Happy Halloween!!

May your day be filled with pumpkin treats and very few tricks!

Give a Pint and Save Up to Three Lives!

Hopefully by now things are starting to get back to normal for most of you.  I know that a lot of friends and family were spared by some of the worst Sandy had to offer (my parents still have no power, but with a generator I think they will be okay).  Unfortunately, there are still millions of people who need your help and if you are a bit strapped for cash there is still a way for you to help.

I just got call from the Red Cross saying that they are:

"urging immediate blood and platelet donations to support the blood needs of those affected by Hurricane Sandy."

If you have some time this week, click here to make an appointment.  

Happy Candy Corn Day

October 30th is National Candy Corn Day.  It is my experience that people either LOVE or HATE this fall confectionery treat (I am in the later category). 

According to some internet searching, candy corn was created in the 1880s and  then taken over in 1900 by the Goelitz Candy Company which is now known as Jelly Belly.  Apparently it was popular for candy companies during this time to make their treats in the shape of items found in nature. 

Fun facts:

• 20 million pounds are sold each year
• The top of the corn is the yellow end
• The original candies were made by hand and were flavored with honey 

Sandy is on Her Way!

So while perusing my Twitter and avoiding the papers and podcasts I could be working on, I found this AMAZING photo from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (who was actually identified thanks to DNA technology several years ago).

Stay safe (and dry) out there folks!  I know that the wind has picked up here and the parental units in NY have lost power.

Pumpkins!!

Carving pumpkins (and roasting the seeds) is another Mazurak tradition, but we would always carve them on the Halloween Night between school and the Annual Bedford Costume Parade.  Let your inner Martha Steward out - you know she is in there, begging to get her hands on a pumpkin!

First check out this History Channel video about the pumpkin

 

According to Wikipedia: "The tradition of carving a lantern started in Scotland and Ireland where it was traditionally carved from a turnip, and in England where a beet was used.  They were created on All Hallows' Eve and left on the door step to ward off evil spirits.  An offering or, as we now know it, a "treat", would also be commonly left to placate roaming sprites and evil spirits — otherwise they might 'fiddle' with property or livestock (play a "trick").  Once the tradition moved to the US, it was adapted to carving the fruit of the pumpkin plant as they were more readily available, bigger and easier to carve."

Now check out these great pumpkin:

The Gouls and Ghosts Come Out

Last night everyone came out dressed to the nines - costumes ran the gamut and fun times were had by all (at least I think so). Thankfully I was able to pull off my loofah costume.  If anyone is in need of 20 yards to tulle let me know!

Halloween Treats

Here are some delicious treats for you guys and ghouls to get yourself into the Halloween spirit!

Ghostinis With Bloody Murder Sundried Tomato Tapenade

  Spooky White Pizzas

Rats Baked in Blood

Apple Bites

Harry Daddy Longlegs Cupcake 

 

Halloween Mummy Dogs

Pumpkin Pot Pie

 

 

Halloween Bike Ride

Every last Friday a whole crew of bikers meets up at Mt. Vernon Square for a ten mile ride around the city before ending up at Union Craft Brewery.  Tonight's theme: Halloween (DUH).

My costume for tomorrow's party is not very bike friendly so I threw on some jeans and a red sweater and went as Thing 1.  My outfit was no where near as good as my one at Bike prom and I of course was missing my better half too.  Sadly none of my pictures turned out because it was so dark, but definitely a fun ride was had by all. 

Me and Jessie getting ready for SUS Bike Prom!

25 Food Costumes You Will Want to Avoid

A few days ago Bon Appetit had a blog post of the 25 food costumes you would probably want to avoid this Halloween.  Here are some of the winners:

Broccoli

Lonely Burrito

There Is Still Time To Get Your Costume Together

So with a week to go there is still time to find/make the perfect costume.  I love this holiday because my inner Martha Stewart gets to come out and play for a few days.  Now I have always gone for the creative angle, not the show as much skin as possible because this is the one day it is okay to walk around with a dress the size of a postage stamp.  Last year I made a dress out of playing cards and a few years before I went as twister, complete with a spinner on a headband.

Here are a few great ideas - most of them came from the kids section, but use them for some inspiration.

History of All Hallows Eve

Halloween was originally called Samhain and marked the end of the harvest season for Celtic farmers.  Here are two videos to give you a quick run down on the holiday's history.

Haunted History of Halloween

Halloween's Origins 

Countdown to Halloween

You all know by now how much I love the fall and that is because two of my top five favorite holidays fall within this season (#1 Thanksgiving, #2 Fourth of July, #3 Halloween).  So in honor of All Hallows Eve, I will have a weeks worth of festive posts.

The Foliage Network

So apparently there is an ENTIRE website devoted to fall foliage which by the way is yet another reason why I LOVE the fall.  As you can see we are starting to approach some of the best leaves of the season here in the Baltimore/DC region; the colors have been great thus far so I am excited for the coming weeks!

So why do the leaves change colors?  During the fall months, the days become shorter and the weather cooler (duh) which means that the leaves stop their normal food production process.  When the chlorophyll breaks down, the green color of the leaves fade way and the fall hues begin to pop  If there is an early frost, the colors will weaken; above freezing temperatures will allow anthocyanin formation which produces the red coloring.

So why do leaves fall off the tree?  When the colors begin to change, the leaf develops a layer of cells between the stem and the tree.  Over time the leaf will begin to detach itself, until it finally falls from its own weight and/or the wind.  

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Oatmeal

So with little time in the morning between rolling out of bed and having my gluteus maximus in class I am always looking for quick and easy breakfasts.  This one makes a big batch and I can reheat smaller bowls in the morning.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups water
• 3 cups uncooked pumpkin, preferably from pie or sugar pumpkins
• 3/2 cups uncooked steel cut oats
• 1/2 cups honey
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:

Dice up your pumpkin and watch those fingers!!

Put everything into a slow cooker and stir well

(Pre-water picture)

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours; stir well before serving.  I added more cinnamon and cloves when the whole thing was finished so feel free to make any last adjustments.  I would also add WAY more pumpkin next time and might will definitely attempt with apples next time.

You can drizzle some maple syrup over the top too!

Baltimore Beer Week Kicks Off!

Yesterday Baltimore Beer Week kicked off with a tapping ceremony and lots of events spread out around the Baltimore area.  Little did I know, the city and surrounding areas have several breweries (many with national brand status). 


I had some time this afternoon to kill in between touring the city for class and studying for next week's exams, so I decided to head over to Union Craft Brewing for a free tour.  Free is always good when you are in school, not working and living on a budget.  Despite opening only a few months ago (Spring 2012), their Balt Altbier beer just took home the gold in the German Style Altbier category at Denver’s Great American Beer Festival.

The first step was finding the place.  The front door as pretty hidden, but I am apparently not the first person who has had trouble finding the front door.

After a quick brewery tour around the place, I tried the Duckpin Pale Ale and the Balt Altbier.  I did enjoy the first, but the second was a bit too dark for my taste.  Their beer is all over Baltimore so I will have to keep an eye out for it when I am out and about.

Pic care of Union Craft Beer

I am the first person to tell you that I don't know much about wine/beer, but I do know what I like and what I don't like.  So when I got home I did a bit of research to learn about what exactly I was drinking.  Here is the quick and dirty:

• Altbier beer means old beer and refers to the pre-lager technique of using warm top-fermenting yeast (VERY dark)
• Pale ale were originally made from malt dried with coke

I am hoping to get a few friends from DC to do a beer tasting tour and this will definitely be on our list of places to visit!

Future of Family Medicine

Last week was Primary Care and thanks to Kelsey I came across the below blog post from the Future of Family Medicine Blog.  There is no point in rewriting recreating the wheel so this is a blatant cut and paste job.  While it is all related to medical doctors, I feel like much of it can also be applied to NPs who enter the field of primary care.

_________

We have put together a list of 10 posts with some relevant links of interest to help students (and residents) accumulate a source of information to reference when speaking with your institutions about the importance of Primary Care.  We encourage you to utilize these links for your reference as well as to share with your classmates, colleagues, and mentors across the country.  We enjoy your comments as they indicate that we are stimulating conversation, which is what this blog is all about!

1. Family Medicine is a Waste of Your Talent
We would like to start out by saying: Family Medicine (and Primary Care) is NOT a waste of your talent.  You are not too smart for Primary Care, and, in fact, it is impossible to be too smart for Primary Care.

2. The Dean's Lie about Medical School Primary Care Workforce Production
Did you know that medical schools inflate their numbers by skewing statistics in their favor when reporting how they contribute towards primary care workforce production?  Liken the lies about these statistics to falsifying a company's quarterly/annual report to its members - immoral and illegal!  Hold them accountable!

3. Is There an Underlying Specialty Bias at your Medical School?
A hidden curriculum?  A hidden agenda?  Be cautious about comments/suggestions/mentorship by those involved with your medical education.

4. Has the RUC Destroyed Medical Student Interest in Primary Care?
A small group of physicians formed by the American Medical Association provides payment formulas to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services which sets payment for services provided by physicians.  Private insurance companies use these formulas and rates as well.  Less than 1/3 of members on this committee are primary care physicians.  Since starting in 1991, the salary gap between primary care and subspecialist physicians has widened to a point of crisis.  Learn more about it here.

5. Incorporated Patient-centered Medical Home training throughout all 4 years of medical school
PCMH is the model of primary care moving forward.  It is the responsibility of medical schools to ensure that students are learning in this environment starting on the first day of medical school.  Early exposure to primary care and its innovative model is crucial to increase our workforce.  Encourage your medical school to ensure that PCMH is the foundation of your education.

6. The 20th Report by the Council on Graduate Medical Education: Advancing Primary Care
This report is the bible of Primary Care delivery moving forward and provides recommendations to accomplish the strengthening of Primary Care in the United States.  This is a must read.

7. Does Building a Primary Care Workforce Start With Medical School Admissions Committees?
Admissions committees will deny this, but they have the ability to select from its applicants a strong set of potential medical students who are more likely to choose a career in Primary Care.  Studies upon studies confirm these characteristics.

8. The Hazing of Family Medicine
Building off of the Waste of Talent post, this post goes into depth about the struggles medical students face when proclaiming their desire and passion for Family Medicine and Primary Care to faculty throughout the clinical years of medical school.  Say no to hazing and bullying by faculty!

9. Medicine is a Team Game - And every team needs a good Family Physician!
Primary Care physicians are the quarterbacks, the point guards, and the one in charge of coordinating the care provided by a multi-disciplinary team of other specialty physicians and providers.  Fragmented care is unacceptable.

10. Living out our Personal Statements
A medical school dean once said that upon evaluation of personal statements for medical school admissions, more than 90% would choose primary care careers.  If you are currently writing a personal statement for residency, compare it to your personal statement for medical school.  If you are currently in medical school and trying to figure out what specialty to pursue, open up your personal statement and reflect on what you were feeling when you wrote it and how your medical education has influenced your career path.