Third Year Begins

With the board examinations behind me and fingers crossed tight for passing scores, I can finally look forward to beginning my third year of medical school. The word on the street is that the clinical years are undoubtedly better than the first two years of basic sciences.


Rest and Relaxation

For the first time since spring break I was really able to kick back and relax. Fortunately it falls on a holiday weekend that offers a little more meaning to my time off. With the stress back to controllable levels and a foreseeable future on the horizon, I am reveling in the lack of planning every moment. Soon I will be back on a schedule and studying again to fulfill my clinical duties, but this is a much needed break that will not be wasted.

Before sitting for the COMLEX exam, I started my rotation in Family Practice. I was such a breath of fresh air to see patients again. It didn't take long for me to realize just how much learning I have ahead of me. On more than one occasion I failed to give the correct answers to posed questions by my attending physician. I suppose those particular questions will be burned into my memory out of embarrassment. Nonetheless, the practical learning grounds beat any classroom lecture. Getting myself ready for a late night shift may take a few days, but I'm up to the challenge.


Board Prep Question of the Week

A 31-year-old man presents to the clinic for his yearly check-up and is found to have a blood pressure of 158/94. At a re-check two weeks later, his blood pressure is still elevated even though he has no risk factors for the development of hypertension. Further evaluation reveals a potassium level of 3.3 meq/L. Proper medical therapy for this man's most likely condition would involve which of the following mechanisms?

A. Agonism of the aldosterone receptor in the distal renal tubules
B. Antagonism of the aldosterone receptor in the distal renal tubules
C. Inhibition of sodium and chloride reabsorption in the ascending loop of Henle and distal renal tubule
D. Inhibition of sodium and water reabsorption in the proximal tubule and the loop of Henle
E. Inhibition of carbonic anhydrase activity

Answer & Explanation