From the cubical,

Today I showed up at campus to help out a tutor training simulation process [1], finish the grading for PBL tutorial and to attend the tutorial briefing. The first was quite fun, the one between the two was ok [2] but the latter was, ugh, also fun, but mind draining. 

[1] Tutors at some medical faculty in Indonesia nowadays are deeply involved in a problem based learning (hence the abbreviation PBL) which happens in a tutorial class setting. They play a role of a moderator of a discussion, manager of a team, shepherd of a flock (Okay, I'm exaggerating). Btw, for this reason, they need to be trained in a number of sessions before they are eligible to join the Tutor Task Force or the TTF (There's no such thing as TTF, I made it up)
[2] A really time-consuming task. Made me appreciate my primary school teacher even more -_-a

And I quote, "Saya aja dulu belajar ginian dua tahun, mereka [3] kelar gak nih dalam 1 minggu?" Well, this statement can be interpret in two different ways:
1. One, (I know I numbered it already, but when you say the number while explaining it sounds cool, isn't it? :p) Okay, One, there are too many [4] materials to learn in too little time; or
2. Two, (I know.. I'm doing it again) We have really superb students studying medicine these days
I'd love for #2 to be proven right, but I guess we'll just have to wait for the result.

[3] The medical students, in this case, class of 2009
[4] Too many is an understatement x_x

Okay, back to why it's mind draining. We (the tutors) had a meeting with one of the specialists in charge for the Kidney block. There, we were briefed about a number of objectives that we have to make sure are covered next week. And that discussion about those objectives is mind draining. 
As you might already know, the kidney [5], is a very complicated organ and it's really important too.
Basically, it's a bio-machinery (way cooler than a machine) that filters your blood from waste inside it. If you want an example, go to [6] quickly! And it also excrete water in the form of urine that is functioning as a medium for all that waste to exit your system.
Unfortunately, this really cool and important organ (or organs if you want to consider them as plural) is taken for granted by some of us, even most of us. Why? because some of us are not having enough fluid intake as we're suppose to. So what if we're not drinking enough water? Well, hypovolemia occurs. Don't know what this means? Go to [6] quickly! (wait, can't fool you twice, can I?) Anyways, hypovolemia means that your blood volume is lower than it's suppose to be, hence less fluid in vascular (blood vessel) system. So, this means your blood is thicker and your kidney (kidneys!) is working harder. Keep slaving them for decades and you might just get *drumroll* a kidney failure! And this is the reason for 10% of deaths in Australia in 2006 [7].

[5] Touch your back, just above the waist. Feel that rib cage? A little bit closer to the spine. There you go! One on the left and one on the right. FYI, you can't touch it cause it's in the retroperitoneal cavity.
[6] If your too lazy to open a text book, or don't have one, google it!
[7] http://www.aihw.gov.au/ckd/kidney_key_facts.cfm; I can't find the info for Indonesia, so here's one of our neighboring countries.

Not a good way to die either too, I'm telling you. But here's the good thing, by drinking enough fluid (1500 cc more or less) daily (and I don't mean beer you drunkard!) you're really helping your kidneys [8].

[8] Show your kidneys some love :D

Bass regard,
Ald. MD