TW: substance abuse
Lore dump ahead, TL;DR at the bottom
Hi there
I have Bipolar 2 which until very recently was successfully treated with trileptal.
About 3 months ago I started getting terrible anxiety that left me sick to my stomach and a felt like I was being hunted, it's been so difficult to cope despite weekly therapy sessions I've been doing for at least 2 years and cognitive exercises.
I finally pulled the trigger and decided to try Zoloft as prescribed by my doctor (and had a horrible experience that is also on my profile if you're curious.) that didn't work out at all and I got prescribed a new medication after returning to my doctor. I took a while to accept that I just can't will my way through it anymore, at least not at this time.
The thing is, I used to abuse substances like acid, Xanax, and Ambien- over the last year or so I've developed a deep fear of consuming anything that might make me feel under the influence, I can't even take Tylenol PM without a panic attack now. A soda has me worried about caffeine levels.
I know this medication has low side effects and if anything most people I know said it didn't do anything for them so realistically I should be worried about having to go back to the drawing board at worst, but we all know how far being realistic goes 🥲
Long story short, I'd love to hear positive experiences with medications you've tried, even if they didn't change your life. And even better, if you also suffer from medical anxiety and ingesting medications what you do to build up the courage and self sooth your way through it.
I'm going to be making my way up to 7.5mg of Buspirone twice a day starting tomorrow. I'll be breaking my first tablet in half Sunday night before bed, and if I feel okay, take the other half Monday morning. After two or three days with no issues I'll work my way up to one full pill before bed, and then from there take the full doses twice a day.
It will be tedious but I cannot go through what Zoloft did to me again so please, share your tips, tricks and encouragements. 💕
TL;DR: I'm terrified of starting a new medication, please offer advice and encouragement- thank you

I wasn't too sure how to title this, but I have had this argument a few times with a friend of mine. they think that diagnosing people (more specifically children) with autism is harmful because they think autism is too broad of a term to properly diagnose people with it. they argue that for whatever reason that believing you are autistic makes you think you cant do anything because someone with the diagnosis is comparable to someone who cant take care of themselves or talk and there for makes the person think they are unable to do anything because of the diagnoses. they refuse to think that I'M autistic because I'm not comparable to those who are low functioning (even though I was formally diagnosed when I was 4 by multiple doctors) even after i have expressed multiple times and factual reasons why I am.
Now I will admit I'm not too well educated on what autism is specifically but my base understanding is that it is an umbrella term used for people who have developmental disabilities and defects within their brain. its incredibly hard to explain this to them though because they "disagree" with the definition because of the fact its a broad term and we don't know enough about it to actually diagnose people (apparently because psychology is only 100 years old means its too early to actually use it to help people with it) .
I should mention they were also diagnosed with autism and we were in the same autism program in middle school (but has decided that they themselves aren't autistic) and claims that they used to think they couldn't do anything because they thought they were comparable to those who are low functioning, but after forgoing their autism diagnosis and ignoring it improved their performance in life. that's good for them, but they think that if I do the same it will help me in life too, which is blatantly untrue and makes ZERO sense to me.
If I wasn't diagnosed, I wouldn't even have a Highschool diploma right (which I BARELY obtained) because of the support that was I was provided BECAUSE of my diagnosis. If I didn't have the resources I had access to, I would have been a dropout. Its because I was diagnosed at all is the main reason I was able to get to anywhere I am in life right now. but apparently I should "just ignore it because its holding me back" even though it isn't. because I was almost unable to finish my Highschool diploma that if I was simply not diagnosed I would have believed in myself better, which has NOTHING to do with the reason i barely graduated as i worked INCREDIBLY hard to be just a 50s guy. Pushing myself the way I did had me mentally exhausted for YEARS even if it was seemingly simple for literally anyone to just do it. I HAD to push past my autism to achieve my goal, it was a very real obstacle I had to work around and the tools I had available to me helped greatly with that. but according to them because I thought I was autistic it was making me believe I had this invisible wall I had to climb over that wasn't there, even though it was very real.
Now I can sort of see where they are coming from, they were improperly diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and took medication for it as influenced by their abusive mother. They got another opinion after they stop living with her and the doctor told them they didn't have it and had to get off the meds they had which is a very difficult process. but because of that personal experience they have being improperly diagnosed seems to influence the idea that any diagnosis being potentially wrong and "biased" makes ALL mental diagnoses impractical and wrong (which makes it "harmful"). I guess their logic is that if you cant pin point EXACTLY what is wrong there is nothing wrong.
Is there ANY way I can correct this "opinion" they have? I cant just explain it to them because "they have done their own research and came to their own conclusion" or whatever and bringing up my own experience doesn't mean jack all because I'm biased or whatever. I'm actually stumped on how to even argue/re-educate because I'm not informed enough on the topic (or I'm just arguing with a brick wall and I'm an idiot for even trying). l have tried so many approaches to it and they just REFUSE to even budge on anything. I like my friend but they have just the worst takes on some topics because they take a lot of stuff at face value or just jump through crazy mental gymnastics to believe what they are saying is factually right, even for seemingly meaningless topics. its quite hard for them to admit they were wrong about something.
TL;DR: my friend thinks autism is too broad of a term to diagnose people with it, and that anyone who has autism believes themselves to be unable to achieve or do anything in their life.

Hello all,
I am applying this upcoming cycle and was looking for some advice on school list. I already know my current list is too top heavy which worries me but wasn't sure which ones to remove and which to replace them with. Would appreciate any feedback.
Backstory: Lived overseas for entire life and moved to the USA alone for college and to pursue medical school. Have a genuine story and reason to pursuing medicine fueled by the civil war I lived through back in my home country.
Male
Graduated from a regular tier state school.
State: MA
517 MCAT, 3.98 GPA
Graduated with Honors and Distinction in Biology
URM/ORM (never truly know what that means)
Clinical Volunteering (200 hospital, 700 COVID testing clinic while overseas during COVID)
Non clinical volunteering 1300 (very lengthy experience that I have been heavily involved in since 2017 takes 1000 these and 300 on experiences in the US)
Tutoring (150 hours)
Research (2000 hours, senior thesis, 2 posters, no pubs)
Shadowing (100 hours, 4 specialties)
School list:

• Albert Einstein College of Medicine
• Boston University Aram V. Chobanian & Edward Avedisian School of Medicine
• Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
• Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
• Drexel University College of Medicine
• Eastern Virginia Medical School
• Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University
• Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
• George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
• Georgetown University School of Medicine
• Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine
• Harvard Medical School
• Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
• Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
• Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
• Northwestern University The Feinberg School of Medicine
• NYU Grossman School of Medicine
• Ohio State University College of Medicine
• Robert Larner, M.D., College of Medicine at the University of Vermont
• Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
• Stanford University School of Medicine
• The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
• Tufts University School of Medicine
• University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine
• University of California, San Diego School of Medicine
• University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine
• University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences The Pritzker School of Medicine
• University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
• University of Illinois College of Medicine
• University of Massachusetts T.H. Chan School of Medicine
• University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
• University of Michigan Medical School
• University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
• University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
• University of Washington School of Medicine
• USF Health Morsani College of Medicine
• Weill Cornell Medicine

Hey all hope everyone is well. Been doing some research into possibly joining the military. I wish to possibly join some day as I feel I have not yet paid my dues or provided enough of a service. I am a 24 year old guy, I’m a firefighteparamedic currently and was a police officer for a year before I switched to fire. I’m currently in my Paramedic to RN program at my local community college and graduate this December. I am a avid runner and weight lifter (fastest time was 8:48 1.5mile run in the police academy). I can usually run a 3 mile run 6:40-7 pace and 4mile run at 7-715pace. Im 6’1” and 185lbs. I can do around 50-60 clean push-ups in a row without slowing down, 14-17 clean pulls ups with out slowing down. I’m looking into possibly going into the army to be a medic for the green berets but just would like some insight I guess. Does my paramedic and RN license provide any use to the army? What is the path like to become a special forces medical sergeant? How long does it take? What is the attrition rate? I’m not saying I’m physically fit to be a green beret but I do care about my fitness greatly so sorry if I sounded like I was boosting myself just wanted to lay current stats. Anyways thank you for reading. Thank you to everyone that has served. I truly am thankful myself for what you guys and gals do and have done for us here back at home.

Along my journey to medical school, I had MANY people tell me to ‘not get my hopes up’ given that med admissions generally favour ‘more mature’ applicants with their Masters, PhDs, etc. Many people also told me that it was unlikely for me to get accepted anywhere this cycle given that it was my first time applying, and I’m in my very early 20s.
I am a relatively low stat applicant (3.8X GPA and 50X MCAT, no research experience at time of applying). I assumed I would get a rejection this year, or if I were lucky, waitlisted.
To my surprise, I was accepted despite feeling as though I hadn’t performed well in the interview.
Ask me anything!! (:

For the past few years now I've been the oldest child still left in my house, since all of my older siblings have moved out. I (currently 18 M) didn't realize it then, largely because I had them to talk to, but since they've been gone I've been miserable. With a large portion of my current woes coming from my dad's chronic inability to offer me support of any kind.
I've been on a robotics team for the past 2 years, and he never showed up to any of my events. Not only that but he hasn't even driven me to any of my events (for any of my extracurricular activities) since I was in the 7th grade. I had to go through the full college process with little to no guidance from him. Simply asking him to put in his information for commonapp felt gruling. When it came time to put in my deposit for college and pay my college housing application fee, and I needed his help because the school only accepts credit (I only have a debit card), he told me that I should have done it earlier. Like: 1, I'm doing it ahead of time: and 2, I had been doing this all blind. I've had to buy my own phone, laptop, data plan, etc. I've had to find my own internships because he's offered me no help as it relates to jobs. I've been telling him for months that I need my checkup planned (mainly because I need up-to-date medical information to send to my future college) and every time it's led nowhere. When I ended up in the emergency room and it was recommended that I talk to a therapist, he was given a list, he showed it to me, he told me we would talk more about it later, and nothing came of it, it's been over 2 years since then.
But the worst of it comes when he tries to help, mainly as it relates to my driver's license, Almost every conversation, every car ride, hell sometimes he'll bring it up out of literally nowhere, it always leads to how I'm not doing enough to get my license. This is despite the fact that I've already done the reading, practice tests, and research regarding driving schools. For the parts I do need assistance with, he's been of little help. All of his information and all of my mom's regarding simply physically taking the learner's permit test have been contradictory. Every time I ask them to help with any aspect of the process, they end up dropping the ball; and then get disappointed I haven't progressed. It's like they (usually him though) don't realize that they've given me the same speech 50 trillion times, like I've magically forgotten between now and last week. It doesn't help that these conversations tend to boil down to how I'm failing him and how others in his family will view my failure as his failing at being a father.
The thing that makes it even worse is that this all coincides with his health failing. He's been constantly in and out of the hospital and horribly sick. So when I tried to talk to him about how he's been offering me little support, it went to that immediately, although this issue didn't start years ago. And almost every conversation I try to have with him immediately goes to how he had to struggle every day as a kid to survive (he immigrated to the US from a still third-world country). Like that's tough, and it sucks that you went through that, but how does this give me transportation money so that I'm not stranded in a metro station more than a town away while I'm trying to get to my internship.
It's like; how can we at most have 3 solid conversations per month, despite living in the same house with his room across the hallway from mine?

Nublak yawned from his seat at the station’s cafeteria, overlooking the blue planet below. The engineers objected to installing such an extravagant window on what was effectively a science outpost, but ultimately the scientists got their way. The planet was, after all, quite beautiful.
It was his first year (Galactic Standard) on the space station. The humans, as they called themselves, were found quite recently after an incident involving a faulty FTL device and a drunk pilot, and soon after determining they had no means of observing the observation post, the station was built.
They were a fairly uninteresting species, standing at about ⅔ the height of the average Daxian, with front-facing eyes and little-to-no fur hinting at their past as endurance predators. Their society was primitive, organized into various kingdoms in a near constant state of dispute, which wasn’t uncommon for a civilization at their level of development.
His assistant and apprentice, Zoroch, came into the cafeteria, looking giddier than usual. He sure seemed to enjoy his time filling out paperwork all day, Nublak thought, but didn’t complain, as he was the one being spared the effort by the remarkably diligent Junior Scientist. “Dr. Nublak?” Zoroch said, taking him out of his pensive state, “We think there’s a battle brewing, first one we’ll be able to actually watch since the engineering boys got the new observatory up!”.
That immediately got Nublak up and heading to the observation room, quickly followed by the apprentice. So far the only data on the humans they were able to gather were from smuggled probes they sneaked into the atmosphere, which were quickly found out by station security and earned quite a few senior scientists very severe reprimands, due to the Federation’s strict no-contact policy regarding pre-space age species. Poor Khulek got fired for his involvement, and they still kept a (non-functioning) probe as a memento to remember his brave efforts for the sake of science.
Now that the observatory was installed, they had a very clear view of what was happening on the ground, which Nublak was amazed by after waddling through the crowd that was gathered by the news and into the observatory’s view point. He could see large formations of humans using curved rectangular shields and a variety of weapons and armour made of metallic alloys. He could also see them thumping on their shields, with mouths wide open on what he assumed was screaming, not that he could hear it. What came next, however, was the true spectacle.
Warfare was, by all means, an ugly business. A fact that all species recognized from early on in their existence, which made it about intimidation rather than a bloodbath. Every species the Daxians had documented thus far, including themselves, did what humans would call “peacocking”, named after a flightless bird that was, by all means, very silly. The average battle would consist of two armies meeting in a field, followed by various displays of power until one of them was intimidated into surrender, very few people would die that way, and everyone agreed it was the best way to fight, even the most aggressive of primitive societies.
The humans, however, didn’t seem to care much for that philosophy, as Nublak watched, with a mixture of shock and awe, as the two armies closed in on each other and commenced a bloody affair, tearing each other apart with little regard for common sense. The strangest part, from Nublak’s perspective, was how organised the chaos seemed to be. The few instances where fights actually broke out in Daxian history involved little more than a couple units breaking off, hitting each other then retreating almost immediately upon getting injured and earning a stern talking to by their commanding officer.
This, though, was unlike anything Nublak had ever seen or heard of. Thousands of humans, maintaining formation as they killed one another, even while their unit was under direct attack. Soldiers riding large, frightening creatures coming in to flank the enemy, and rows of people wielding curious contraptions called “bows” showering each other with high-speed wooden projectiles.
Nublak kept staring, horrified with what he was seeing from the observatory. The event would most certainly be recorded for later viewing, and he concluded he’d have to go over it once again, to take proper notes and do a proper assessment once the shock faded. For now though, he watched for a solid two hours as the conflict went on, neither side seeming to retreat, until one of them finally broke the engagement off and started running away, still maintaining a remarkable amount of coordination and discipline as they did so.
As the dust settled and he got a proper view, the scientist felt nauseous. The sheer amount of human bodies and their characteristically dark red blood spilled everywhere was unfathomable. At a surface glance it already seemed like more death in a single battle than the Daxians had ever seen in conflict over the course of millenia. He also saw humans going through the bodies, picking out the injured and bringing them into various tents strewn across the outskirts of the battlefield, which Nublak found almost comical given the terrible brutality displayed just a few minutes prior. After what he witnessed, he didn’t expect humans to feel empathy, much less treat their injured rather than leaving them to their fate.
The silence in the observation room was palpable, interrupted only by the occasional researcher vomiting at the sight of the gore, including poor Zoroch. It was clear to them that they got far more than they bargained for by choosing to be stationed on Earth, and reports would need to be sent immediately detailing what was seen that day. Nublak was the first to get on that, and he made sure to include the part about the medics, as he feared detailing only their brutality could mean the end of the human species.
After the scientist’s report was submitted, the Federation, after much deliberation, shouting, and demands for an immediate and decisive strike on Earth, decided to keep a much closer eye on humanity, realising they were by no means a regular primitive civilization, but fierce warriors of the kind the galaxy had never before witnessed, and could pose a significant threat if not treated with caution.

Author's note: This is my first time writing anything like this (if you read through it and thought "damn! This is terrible!", it's not just you, I did that), I don't know if anyone will enjoy it but I needed to get the idea out of my head, and thus created this writing account if I ever have more such stories pop up in my remarkably empty skull!

Hello there, brothers and sisters! I could use some help putting together an amino acid stack.
My amino acid levels are below the reference values, as shown in the attached screenshot, especially the essential amino acids (EEAs). This is due to malabsorption and villous atrophy, meaning my body isn't absorbing nutrients properly despite having a very good diet that includes all necessary amino acids.
Simply adding more protein or increasing my intake of eggs and meat won't help =) While I'm working with doctors to restore my stomach health, I've decided to compensate for the deficiency with amino acid supplements.
Unfortunately, medical resources and doctor's help are limited where I currently live, so I'm asking for help with my supplement stack. My doctor recommended taking a comprehensive amino acid supplement and individual amino acids for each deficiency as a preventive measure, but did not specify dosages and said to do my own research (I'm not based in the US again).
Here’s the stack I’ve put together (see screenshot)
I have a few questions:

1. Can the dosages be improved? Should they be increased or are they okay as they are? Each individual amino acid is additional to the main Thorne Amino complex (additional dosages).
   
2. How should I take them exactly? I read that it’s best on an empty stomach. Should I take each supplement separately or all at once? Or should some be taken together and others separately? Which ones?
   
3. To address my valine deficiency, I’ll take BCAAs. But BCAAs contain a lot of leucine (2:1:1 ratio). Is there a risk of a leucine overdose? Unfortunately, I can't find l-valine on its own.
   
4. Any suggestions on how to improve the stack? Are there any amino acids that should be added or removed?
   
5. Is a 3-month duration okay?
   

Thanks for reading it and your help! I APPRECIATE any input =)
​
Stack I came up with
​
My amino acid levels =(

People if you are having issues with pests and looking to get rid of them with DIY methods please please I urge you make sure to do the proper research before using any chemicals. I’m living with my parents and we have had severe roach issues in the past month or so. Recently my father called a professional pest control service to ask for a quote and according to him once he heard the price of 300USD he went down to the basement floor to talk to the people living there (my parents have rented out the basement) and the person living there brought this ortho fire and killer for which the active ingredient is acephate (gonna attach a picture) which is SUPPOSED TO BE USED OUTDOORS, and talked to my dad about it and how they haven’t had any roach issues down in the basement ever since they used it, and I of course told my dad that I dont think we should use outdoor products indoors after taking a look at the bottle. Well what do you know the man living in the basement came upstairs while I was in my room in the evening and together with my dad they spread that stuff all around the damn kitchen, and living area. After that I went downstairs the next morning and later throughout the day I felt extremely sick and tired and remembered feeling like this whenever I would stay in the living room since last month. I strongly suspect the people living below have been using this stuff for a while and its all over the place through vents and insects walking around. I had been feeling extremely unwell during my exam prep and could only properly focus when I was out of the house and was also extremely irritable both my and parents and I. I dont know how long I have been breathing in or been affected by this stuff and seeking medical care is a not an option for me right now either as I dont have health insurance. The reason why I supect the people living in the basement have been using this stuff for a while is because my mom would always mention how the living area smelled a lot whenever coming back home from outside and in my previous post I learned of the certain rotten cabbage smell this product has. I always thought that it was an inability in me for not being able to focus on my studies or have the energy to do so and no matter what I did whether it be sleeping in time eating helthy I would still feel sick. I am both glad and bitter by discovering I was sick from being around acephate in the house and all my symptoms exhibiting the basic acephate toxicity symptoms and right now ever since they spread all this stuff around the living room and kitchen I am even experiencing severe headaches chest pains and even difficulty breathing. Please dont be stupid and use your ability to read before becoming your own "professional".

I am a F(24). For a little background, I am graduating with my masters in neuroscience and have a BS in psychology. I have worked as a research assistant in multiple labs and conducted my own research projects from start to finish including interviewing/running participants through experiments, analysis, and writing. I originally planned to go for my PhD but this is not an ideal world, so I did not get into a program.
I also have work experience as a leasing consultant for an apartment community and assistant manager (just for a restaurant though). In addition, I have experience with some basic design through a retail signage creation job and through creating poster presentations for conferences based on my research.
I don’t want to still be in school when I’m 30, so I’m aiming to transition into industry, but I’m not sure what I want to do at this point. I almost have too diverse of a background that I’m having a hard time pinpointing what would be right for me. I’m looking into market researcher and UX researcher style positions, but still feel under qualified as I struggle to find anything that doesn’t ask for 5+ years of experience already. I’m also open to medical sales, but many of those require pharmaceutical experience.
I’m just feeling lost and could use some ideas to get started. I’ve been applying to a range of jobs in a range of fields but have heard nothing up to this point. Any advice?

I'm currently 29 weeks pregnant and due at the end of July. I was just making an appointment to get my tdap shot and the scheduling system asked if I would like to add a covid, rsv, flu, or any other vaccines. My midwife said that it is totally up to me and that receiving those vaccines may offer baby some protection, but that the benefits may be minimal since we aren't in or rapidly approaching cold/flu season, and that I could be risking vaccine reaction/feveetc for minimal benefit. (Necessary disclaimer that my medical team is very pro-vaccines but that they are also very pro-moms doing their own research and deciding what is right for them and their family). I am slightly leaning toward getting them since kiddo will be too young to receive them in SeptembeOctober (and then I'll just getting additional doses of covid and flu in SeptembeOctober), but I would appreciate some input from other moms with summer due dates of what you're getting/what your doctor recommends.

Hello there, brothers and sisters! I could use some help putting together an amino acid stack.
My amino acid levels are below the reference values, as shown in the attached screenshot, especially the essential amino acids (EEAs). This is due to malabsorption and villous atrophy, meaning my body isn't absorbing nutrients properly despite having a very good diet that includes all necessary amino acids.
Simply adding more protein or increasing my intake of eggs and meat won't help =) While I'm working with doctors to restore my stomach health, I've decided to compensate for the deficiency with amino acid supplements.
Unfortunately, medical resources and doctor's help are limited where I currently live, so I'm asking for help with my supplement stack. My doctor recommended taking a comprehensive amino acid supplement and individual amino acids for each deficiency as a preventive measure, but did not specify dosages and said to do my own research (I'm not based in the US again).
Here’s the stack I’ve put together (see screenshot)
I have a few questions:

1. Can the dosages be improved? Should they be increased or are they okay as they are? Each individual amino acid is additional to the main Thorne Amino complex (additional dosages).
2. How should I take them exactly? I read that it’s best on an empty stomach. Should I take each supplement separately or all at once? Or should some be taken together and others separately? Which ones?
3. To address my valine deficiency, I’ll take BCAAs. But BCAAs contain a lot of leucine (2:1:1 ratio). Is there a risk of a leucine overdose? Unfortunately, I can't find l-valine on its own.
4. Any suggestions on how to improve the stack? Are there any amino acids that should be added or removed?
5. Is a 3-month duration okay?

Thanks for reading it and your help! I APPRECIATE any input =)
https://preview.redd.it/lciwqkd1kwzc1.png?width=1128&format=png&auto=webp&s=b0daa44f33dcc566cc498482640f14e3666d3920
https://preview.redd.it/mkwdiit1kwzc1.png?width=1470&format=png&auto=webp&s=fc19bf88b2a40fcb8a3e2aa1ed6cee87f263a9f2

This is something very interesting I discovered recently while doing research on some of Court TV's old programs. If you didn't know, Court TV bought the rights to Forensic Files after it was initially cancelled by it's original network TLC. When it was airing on Court TV, the network asked the production company of the show to make a spinoff of Forensic Files that focused on a specific aspect of Forensic science. You know how some episodes of Forensic Files didn't feature a crime story, but rather a story of forensics being used to solve a medical mystery or disaster? Like there are some episodes about diseases or a train or car crash. Well, the producers of Forensic Files were making a spinoff that could stand on it's own from the main show. This show was entitled 'Extreme Evidence' and instead of being a true crime show it focused on forensics being used to solve accidents and disasters such as a plane crashing or a fire breaking out. There was one episode about a crime, and it was about the Omega Computer hacking which was actually covered in the Forensic Files episode, Hack Attack. There were a total of 26 episodes that aired back in 2003. In 2015, the Justice Network aired reruns of it, but when the channel rebranded as the True Crime Network they stopped airing reruns of it. If anybody knows where the episodes can be found, let me know. They have yet to be found, but there is a bit of footage online.

I'm from a small college in a more rural state. It doesn't have many opportunities or places nearby to do extracurriculars/shadowing etc... As a result, my extracurricular activities/hours are limited, whether it's research, shadowing, or volunteering. How much will this hurt me when I apply to medical schools? I do very well in my classes and have tried to get involved, but there's only so much near me I can work with on-campus.

Hi everyone, I am torn on what to do between these two schools. Logic is telling me Emory, but gut is telling me Brown. Appreciate any insight you have to offer!
Emory
Pro:
-Clinical setting seems amazing (Grady!)
-Other students that I met on 2nd look seem awesome and down to earth.
-P/F
-Amazing public health opportunities. CDC right next door
-Facilities seem awesome. campus is beautiful
Cons:
Having lived in Atlanta before, I personally don't enjoy living in this city much. Hot, humid, politics, traffic, etc.
Brown
Pro:
-Only medical school in state, so good chances for clinical exposure/research
-Students seemed really happy and seemed like they were enjoying med school. I'm not interested in a competitive specialty, so i appreciate the more "create your own experience" feel here
-Providence is definitely a place that I would enjoy living in. Could also see myself living in NE long term, so maybe this opens more doors there?
Cons:
-Graded clinical. p/f pre-clinical.
-Slightly worse clinical/research opportunities?
Equal: Financial cost, distance to family are basically equal for both. They both seem to have equally strong match lists too

I am like the rest of the family on this Tirzepatide journey for a better and happier me. After learning, looking, and searching for the compound Tirz, I ran across an Ad on FB, and I decided to go with telehealth that treats both mental health and weight loss: https://www.calmhealthcaretexas.com/account/medical. I researched the doctoowner and found that Dr. Mia Guzman runs her telehealth company near Dallas, TX, virtually through secure messaging. Today, I signed on with her 14-day free trial starting at $50 a month, and the best part is she writes compound prescriptions to any compound pharmacy you desire. You pay the pharmacy directly. No extra fees are added from her; it is just the monthly plan you choose. She listens to your concerns, addresses the issue, and sends your prescription to your desired pharmacy. Today, I got all my mental health meds sent to CVS and my Tizepatide sent to Strive Compounding Pharmacy. I hope this helps someone, as this was the best option for me. I've been on this journey since Nov 2023. I'm always looking for better ways to help myself and someone else.

Started having symptoms about 4 years ago. My symptoms are primarily INTENSE itching (itching that is so bad that I can't focus at work and that wake me up during the night), thick yellow/white discharge, and frequent urination.
When I first started trying to get treated, the doctors tested me for STIs, BV, and yeast but results were negative for all of them. They treated me for BV and yeast anyways but obviously there was no improvement. I tried many different natural remedies: boric acid, probiotics, suppositories, and none of that cured me. I finally went to one doctor who tested me for ureaplasma (saying "this is super super rare but let's see") and it was positive. I was given 7 days of doxycycline and while it improved my symptoms slightly during treatment, they came back full force later. I got referred to a gynaecologist who couldn't figure out what was wrong with me and didn't believe ureaplasma was a real thing and so I temporarily gave up trying to fix the problem because I was so discouraged.
I renewed my efforts to fix this issue a few months ago after doing SO much research into ureaplasma which is the ONLY thing I tested positive for in the last 4 years during which I've had these symptoms. Got re-tested for everything and it was all negative except ureaplasma. Begged my family doctor to prescribe me the ureaplasma bible's first line of therapy but she refused (even after sharing articles and research I printed) and only gave me 1.5g of azithromycin. I ended up hacking the system to get another doctor to prescribe me 7 days of doxycycline. I did the proper 7 days doxy + 1.5g azithro (and no sex) exactly as outlined and for the first time ever I felt my symptoms resolving. I was so hopeful but about a week after finishing treatment the symptoms are back again full force. I haven't gone back to get tested again but I am nearly certain it will come back positive since nothing has changed.
I asked my family doctor to refer me to a specialist and she has been reaching out to clinics (over 10+) but all of them reject my referral either because they apparently don't deal with this kind of problem. I am losing my mind because I have been suffering for so long, I really hoped treating ureaplasma correctly would work, but now I'm in a position where I don't know what treatment to try next and I don't even know what doctor I can go to to get it because no one wants to believe me that ureaplasma is real.
For context, I live in Canada and no one seems to take ureaplasma seriously. I need advice on what to do when first line of treatment fails but you're not able to get second line of treatment or even a referral to see a specialist. Any advice or even just someone that can relate to this would be greatly appreciated.