Tasty Tuesday: Grilled Zucchini Orzo

One food that I obsess over each summer is zucchini. I love it. I can't get enough of it, even when the garden is overflowing with zucchini and it's coming out of our ears, I can't wait to eat more of it. It genuinely is one of my favorite foods; as a child, I loved loved loved fried zucchini (oh of course I still do!), but now that I have grown up (a little), I have branched out and found that I love zucchini in all of its ways: masked in casseroles, hidden in desserts, showcased as a steamed side, with a bit of pasta, with a bit of quinoa, with a few mushrooms, with a little salt, breaded and baked and dipped in tomato sauce...well, you get the idea.

This summer, I have been doing my best to eat as clean as possible (while allowing room for cheats of ice cream and other goodies - what's life if you can't enjoy food, am I right?!). Going along with clean eating, I have discovered a new recipe for zucchini that I am currently maybe a bit too excited about. I have, in fact, made this dish three times in the past week (I can't help myself, really).

So, without further adieu, I give you: Grilled Zucchini Orzo

Grill 3 cubed zucchini and 2 diced onions in a small amount of olive oil until nice. Boil up some orzo (I make the entire box, but that might be a bit much for you!) and cook as directed. Chop up about a half a cup of fresh basil, 2 cups of arugula, and a red pepper if that's your style (not for me - no thanks). Drain the orzo, add it to the grilled veggies, toss in the basil/arugula/pepper, add in a bit of salt and pepper and your desired amount of balsamic vinegar before plating. Top the pasta dish with sprinkles of Mediterranean mix Feta Cheese and enjoy. You can thank me later.

It's so quick and easy, yet so flavorful and delicious, it's no wonder why I've had the urge to cook it so often while I'm in full-on study mode! 

Hope you enjoy!!!! :)

Boards, Boards, Boards, Boards, Boards.

My schedule has been crazy, studying for the boards. I've learned from what worked for step1 (and more importantly what didn't), so I am already seeing improvements in my performance. I still have 12 days to study (I'm taking the exam Friday, August 3), but I'm feeling fairly confident at this point. I have a lot of things I need to look over a few more times, but I'm not too terribly overwhelmed right now. I mean, I have been preparing for this exam for the past year, I've done well on the shelf exams, so I should do well given the 4 weeks I've given myself to solely prepare for the exam.

My daily schedule looks something like this:
7-830: Run/Shower
8:30-12:30: Watch Doctors-in-Training lectures
12:30-2:30: Attend Pathology Cases
2:30-4:30: Do 44 questions in UWorld
4:30-7: Finish Lectures/Review DIT
7-10: Do 44 Questions in UWorld
...and of course a few breaks to sneak in dinner/a cup of tea/walks outside with Marley/tidy the house. I might enjoy my breaks a little too much - it is just so hard to sit still for 14 hours a day!

I'm so ready to be back on the wards, and to have all of my major exams of my medical school career done and over with!

Next up after boards: A week's vacation with my family (which I have missed every year for the past 4 years!), followed by 2 weeks of Inpatient Hematology/Oncology (I absolutely cannot wait for this), which will lead me into September and 4 weeks of an Acting Internship in Internal Medicine - - - I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!! :)

The Two-Horned Uterus

I am currently in full-on Step2CK/Boards study mode. I'm averaging 10 hours a day at the moment, trying to increase it to 11, and I take the exam in less than 4 weeks. I'm surprised at how different studying is this year as compared to last year's studies for Step1. I was in England, and I was absolutely spoiled; the only thing I had to do was study. No bills to pay, no laundry to do, no food to make, no dishes to clean, not one single obligation outside of studying (Mike's parents are absolutely amazing and I cannot thank them enough for their support!). I'm also taking my science-based clerkship right now (pathology), which takes up a little bit of my time. This year is so much more difficult. Mike is busy studying in between loads of coaching sessions and summer camps...which means the housework is falling on me, miss needs-to-study-all-day-every-day. And it's pretty hard to balance, actually, as one may notice by how absolutely messy the apartment is!

Anyway, enough complaining! I do love what I do, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I'm performing better on my exams than I had for Step1, which is a really promising sign. I have a goal score for my Step2 and I am absolutely going to achieve it (even if it means everything else in my life is put on hold for the next month!).

As I have been studying, I am constantly reminded of interesting patients I have seen in the past year. It's funny, the whole first year of clinical work everything seems amazing and everything seems rare because everything is brand new to you. It's not until I've reached the end of my third year that I realized just how amazing some of the patient's stories actually are! So, as they come up, I would like to share them with you. I have nothing else to blog about anyway, unless you want to hear about how I sit at my desk for days at a time, taking breaks only to go to case studies, eat, shower, walk the dog, and run! (didn't think so....)

Story #1:

While I was on the OB service, I was able to scrub in on every delivery that occurred during my shifts. My very first experience with a C-section was something I'll never forget. Gowned up (with high boots and all), I watched as the OB and her senior resident cut open a gorgeous woman's abdomen and pull out a beautiful baby. After the baby, the resident laid a strangely heart-shaped organ onto the mom's abdomen - the woman's uterus - so that he could suture the uterus closed. That's when the resident decided to pimp me -
Resident: "what's significant about this patient?"
Me: (Hm....quite an open-ended question, but) "her uterus appears to be misshapen."
Resident: "Yeah, it's called a bicornate uterus, meaning two horns. It's an anomaly which occurs in about 1 in 1500 women. This is the first time I've ever seen one before. Aren't you lucky to have scrubbed in today?...Since she has this malformation, what other things should we be concerned about in this patient?..."
Me: (oh my god I have no idea, but that was one of the most disgusting procedures I have ever seen in my life; I feel a bit light-headed...) "... ... ..."
Resident: "Which organs are related to the same embryological origin as the uterus? It's the kidneys. The malformation is due to the failed fusion of the Mullerian ducts. We need to make sure there are no anomalies in this patient's kidneys, as about 1/3 of patient's with a bicornate uterus also have renal abnormalities."

That was pretty cool. Thinking back on the patient, she was an older woman and this was her first delivery. I thought it kind of strange that she was so old (only like 35), old for a first time mom. But looking back, this makes sense. Women with a bicornate uterus have difficult conceiving, as the egg finds it difficult to implant. Moreover, second-trimester miscarriages occur due to defective implantation of the placenta. Other complications of pregnant women with a bicornate uterus include: fetal anomalies, prolonged labor, malpresentation of the fetus (such as breech and transverse lie), and increased bleeding.

Bicornate Uterus literally means "two-horned uterus". Animals which carry multiple offspring during pregnancy often have this type of uterus (such as dogs), but its occurrence in humans is 1:1000-2000 women. It consists of a double uterine cavity with one cervix and one vagina.

For more information regarding embryogenesis of the uterus and kidneys, click here. That stuff is more Step1 material than Step2 so (thank God) I don't have to memorize that junk again! ;)