Sunday, May 15, 2016

top three [05.15.2016]

med school wardrobe: fleeces and baby white coats (my new fleece is from Patagonia and I'm obsessed!)
  • The discovery that HPV, human papilloma virus, causes cervical cancer was a huge discovery in the field of gynecology, with the changes thereafter resulting in cervical cancer going from being the second most common cancer in women to not even being in the top ten.  The fact that we now have vaccines that can prevent some types of cervical cancer, and that we have the screening tools to detect pre-cancerous changes early, is amazing. After spending a few days on GynOnc this week, and seeing women my age be diagnosed with cervical cancer because of irregular screenings made me so sad, so this is another reminder that if you are due for your pap, please go see your doctor! It's a quick test that could save your life. 
  • The search for what caused cervical cancer was a long one. Published research goes back several hundred years that noted that while prostitutes where more likely to develop cervical cancer, it was very rare for a nun to develop it. This is where the hypothesis that sexual contact causes cervical cancer may have originated. 
  • An interesting fact about HPV and the changes it causes is that some of those changes can regress - your body fights off the infection. That's why the guidelines have changed in recent years, so that younger girls (under 21) don't typically get pap smears because even if they have HPV, it may regress with time. Another situation where there may be spontaneous regression of abnormal cervical cytology is after vaginal deliveries

on the internet
  • Elyse conducted what may be my favorite interview thus far - she asked a bunch of questions I've never really answered before, so if you want to know more about my pre-med route, the differences between osteopathic and allopathic medicine, what it's like to date a med student, and more, check out the interview here!
  • Merritt shares her tips for growing your blog. This makes me wish I had more time to dedicate to this little hobby, rather than it sometimes falling wayyy to the back burner.
  • Loved this casual outfit on Nikki (and how her beautiful hair looks against those flowers!).

  • How precious is this dot skirt from J.Crew?! I love the burnt orange version and would 100% wear it with a striped top and cognac accessories. And then a white tee. And then a polka dot tee. And then a chambray top. So basically I just convinced myself to order it (once a better sale comes along, of course!).
  • I'm all about easy in the summer, so I love this simple but adorable perforated LBD from J.Crew Factory. It would be cute on it's own for those hotter days, with a cardigan, or even a blazer for work! 
  • Kinda loving this lace detailed top from Caslon - can't decide if I like the white or green version more. White, right? ;)
  • ps. just found this blue slight peplum top that I immediately ordered after spotting it - I'm obsessed! 

ask me anything
  • What's your best tip to stop compulsive buying? I think I have that fear of missing out so I am always looking out for a sale or something cute that I saw on a blogger.
    • Honestly, starting a clothing budget is what stopped my overshopping/spending. I used to go shopping every single weekend, and I was just spending all my money on stuff I didn't even really like. I have my clothing budget now, and it really has kept me in line these past four years. Here's my post on how to set a budget, and how it's helped mine (and other bloggers!) lives and closets!
  • How do you feel about bargain brands? I recently went to the store shopping for a spring wardrobe and felt the compulsion to step in to every store - like Forever 21 and H&M - and while I may like some things in there, it's an overwhelmingly huge store and I feel like the quality of clothes is poor. Would you suggest sticking to a select number of "tried and true" stores? I've had a lot of success with places like LOFT and Ann Taylor but sometimes they don't have a piece of clothing I'm looking for (a white sheath dress). How would you suggest finding items if I'm looking for very specific things?
    • Over the years, I've kind of moved away from bargain brands, for several reasons. For one, stores like F21 or H&M generally don't carry items in taller sizes, which is something I at least like having the option of trying. I also realized that whenever I did closet clean outs, those items were always the first to go. They just didn't hold up, didn't fit me right, or were trendy items I no longer liked. I just personally found the effort that goes into finding items from there was not always worth it (although I do think they generally have a pretty great accessories section). That is not to say that people shouldn't shop there, because so many people find great items there, I just have found myself going more towards "professional clothing" stores since that's what I have to wear. I also think with the sales that places like Loft and Gap have, that you can get items for prices close to places like H&M, and they generally hold up longer too. Now to answer your question about finding a specific article of clothing, have you tried using ShopStyle? You can type in what you are looking for, set the perimeters (how much you want to spend, what colors) and a bunch of options come up.
  • I'm on the market for an everyday kind of cross body bag to reward myself for finishing my first year on dental school! I don't want to break the bank because, you know, loans, but I want it to be a quality item. I'd love for it to be large enough to fit my Kate spade wallet and transition between seasons.
    • Congrats on finishing your first year, that's so exciting! I have a few suggestions, depending on what you are looking for, all under $100! The most classic cross body I found, and my personally favorite, is this slick number from Street Level. If you're looking for a real leather purse, KC Jagger has a really cute option that is now on sale (and comes in several different colors!). And lastly if you want a something a bit more brand name, Kate Spade's cross body bags are always a good bet!

on franish

notable sales
  • Kiehl's: 20% off everything
  • Loft: 30% off everything (40% if you have a Loft card)
    • While this wrap skirt is a bit too short for me to wear to work, I just think it's so darn cute for summer. I love that it's a bit different from your typical skirt without being too different. 
    • A simple black lace tee shirt dress that has full short sleeves? Sign me up. 
    • I haven't tried any accessories from Loft before, but I'm tempted to try out their new saddle bags - I love how sleek they are!
  • Old Navy: 40% off everything
    • I've seen similar scalloped suits for 2-3 times the cost of this version, so it could be a good option if you like that style!
    • How adorable is this pleated dress?! Plus it's now on sale, so it's even more inexpensive than it is. 
    • Old Navy's compression pants are my favorite, so I'm digging them in a palm print

  • I can't believe this rotation is already half over - it's crazy how quickly rotations go when you are really enjoying them. This week I spent time on GynOnc, maternal fetal medicine, and spent time in the clinic. I'm so happy to be seeing parts of ObGyn that I haven't seen before, although these are usually the sadder parts of the speciality as well. 
  • After this rotation is over, we have a dedicated month of studying for Step 2. I finally completed my study schedule and am half looking forward to have control over my time, but also dreading how much I have to cram into 2.5 weeks of studying, with 3 board exams at the end. Yikes!
  • It was my first full week in the dorms, and it was actually very nice! My roommate is a friend of mine, so on that side of things, we both got really lucky. It's so nice to just walk upstairs and be at work, but it is also a bit strange to never go outside. On the other hand, I like that I never have to cook anything, sooooo I'll take not always knowing the temperature in exchange ;)