dragon.
The most popular part of it all with the kids was definitely when we organised little 5-a-side tournaments. However one time a kid came up to us and pointed out that the others had organised themselves into Blacks versus Coloureds and that this sort of thing was kind of frowned upon these days in SA. Who knew?
Hey look, it's me and some of the kids (note: at least 3 of the children in this cohort were better than me at football). They were genuinely very cool and I did have a great time in SA, it definitely gives you a bit of perspective (cue dismissive jerk-off gestures).
On our first day in the townships, we turned up and our coaching was cancelled because someone had stolen the water pipes from the school we were supposed to be teaching at.
At one school the kids were going crazy and wouldn't settle down for us white folk so their unbelievably scary teacher (who they all called "Mr. Stick") came out to sort them out. And I quote "No misbehaving children, no misbehaving, we don't want that... or else the AIDS will get you!". Remarkably effective though it was tough not to laugh guiltily as the children ran away from AIDS in the air like it was an imaginary dragon.
The most popular part of it all with the kids was definitely when we organised little 5-a-side tournaments. However one time a kid came up to us and pointed out that the others had organised themselves into Blacks versus Coloureds and that this sort of thing was kind of frowned upon these days in SA. Who knew?
Hey look, it's me and some of the kids (note: at least 3 of the children in this cohort were better than me at football). They were genuinely very cool and I did have a great time in SA, it definitely gives you a bit of perspective (cue dismissive jerk-off gestures).
Some things
1. I would (optimistically) describe myself as okay at a number of sports.
2. I am a little shorter than I would like to be.
3. I am a tiny bit terrified of being a doctor, though I love every chance I get to talk to patients (because at the moment I have no responsibility towards them).
4. When I was younger I used to think the TLC song "Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls" was called "Don't Go Jason Waterfalls" and had something to do with an ex-president of the US who I may or may not have had confused with George Washington.
5. I am from London but am half American.
6. I have shamelessly exploited a British accent while in the US.
7. I have never really benefited from an American accent while in the UK.
8. While I have supported Chelsea since I was 8, I went through a tumultuous phase in my late 7s where I favoured Utd. I am ashamed. I also inexplicably still own a Utd. Trivia Challenge board game with George Best on the front. I don't quite know how to get rid of it.
9. I might well be addicted to video games.
10. I am a massive fan of terrible movies, with soft spots for amongst others Arnold and movies simply titled "The (insert poorly put together special effects creature here)".
2. I am a little shorter than I would like to be.
3. I am a tiny bit terrified of being a doctor, though I love every chance I get to talk to patients (because at the moment I have no responsibility towards them).
4. When I was younger I used to think the TLC song "Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls" was called "Don't Go Jason Waterfalls" and had something to do with an ex-president of the US who I may or may not have had confused with George Washington.
5. I am from London but am half American.
6. I have shamelessly exploited a British accent while in the US.
7. I have never really benefited from an American accent while in the UK.
8. While I have supported Chelsea since I was 8, I went through a tumultuous phase in my late 7s where I favoured Utd. I am ashamed. I also inexplicably still own a Utd. Trivia Challenge board game with George Best on the front. I don't quite know how to get rid of it.
9. I might well be addicted to video games.
10. I am a massive fan of terrible movies, with soft spots for amongst others Arnold and movies simply titled "The (insert poorly put together special effects creature here)".
First
Hello all, or just me, or whoever stumbles upon this.
I'm a medical student at university in the UK. I am terribly bored revising for my 3rd year finals and have been pestered by my girlfriend in the past to start a blog, so I have. An inauspicious start to say the least. I don't really know who I'm writing this for. I think it will mainly be something for me to look back on and say "those were good times" or "I was considerably less funny than I thought I was". Well I guess I'll just start jotting down some of the more exciting things that have happened to me in the last couple years and pop in the odd contemporaneous nugget.
Yeah so be gentle with me interweb, it's my first time. (This is the sort of comment that I will regard as foolish when it turns out only I have ever read this).
I'm a medical student at university in the UK. I am terribly bored revising for my 3rd year finals and have been pestered by my girlfriend in the past to start a blog, so I have. An inauspicious start to say the least. I don't really know who I'm writing this for. I think it will mainly be something for me to look back on and say "those were good times" or "I was considerably less funny than I thought I was". Well I guess I'll just start jotting down some of the more exciting things that have happened to me in the last couple years and pop in the odd contemporaneous nugget.
Yeah so be gentle with me interweb, it's my first time. (This is the sort of comment that I will regard as foolish when it turns out only I have ever read this).
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