Month: February 2010

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Posted on February 24, 2010February 19, 2011 by Benji Ho

So this past week has been one of ups and downs, marked by a series of fortunate and unfortunate events. At the end of the day, however, the good memories will linger, while the bad ones will get joked about to make the good times even better! Here, I’d like to share with you some happenings throughout the past week…… Continue reading

The Many Faces of Diary of a Caribbean Med Student

Posted on February 22, 2010February 19, 2011 by Benji Ho

Do y’all remember when Diary of a Caribbean Med Student looked like this? Yeah, it seemed so long ago for me, but only 3 months ago, this was what it looked like.. When I first started this blog, I was completely a novice at this medium of expression. I was not familiar with programming, and had to look up html… Continue reading

Weather in St. Maarten

Posted on February 21, 2010October 5, 2011 by Benji Ho

Coming to St. Maarten is as much of a weather shock as it is a culture shock for many Americans and Canadians coming here for the first time. So here, I'd like to answer some questions about the weather... Continue reading

Gastrointestinal Hormones

Posted on February 20, 2010July 14, 2012 by Benji Ho

Physiology is a really interesting class (and a challenging one). While anatomy teaches where everything is in the body, physiology teaches how everything works in the body. For this new block, we have a new visiting professor from Temple University School of Medicine and a new unit: Gastrointestinal Tract. We’ll learn about the whole process from the time we put… Continue reading

Physiology Professors

Posted on February 20, 2010February 19, 2011 by Benji Ho

One thing I really like about AUC is that the school recognizes and awards outstanding professors, staff, and students for their achievements. I just came across this 2005 journal article from Advances in Physiology Education, published by the American Physiological Society and was mildly surprised and pleased to find two familiar names! The article is about physiology professors who have… Continue reading

Mock, Biostats, and Glycolysis

Posted on February 10, 2010March 25, 2011 by Benji Ho

Hello everyone! As you can see from my lack of blogging these past few days, I’ve been busy. Last Sunday, the first semester students had their mock practical exams in anatomy lab, so I was there to help create some questions as well as proctor the exams. It was my second time helping out with the mock. At 8am the… Continue reading

Spam

Posted on February 6, 2010February 19, 2011 by Benji Ho

One thing you’ve got to accept as a blogger is that you suddenly become a new target for spam. Just today, when I logged into my site, I found 13 spam comments that were filtered out by my spam blocker. They all have the same method of “luring you in” by praising you first, then making you click on their… Continue reading

Online Residency Placement Survey

Posted on February 5, 2010November 8, 2011 by Benji Ho

Hey everyone! AUC would like me to post this link to the residency placement survey, now conveniently online! If you are an AUC student who participated in the Match, if you haven’t done so already, please help our school by filling it out! Not only is tracking residency placements of students essential for maintaining our school’s accreditation, it is also… Continue reading

Island Hopping Adventure!

Posted on February 4, 2010April 28, 2012 by Benji Ho

About: Lucas Bay is a very shallow bay with a few islands and sandbars just barely rising out of the shallow waters. The knee-deep water makes it a great trip to wade to the different islands in the bay. Highlights: Reach the first, then the second, and then the third island. Each island is very different and interesting to explore. on the far side of the third island, there is a treat... a natural swimming pool! Continue reading

Horses By The Sea

Posted on February 3, 2010September 12, 2012 by Benji Ho

St. Martin is an island divided between two nations. They cannot be more different. The Dutch side is bustling with resorts, casinos, and clubs by the sea, whereas on the French side, there are quaint country houses, little churches with steeples, and horses by the sea. Here is our quick stop on the road while driving around the Cul-de-Sac of… Continue reading

My Very Rough Composition…

Posted on February 2, 2010February 19, 2011 by Benji Ho

of an AUC wikipedia article in Chinese… I’ve been speaking Mandarin Chinese all my life, and never learned how to read and write it until the end of high school. Speaking and writing are completely different, especially literary writing. The grammar, and even specific terms you use are different. I’ve always wanted to be proficient in Chinese writing composition, but… Continue reading

I Had No Idea Conchs Had Eyes!

Posted on February 2, 2010March 25, 2011 by Benji Ho

I guess I always assumed they were like clams, oysters, or mussels… just a piece of meat at the buffet line, ready to be dipped in cocktail sauce. Last post-block weekend, Chris, Arif, and I traveled the island to explore the northeast part of St. Martin, on the French side. At our first destination, Lucas Bay, we found a lot… Continue reading

Renting Cars During the High Season

Posted on February 2, 2010March 27, 2011 by Benji Ho

My St. Maarten travel tips during the busy tourist season (From late November until the end of March): 1. Rent from somewhere outside the airport, like at the Windham or Empress, because chances are, you'll be competing with tourists at the airport and the booths will not rent anything less than 2 days during the busy season. 2. Call several days beforehand to make a reservation. That way you'll be more guaranteed to get what you want! Continue reading