Happy holidays everyone! It's a beautiful day in Philadelphia, there's even a dusting of snow coating the sidewalks.

I wanted to post this earlier but didn't want to ruin the surprise for all the gifts I sent my friends and family. I've found that the best kind of holiday gifts are homemade ones, whether they're greeting cards, jewelry, or even handmade scarves. It means so much more when you know someone put time and thought into creating something especially for you.
This year, I got my friends involved in making holiday cards! We used water color pencils and Pinterest for inspiration.

This has become one of my favorite hobbies too - especially when I'm on call at the hospital. I can pick up in between answering pages right where I left off. At the end, I feel like I've accomplished something extra on top of treating my patients!

Happy Sunday! What better way to celebrate a beautiful fall Sunday and get to know a new community than through yoga? It brings people together from all walks of life to destress and re-center. This is especially important when you're in residency. I've been on a yoga marathon after finally replacing my old mat a few weeks ago with this perfect one from Athleta: the Manduka mat.




In fact, on my way back from picking up my new mat, I discovered CorePower Yoga was promoting a free trial week for newbies. Wanting to give my Manduka a test drive, I signed up. Talk about holding yourself accountable. I went every day to trial their classes from Yoga Sculpt to Levels 1 and 2. It was tough because I wasn't used to the heated yoga but I felt so rejuvenated afterward. Plus, when you're on a budget (thank you student loans), the best kind of yoga class is a free yoga class.


Looking for more fun activities in the area, I decided to check out Athleta's upcoming events. They host free weekly yoga classes often accompanied by a tutorial on eating healthy and taking care of your body.




I registered for today's Be Gentle to Your Body class and my favorite instructor from CorePower Yoga, Melissa, turned out to be leading it! They cleared the store so we had plenty of room to stretch out. Melissa led us through a gentle early morning flow with lots of downward dogs, warrior ones and twos, and an amazing Shavasana complete with a lavender oil aroma. Not to mention you're surrounded by Athleta's beautiful activewear. They even give you an Athleta goodie bag at the end filled with coupons and treats like chocolate covered Date Truffles. I was ready to buy the whole store.



Afterward we had a discussion about healthy eating with a focus on yogurt parfaits. Melissa, a certified nutritionist, explained how important it is to focus on consuming all-natural ingredients. Your body is better equipped to digest and extract the necessary nutrients from whole foods. It doesn't know how to metabolize processed foods appropriately, which is why you may not feel well after, say, a fast-food binge or ice cream indulgence (Halo Top excluded).


She cautioned us about parfaits that have too much sugar, which can be hidden in granola and yogurt. She also emphasized the importance of bulking up breakfast with protein. Tricks to do this include using Greek Yogurt as a base and adding toppings like hemp seed, peanut butter, and pumpkin seeds. We learned simple ways to add sweetness using honey, raw cacao nibs, and fresh blueberries (fun fact: these are also loaded with tons of antioxidants). You can even flavor with cinnamon and throw in chia seeds to provide extra fiber. We got to make our own yogurt parfaits using her recommendations with fantastic ingredients compliments of Trader Joe's.

I also got to meet two young women from Temple University's Pretty Girls Sweat club at the class. They told me all about their club and how they empower college girls through fitness around the country by promoting free upcoming events and classes. You can follow them on instagram @prettygirlssweattu :)

Check out what the fitness stores and studios are doing in your area and I'll see you on the mat!

When you're given hundreds of pages to read every night, you discover your strengths and weaknesses for consolidating such large amounts of information. Mine was realizing that I am a visual learner. I learn best by seeing and picturing information, whether it's diagrams, tables, or lists. Chalkboards and whiteboards soon became my best friend. The following is a list of online and written resources that helped me through medical school, studying day in and day out for weekly quizzes, monthly tests, quarterly exams, and yearly boards:

1. 
   
   
   Kaplan: This was my go-to for MCAT prep as well as boards prep. My medical school provided us with both on-line material and in-person courses. I found this helpful to supplement my other boards prep material and now contribute to their Step 3 boards prep as a content consultant.
2. 
   
   
   Doctors In Training: I used this for COMLEX Levels 1, 2, and 3 as well as USMLE Step 1. I loved the courses. It was especially helpful for the first board exam. I liked that it gave me structure for studying as well. The best part is my friends used this too and we could compare notes or ask each other questions to help us better understand concepts.
3. 
   
   
   Acland Anatomy: These are great videos that go into detail over anatomic landmarks in case you need a review but don't have a chance to go to the anatomy lab.
4. 
   
   
   Picmonics: As a visual learner, I loved these "picture mnemonics." I still use them today.
5. 
   
   
   
   BRS series: Every single one. They cut through all of the dense material and give you a concise, comprehensive review of each topic. Instead of pouring over books searching for buried answers or explanations, these books have them all upfront and easily accessible.
6. 
   
   
   Dr. Najeeb: He is funny, smart, and a great teacher. I loved watching his courses online. I still refer back to his drawings.
7. 
   
   
   MDCalc: This is a must-have app to have on your phone for clinical rotations (along with Epocrates). Plus it's free.
8. 
   
   First Aid: The Bible of medicine (sorry Grey's).
9. 
   
   COMBANK/COMQUEST/UWorld: Depending on the exam you're studying for, these are great question banks. I used COMBANK for Level 1 and 3, COMQUEST for Level 2, and UWorld for Step 1.
10. 
    
    
    Case Files: These were the best resource I found for in-service exams during my rotations.
    
    And because there really is no such thing as too much board prep, here's one more -
    
    
11. 
    
    
    Quizlet: You'll figure out what works for you, whether that's making flashcards, re-writing notes, or developing your own concept maps. I used to hand-write all of my flashcards in high school and college but in medical school there wasn't enough time and I couldn't handle the cramps. Quizlet made it easy for me. I typed all the material I wanted to study. Having the app on my phone meant I could test myself anywhere. And I still use it today in residency!

Given my recent national TV debut during Miss America (see above) I thought it was a perfect time to post some of my favorite things to watch on TV. It also coincides with a request one of my best friends made for my next blog post.

You see, when you're in medical school and residency, you end up working weird hours. Sure you can have a social life but not everyone wants to hang out at 2am when you finish your shift. You're still reeling from that hospital high and need to decompress. My favorite way to relax and veg out, to let my mind go and give myself a break...Aside from reading and exercising, it has to be watching TV.

When I was little my parents used to limit me to 2 hours of television a night but I would sneak into the back room of our house to catch my favorite Nickelodeon episodes. I love watching TV. I love when I recognize actors and actresses from different shows playing other roles. My parents finally gave in to letting me watch my favorite shows as long as I put in the same amount of time studying and needless to say it paid off - I own pop culture in addition to medicine on trivia nights.



I haven't seen every Netflix show available and there are some that I have yet to watch (Orange is the New Black) or am currently binge-watching (Game of Thrones) but if you're looking for a new show then here is my list separated by categories:

1. Breaking Bad (of course it's number 1...I still have yet to see Better Call Saul)
2. Homeland (Claire Danes is phenomenal)
3. The Americans
4. Sneaky Pete (on Amazon)
5. Queen of the South (adapted from the Spanish version La Reina del Sur) 

Mystery

1. Big Little Lies
2. Sherlock (the Benedict Cumberbatch version of course)
3. The Bletchley Circle
4. Veronica Mars (this basically shaped my teenage years, I looooove this show and they even made a movie out of it because it was cancelled too early)