Other 001: Doctors Without Borders and Brave New World

I realized something yesterday. None of the people I've spoken with about Doctors Without Borders actually knows what it is.

To preface, right now at this very second, I really want to work with Doctors Without Borders. I think there are too many doctors in the United States and I read somewhere that if a third of them took their work abroad, the world's health (and care) would be a lot better off.

So, when the inevitable question comes (why do you want to be a doctor? Or "why did you decide to switch?" or something along those lines), I usually tell them that Doctors Without Borders is my ultimate goal. And it's so interesting that no one down here in North Carolina seems to have heard of the organization.

I wonder what it means.

Sans segue, I'm currently reading Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. While reading it last night, they were mentioning a lot of chemicals and I found myself trying to figure out the molecular formulas for them. Immediately after that, there was a molecular formula and I, again, found myself trying to decipher which compound it was.

Is that not crazy? Science/chemistry is pervading the "fun" parts (reading, e.g.) of my life and you know what? I kind of like it.

Day 016: Stoichiometry, the first test results and then some

Stoichiometry is "the process of relating quantities of reactants and products to one anotehr in a chemical reaction." In English? Lots of chemical equations, how to balance them and basically a lot of information in a few not-so-random numbers and symbols.

What it all means

The point of telling you what the heck it is, and why you should pretend to care, is that this is a big freaking chapter. There is a lot to learn, a lot of conversions to grasp, more things to memorize (solubility rules -- joy :/) and just a lot of chemistry.

However, It feels like we're really starting to do chemistry. In lecture, we're learning how things fit and why things have to balance (The Law of Conservation of Mass) and how everything combines to, well, work. In lab, we made some aspirin! It's amazing what some chemicals, hot and cold water, and a good mixing technique can create. I'm extremely excited to keep learning because I feel like it's starting to make sense in the broader scheme of things. ...well, it does when I blog about it, not so much during lecture and lab, but whatever. I'm learning.

Getting my first test back (with an A, phew!) was comforting in the sense that I'm on the right path. I'm studying hard. I'm studying properly. I'm grasping the material. I'm applying the material. I just need to keep this up and we'll see how things go.

On a personal note, the North Carolina post-bacc guy that I met (let's call him Nick) is turning out to be a fascinating person as well as a wonderful study partner! We're both suffering through this post-bacc thing together so we support, push and help each other on all scientific frontiers.