Medicine is a constant reminder of how fragile and unfair life can be. Life can throw curve balls and do some pretty unexpected things. I was in clinic and met a lady who is 40 years old and have been getting treatment for cancer. Unfortunately, it has been found that it has metastasised to other parts of her body such as her bowels and her lung. What really struck me was that as I entered the room, having read the notes before seeing her, I was expecting a frail lady who would look quite ill. Instead, I was greeted with a very healthy looking lady. If I had seen her in the hallways, I would not have guessed she had been battling cancer for almost 2 years and now facing another fight against the metastases. While going through her medication list, she was on high doses of analgesics and one can imagine how much pain she is usually in. As we got further into the consultation, what once was a calm looking lady turned into a nervous and worried person. She is supposed to undergo radical surgery in a few days and I really do not blame her for her nerves. I was taken aback by how calm she was at the beginning. It really puts things into perspective. I had a bad week last week with back pain, but after hearing the patient's story, my back pain seemed like nothing. It is nothing compared to what she's going through. And it really amplifies the fact that if you think you're having a bad day, there are people having a much worse day than you. It's easy to forget how fragile life can be. 40 year old woman - most are fit and healthy. Cancer is something still seen as a disease that affects the older population. It was inspiring to hear about her fight and her courage. Pretty sure I didn't whine/complain about anything for the rest of the day.
Life can throw curve balls affecting you physically and your health. But I wanted to talk about mental health. By being in a stressful job, it is important to keep your mind "happy" and not allow work overwhelm you. Your emotions can greatly alter your way of functioning. Recently, there has been a lot of mental health awareness campaigns going on especially back home in Canada. I personally know quite a few friends affected by mental health issues such as depression. I thought it would be worthwhile for me to write a mini blurb here and raise awareness to those who read my blog. Statistically, about 1 in 4 students are affected by depression and approximately only 1 in 4 people seek help. The main reason for the lack of seeking for help? Stigma. Mental health is still a "taboo" subject and it shouldn't be one! It is a common problem affecting many people. Not many people want to speak up and get help. You can't just "laugh" off depression or mental health illness. I know way too many people suffering with this. What bothered me was how even in the health service, health professionals are almost afraid to ask about psychiatric illness. The number of times where I've seen various professionals very quietly ask if there is any history of psychiatric illness or if he/she suffers from depression. We ask about heart/lung/bowel problems loud and clear, but when it comes to mental health it gets all "hush hush". If there wasn't this "stigma" surrounding mental health, will there be more people seeking for help? I would like to think yes. I've had friends who suffered in silence and I have nothing but praises for those who gathered enough courage to seek help. From what I hear, it can get very dark and lonely. There is so much help out there. People shouldn't be suffering in silence. Stigma is unacceptable. The reason for raising awareness is to eradicate the stigma associated with mental health. 1 in 4 people are affected. That is common. Look at your group of friends. Live in a house with 3 others? Do your part and raise awareness.
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Sunday, September 16, 2012
That Time of the Year...Again.
So Freshers Week is literally right around the corner. You're sitting in front of your computer/packing/feeling excited and nervous/etc. A million questions race through your mind: What's medical school going to be like? Am I going to make any friends? What is Freshers like? Will I be able to cope? Will I get homesick?
I am probably considered an "oldie" at university now since I am now in 4th year. Most people who started university with me in the UK have all graduated now...most are working as well...and I'm still in school. I've been through 3 fresher weeks now - I think I can safely say that I'm fairly confident about what goes on in Freshers and what students are usually concerned about. Let's crack a few FAQs.
What is medical school going to be like?
Medical school is going to be challenging, physically and mentally tough, tiring, and most importantly - FUN. At the end of the day - we are medics. We work hard and party hard, BUT it is essential to maintain a good balance between the two. Don't want to work too hard to the point you burn out within first year, but at the same time not party so hard you end up flunking the year. In the first few weeks of school, it will mainly be a lot of introductory lectures. Unfortunately, your first few weeks will probably be a bit of a shock. First 2 weeks - you'll still be either hungover or on cloud 9 as you are still coming to terms that you are in medical school. Then week 3 comes around and so on...you're in lectures from 9am-5pm. You want to be seeing patients and learning clinical things, etc. Here's the truth - everyone has to take baby steps first so you'll probably spend quite a bit of time learning the basics. The science of medicine more than anything.
How do I make friends?
I cannot stress the importance of getting out there. Don't just stay in your accommodation. Go out and socialize! I do understand drinking/alcohol culture is not everyone's "cup of tea", but not all socials need to be at a pub/bar/club. In your first week (Freshers Week) there will be a lot of fairs. There will be a medical freshers fair, union freshers fair, sports fair, etc. Go to the fairs and join some societies! Remember all the freshers that attend these fairs will also be looking for friends. Thinking back, in the first few weeks of university was quite overwhelming. Every one seems a bit too friendly. You get so many numbers and emails from people you only say "Hi" to. Great place to start is at your first medical lecture. Go meet your classmates! You'll be stuck with them for the next 5-6ish years...so it's not a bad idea to start getting to know them. If you are a shy person, just think about it - everyone is looking to make friends. To be entirely honest - I used to be quite shy and the week before starting medical school - I was pretty nervous. I didn't know if I will be able to make friends. I'm not exactly the best person to initiate conversations. I can actually be quite quiet and can happily stand in the corner and watch the world pass by. Seeing how I'm in a new country, new school, etc - I knew I have to step out of my bubble and really try hard to make the first move and meet as many people as I can. Not sure what to say? Here's a start: "Hi! My name is _______. So where are you from? Liking *the university/city* so far? How are you finding it?"
Do I have to party every single day to make friends?
No. I did not go party every night. I think I went out twice (?) during Freshers week. BUT a great way to get to know your flatmates is probably to hang out with them, but know your limits. Sometimes you feel really pressured to go out, but if you aren't comfortable going out - then don't go! Just tell your friends you're going to take it easy for the night and need to finish unpacking. It isn't a crime to take it easy and most people should understand. However, I do HIGHLY recommend going to the Medic Freshers Party. I've been to the union party and the medics party 3 years in a row during Freshers week. The Medics' Party is a lot better. Plus it gives you another chance to meet more of your classmates and probably upper years such as people like me who don't want to give up on Fresher parties! I still fondly remember my first year medics freshers party. The people who I met at the party are still my great friends 3 years later. All I can say about these parties is just to enjoy yourself. Let loose. You're a fresher only once - just go for it! You're away from home. You're officially a medical student! I think these are good enough reasons to celebrate!
I got the welcome pack and everything seems really confusing and overwhelming! What to do?!
Just relax. I have always found the welcome packs overwhelming and exciting. Things start to feel real when you read through the welcome pack. I still remember reading mine and going: "wow...I am going to university. I'm going to be a medical student in a few days. There is a lot of stuff to know...crap." Essentially what schools tend to do is try to cram as much info in a welcome pack as they possibly can. It isn't a bad idea to give it a read before you start university, but you don't have to know everything in it. Introductory lectures/induction will probably cover most of it. How I've always seen things is to just "go with the flow". Just remember if you are feeling scared/nervous - there will probably be quite a lot of other people feeling the same thing. You're not the only one on the boat.
All in all - in a way Freshers week is overhyped. Keep your expectations low, and you won't be disappointed. How much you will enjoy Freshers Week is solely down to you. You control your life so you go out as much as you need to. But like I've said earlier: you're only a Fresher once so enjoy your time. Celebrate your week. You deserve it. You got into medical school - which was certainly not an easy task. Just think how far you have come to get here. It's also a fantastic time to get to know lots of people. Go join societies and get to know people from other courses. You are at university for 5-6 years so it is important to make the first good step. Relax and just go with the flow! Be excited. It will be a very fun 5+ years of university. It will go by quickly so enjoy it.
Good luck and enjoy your Freshers week. Also congratulations for getting into medical school.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Holiday!
Holiday technically started a week-ish ago, but because of results, it didn't feel much of a holiday. It's been quite a few days since results (yes I realize my exam and results post were fairly recent...but in reality my exams were like 2 weeks ago). I will be going back home to spend my short winter holiday and just make the most of my time with family and friends. Should be good so I'm really excited. Seems like I haven't had a break in ages, but technically just got off in August. This year has been extremely long.
Anyways I will be off for a few weeks. So happy holidays to everyone and congratulations to those who have already received offers (yay!) and those who have received interviews! For those who are still waiting, try your best to not think about it and have a nice holiday/break!
Anyways I will be off for a few weeks. So happy holidays to everyone and congratulations to those who have already received offers (yay!) and those who have received interviews! For those who are still waiting, try your best to not think about it and have a nice holiday/break!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Close Call.
If you have read my previous post on exams...you would have noticed that this exam was very difficult and I was fairly convinced I had failed. From last day of exams to results...I had 7 days to ponder and scare myself/reassure myself. Easily the most anxious 7 days of my life. First day post exam - I swear I was brain dead. I couldn't do anything properly. At the same time - I was in a bit of a depressed state of mind. Also found it very difficult to sleep. Mind you, I'm not the type that worries about stuff. I literally am a happy-go-lucky/care-free person. I rarely worry about things. Thank goodness I got to go to London for the weekend to watch a concert, which allowed me to get my mind off of exams and just to relax.
Results day - woke up at 8am...pretty much tossed around in bed for the next 4 hours as results aren't released until 2pm. Worst bit is that I have to go to the medical school to go see my results as for no reason the school does not post them online.
"Results are out...it ain't pretty." - the text message I received from my friend at 2:10pm. When I read the message, I felt my heart drop. As I got closer to the medical school, I could feel my heart racing. I then saw classmates standing outside the school. Some crying. Some cheering. Some looked in shock. I really didn't know what to expect. The short walk from the entrance to the notice board where our results are posted was probably the longest walk ever. Next comes the difficult bit. Finding your student number in a list of 280 other numbers. "Should I check the fail list first? Or just try to find my number in the pass list?" My gut went with looking through the pass list first. Thank goodness our numbers are in numerical order this year. Page after page....I finally found my number. I passed my exam! Then curiosity won me over and I took a look at the fail list. I was in shock. The phase director had failed 20% of the year (50+ students). Wow. She actually kept her word about it. I was disgusted by the number of students she had decided to fail. Ridiculous. As time passed, more of my friends came in to check their results as word had spread about results being out. One by one I saw students come through. Saw a couple people crying as they had failed their exams. Thinking about it - we were all top of the class students. Failure...is probably something we have never really experienced before, so for those who failed their medical exams it probably came as a shock. By the way - usually only 10-15 people fail their exams. In our last two years, my year had set the highest passing rate. The academic department was proud of our year. In 6 months, we went from the highest passing rate, to the highest failing rate. Obviously there is something wrong with the exam and not us.
Unfortunately a few of my close friends had failed their exams. I know a few people getting kicked out from the course from failing more than 3 times in the course. A couple of people had failed and had such a bad experience from these last 6 months, will be quitting medicine. It's really a shame that one phase director can put so many people off from medicine and possibly even change the future of so many students. Lots of students had lost a lot of confidence because of these exams. These exams disgust me especially knowing the school had screwed up badly with these exams. Pass mark for our exams are usually at around 47-50%. This year our pass mark was around 40%. OBVIOUSLY something wrong with the exam if your pass mark is that low. I surely hope the school does something to resolve this as I think this is unacceptable. Yes I am angry at the school. Yes I am annoyed. Yes I know I passed, but knowing the pass mark was that low - I feel like I didn't pass my exam as it was not a fair exam and not a fair way to examine the knowledge I had gained in the last 6 months.
What I had experienced from these exams, I am a bit hesitant on even recommending the school to prospective students. It's really a shame how poorly this has been handled. Hopefully the school will regain my confidence in them in the new year.
Results day - woke up at 8am...pretty much tossed around in bed for the next 4 hours as results aren't released until 2pm. Worst bit is that I have to go to the medical school to go see my results as for no reason the school does not post them online.
"Results are out...it ain't pretty." - the text message I received from my friend at 2:10pm. When I read the message, I felt my heart drop. As I got closer to the medical school, I could feel my heart racing. I then saw classmates standing outside the school. Some crying. Some cheering. Some looked in shock. I really didn't know what to expect. The short walk from the entrance to the notice board where our results are posted was probably the longest walk ever. Next comes the difficult bit. Finding your student number in a list of 280 other numbers. "Should I check the fail list first? Or just try to find my number in the pass list?" My gut went with looking through the pass list first. Thank goodness our numbers are in numerical order this year. Page after page....I finally found my number. I passed my exam! Then curiosity won me over and I took a look at the fail list. I was in shock. The phase director had failed 20% of the year (50+ students). Wow. She actually kept her word about it. I was disgusted by the number of students she had decided to fail. Ridiculous. As time passed, more of my friends came in to check their results as word had spread about results being out. One by one I saw students come through. Saw a couple people crying as they had failed their exams. Thinking about it - we were all top of the class students. Failure...is probably something we have never really experienced before, so for those who failed their medical exams it probably came as a shock. By the way - usually only 10-15 people fail their exams. In our last two years, my year had set the highest passing rate. The academic department was proud of our year. In 6 months, we went from the highest passing rate, to the highest failing rate. Obviously there is something wrong with the exam and not us.
Unfortunately a few of my close friends had failed their exams. I know a few people getting kicked out from the course from failing more than 3 times in the course. A couple of people had failed and had such a bad experience from these last 6 months, will be quitting medicine. It's really a shame that one phase director can put so many people off from medicine and possibly even change the future of so many students. Lots of students had lost a lot of confidence because of these exams. These exams disgust me especially knowing the school had screwed up badly with these exams. Pass mark for our exams are usually at around 47-50%. This year our pass mark was around 40%. OBVIOUSLY something wrong with the exam if your pass mark is that low. I surely hope the school does something to resolve this as I think this is unacceptable. Yes I am angry at the school. Yes I am annoyed. Yes I know I passed, but knowing the pass mark was that low - I feel like I didn't pass my exam as it was not a fair exam and not a fair way to examine the knowledge I had gained in the last 6 months.
What I had experienced from these exams, I am a bit hesitant on even recommending the school to prospective students. It's really a shame how poorly this has been handled. Hopefully the school will regain my confidence in them in the new year.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
In Memory of...
Sorry everyone, but this is going to be a solemn post so if you're not into reading something depressing please read another post - will be making another post either tonight or later in the week which will be a bit more cheerful.
Anyways...I've been a medical student for almost three years now - been around the hospitals a fair bit. Have seen happy things, have seen sad things. Have seen births, have seen deaths. Can one environment contain any more contrasting emotions? One family is in tears of joy; another family is in tears of sorrow as they have lost someone close. I myself have witnessed these events as a medical student. I smile with those who celebrate/are in joy; and I try to comfort those who are in a tough time. To be fair, deaths in the hospital has yet to make me lose any sleep or never really bothered me as I know everyone on the healthcare team has tried their best to save a person's life or at least have tried to make it as comfortable as possible.
When I first came to university - we were told in our first week that we will experience many personal obstacles. We are at the age where drastic things happen in our lives - some good, some bad. One of these "bad" things is death. Me being the typical fresher who didn't really pay attention in the lecture just brushed it off. Most of us tend to think: "Meh this won't happen to us."
October 24, 2011, I received the news that a friend of mine had passed away. I have never met this friend face to face, but we had shared many life stories and experiences. He was a guy I could talk to and have a nice laugh with, but because he lived in another country - I never had the chance to meet him. In terms of how I met this person? Well 4 years ago I purchased a custom item from him that required a lot of communication as we were in different countries - so I couldn't just walk into his factory and tell him what I want done. Anyways we would have periods where we would talk every single day - like loads, and then go through weeks where we wouldn't talk at all as this man was very busy with his business. Few weeks later - he would contact me again and we would talk about random things/he would check up on the product he made for me and whether I'm still happy with it. When I heard the tragic news - I was shocked. To be honest - I didn't know what to feel. It was mixed. Shocked, sad, empty...essentially confused. It was weird because I never met this man face to face, but yet cared about him. He was a very kind man. I still remember just last year he sent me a surprise Christmas present and I was planning to surprise him this year with a Christmas present. I had not been in contact with him for the whole summer as I did not want to bother him as he said he was very busy. Thinking back, I wish I had checked up on him.
Unfortunately this made me realize that death can occur in anyone's life. Like it or not, it's a fact. You can brush it off as much as you want, but it is something we will all have to face in our life. Take care of your friends, keep in touch with love ones, and if you know you don't talk to a friend that much - make sure you make every sentence count. You don't want to regret not telling someone something as anything can happen in this world. I wish I had told my friend how great of a friend he was to me and how much I enjoy his product. Hopefully he could decipher that from our conversations but I just wish I had told him plain and simple and thank him for his advice and lovely chats. If I could have done anything differently, I wish I had just contacted my friend despite knowing he was busy - just to make sure everything is alright.
But to those who are still reading - seriously, cherish your friends and loved ones. Death is a topic we all want to avoid and never want to think about, but it can happen to anyone. Because once you're in university and especially when we are all travelling away from home/friends, make an effort to keep in touch. Check up on your friends once in awhile. Be there for them. Support them. Don't hide things away and make sure they know you're there for them.
RIP buddy, you know who you are. Thank you for the great memories and the fantastic product. I will miss you.
Anyways...I've been a medical student for almost three years now - been around the hospitals a fair bit. Have seen happy things, have seen sad things. Have seen births, have seen deaths. Can one environment contain any more contrasting emotions? One family is in tears of joy; another family is in tears of sorrow as they have lost someone close. I myself have witnessed these events as a medical student. I smile with those who celebrate/are in joy; and I try to comfort those who are in a tough time. To be fair, deaths in the hospital has yet to make me lose any sleep or never really bothered me as I know everyone on the healthcare team has tried their best to save a person's life or at least have tried to make it as comfortable as possible.
When I first came to university - we were told in our first week that we will experience many personal obstacles. We are at the age where drastic things happen in our lives - some good, some bad. One of these "bad" things is death. Me being the typical fresher who didn't really pay attention in the lecture just brushed it off. Most of us tend to think: "Meh this won't happen to us."
October 24, 2011, I received the news that a friend of mine had passed away. I have never met this friend face to face, but we had shared many life stories and experiences. He was a guy I could talk to and have a nice laugh with, but because he lived in another country - I never had the chance to meet him. In terms of how I met this person? Well 4 years ago I purchased a custom item from him that required a lot of communication as we were in different countries - so I couldn't just walk into his factory and tell him what I want done. Anyways we would have periods where we would talk every single day - like loads, and then go through weeks where we wouldn't talk at all as this man was very busy with his business. Few weeks later - he would contact me again and we would talk about random things/he would check up on the product he made for me and whether I'm still happy with it. When I heard the tragic news - I was shocked. To be honest - I didn't know what to feel. It was mixed. Shocked, sad, empty...essentially confused. It was weird because I never met this man face to face, but yet cared about him. He was a very kind man. I still remember just last year he sent me a surprise Christmas present and I was planning to surprise him this year with a Christmas present. I had not been in contact with him for the whole summer as I did not want to bother him as he said he was very busy. Thinking back, I wish I had checked up on him.
Unfortunately this made me realize that death can occur in anyone's life. Like it or not, it's a fact. You can brush it off as much as you want, but it is something we will all have to face in our life. Take care of your friends, keep in touch with love ones, and if you know you don't talk to a friend that much - make sure you make every sentence count. You don't want to regret not telling someone something as anything can happen in this world. I wish I had told my friend how great of a friend he was to me and how much I enjoy his product. Hopefully he could decipher that from our conversations but I just wish I had told him plain and simple and thank him for his advice and lovely chats. If I could have done anything differently, I wish I had just contacted my friend despite knowing he was busy - just to make sure everything is alright.
But to those who are still reading - seriously, cherish your friends and loved ones. Death is a topic we all want to avoid and never want to think about, but it can happen to anyone. Because once you're in university and especially when we are all travelling away from home/friends, make an effort to keep in touch. Check up on your friends once in awhile. Be there for them. Support them. Don't hide things away and make sure they know you're there for them.
RIP buddy, you know who you are. Thank you for the great memories and the fantastic product. I will miss you.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Quick Recap.
Finally have some downtime to update my blog.
Anyways as some of you would know I'm now starting 2nd year of medicine in England and wow. We literally jumped right into lectures on the first day of school (20th Sept). First unit is on Skin/Urinary/Endocrine/Reproduction.
Same with last year - my enemy is still physiology. I can't get my head around renal physiology. It just seems so complex. This year's topics are starting to make last year's topics seem like child's play. Getting a bit worried - especially for exams. This year's exams will include some material from first year and they will not be specifying which materials from last year will be examined...so that means reviewing all of last year. Hopefully I'll survive, but this year I have adapted a new way of studying/reviewing.
Last year, I used to print out my lectures the day before and take a quick glimpse of it. After a whole year I realized it is a horrible way for preparing for next day's lecture. You cannot even consider it as preparation. This year I have decided to take my laptop with me to lectures. The night before I would type up the powerpoint for next day's lectures and when I get to class I'll add to the powerpoint that I typed up the night before. My notes are looking much nicer and organized. Also this forces me to read my lectures beforehand as obviously to type the powerpoint...you gotta read it. It has helped quite a bit as when I go to lectures I know what to expect and am more ready. Also this year I am trying to keep up with the recommended reading. Last year I left all my reading to the last 5 weeks prior to exams and it was the WORST idea ever. It was torturous and dumb. This year I have started marking all my recommended reading and actually taking a quick read through first so when I go back to read em before exams it won't be new/fresh. Hopefully this new method of preparation and revision will help me out.
Also side note: I hope all you freshers had loads of fun during freshers week. Hopefully no one is feeling homesick yet and have made lots of friends! Most importantly I hope everyone is enjoying their course and not regret their decision of studying medicine/regret their uni choice. If you are feeling a bit down/regretting your choice - please keep your chin up and try to enjoy it as much as possible. Let go of your previous impressions of the uni and try and experience the uni. Hopefully as weeks pass you'll get more and more used to the environment and actually start liking your decision to study at that uni.
Good luck to all with your course and hopefully I'll have more time later on to keep updating.
Anyways as some of you would know I'm now starting 2nd year of medicine in England and wow. We literally jumped right into lectures on the first day of school (20th Sept). First unit is on Skin/Urinary/Endocrine/Reproduction.
Same with last year - my enemy is still physiology. I can't get my head around renal physiology. It just seems so complex. This year's topics are starting to make last year's topics seem like child's play. Getting a bit worried - especially for exams. This year's exams will include some material from first year and they will not be specifying which materials from last year will be examined...so that means reviewing all of last year. Hopefully I'll survive, but this year I have adapted a new way of studying/reviewing.
Last year, I used to print out my lectures the day before and take a quick glimpse of it. After a whole year I realized it is a horrible way for preparing for next day's lecture. You cannot even consider it as preparation. This year I have decided to take my laptop with me to lectures. The night before I would type up the powerpoint for next day's lectures and when I get to class I'll add to the powerpoint that I typed up the night before. My notes are looking much nicer and organized. Also this forces me to read my lectures beforehand as obviously to type the powerpoint...you gotta read it. It has helped quite a bit as when I go to lectures I know what to expect and am more ready. Also this year I am trying to keep up with the recommended reading. Last year I left all my reading to the last 5 weeks prior to exams and it was the WORST idea ever. It was torturous and dumb. This year I have started marking all my recommended reading and actually taking a quick read through first so when I go back to read em before exams it won't be new/fresh. Hopefully this new method of preparation and revision will help me out.
Also side note: I hope all you freshers had loads of fun during freshers week. Hopefully no one is feeling homesick yet and have made lots of friends! Most importantly I hope everyone is enjoying their course and not regret their decision of studying medicine/regret their uni choice. If you are feeling a bit down/regretting your choice - please keep your chin up and try to enjoy it as much as possible. Let go of your previous impressions of the uni and try and experience the uni. Hopefully as weeks pass you'll get more and more used to the environment and actually start liking your decision to study at that uni.
Good luck to all with your course and hopefully I'll have more time later on to keep updating.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
To the FUTURE medics!
I just wanted to quickly post out a congratulations to those who met their offers to get into medical school! As summer holiday slowly comes to an end (noooooo!) - that means freshers is getting closer! Get ready for a great time and don't be too nervous! Personally before freshers I was really nervous especially being an International student. I was scared I was not going to make any friends and will be going through freshers as a very lonely medical student. Those who are worried about friends in uni - DO NOT WORRY! You will find that during Freshers everyone is quite friendly as most will be in the same boat as you - looking for friends! The first people you'll meet will probably be your flatmates so get to know them and don't be shy! Be open-minded and don't be afraid to start up conversations. However, don't always just stick with your flatmates - open up and get to know your course-mates and join societies so you can meet more people! Trust me the thing you'll be worrying about during Freshers are peoples' names. I found myself saying "Hi" back to people who I have met but can't remember their name. Also later on you'll realize half the people in your contacts list on your mobile will be people you don't even remember meeting! Haha.
Freshers is a time where you will probably be both really excited and maybe a bit nervous. Pretty typical feelings. If you aren't even excited for Freshers because you are scared/nervous - don't be. Hopefully you'll find it enjoyable and a pleasant experience. However I think I've mentioned in my earlier posts (in my blog) from the beginning of last year where Freshers was a bit "overhyped". I still believe it is but every one is different. I am not the biggest party animal so I didn't go to a lot of Fresher parties - but in general I still had a great time and many of the people I met during Freshers are still my friends now and we all get along quite well!
And by the way - moving in is alright but remember don't take a lot of stuff that you do NOT need. You will regret it when you have to move out. I personally thought that I brought wayyy too many clothes with me. I probably only wore half the clothes I brought and the other half just clogged up space.
Anyways I don't want to make this post too long - but I'll link you to my previous posts where I wrote about my Freshers week and updated it pretty often:
http://crazylifemedstudent.blogspot.com/2009/09/freshers.html
http://crazylifemedstudent.blogspot.com/2009_10_01_archive.html
I hope these previous blog posts will help and ease some nerves. I think you'll find the second link useful as I charted out each day of my Freshers week.
If anyone has any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Just post in the comment box and I'll reply back to you in the comment box asap or if you want you can leave me your email address and I can email you back.
Get excited for FRESHERS and a new chapter of your life!
Freshers is a time where you will probably be both really excited and maybe a bit nervous. Pretty typical feelings. If you aren't even excited for Freshers because you are scared/nervous - don't be. Hopefully you'll find it enjoyable and a pleasant experience. However I think I've mentioned in my earlier posts (in my blog) from the beginning of last year where Freshers was a bit "overhyped". I still believe it is but every one is different. I am not the biggest party animal so I didn't go to a lot of Fresher parties - but in general I still had a great time and many of the people I met during Freshers are still my friends now and we all get along quite well!
And by the way - moving in is alright but remember don't take a lot of stuff that you do NOT need. You will regret it when you have to move out. I personally thought that I brought wayyy too many clothes with me. I probably only wore half the clothes I brought and the other half just clogged up space.
Anyways I don't want to make this post too long - but I'll link you to my previous posts where I wrote about my Freshers week and updated it pretty often:
http://crazylifemedstudent.blogspot.com/2009/09/freshers.html
http://crazylifemedstudent.blogspot.com/2009_10_01_archive.html
I hope these previous blog posts will help and ease some nerves. I think you'll find the second link useful as I charted out each day of my Freshers week.
If anyone has any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Just post in the comment box and I'll reply back to you in the comment box asap or if you want you can leave me your email address and I can email you back.
Get excited for FRESHERS and a new chapter of your life!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Summary of my 5 weeks at Medical School
Sorry for the long wait!
First I want to say good luck to all the 2010 medical applicants! Hopefully you'll be hearing from your universities soon!
So far medical school has been A LOT better than I thought it would be. I always hear that medical school is EXTREMELY busy and tough. I cannot confirm the tough bit...yet, but so far the work load has been pretty moderate. I have seem to already enjoy Surface Anatomy lectures and practical activities in the dissection room. I always get excited when I see either of these on my timetable. At the moment I have seem to found a new enemy: Biochemistry and Histology. Biochemistry because I felt like we went through it way too fast but I think we are going back to it later in the year to study it in more detail. I was told that the first eight weeks are still like module introduction, where we cover almost everything that we will be doing this year. Not too fond of histology, not because it is hard or anything, but this is where we have to do online practicals at home. I have been finding them quite annoying as it is quite a challenge to find the answers to the questions. Plus it takes a really long time to complete like what...ten questions? We are allotted two hours to do the histology practical so that kind of gives you an idea why I find histology slightly annoying.
Social wise I am loving it! I am glad I have made lots of friends who are very nice. We hang pretty often and we usually go have lunch in the union or something after our morning lectures. So far I have went to all the medic socials:
Freshers Foam Party
Medics Fancy Dress Pub Crawl
Yes there has only been two events for us medics BUT the two events were AMAZING. The MedSoc really put a lot of effort into these events to make sure we all have loads of fun. Plus who does not like a nice discount at the bars during these events. From time to time I do go out with some of my friends at night to go sit at a bar and play some games. Pretty fun. Great bonding time too.
So far I have learned to keep up with your lecture notes and do your recommended reading (especially before practicals such as dissection)!!! Every week I would type up all my handwritten notes and merge them with the lecture powerpoint that is always posted up on our med school website. I guess I just want to do these notes for the future as when it comes exam time I don't want to be trying to remember stuff I did in September. But yes do your recommended reading so you don't get lost! Feel really dumb at dissection when you don't even know what topic you're learning about for the day...so avoid it by reading!
I shall end this post as it is getting long...and boring...but I will try to update more often. Maybe sneak in a interview tips post...which I should have done quite awhile ago.
First I want to say good luck to all the 2010 medical applicants! Hopefully you'll be hearing from your universities soon!
So far medical school has been A LOT better than I thought it would be. I always hear that medical school is EXTREMELY busy and tough. I cannot confirm the tough bit...yet, but so far the work load has been pretty moderate. I have seem to already enjoy Surface Anatomy lectures and practical activities in the dissection room. I always get excited when I see either of these on my timetable. At the moment I have seem to found a new enemy: Biochemistry and Histology. Biochemistry because I felt like we went through it way too fast but I think we are going back to it later in the year to study it in more detail. I was told that the first eight weeks are still like module introduction, where we cover almost everything that we will be doing this year. Not too fond of histology, not because it is hard or anything, but this is where we have to do online practicals at home. I have been finding them quite annoying as it is quite a challenge to find the answers to the questions. Plus it takes a really long time to complete like what...ten questions? We are allotted two hours to do the histology practical so that kind of gives you an idea why I find histology slightly annoying.
Social wise I am loving it! I am glad I have made lots of friends who are very nice. We hang pretty often and we usually go have lunch in the union or something after our morning lectures. So far I have went to all the medic socials:
Freshers Foam Party
Medics Fancy Dress Pub Crawl
Yes there has only been two events for us medics BUT the two events were AMAZING. The MedSoc really put a lot of effort into these events to make sure we all have loads of fun. Plus who does not like a nice discount at the bars during these events. From time to time I do go out with some of my friends at night to go sit at a bar and play some games. Pretty fun. Great bonding time too.
So far I have learned to keep up with your lecture notes and do your recommended reading (especially before practicals such as dissection)!!! Every week I would type up all my handwritten notes and merge them with the lecture powerpoint that is always posted up on our med school website. I guess I just want to do these notes for the future as when it comes exam time I don't want to be trying to remember stuff I did in September. But yes do your recommended reading so you don't get lost! Feel really dumb at dissection when you don't even know what topic you're learning about for the day...so avoid it by reading!
I shall end this post as it is getting long...and boring...but I will try to update more often. Maybe sneak in a interview tips post...which I should have done quite awhile ago.
Monday, October 12, 2009
FRESHERS WEEK - MEDICS FIELD HOCKEY
Well today was also the first day of training for the medics field hockey team! I met at the hockey pitch at 5:00pm which my massive goalkeeping bag. It was quite the hike up to the pitch as it was on the top of a hill and there were several flights of stairs I had to carry my bag up. There was lots of people at the practice, but sadly I only met a few freshers there. I have already met the club captain a month before I started uni to discuss about playing 1stXI team. Met a few people who are on the team when I got to practice so that was really cool. So all the people on the team are medics and most of em are upper years so I asked em a few questions about their thoughts on med school.
The general response that I got from them is that they thoroughly enjoy medical school and that I should try and have as much fun as I can in first year. All of them really loved first year of medical school as it wasn't too hard. The medical school tries really hard to make transition from school to university as easy as possible so a lot of the students really liked the transition and thought it was at a good pace.
Practice was a lot of fun...I haven't really trained with men as well so it was definitely a new experience. I was definitely expecting really hard shots...but wow can men shoot the ball! I thought I was going to get killed tonight. My goalkeeping shorts are not up to standard to start off as they are only suitable for low grade hockey...what a great confidence booster. I didn't really get hit anywhere with little protection which was good. Personally thought I played OKAY...but I was pretty tired.
After practice we went for a big team dinner at the local pub. Had great pub food and played some games such as "Boat Race". It was a lot of fun. We also went around the circle and introduced ourselves to each other. Can't even remember 1/8 of the names (terrible with names). Once dinner was finished I had a good chat with the older medics and asked them about intercalated degrees and what they thought about it. They actually thought that taking an extra degree will help you final application for foundation year placements and it shows interest in whatever specialty you are looking at. However, they did tell me that it is a bit too early to start thinking about it as usually people take an intercalated year. I am keeping the intercalated degree idea at the back of my head for now as I am considering it.
Hockey was really fun tonight and I managed to meet lots of people. Yay!
Tip: Don't be afraid to talk to upper years in your course. They may come in handy when you need help with course work or just have a question about the course. Don't worry they don't bite...although some of them may do look like they bite. :P
The general response that I got from them is that they thoroughly enjoy medical school and that I should try and have as much fun as I can in first year. All of them really loved first year of medical school as it wasn't too hard. The medical school tries really hard to make transition from school to university as easy as possible so a lot of the students really liked the transition and thought it was at a good pace.
Practice was a lot of fun...I haven't really trained with men as well so it was definitely a new experience. I was definitely expecting really hard shots...but wow can men shoot the ball! I thought I was going to get killed tonight. My goalkeeping shorts are not up to standard to start off as they are only suitable for low grade hockey...what a great confidence booster. I didn't really get hit anywhere with little protection which was good. Personally thought I played OKAY...but I was pretty tired.
After practice we went for a big team dinner at the local pub. Had great pub food and played some games such as "Boat Race". It was a lot of fun. We also went around the circle and introduced ourselves to each other. Can't even remember 1/8 of the names (terrible with names). Once dinner was finished I had a good chat with the older medics and asked them about intercalated degrees and what they thought about it. They actually thought that taking an extra degree will help you final application for foundation year placements and it shows interest in whatever specialty you are looking at. However, they did tell me that it is a bit too early to start thinking about it as usually people take an intercalated year. I am keeping the intercalated degree idea at the back of my head for now as I am considering it.
Hockey was really fun tonight and I managed to meet lots of people. Yay!
Tip: Don't be afraid to talk to upper years in your course. They may come in handy when you need help with course work or just have a question about the course. Don't worry they don't bite...although some of them may do look like they bite. :P
Thursday, October 1, 2009
PRE-FRESHERS - SEPT 20, 2009
Well I've been settling into my place for a few days now, trying to find my barrings and getting lost frequently. First thing I realized when I got to England was that people walk EVERYWHERE. Back in Canada, we drive everywhere. My legs were killing me by today. Anyways I had a party tonight which was held by the university. It was a "Beach Party" and it was to celebrate the end of summer. Few things I've learned:
1) Don't wear flip-flops to parties
2) Don't wear flip-flops to parties
Yes - some of you may think I am retarded but I wore flip-flops to the party and got stomped on, had drinks spilled all over my feet, and lost my flip-flops several times. The ground is extremely sticky so walking is a pain. To be honest, the drinks at the union were pretty cheap. They were about 1 - 3.50 pounds. Nice thing about the party was that the DJ was pretty good and had really good songs playing. Great songs to dance to. I also met up with a high school friend who's a year older than me and she introduced me to some of her friends. They were all very nice and welcoming.
Seriously, the parties at unis are totally overhyped unless you're the type who enjoys getting hammered and waking up hungover. All you do is dance and dance...and drink more and more....like yeah it is fun but after a few hours it gets tiring and boring. Plus half the people are heavily intoxicated and are spilling stuff all over you. Saw a poor guy who got puked all over and the guy who puked didn't even notice that he puked on someone. It was pretty gross.
Hm im actually pretty nervous about tomorrow (which is officially the first day of Fresher's Week). I'm scared it'll be a bit awkward being all on my own and not knowing anyone. Yikes. Hopefully it'll be fine tomorrow.
1) Don't wear flip-flops to parties
2) Don't wear flip-flops to parties
Yes - some of you may think I am retarded but I wore flip-flops to the party and got stomped on, had drinks spilled all over my feet, and lost my flip-flops several times. The ground is extremely sticky so walking is a pain. To be honest, the drinks at the union were pretty cheap. They were about 1 - 3.50 pounds. Nice thing about the party was that the DJ was pretty good and had really good songs playing. Great songs to dance to. I also met up with a high school friend who's a year older than me and she introduced me to some of her friends. They were all very nice and welcoming.
Seriously, the parties at unis are totally overhyped unless you're the type who enjoys getting hammered and waking up hungover. All you do is dance and dance...and drink more and more....like yeah it is fun but after a few hours it gets tiring and boring. Plus half the people are heavily intoxicated and are spilling stuff all over you. Saw a poor guy who got puked all over and the guy who puked didn't even notice that he puked on someone. It was pretty gross.
Hm im actually pretty nervous about tomorrow (which is officially the first day of Fresher's Week). I'm scared it'll be a bit awkward being all on my own and not knowing anyone. Yikes. Hopefully it'll be fine tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
