Friday, September 30, 2011

Cleveland Food...

The other night, I went out with some friends to a downtown restaurant. This isn't the first time I had gone out to eat in Cleveland, but of all the places I have eaten here, I haven't had a bad experience yet. I wanted to talk a little bit about some of the restaurants we have had the pleasure of visiting, and talk about some of the ones that I hope to visit, sooner rather than later.

The Melt Bar and Grilled
This is easily one of the most talked about restaurants in the Cleveland area and with two restaurants and one on the way, they are becoming more and more popular. Their specialty is gourmet grilled cheese and if you get a chance to check out the menu on the website, you will notice the amazing selection and variety they have. Pictured below is their Monte Cristo. They also carry a root beer list like I have never seen. Everyone I have talked to about this restaurant loves it, and I know why, the food is amazing and fresh. The food is always made to order and served with fresh cut fries and their house cole slaw, not too sweet not too sour, and with just the right amount of spice.



Sittoos
This restaurant is really close to my house and since it has 100% likes on UrbanSpoon, I knew I had to try it. They specialize in Lebanese food, which I wasn't too familiar with, but I have never tasted Mediterranean cuisine quite like this. They offer freshly made hummus, with warm pita, and a variety of wraps among other things. I had a lamb wrap in a pita, similar to a gyro, but way better quality meat and vegetables. I don't think a day has gone by since I ate there that I haven't wanted to go back. It is a must try!

Main Street Cafe- Medina, OH
One night my wife and I ended up off the beaten path in a small town called Medina. When I say small, I mean it's small, and off the beaten path, I was thinking we were headed to the back woods, and then out of nowhere this amazingly kept beautiful little town pops up. I felt like we were back in the 50's, there was a jazz concert going on on the town center park in the band stand. The downtown area is fully preserved and absolutely gorgeous. We walked around the town just to find the most amazing little cafe. It is a very nice restaurant with a small town feel, and gourmet food. Traditional American cuisine with a modern and epicurean twist. The restaurant is designed to look like an old saloon, and it feels authentic. I got a Reuben and my wife got a steak. I have tried Reuben sandwiches from coast to coast and by far this was the best one I have ever had. Perfection on bread, and my wife's steak was equally amazing. The short trip to Medina is well worth  the time.

These are just a few of the many amazing places in Cleveland to eat. No matter the budget or food that you want you will find it. As far as other places to go, here is a short list of other places we plan on eating at in the future...

1. One of the three, or all three, Micheal Simon Restaurants (Lola's, Lolita's, and The B-Spot)
2. Little Italy (I am sure there will be a blog post about little Italy in the future)
3. Sokolowski's- Eastern European Food
4. Somewhere in Amish Country

There are always new restaurants being recommended, so I am sure there will be many more food posts in the future.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Northcoast 24 Hour Endurance Race

I got an email a couple of weeks ago about volunteering to treat people during a 24 Hour endurance race. I was intrigued and so I submitted my name thinking that as a first year I might not be chosen because of my lack of experience and knowledge. I was pleasantly surprised when I got an email back saying that I was chosen. I was really excited to get in and really get to practice and interact with patients. 

There was a pre-race meeting held the day before to go over Low Dye taping and blister and hot spot bandaging. Most of the people at the meeting were 3rd and 4th year students, so i was a little intimidated. But, when they found out that I was a first year they were more than eager to help and make sure that I was comfortable and ready. At the race, I was so appreciative for all their help. They were very supportive and helped me to feel comfortable in a new situation and environment. They were there every step of the way and eager to help me improve and gain new skills. 

With the help of the older students I was able to actually get in and make a difference for some of the racers. One lady came in with 5 blisters on her feet. We were able to treat all the blisters and she was able to continue. Another woman cam in with blisters the size of silver dollars and when we were done she got back up and continued on with the race. For some I was helping to make personal records and goals, and for others I was helping to fulfill a dream. I know it probably doesn't seem like a lot but for me it was such a positive experience. From being welcomed and befriended with such respect and support by my peers, to being able to help someone accomplish what they came to do, it was an amazing day. 


Overall, after a long week of testing it was nice to be able to do what I am here to do, and that is to help people. This event really put things into perspective. It really helped me to be reassured and know that I am here for the right reason. Again, I am not really able to express how grateful I am to the older students that helped me so much yesterday. It is so nice to go to a school where they are willing to give freely of themselves for the benefit of others. 


Sunday, September 11, 2011

First Exams

Spoiler alert, OCPM has the best test schedule of any school I have ever been to, hands down. 

I'm pretty close with my family and as such we spend a lot of time on the phone talking about things that are going on in each other's lives. Coming in to this week I knew my family was getting worried seeing how this week sparked the beginning of my first grad school exams. As families often do they call when big things are going on and if they want to know how you are doing and so on and so forth. 

Just to be clear I do love their phone calls and all their well wishing, it has done me good so far and I'm sure will continue to benefit me for many years to come. 

When they call and ask how tests are going I say,"Great," and they ask, "So, what tests do you have this week?" Then, when I say I have 5 tests this week there is a long silence on the phone...followed by, "How are you handling it all?"

Truthfully, it's a pretty great system. For the exams, you have one class's exams per day, and then a day's rest in between tests to really focus on the next exam. It's fantastic! In undergrad I had what seemed like exam after exam, and most classes gave a test every other week, so I was swamped. So to only have one week every month and a half and only one class's exams per day it really gives me a chance to get a good grip on my class, internalize the information and commit it to permanent memory. 

I'm not going to lie, the exams and classes are hard, but OCPM has really found a way to ease the pressure a little bit and really help the students get a grip on the material and be able to do the best they can.