Note Taking on Your iPad

I must confess upfront that I am a Mac-o-holic. If I'm not on my iPhone or my iPad, then I'm working on my MacBook. I've had several people ask me how I use my iPad to take notes - and until recently I didn't have a great answer. I primarily used it to read text books and articles - but now that I've discovered Notability, I also use it to take notes.

Notability is a pretty wonderful app with good ratings and I haven't been disappointed with it yet. Now, of course, every app has it's flaws... but for what I use it for - I love it. It allows you to write out your notes on a "sheet of paper" and create a PDF or email it to yourself. You can also import PDFs (great for note taking on PDF'd ppts that you get in class. With the current version you can only import PDFs, but they are working on adding .doc and .ppt files to the mix soon. It also syncs with Dropbox to back up all of your notes or import files.

I have added some screen shots below. I'd love to hear if anyone has found something better out there - shoot me and email or add a comment.

And best of all, as of now, the app is only 99 cents!

There are several customizable features - pen and highlighter color and thickness as well as the addition of voice notes.

The mini window allows you to write smaller notes, thus getting more on each page (this will come in handy if you wish to print out your notes).

Disclaimer: I was not asked to write this review, nor do I receive anything if you buy it. Just wanted to share!

2C + 2MB = 4P + 4MO

Cranial nerves. I found this "equation" that helps me to remember where the cranial nerves arise from:

2C + 2MB = 4P + 4MO

The 1st 2 cranial nerves [Olfactory (I) and Optic (II) nerves] originate in the Cerebrum, the next 2 [Oculomotor (III) and Trochlear (IV)] cranial nerves arise from the Midbrain, the next 4 [Trigeminal (V), Abducens (VI), Facial (VII) and Vestibulocochlear (VIII)] cranial nerves arise from the Pons and the last 4 [Glossopharyngeal (IX), Vagus (X), Accessory (XI) and Hypoglossal (XII)] cranial nerves arise from the Medulla Oblongata.







Source: Problem Based Neurosurgery by Sam Eljamel

Gov't Loan Forgiveness: Do You Qualify?

You qualify for loan forgiveness based on public service if you work for the state, federal gov't, or a non-profit hospital. Get the details here: Loan Forgiveness Document

Also see the Federal Student Aid website for more information.

http://www.begincollege.com/the-benefits-of-the-public-service-loan-forgiveness-program/

Mnemonic Site

Board Mnemonics Site. Some are super helpful. Some are ridiculous. Enter at your own risk.

Mnemonic: is any learning technique that aids information retention. Mnemonics aim to translate information into a form that the human brain can retain better and even the process of applying this conversion might already aid the transfer of information to long-term memory.




Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mnemonic

Financial Aid, Handling PA School Debt

Financial Aid packages for PA school are rarely the bearers of good news. There are some students that get their education paid for through various avenues, but the majority of students take out loans. It is scary to think about being in debt, in some cases, more than $130-40K. At some point it feels like Monopoly money, you just keep signing on the dotted line and the "owed" amount just keeps growing and growing.

I'm not sure how all PA schools handle this, but mine gave a few talks on potential scholarships or loan repayment options - but no one really sat us down and had a "money management" talk with us. Financial aid services make you fill out an Exit Interview for the loans you borrowed, which is helpful - but I always wanted to know more. What are my repayment options? Should I consolidate? What are the pros/cons of consolidating? What happens when I get my first job - should I start saving for retirement and investing in my 401K or should I pay back my loans first? How do I save for a house/kids with a large loan payment per month? Should I hire a financial advisor?

I had (and still have) so many questions about the process. I found this site created by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and it helped to answer many of my questions. They created a section called "FIRST" which stands for Financial Information Resources, Services, and Tools. On the left-side bar there are options for you depending on your stage of the process. This is geared primarily toward medical student, however, most the information is extremely relevant to PA students. They also have a section called FIRST Videos that contain videos and podcasts on important questions you may have regarding financial aid. The only way you can handle the enormous debt of PA school is to understand how to handle it. Knowing is half the battle... 

http://www.millionaireplayboy.com/mpb/index.php/tag/gi-joe/