I'm sick of glucose metabolism

There, I've said it, and I don't feel bad about it. The metabolism unit here at school needs some serious re-working. The first two weeks after anatomy were really easy. The first lecture was ridiculous in fact. It was "this is where the elements come from ." I have taken genchem, thank you. Is the fact that Iodine is only made in supernovae relevant? NO! Do we need a lecture on peptide bonds? NO! we have all taken organic chemistry to get to medical school! DO we need a very general lecture on DNA transcription regulation when we have an entire 8 weeks of molecular biology in January? NO! Because the first two weeks were so general, they have really piled on the lectures in the last two weeks. 3 hours of lecture straight? no problem! 4? sure! Hey, and while you're at it, why don't we go to an IDIOTIC "interdisciplinary" class for two hours after spending 3 hours learning detailed glucose metabolism regulatory pathways!

I love to hear left-wing tubthumping about health care reform! Please, explain to me how obesity is an inquity in health care when it is mostly lifestyle derived (excepting the few with hormone problems). Oh, I see. You like Popeye's Fried Fat more than spinach. Well, it's just not fair now, is it? Those nasty goverment people, snatching you out of your house and forcing fried food down your throat against your will. No, no wait. YOU chose to eat that. You chose to smoke. You chose to sleep with 8 people a night, and now you're an STD poster child. (yes, I used D for disease, not the new politically correct "I" for infection. Syphyllis is a disease!) How the heck can it be an inequity if you chose something with poor consequences for your health? AUGGH.

This "interdisciplinary" class is really really annoying. It's the first year they've tried it and I have nothing but bad things to say for the experience. It's two hours I waste every week. The ostensibly interdisciplinary part comes because there are nursing students and social work students thrown in with the med-students. One curious observation is that the nursing students are extremely quick to tell us that they're 'accelerated nursing students', meaning they have a bachelors and will get a BSN in 1 year. I have spoken to several students who, right after we introduced ourselves, told me that they were accelerated nursing students. I don't know why, though. It's not like they've somehow gained or lost stature in my eyes because now I know that they'll have a BSN really quickly. Perhaps they're intimidated by a medstudent who is all but clueless? Generally, the nursing students are pretty bright, thought there are a few exceptions, though the same is true for my classmates. They seem to have a bit of a chip on their shoulders, however, at least from the few interactions I've had with them in small groups. Ok, now I've wasted 20 minutes venting online. Back to learning why cAMP and PKA upregulate the genes for PEPCK and increase the rate of gluconeogenesis.