Is there a doctor in the house? June 4, 2008

Well…it has finally happened!! I got into medical school and am now a proud member of the Temple University School of Medicine Class of 2012!!!!! Obviously, I’m over-the-moon with excitement right now. New school, new city, new friends, new experiences…a new beginning mixed with my same old self.

Now, whenever I tell someone that I will be a medical student, the surefire question I always receive in response is, “What kind of doctor?” Well, to answer this burning question, as of right now, I’m aiming for emergency medicine. I’ve volunteered in the ER for over two years now and simply can’t get enough of it. As cheesy as it may sound, when I’m in the ER helping patients, I just feel like I belong and that I’m supposed to do this for the rest of my life.

Perhaps when I’m done with my residency Dr. Boyfriend and I can open a two person hospital. I’ll see the patients and he’ll take care of the prescriptions. Something tells me we’re a pretty perfect pair.

So, here’s my message to the world: Look out, because I’m on my way.

Dr. Boyfriend May 20, 2008

I think I just may be the proudest person ever. My wonderful boyfriend of two years has become a Doctor:  he graduated as a Doctor of Pharmacy this past weekend and I am…well…ridiculously proud of him! He’s done so much hard work over the past six years to get to this point and its wonderful to see all of his efforts paying off. He has even landed a residency in a top Pittsburgh program. Congratulations to you, Dr. Boyfriend. I am so proud of you and love you so very much!

Finito!! April 24, 2008

Well…this is it! I am officially done with my classes and finals. After four years of college–which utterly flew by–I have come to the end of the current road, ready to embark on a new path. Hopefully medical school is in my (very) near future, but if not, I will be happy to continue with my research for a couple more years! Either way that I look at it, I am an incredibly lucky graduating senior because I am exiting college and entering life in a wonderful win-win situation. I’m so fortunate that I’m already established at a lab and that I don’t need to hit the job interview trail! Medical school interviews were plenty for one year.

And you know what tickles me every time I think about the degree that is about to be conferred to me? Its a Bachelor of Science–B.S. for short. I have spent four years of my life toiling away at my studies and what do I get? B.S.!!!! Love it!

So, to officially close out the school year, I am posting my graduation announcement and a shout-out to my amazing friends that have made this college experience truly unforgettable. Good luck everyone in everything you do!

Each of us has different talents,
different dreams and different destinations
yet we all have the power to make a new tomorrow

Elizabeth Christine Iannone
will graduate with Honors from

the University of Pittsburgh

with a
Bachelor of Science degree in

Molecular Biology-Biochemistry,

a minor in Chemistry, and a certificate in the

Conceptual Foundations of Medicine on

April 26^th, 2008

Photoblog April 3, 2008

I like to think of myself as an amateur shutterbug–an amateur shutterbug dressed up with a whole lot of photos and nowhere to go. Rather than loading my original blog with scattered images, I have decided to dedicate an entire blog solely to photography. All images are original unless otherwise noted. Enjoy and check out my photoblog at http://bellaitalianaphotography.wordpress.com/

Oh, and just one more note: I work in a biomedical research lab, so some of the featured images are immunofluorescent images of SCIENCE!

Trees, Curry, & Candlelight April 1, 2008

Sunday. I have always been the sort of person that secretly dreaded Sundays because they always led to another Monday and signified the end of a fun and carefree weekend (or as fun of a weekend as can be expected for a studious pre-med and molecular biology student). I have always wanted to have my social life slated for Saturday and homework and studies slated for Sunday. To me, relegating Sunday as a day of “work” was my sly way of easing myself into a work-filled, class-filled, commitment-filled week. I just wouldn’t let Sunday show me a good time. Well, I’ve converted. To Sundays. My special someone and I were debating what to do for a weekend outing. I, as usual, insisted on Saturday for the aforementioned—and relatively selfish—reasons. He logically suggested that we spend Sunday together as he would already be in town. I gave in. To a Sunday afternoon.

That was one of the best Sundays in a very long time. We went to the park for a Sunday walk, which, as we forgot that our additive ages put us decidedly “over-the-hill,” quickly devolved into a Frisbee free-for-all in the mud and wind. Frisbee morphed into a hunt through the woods for some climbing trees. Kissing in the forest and sitting in a tree arcing over the hillside together made me giddily happy. At the risk of sounding exceedingly cliché, I wholeheartedly concur that the simplest things in life truly are the best things that life has to offer. In the next segment of the spring evening came an epicurean extravaganza of Thai food and ice cream. Topping off this Sunday was the sweetest cherry imaginable—candlelit cuddling. This Sunday has made me want the week to arrive just so I could tackle it in my newfound delight. So, here’s to a day spent in trees and warm, open arms. Sunday.

Random Musings #2 March 18, 2008

Music. It is such a ubiquitous thing, yet have you ever stopped a moment to, well, hear the music? To really ponder what all of those sounds stand for, what they mean, and the effects that they have? Music is a powerful force that is universally created and enjoyed. It evokes emotions and allows you to connect to something as intangible as a sound. It is a mere sound that has the capability of touching the mind and soul, inspiring people to achieve something, or simply providing pleasure. Hans Christian Anderson wrote, “Where words fail, music speaks.” Just think about this quotation for a minute. Is it not true that music can convey endless meaning, without the utterance of a single syllable? In music, we hear what is in our hearts and minds that cannot be described by any combination of words. When taking in music, we essentially hear our inner emotions. Nothing else in this world provides such a unique opportunity to reflect and contemplate what each of us is truly feeling—what is making us tick. I challenge you to find a particular piece of music that you really enjoy. Listen to it. Feel it. Unlock the secrets that are held within each note and you will unlock a deep insight into yourself and surrounding peers of the world.

And all of this can come from just listening to music. Imagine creating it. . .

Smile… March 5, 2008

Smile. It makes a world of difference.

Dance. Who knows when you won’t be able to?

Kiss. Kisses are one of the most wonderful things in the world.

Laugh. What’s the point in hiding happiness?

Hug. There’s no better feeling than being wrapped up close to someone you love.

Live, because LIFE IS EVERYTHING.

Cats + Peanut Butter + Toast = Defiance of Quantum Physics March 5, 2008

“Cats land on their feet. Toast lands peanut butter side down. Based on these axioms, a cat with peanut butter toast strapped to its back will therefore hover above the ground in a state of quantum indecision.”

Random Musings #1 March 4, 2008

All too often, people let the little things–a smile from a passing stranger, a kind hello of an old acquaintance, a butterfly perched on a flower, the feeling of the rain pouring down upon their skin–pass by them without letting them into their hearts and allowing those things to have an impact on them and change them. Take these moments to heart, let them change you, and see the world for all it truly is. Cherish the great and small– extraordinary and daily–wonders of life.