I hope you started well in the new year, I have! Its been a busy 11 days, studying for the exams which took place today (pharmakology & pathology) & which are taking place next week and the week after next week.
I have just worked on some pictures, maybe have a look at them right here!

Well, I don't have all too much time, as you may guess. So everybody, let me know whats going on, especially my friends from overseas.

Best wishes and a going-on-good-start in 2008!
Paul

Here I am, passed all exams of all four semesters (already a couple of weeks ago the very last one).
Now in 8 days (Aug. 20th & 21st) I'll be sitting over a 2x 4 hours multiple choice stateexam and September 13th I'll take the oral part.
I'm overwhelmed, sometimes, with all that studying. Its crazy, I've barely seen the sun since several weeks.
That's why I don't have anything more to post here.
I'm working my mind through many many topics of preclinical medschool.
Greetings to everybody, hope you're well!
- Paul

PS: thx to everybody who is crossing fingers for me!

Alright, I passed all the exams I had posted here, now its only one more oral exam and one written multiple choice, both shouldn't a big deal. Once I passed those I'm officially accepted to take the big & final exam of preclinical studies, after which I'll be in my clinical part of education. I am so looking forward to this!

I just spent an hour trying to find a new streaming site for my favourite radio station on the internet, z100 New York. I finally found a possibility to override the stupid "where are you from - if you are from outside the US you can't listen to us..." block from z100.com.

So if anybody feels like listening to z100 and does not live within the US (an so doesn't have a US-IP address), just click here.

Alright, I'll get back to biochemistry, hope everybody is doing good!
 - Paul

Last Saturday I took the Physiology exam, today I took the Biochemistry exam and last Tuesday I took the sports-medicine exam... really busy times!!!
If you think that now I'm ready for vacation, you are right! BUT there is more coming up. There will be practical trainings for 7 days Physiology (starting Monday next week) and after that 6 days practical training Biochemistry... all that wouldn't be much fun without exams, of course. This time its oral exams, twice each practical training. Great! To make it all really fun, those exams are a surprise... if the Prof decides to see me Monday and take the exam about the topic of the day, then he does just that... if he likes Tuesday more, it'll be that day....

Ok, as you can imagine, no time to tell big stories (and no big stories to be told..) hope you're doing well out there, in the world, which I can only imagine to exist.

- Paul

My birthday was quiet a while ago, I haven't been in Rostock at that day, therefore did not give a party or celebrate in any other way in the town where I study. I did not invite any friends, not even after studies started with summersemester. Because of all that I did not expect to get a present from my friends at all. Last Thursday, I stood at the steps of the biochemistry building, as suddenly there is a Happy-Birthday-chorus right behind me. I turn around and do not really realize that this is for me, until I'm getting a wrapped up present from my friends.

I had no idea what to say, so I just opened it up and fell silent for a minute or so, mouth gaping open. 16 of my friends together got me one of the newest high technology graphic tablets that is available just NOW after the Cebit. In combination with Windows Vista (above Home Premium) it recognizes my handwriting and transforms it into typed text. Also its far easier to precisely work at photographs with Photoshop CS3, using the pen and the board. It just awesome, I can't really express how happy I am about that.

But as always, getting some new technology means trouble with the computer. First I had to upgrade my system to Windows Vista, because Win XP wouldn't support all these nice features of the board. Luckily my brother gets Vista legally for free, so I installed that. My computer isn't really up-to-date anymore but lucky me, Vista runs without bigger problems. So the main reason to install Vista works out, the board works perfectly!

Annoying, though, is that Vista doesn't support a row of programs and features that I have been used to. If anyone else here is using Skype by bluetooth-headset... this is not possible under Vista anymore. Microsoft stripped it of the ability to connect a bluetooth headset. Installing the "old" Widcomm driver won't work and installing the updated Widcomm driver won't even install...

So after hours of looking around for a solution on the internet I finally found something great, which I'd like to share: A Widcomm Bluetooth Hack for Windows Vista. I used it and everything works fine now, I can finally use my BT headset again. For those who don't know: Widcomm is a pretty advanced driver for Windows which gives it the ability to connect to any bluetooth device around.

So now, after installing and using the graphic tablet more regulary, I'll soon try out the buildt-in voice command tool of Windows Vista... future, here I come!

I just skipped the physiology class, I'll have to leave for biochemistry now.

- Paul

Hello, after quiet a while. I can't say I've been too busy to post some information here, but I just had better things to do. Happily I can say I had a very great spring break and enjoyed it a lot. To put it in a few words: I went from Rostock (3 Weeks) to Bremen (1 week) to Rostock (1 week) to Berlin (3 weeks). In Berlin I've done some shopping (I got a new suit for my birthday) with my gf, went to the Zoo, met good old friends, enjoyed great weather and worked a bit.

"Worked" means I've done some kind of well payed service checks for a big hotel chain, meaning I had to stay one night and evaluate services. I did 3 four-star-hotels in the centre of Berlin and quiet enjoyed it. Also, during the day, I've fixed the attic of my Moms house and she was so nice to give me some penny's for that.

So hopefully (if I do some more service checks in the near future) I'll be able to get these new computer-screens that I want since a long time. My screens are quiet big and used to be very good, but the image-quality just isn't what it used to be, anymore. So to save my eyes from becoming damaged or worse, save myself from creating horrible looking pictures in Photoshop because I see the wrong colours... soon it'll be time to order.

Summer semester has started almost 3 weeks ago and I'm slowly gettin' back into studying. After such a long (but really needed) break its not easy to start up again. At least we have very very good weather over here and I was able to spend some money in my bycicle, which is working awesome now. So, now, everyday I'm cycling to University and back and usually on my way back I take the ferry to cross a small river. Whenever I get there and wait 10 minutes for the ferry and cross the river with it, its like a 20 minute holiday. So nice! I'll attach a picture of my view from the ferry from today (taken with my cellphone).

I hope everyone is well, soon parties will end and serious & hard studying for the state exam will start.
- Paul

My gf passed all her remaining repeat-exams. Very nice, now I really feel like vacation, it just wasn't the perfect feeling when she was still so stressed out.

We're at her place in Bremen for another 4 days, today going to visit her grandpa in Göttingen. I haven't been in this city before, but its said to be nice, so I'm looking forward to it.

I finished "Fine" by Samuel Shem yesterday night. Its hard to put down an opinion about it, the book really does have lots of highs and lows. Let me put it like this. If one is interested in psychology and psychotherapy and you already have kind of an insight in the topic then you will most likely have fun reading it. If you don't know anything about it, then you'll find yourself just flipping through certain parts of the book, because they're just boring.  Anybody who knows and like Freud will not have such times.
I still have to read "Mount Misery"... maybe I should've done that before because it's the "missing link" between "Fine" and "House of God".

However, I'm doing great, enjoying my vacation, hope you life's great as well,
- Paul

As I've mentioned before, Physiology wasn't a big deal. I had a bet with a friend wether or not I'll be better than 66 points (out of 80 max possible). I had 68. VACATION, NOW!

Nice nice nice. My gf passed her repeat-exam today, now she has just 2 more to go and I'll be trying to help, by examining her knowledge every evening.

Since I'm in vacation, you won't believe how fast boredom sets in. So I've decided to dig out my old computer games and play a little. I played Warcraft III for the past 2 days (when I wasn't staying with my gf) and now really have enough. I kind of liked the game in the past (I played it last 5 years ago) but now just cheated, put myself in "god-mode" and ran through it. Wasn't sooo much fun, so now I'll be back, taking photographs, tweaking them at the computer and refurbish my homepage.

Lately I start to realize that, in fall, I'll have the first of two final medical exams, its kind of starting to get through... exciting, so I'll soon open up my books again... in the beginning of march.

Enough for now, enjoy whatever you're doing and DON'T spend so much time in front of the computer...!

Paul

Its over. I've mastered this semester, passed every single one (ok except one) exam and am offically in vacation now!!! The 6th of February is my repeat-exam Physiology, but its not gonna be a big deal.
So this semester, let me summarize, I passed:

Biochemistry:
4 "every second week" tests
1 big huge written exam about the semester (where almost 70% failed)
2 verbal exams during the practicum
1 small written exam during the practicum

Anatomy:
4 dissection exams
upper limb,
lower limb,
stomach,
head

Physiology:
3 small "every second week" written exams
1 big huge written exam about 2 semester (which I have yet to pass)
2 verbal exams during the physiology practicum

Psychology
4 small "every second week" exams
1 presentation

Isn't that something for just about 3 months?!!

I feel relaxed and am going to spend quiet a while at the beach, tomorrow, taking pictures!!!
Hope you are doing great,
- Pau l

I just took a minute to go over my new-years-pictures 2007.
This is one of them. What do you think? I might post it bigger sized soon.

I'm doing good... three day weekend (of course studying for three exams next week).
- Paul =)