Snowball Effect

Overwhelming, frustrating, impatient, and difficult could all be words that describe my second week of medical school classes here at PNWU. Though I sound negative I still love being a medical student. I guess I am just not used to the snowball effect and the amount of information my instructors want me to know. The most difficult part of my studies is not the material, but managing of the material, understanding the class structure, keeping all the facts straight, and figuring out how to prepare.  About every 2nd year student on campus has a different study system.  So I have chosen to appreciate their advice, but I need to build my own system.
Out of all my classes, the top two that have the most material are Histology and Anatomy.  Histology, the study of tissues, is beginning at the basics.  I think most people believe that doctors jump into medical school learning about drugs and doing stitches, NOPE!  We learn about cells, organelles, intercellular junctions, and then we combine those cells to make tissues and then organs. Then we learn about diseases to those tissues and organs.  It's amazing that all disorders and diseases happen on such a microscopic level, but when you go to a doctor he/she tells you the basics. For example they tell you, you have a asthma , and gives you a steroidal inhaler.  But maybe what's really happening is the cell protein receptors in your trachea are overly excited so you need a beta protein receptor inhibitor, albuterol or epinephrine, to turn off the activation chain of the action potential for the smooth muscle contraction.  Did I sound smart there? Maybe to an average person? But that is just the tip of the iceberg and very superficial knowledge compared to what I have to know for exams. I would probably fail an exam with that explanation.
As far as anatomy goes, the sheer load of material is crazy. Undergraduate anatomy was easy.  We only had one semester so we sprinted through the body systems memorizing all the main structures. In med school we learn every detail, including but not limited to the nerves, blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, and so forth. I know it's a necessity, after all I am going to be a doctor. But my lands, it's sometimes hard to see the big picture when we start anatomy learning about the vertebral column and back. I guess we have to start somewhere.
The overall experience is a rush everyday. Time flies when anxiety distills in my gut from the pressure to study and keep up with my peers. The tough part is being away from my wife and baby.  I usually leave home around 6am and don't get home until 6-7pm.  Then I relax, give Olive a bath, play a little, and then get back to studying until late.  The time is flying by and my little girl is growing up so fast already.  Anyways this was just a little tidbit of how I feel classes are going.  Thank you all for following me.
BTW I have my first anatomy dissection lab tomorrow in anatomy. I didn't realize this before, I don't know why, but I just realized last week that I will be the one cutting into the cadaver.  We have  book that teaches us how to cut up a human body.  That is kinda morbid to think about, but I am excited for it in a non creepy way.  I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to work on a real human body and am grateful for the good people who donate their bodies for science.  
Thanks for the follows and reads.  I am getting back to my studies.