Welp, I just finished my first test of medical school. Anatomy!!!! It was cool – I found out I knew less than I did, but not that much less. Well, we’ll see how the Biochem test turns out on Tuesday.

For many of us, it’s that time of the year when we say good-bye once again to our families, make the plane trip or car drive to Norman, and begin a new semester of higher education. Today (and continuing through the weekend), thousands of young men and women set foot on the University campus for the first time, breathing the air of the giants who came before, looking to make their own impressions upon the institutes of higher learning. For those of us who are no longer a part of such a noble enterprise, this just means that we have to leave 15 minutes earlier to make sure we’ll still be on time to where we want to go, even if we get stuck in traffic.

Ah yes, it’s move-in day in Oklahoma! The dorm parking lots are packed with cars double-parked and triple-parked. Parents are frantically trying to figure out what their students need to survive a year away from home-cooked meals and free laundry. Students move from tent to tent, signing away their lives and hundreds of dollars of money, just to pay for cable TV that they won’t ever watch, or for a parking spot they may or may not ever find.

In the midst of this chaos, the heroes for the day emerge, glistening with sweat, coming back for the 20th box that one girl managed to pack into her Volkswagon Bug. No, they’re not RAs – though many of them have lived in the dorms longer than the RAs have. No, they don’t accept tips. Yes, they’re the upperclassmen, the men and women who joyfully chose to remain in the dorms to be guiding influences to these 17-18 year-olds. These are the unsung warriors who battle on the front lines. They are no different from the average college upperclassman student, save for their commitment to the Cross and their willingness to make a difference in these residence halls. From Honors to Adams, from Athletic to Walker, these All-Stars will never see the fullness of their impact until they are called Home.

Ah, I miss those days in the dorms. I would not trade the three years I had in Honors 269, nor my sole year in Thulcandra (Walker 908e) for anything in the world. For the men and women who carry on the dorm legacy of the last 38 years, I salute you! Anna, Lauren, Christy, Hailey, Thad, Nathan, Jeremy, David, Paul, Matt, Andy, Mindy, Sophie, Daniel, David, Travis, and anyone else I left out (sorry!), you all are super great! I’m excited for what Dad’s going to do through you this year!

Well, let me explain the quotes around “Back.” It’s because I’ve been studying the anatomy of the human back for the last four days. Friday culminates with the vertebral column and spinal cord. Medical school is so much fun! Of course, it’s not for everyone. But I’m loving every moment of it, even the hours of studying I’m having to put in outside of class.

Still, it’s a bit lonely at times. For those of you in Norman, please keep inviting me to do stuff! I welcome study breaks – many study breaks. I know that the school year’s going to be busy for us all, but I’m going to fight to spend time with you all on the weekends, at the very least. Leave a comment on my blog, or call me up after 5 any day. Okay, I’m done whining.

So…anyone want to know about the latissimus dorsi muscles of your lower back?

Well gang,

I just finished my first day of medical school! I suppose it wasn’t too bad, despite the somewhat bad start. I slept through my alarm and got to my first class 15 minutes late.

We spent the morning doing more orientation-type stuff as an introduction to Biochemistry and Gross Anatomy, two of the major courses we’ll be taking this fall. After a brief lunch break, we sat down to listen to our first lecture of medical school: Gross Anatomy. Afterwards we went down to the dungeon where we had our Gross Anatomy Lab. We worked on dissecting the superficial back for the rest of the afternoon.

I must admit, I was surprised to see the time pass so quickly. I was amazed at how engrossed I was (no pun intended) at all of the different things we were trying to learn – superficial branch of the transverse cervical artery, finding the posterior inferior serratus, etc. – and realizing that I’m actually learning them. It’s been quite a trip.

While it’s been fun, I did realize that I will have to study quite extensively every day in order to keep up with the material. Since I didn’t prepare at all for today’s lecture and lab, I felt completely lost with the new terminology. My original plan of not studying the first night fell through, as I pored over the diagrams and structures I had just dissected a few hours before. Still, I’m holding out hope that Dad’s going to take care of me and help keep me from distractions.

Well, Day 1 of my orientation for medical school has ended. Med school’s going to be really fun! It’s going to be pretty challenging, too. Lots and lots of things are on my plate – getting paperwork turned in, buying textbooks, getting all of the utilities and services turned on at the house, etc. – real life is pretty crazy! But, God’s still showing His faithfulness.

What do you think of the new look to K-Lai.com? My hope is for this website to be the place where you can find out how I’m doing and also where you can be challenged to think deeply about different things. Of course, there will also be occasions where you’ll get to laugh at something random I’ve said or thought.

If you want to go back and look at my summer at Project Impact, click on the link underneath My Sites on the right. I’ve transferred all of my more meaningful posts from Xanga to this site, and they’re categorized so that you can read my musings on a variety of subjects.

Well, hope to keep in touch with everyone! Please let me know how you’re doing!