100th Blog Post and Nominated for a Liebster Award!

I’ve finally reached my goal of 100 blog posts before medical school! I thought that would be the hardest thing to cross off the list, so I’m pretty surprised that I hit the goal with more than a week to go before the start of classes. Hopefully this will hold my new readers (and allow my current readers to catch up on old posts) as the frequency of posts start to decline with the start of school. Blogging has been an awesome hobby for me, so I look forward to bringing you all a lot more :-)

On another note, I was nominated for a Liebster Award by the very down-to-earth Awkward Black Doctor. Thanks for the love! If you guys have not checked out this individual's blog, then you’re missing out! This blogger will be starting medical school this fall at UCLA, and her blog is one of my favorites. If you’re interested in medicine, travel, or just want to read something from someone who isn’t afraid to express their true feelings, then you’ll love it too. Anyway, here is a breakdown of the award that I lifted from the blog: 

 “LIEBSTER, PRONOUNCED ‘LEEB’-STER, IS A WORD OF GERMAN ORIGIN AND MEANS BELOVED, PREFERRED, OR LIKED VERY MUCH AMONG OTHERS. IT IS A TERM OF ENDEARMENT AND LIKEWISE, THE LIEBSTER AWARD IS ONE CREATED BY BLOGGERS FOR BLOGGERS AS A WAY TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR WORK IN THE BLOGGERSPHERE.”

To accept the award, here are the rules:

The Liebster Award Rules

1. Thank the nominator and post a link to his/her blog

2. Display the award on your blog

3. Answer the eleven questions provided by the nominator

4. Nominate 5-11 blogs which have less than 1,000 followers, and let them know they’ve been nominated

5. Make up and post eleven questions for your nominees to answer

6. Post these rules on your blog

My Questions:

1) Why should someone follow your blog?

If you’re a nontraditional student considering becoming a physician, then you should definitely follow my blog. I have helpful tips for navigating the application process, inspiration to help you get through, and peeks into my life where I like to work just as hard as I play. There also aren’t a lot of blogs available from single parents in medical school, those who overcame low stats, or underrepresented minority females, so there’s a little something in here for everybody.

2) What is your stance on white chocolate?

Haha! My first thought was men or the food? LOL If you’re a long-term reader of my blog, then you know why that came to mind. When it comes to food though, I love white chocolate on strawberries, but that's pretty much the only time I eat it.

3) What is your pump-up song?

It’s a tie between "Blow up" by J. Cole and "All the Above" by Maino

4) What would your best friend say about you? What would your worst friend say about you?

Best  or worst, I think they all would say the same thing: I'm slightly crazy, stubborn, and a little OCD at times, but you can't help but love me!

5) Tell me about a favorite dish you think I’ve never heard of.

Since I'm craving them right now, I'll say Boudin balls. It's a Cajun dish that is basically rice, sausage, and seasonings rolled up and deep fried.

6) Any special skills?

I actually like to pole dance (for workout purposes only!) and I’ve gotten really good at not having to use my hands with it. Unfortunately, before I moved I had a little incident where I didn't tighten my pole enough, which resulted in me flying through the air and almost breaking my arm. I'm afraid to get back on it without a spotter, so it sits in my closet for now LOL. 

7) Do you have a Plan B for your life?

Having a Plan B gives you an excuse to not give it your all. The only plan for my life is God's plan, which doesn't leave room for any other plans.

8) What is your favorite place you’ve visited internationally?

Although I recently visited Cancun, Mexico and fell in love with it, Jamaica still reigns as my favorite country. The food, culture, and people really give it a uniqueness and comfortable feeling that I have yet to find anywhere else. There are still quite a few places on my to-visit list, so this could change in the future.

9) What is the best book you’ve read recently?

Blue Collar, Blue Scrubs: The Making of a Surgeon by Michael J. Collins. It's a great book written by an orthopedic surgeon, and it talks about his journey through medical school. I still can't believe this man had 12 children, and mostly while in medical school and residency!

10) Do you think fate is real or a rationalization of occurrences?

Without a doubt, fate is real.

11) Does the future scare you?

There's a quote floating around somewhere that says something to the effect of "If your dreams don't scare you, then they're not big enough." Of course, the future scares me, but not in terms of what will happen to me. I'm more afraid of not living up to my full potential and making the impact on the world that I am supposed to.

Nomination Time!

1. Surgery at Tiffany's

2. The Road Less Traveled to Medical School

3. Doc201x

4. Wife M.D.

5. Stilettos + Stethoscopes

Here are my questions!
1. What's one major lesson that you have learned from blogging?
2. What's your guilty pleasure?
3. What is one thing that most people find surprising about you?
4. What is your favorite quote?
5. Are you a morning person or a night-owl?
6. What is one thing that you miss the most from your childhood?
7. What's the best advice that you could give to your younger self?
8. What's one of your pet peeves?
9. Do you prefer dogs or cats?
10. What's your favorite season?
11. What motivates you to keep blogging?