Last night I had a dream about Olestra/ Olean (the type of chemically engineered fat that can’t be absorbed by the human body). In my dream, I was sitting in my medical school classroom examining diagrams of fatty acids as my professor explained how the carboxyl group could be attacked and replaced by a large molecule, like Chlorine or Urea to make an indigestible fat.
Actually I have never studied the molecular content of this molecule, so my brain was creating this scenario by itself. I used Wikipedia this morning to see how Olestra is really made, and it turns out that 8 fatty acid chains are connected to a Glucose molecule, like an octopus. The body cannot break the glucose-fatty acid bond, and the structure is too large to pass into the epithelial cells of the intestine. So, I was thinking in the right direction, although I was wrong.
What amazes me about my dream is that this is one of countless vivid dreams I have had lately. Undeniably my brain is being stimulated in new ways, and it is exciting and exhausting. I have had trouble settling down to meditate and clear my thoughts. But, I think this means I am starting to be a real medical student- I am “getting into it.”
The past month has been wonderful. My doubtful thoughts have become quieter, and I have been moving forward in all my classes. “Epidemiology” and “Molecular Biology” ended, and have been replaced by “Immunology” and “Cell, Tissue & Organ Biology” (a.k.a. Histology). I am pretty comfortable with my classmates and my schedule, and the end of the semester is starting to feel close.
I feel like I’ve passed over some major hurdles, and have been able to stay balanced. I’ve had a lot of fun this month. However, the real test was in mid-October when my husband and I flew to a special wedding before my dreaded Biochemistry Exam II the Monday following. This exam included all of the glycolytic pathways & enzymes- glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, glycogenolysis, the TCA-cyle (Kreb’s Cycle).
Despite the 2 time-zone shifts, staying up late for the celebration, meeting wonderful new people and losing my wallet… I was still able to keep my head straight and do well on my exam. Maybe I am starting to get the hang of this medical school thing!
