2011: A Year to forget?

When you take a step back and look at what 2011 brought the world, you will probably remember a few important things: Kim Jong-Il dies, Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries are no longer married, and OMFG did you hear Russell Brand and Katy Perry split up because of irreconcilable differences?!?!? No seriously, that is probably what you remember because that seems to be all that’s on the news these days. The media has become so convoluted, biased, and utterly distasteful that the most objective news I've found that actually covers stories important to our lives is Al-Jazeera—ironic, don’t you think so? While Fox News seems to be leaning so right that it might supplant the Leaning Tower of Pisa as the most right-leaning tower of bullshit (for those of you who have seen the leaning tower of Pisa, you will understand the reference). On the other hand, CNN, once thought to be the objective standard of news (Ted Turner still believes this), has been subtly, yet not-so-subtly promoting a liberal agenda. Thus, the best source of our domestic news is from a foreign news agency, not that we should be surprised, as it seems that everything foreign has become better than anything made in America.
Why the seemingly anti-American sentiment? Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-American, I'm just critical of the direction that the country is headed. The year has brought to light the ineffectiveness and entirely worthless nature of our politicians. To compound this vanity, members on both sides of the aisle, along with so-called objective political pundits (an oxymoron in and of itself) have spent more time squabbling over who is right than drawing up viable plans for the future of the country. I could go on and on about the political mess our nation finds itself in, and other parts of the world find themselves in, but not even a book the size of the 7th Harry Potter book would suffice. The debt crisis has brought forth crippling effects on the world economy and has left much of the so called first-world looking as desperate as a third-world.
Mother Nature also didn't care for 2011 apparently, as the world saw her wrath multiple times from the crippling Japanese earthquake to the fierce tornadoes that swept through entire towns like Joplin, Missouri. As a whole, Mother Nature took the lives of several hundred thousand and brought some humility and sense of perspective to a world otherwise occupied by the hubbub of political nonsense. It humanized even those that tout their superhuman-ness, like Donald Trump and Sarah Palin, and saw a global effort, putting aside political banter, to help those in need.
While these tragedies do bear a great weight, the year also brought about a few positives. Osama bin-laden was finally captured and killed, a symbolic victory in our perpetual fight against terrorism. America finally closed a chapter in its book of mistaken wars, after the last troops exited Iraq in an almost ten-year struggle that saw the loss of several thousand servicemen and women. The world witnessed some of the most spectacular, organic uprisings in history with Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya, ousting inept leaders in hopes of a government by the people and for the people. In sports, Novak Djokovic dominated en route to one of the most magnificent seasons in men’s tennis history. Also, I would be remiss if I did not recognize the Indian cricket team for winning the 2012 World Cup against its neighbor, Sri Lanka, in a hard-fought match.
All in all, 2011 can be summed up by watching 2 seconds of C-SPAN –boring, ridiculous, and upsetting. Though, this makes the prospect of 2012 that much more exciting, except for the fact that the world may end. But for me, this year brings much to look forward to as I will be graduating from college (hopefully) and my parents will be celebrating 25 years of torturing each other, I mean, of pure wedded bliss. Thanks to all my friends and family who have supported me throughout the year and for the years to come. Let’s all raise our glasses (of champagne since I’m 21, finally) and drink in, I mean ring in, the new year! HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

Cheers,

BK

Oh...silly MCAT!

Sadly, the last week or so, I have not been able to write much because I've been concentrating on studying for the MCAT, while doing research, and shadowing a neurosurgeon. It's tough to balance it all! In any case, I've learned so much this past week in studying for the MCAT, that I could not come up with a clever title :O! Though, I've been mainly learning about the various body systems, which are a pain! On the MCAT, outside of the immune system and maybe the nervous system, most of the body systems are tested as discrete questions rather than passage-based questions. This means that in order to do well a little memorization is required. A general understanding of each of the systems and major anatomical features should suffice. However, it is imperative that you memorize every hormone and messenger they discuss in the book! They will more than likely show up in the Biological Sciences section in some way, shape, or form. I'll discuss more about the body systems as I study them in the next few days.

As I mentioned earlier, outside of MCAT studying, I have been shadowing a neurosurgeon (Dr. Kenneth Liu, M.D.) at the UVA Medical Center. Dr. Liu is awesome and a wonderful doctor/surgeon/teacher! He's very efficient and does a great job in explaining simple things to you. I've seen several angiograms, vertebroplasties, carotid stenosis, AVMs, aneurysm coilings. I got to assist on a couple surgeries and actually push catheters in and out of patients (really cool!). I also have been to the OR where I've seen a pediatric cranial reconstruction surgery, the removal of a pituitary tumor in a patient with Cushing's disease, and an endoscopic cholycystectomy! If you want to be a doctor, I highly recommend shadowing someone, so you get a feel for what its like to be a doctor/resident in a hospital environment. Whether you go into private practice, teaching, research, or hospital, in order to obtain an M.D. you will have to work in a hospital environment at some point or the other. Well, my eye muscles are closing on me, so I shall stop here!

Cheers,

- BK

AC/DC: Not your average band

As you can probably guess, I reviewed some AC (alternating current) and DC (direct current) to ace the physics section today. For some reason, i love this part of physics because its rather straightforward. A few simple rules and you can answer every question on the topic. Undoubtedly the most important formula of your physics career is V=IR (Ohm's Law). It is so awesome that it can be used to explain everything from electricity in your home to electrical conduction in your neurons, which are now firing at a high rate as you are reading my exquisite blog :) Your best friend on the MCAT will be drawing some circuit diagrams. Every time you see a circuit diagram on the MCAT, you should scream with joy (not really, because that will probably get you kicked out). Circuit Diagrams can get really complex but you can always simplify it by using equivalent resistances and capacitances.

I also spent some time today learning all about glycolysis, TCA, and electron transport chain. For anyone that has taken biochemistry, this topic is quite easy. The MCAT doesn't require the knowledge of every intermediate and its structure. Rather the MCAT test-writers expect you to have a good grasp on the overall equations of each of the steps and the basic purpose of each cycle. If you took biochem, your professor may have made you memorize all the enzymes, their delta G's, etc. Though that knowledge may serve you well in getting some ladies (or gents), it may not be necessary for the MCAT.

In other news, a great new TV show: SUITS! It's on TNT and its absolutely awesome. It has action, drama, comedy, good looking women, and thats about everything you need :)Speaking of TV shows, if you are reading this and have begun preparing for the MCAT that's coming around closer and closer, make sure you take time off every few hours to do something relaxing. It's scientifically proven that even your brain needs break in order to effectively learn everything. Don't try to cram for the MCAT or spend three months slaving over it day and night while cutting yourself off from everything and everyone. You may have to prioritize a bit differently than usual, but you're not going to improve your score by changing your entire life for this one exam. Enough lecturing and time for me to go to sleep!

Cheers,

- BK

Enzymes Induce my Fit

I just wanted to say that my title today is so clever and it makes me so proud. If you can't understand its meaning then you better review some biology for the MCAT. Truth is, enzymes don't induce my fit, they're pretty awesome. Without enzymes, there'd be no life. Enzymes are everywhere and arguably the most important thing in our bodies. From hydrolyzing all that alcohol in our livers after a fun friday night or digesting that abomination they call food from the college dining hall, it's all enzymes. All you really need to understand are the different ways to inhibit/activate an enzyme. In addition, a basic understanding of the Michaelis-Menten equation wouldn't hurt. If you've taken biochem in college, this part of the review should be a piece of cake. If you haven't, I suggest you do at some point in your undergraduate career.

In other news, I watched the movie "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps" with most-notably Michael Douglas and Shia LeBeouf. It's a great movie that really gives a lay person an idea of how corrupt and unethical corporate America is. But, I also had another realization watching this movie. As much as we go around saying that money isn't everything and there's more to life, the unfortunate truth is that money is everything. It's what we do with that money that distinguishes the smart from the dumb. You'll notice that every CEO or President of a large corporation that has made millions, if not billions has had to make a series of tough decisions with all their money and their corporations money. You'll notice that those that made smart decisions (i.e. Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Jeff Bezos) have continued to make billions and grow their respective companies. On the other hand those that made poor decisions (Enron's CEO, Mark Fold, Lehman Bros.) ended up with less than nothing. If you're reading this blog, you more than likely want to be a doctor, hopefully not for the money. If you want to make money, you should go into business, because that is where it's at. Anyway, enough of my ranting, hopefully I haven't made you change your mind enough to go into business. Medicine is still the best :)

Cheers,

- BK

I hate magnets and contacts

I bet you can imagine what I did today...learn (or fail at learning) about Magnets. I don't know why I find magnetism such a hard topic to comprehend for the MCAT. There are really just a few equations like the ones for the magnetic force equation, magnetic field equation. The most interesting thing about magnetism is the fact that people have known its existence for so long. Ancient explorers used compasses to navigate through the largely unknown seas. These compasses worked by aligning with the magnetic poles of the earth. I bet you didn't know that the Earth's geographic north pole is actually its magnetic south pole. Weird right? And no, its not just the US trying to be different from the rest of the world, that's actually the way it is.

To add to my day full of misery, I went to the optometrist to get contacts -my first time. It was not good. I could not get the contacts into my eyes even after thirty tries! After going through several tissues, videos, finally the optometrist gave up and told me to come back another day. FAIL. Anyway, that's all I have for today!

Cheers,

- BK

(P.S. The Rupert Murdoch scandal is hilarious to watch because he literally had every person of importance from the police to the royals in his pocket...now that's power!!)

Don't Shock Me!

Today was an unbearably hot day, dew points in the 70s, which you science nerds should know means that its pretty damn muggy outside. The highlight of my day was finding a snake in my driveway this afternoon. I jumped and screamed like a little girl watching a scooby-doo cartoon. It was definitely a moment of pure embarrassment. I hope you can appreciate my candor. Outside of this exciting occurance, my day was pretty boring. I spent a majority of the day taking practice MCAT essays and reading about Electrostatics (hence my clever and ever-so-funny title).

The MCAT essay is one of the most useless tests I have ever had the pleasure of taking. It tests your ability to write a coherent (first-draft) quality essay in 30 minutes about an overgeneralized topic usually of very little interest to you or to the poor reader who has to read your boring essay. The essay is split into 3 parts or tasks each addressing a different part of the overgeneralized prompt, which is usually a one-line sentence stating an opinion like "Leading by example is the best way to lead." You are then supposed to determine the meaning of that statement in your own words, provide a counterexample, and then discuss how to qualify the prompt. Are you bored already? Me too. Unfortunately, if you want to become a doctor, you apparently have to be able to write this essay. If one isn't bad enough, the AAMC forces you to write two of these essays. I'm sure many of you have heard many rumors about the MCAT essay like, "oh, med schools don't care about it, its just a formality" or "no one gets a 6" or "the essays don't really count". Truth is, if it's on the MCAT your best bet is do well on it if you want a chance at a good medical school. It is true that some med schools place less weight on the essay score than on the numerical score, but determining which school does what is a task in and of itself not worth the trouble. Just because you may think its useless, doesn't mean its difficult. Also, 6's are given out in every test. You just have to write a coherent essay that addresses all the tasks with relevant examples to support your clear main idea. So stop complaining and just do it (there's my plug for Nike).

That's a great segue to all the work I did on electrostatics today -a fascinating and easy topic for any science nerd. Electrostatics is the field of study associated with stationary charges and the forces between them. There are but a few equations to memorize, most importantly the electric force equation F=kqQ/r^2. If you look closely, this equation is nothing but the equation for the Gravitational force but with charges. Though the astute MCAT student will notice that the electric force is about 10^40 times stronger than the gravitational force. I also learned about Electric Potential and Electric Potential Energy. Though they sound similar, they are different entities. Electric Potential is a measure of the difference in the potential when moving a charge from one place to another and is measured in volts. Electric Potential Energy, as you may guess, is the counterpart to the Gravitational Potential Energy. Make sure to not get confused and pay close attention to what the question is asking before you make any assumptions. Finally, I learned the physics behind the dipole moment. The equations may seem complex but they are just manipulations/applications of equations that you should already be familiar with. I think the coolest thing is dipoles in an electric field experience a net torque that causes translational motion of the dipoles. Here's a trivia fact for you: Dipoles are measured in units called Debye (3.34e-30 Coulumbs x meter). You can thank me when you impress a person of the opposite sex with that little tid-bit. Now that you've learned a little bit about the MCAT essay and Electrostatics, I'll quote my dad for you "Go to your room and study or you'll be working at McDonald's for the rest of your life".

Cheers

- BK

Archimedes was a Genius

Today was a pretty eventful day at least from the seat of my couch. The FIFA Women's World Cup Final was most exciting to watch, despite USA's loss to Japan in penalty kicks. I thought the US Women played exceptionally well, but the Japanese stepped it up when their backs were against the wall and ultimately that's what mattered. After all that Japan and its citizens have had to endure these past few months, I hope that this victory serves as a bright light in what has unequivocally been a dark time.

You may be wondering about the title of this post; random, isn't it? Well, it's the truth. Archimedes' ability to discern basic properties of liquids and solids (i.e. density) by simple observation and induction was pure genius. If only the scope of the material required for the MCAT stopped at Archemedian fluid mechanics. I spent a majority of the day slaving over fluid mechanics, including the much hated Bernoulli's principle, hydrostatics, etc. Honestly, I don't know why students find Daniel Bernoulli so distasteful. All he did was take the Conservation of Energy and apply to liquids/gases (things that flow). All the greek letters may seem daunting but really its just variations of basic KE + PE = Total Mechanical Energy, something that any student who has taken physics should know. I'll use this time to give a little plug for Kaplan and their MCAT prepwork. To put into perspective just how wonderful their program and reading materials are...I took two semesters of physics as required by the "pre-med track". I earned pretty good grades both semesters but forgot most of what I had learned (crammed) for tests. One of my weakest areas in physics was fluid mechanics. After spending about 5 hours on-and-off reading and following their worked-out solutions, I had a much better grasp of the topic than I had having taken this class and spent over a week on the exact same concepts. That goes to show just how efficient and easy-to-understand the Kaplan materials are. I presume that if you're bored enough to read my blog, you're a pre-med student, and thus I highly recommend that if you want to succeed on the MCAT, take the Kaplan course and really make use of their reading material; it makes the pain of the MCAT much more bearable :)

Cheers

-BK

(P.S. If you ever go to Canada, get their maple cream cookies, they are addicting, delicious, and will surely raise your blood glucose)

It's been a while...

I haven't written anything in a long time, about a year or so. This is mainly because I got lazy with this and then completely forgot I even had this. Today, I had an interesting set of experiences from studying Thermo for the MCAT to helping my brother with his PSAT prep to almost being in a car accident and it made me a bit reflective. From now on, I intend on keeping up with this blog mainly as a journal, but also as an informative guide to what life may throw at you, and hopefully anyone who reads this will be able to relate to some of the situations I will discuss. To give you all a brief overview and to allow myself to briefly reflect on my past year, here's what has happened:

I finished my Junior Year (3rd Year since I'm at UVA and we insist on being pretentious)quite successfully. I was able to improve my GPA slightly by getting good grades both semesters despite taking some difficult courses. By far, my favorite course of the year was Biochemistry. It is such a fascinating topic and I encourage anyone who is interested in science to take that class, even if it means auditing it for fun. Aside from academics, my a capella group, Ektaal, of which I am the president, had great success this year. We finally released our first CD and got some good reviews. We also competed in our first intercollegiate performance at Johns Hopkins and received great applause from the crowd. In my capacity as Cultural Chair of the Indian Student Association, we ran an outstanding India Day with numerous participants and a wonderful crowd. I also changed my research focus mid-way through the year. I used to work in a lab doing research on pancreatic islet dysfunction in type-II diabetic mice to determine the potential anti-diabetogenic effects of drugs. It was very interesting at first and the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of diabetes is a pretty cool thing to learn about, but pippetting and running Calcium-fluorescence models just became to mundane and boring for my taste. When all said and done, I am now working with Dr. Druzgal in the Division of Neuroradiology in the Department of Radiology at the UVA Medical Center. I'm doing some very interesting work with autism in adults and the Theory of Mind network in the brain(I will go into the detail of my research later as I am sure it will continue to come up). Despite the good times, I also had some unfortunate circumstances this past school year. Since my last post, my grandfather (on my mother's side) died, primarily of kidney failure among other complications. It was truly heartbreaking for me as he was a great motivation and idol for me to pursue medicine as a career. He was an ophthalmologist, and a very eminent one in India. He was probably my #1 supporter in all that I wanted to accomplish whether it be tennis, music, or academics. I really miss him and I will continue to talk about him and some of the plans I have regarding his legacy later. In addition to my grandfather's demise, I also failed to get selected for a few scholarships (sad face), though I did manage to get selected for the U.S. Patent Office Summer Externship Program...which I declined to accept.

So, hopefully that was a brief enough overview of my year. From tomorrow's post onwards, I will talk about that day's events and other commentary and general advice I may have. I've been thinking of a clever way to sign off, but until my creativity kicks in, trite phrases shall prevail...

Cheers!

- BK