Medical School Interview, Job Applications, and etc!

I was hoping to get a bit more free time to make some posts. I am either busy catching up with work, or dead tired. So I will be addressing many things in this post.

1) Medical School Interviews

I know I'm a bit late with this, but hopefully most of you have seen my older posts on tips for medical school interviews. Because I had my interviews back in 2008, I'm not as "updated" as others out there as I'm sure the system has changed. In regards to my particular medical school, we still run the standard panel of 3 interviewing 1 applicant. Each applicant has 20 minutes. Here are some quick tips, which I have mentioned before:

• Reflect on your experiences. Integrate reflection of your past activities into your interview questions. It is one thing to answer the question with one word, but show us an example of when you had shown "this" particular skill or a particular experience where you learned something that helps you be a strong applicant
• Dress smartly - I'm not kidding you...I have seen some applicants turn up in a wrinkled shirt and creased trousers. I guess I don't have the right to judge someone's dress, but this is an interview for a very competitive spot in medical school. You need to impress and the first thing the interviewer sees, is you and how you carry yourself and what you're wearing. Yes we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but why start an uphill battle before you have even sat down in front of the panel. 
• Medical schools want to find out more about your personal qualities that they couldn't get from your personal statement. This is your time to shine in an interview. Some schools allow the interviewers to have read the applicant's personal statement before they come in for their interview. Expand on it.
• Confidence. Yes it is very nervous time, but you need to put on your confident face. Deliver your answers confidently. Don't sound unsure as these are questions about yourself. You shouldn't be unsure of your own personal qualities/experiences/achievements.
• Give succinct answers aka don't beat around the bush, yet try not to give very short answers as that means the interviewer will need to come up with more questions to ask you...
• Think your answers through before answering. You don't lose any points sitting for 30 seconds to think over your answer. Think the interviewers appreciate it more if you gave a structured succinct answer. 
• Back to basics: eye contact, try not to fidget while sat in your seat (trust me the interviewers notice it and it is quite distracting), and try to smile (it just makes the process seem so much less dreary and gloomy)
• I remember before going into my interview I told myself it is just questions about myself. I know myself best and no one knows me better than me. Interviewers (from what I have experienced) aren't out there to catch you out. They honestly want to know more about you and see if that personal statement matches the applicant who sits in front of them. 20 minutes isn't a long time to make that judgement, so as an applicant you don't have much time to get your personality across.

2) Job Applications

Right this biggest pain up the backside you'll face in your final year. Why is it a pain? It is because you're trying to focus on passing your finals, then this FPAS application crops up a few months prior so you're trying to revise yet do your job application correctly. The first step of job applications is filling out your basic details, your degree details/any additional degrees, if you are going for an academic job you have to answer 3 questions where you have 250 (?) words to answer, and then rank your deaneries which are based on regions. You have to rank all 26 or so regions, so you cannot opt out of certain regions. That means doing it strategically as well. Obviously London will be extremely competitive and you'll need to be realistic about your score and whether you can keep up with the rest of the country to get that job. You'll need to have in mind your "backup" region in case things don't go so well. 

Once you submit your application, there are these exams called the "Situational Judgement Test". It is 2.5 hour exam on ethics and being a good doctor. They give you a bunch of scenarios and you have to rank in order or select the best 3 things you should do. It's not exactly an exam you can study for, but it is worth practising. There are lots of books for sale. I personally used MedGrad book "Situational Judgement Test for the Foundation Years Programme 2nd Edition" and found it to be really accurate and similar to the paper itself. It also has really good explanations with the GMC guidance alongside for your reference. It's not cheap, but I thought it really helped me prepare for the SJT. I started practising approximately 2 weeks prior to the exam so it's not something you need to spend a lot of time on. Think the main thing to keep in mind that this exam is about what you SHOULD do, not what you would do.

Once SJT is over, we don't get our results until we find out about our deanery allocation in March, but the wait isn't that painstaking since there are finals to think about! As usual this year jobs have been oversubscribed so we'll see how that goes - fingers crossed.

3) Other Things - Update

So like the title of my blog - life of a medical student is pretty crazy...and I should just rename it to "hectic". I'm now on my final run of placements before end of medical school. Pretty crazy to think about that. It's just now working on skills that are needed for an F1, so that means not going to clinic or theatre and spending majority of my time on the wards and doing jobs. Bit weird to be honest. I always have this temptation to go down to theatres for a nosy.

What has been happening right after exams? I had another rotation in Orthopaedics as we all know you can't get enough of Orthopaedics. It was a really good attachment. Got a lot of theatre time and clinics peppered in between. Scrubbed loads of times and got to work on my surgical skills. Still got all my fingers as well - that's always a bonus. Now in my final year, I've finally really grasped this "pro-active" concept of things and think it has really helped. Instead of waiting to be asked to do something, I offer to do it first or just go off and get it done. Seems to go down well and I've gotten a lot more opportunities to do things and be more involved. Think it helps with gaining trust from the registrar/consultants. Also still managed to stay true to myself and continue to be really personable with the other team members (e.g. consultant, registrar, SHOs, etc). We are all human at the end of the day and no one likes to talk about work all the time. Gotten to know a few more registrars and a few consultants while sat in the coffee room in between cases and just makes the experience more enjoyable. Of course this is after gauging the other person's personality and how open they are. I know when to keep my beak shut and just be really quiet. So far the consultants I have encountered are pretty talkative and really laid back so quite lucky in that sense.

I shall give you all a break! Long enough post I believe! Sorry again for lack of updates...final year just seems to be that much more hectic...somehow.

Week 1 - Anaesthetics.

Interesting week here in England. Had a snow storm the day before my first day of placement. A lot of my friends got a snow day, but I haven't heard from my hospital so I ended up leaving later than usual for the central hospital. Because of all the snow - it was actually a very pleasant drive as there were hardly any cars. What is usually a 30-40 minute drive, ended up taking me 10 minutes. I was thinking to myself that I was such a genius to drive as the roads were clear (bit slushy)...until I got to the hospital. The parking lot wasn't cleared and it was packed with snow/ice/slush. Made it a bit daunting to park my car. When I got out of my car, I stepped in about 2" of snow...well there goes my black shoes. Tippy toed my way into the hospital only to overhear people saying that there will be more snowfall in the afternoon. "Shit." was probably the only thing that came into my mind. And then I thought to myself: "How am I going to go home...what an idiot. Shouldn't have driven."

Anyways I made it for my induction and most of us managed to get in. A few people got snowed in as they live on a hill and couldn't make their way. We got our logbooks which has various skills that we need to be signed off on by the end of 4 weeks in anaesthetics/critical care. Such things include putting in cannulas, inserting a laryngeal mask airway (LMA), intubating, drawing up antibiotics, etc. I was quite motivated to get my logbook done as quickly as possible so I walked into the theatre I was assigned to - ready for action. I was then greeted by a consultant anaesthetist, who seemed a bit annoyed. I was quickly told to leave and come back in an hour. Almost felt like I smacked into a brick wall. It kind of threw me off and I got nervous again as the consultant didn't seem too friendly. I went to get some food and returned an hour later and was promptly told to go find a patient in the ward and get a patient history from him. In my head I was getting annoyed as I wanted to work on my logbook, not go and speak to patients. By the time I returned to theatre the consultant had relaxed and apologized to me for being a bit rude earlier. I really appreciated the apology and the consultant gave me a few tasks to do such as mixing and drawing up antibiotics. I was then taught how to insert a LMA and how to hold an oxygen mask to the patient's face. It was really good and exciting. I also got a lot of teaching about regional and local anaesthetics during surgery which was an added bonus. Because of the snowfall, some patients cancelled and we ended up having a short theatre list. I was out of the hospital by 3pm and luckily the snow had just stopped, so I made a run for it before my car gets snowed in. Thankfully made it home with my car (to the surprise of many). Also had the feeling of: "not so dumb after all!"

I would say I had a really good first day as I got a few things signed off and was ready to go for day 2. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a mess as there was teaching going on and the lists were starting later than usual (and I made the effort to go in for 8am when lists weren't starting until 11am). Then I realized that this is something everyone has to accept - as a student and as a doctor. Not everything will go to plan and you just need to adapt and find something productive to do. There were a few theatres running so I decided to go for a wander. Funny enough I ended up scrubbing in for a few procedures and assisting. Yay...but obviously deviating away from my placement goal: to learn anaesthetics! It was a nice bonus and certainly better than sitting in the coffee room for 3 hours. I at least did something productive and I felt like I was helpful. Later in the day I met up with a different anaesthetic consultant and I got a bit of teaching (not as much as I had hoped) and unfortunately did not get a single thing signed off. Great - here's hoping next day will be better. Next day...same thing. I tried to hint to another consultant anaesthetist that I would like to get involved as I had put on my gloves and stood at the top of the bed ready to lend a hand. Instead, I was ignored. I asked if I could insert a few cannulas and was told that it would be too difficult. By now, I had lost a lot of motivation and ended up just standing around for the whole day. I don't think this is really the anaesthetists fault as they are all very nice people and love teaching. I learned loads, it was just a bit more annoying that I couldn't do anything practical. Just another thing as a student you have to accept - sometimes you can't get in on everything. Unlike my group mates, I haven't been kicked out of theatres due to too many students. I've been lucky that I've still been able to stick around and observe and get some teaching. I've also been in orthopaedic theatres so the orthopaedic surgeons were also teaching me about their procedures, which I found really interesting. Essentially other than the first day, this was the story of my week. Just not getting any opportunities to do practical skills.

So I went home and thought what I can do about this as I have a log book that I need to complete. I think next week I will approach with a different mindset and make it clear first thing to the consultant that I am very keen on helping out and trying out some practical skills. Sometimes being subtle and polite doesn't work so I'll just have to be brazen and go for it. Fingers crossed that I will get to do a bit more next week!

A Memorable Year.

1 year ago today, I was thankful and nervous at the same time. Last year's exam was probably the largest hurdle of my degree. I didn't do as well as I had hoped in my exam, but still managed to pass. I was incredibly thankful to be able to pass as many of my friends had failed the exam. Some of which had to repeat the year. I made a promise to myself that the year 2012 will be my comeback year. I was determined to start on the right foot and to never make the same mistakes again.

This year zoomed by. I believe I made leaps and bounds in terms of knowledge and self-confidence whilst on the wards and in clinics. I still got to give lots of credit to my placement in Orthopaedics. I cannot be more thankful to my supervisor. Even my friends have noticed that after my Orthopaedics placement, I was a different medical student. I was no longer afraid to speak up. I was no longer afraid to participate and be proactive. I realized that if you don't ask, you will never know what will happen. The worst answer you can get when asking something is "No". What is there to lose...other than a hurt ego. So one tip for all of you is to be confident. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Again, the worst someone can say is "No". If the answer is "no", just shrug and move on and don't take it personally.

As you move through the degree, Medicine slowly dominates your life and you really got to make an effort to have a social life. As the months pass and you have some free time to reflect, you realize your friends start to drift away and it may get a bit lonely at times. Medicine needs a lot of dedication, but I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to relax and take some time out. Giving yourself a break does not necessarily mean you have to go take a vacation. Taking a break is different for everyone. It may involve going to do something you enjoy or meeting up with friends, or even just spending some time at home to relax and watch TV.  I didn't realize how important it is to take a break until this year when I have finally experienced a whole year of clinical placements, one after another. Work - Life balance. I know many people in my year who are taking a year out to do a BMedSci next year, not because they want to do research, but because they have burnt out.

To top off my memorable year, just earlier today I received confirmation that I have been accepted to present a my research poster at a national conference. Really unexpected as it's quite competitive, so I'm absolutely chuffed. What a way to finish up the year!

In general, I have made many new friends, matured as a person, and gained valuable skills for the future - I think this has probably been one of my most memorable year of my medical degree. Despite the many ups and downs throughout the year, looking back - overall it has been a very good year.

Got to thank those who have made my year so memorable and those who made my experiences so much better. Cheers to 2012, bring on 2013!

Happy New Year!

Request: Tips for Revising for Exams.

So I had a request to do a post on tips for revising for your year-end medical exam. To be honest, every person will have a different way of revising. The most ideal way to revise for exams is to start from day 1 of the course. After every lecture/day, gather all your notes together and make sure your notes have enough info for you. If not, look at your recommended reading and add info to your notes. Or after end of each day is to consolidate all the things you have learned and to go over it. Some people like to consolidate their knowledge on weekends as most lecture days go from 9-5pm and by the time you finish your day, your brain will be fried. If you stay on top of your notes, when it comes to exam time, you should know your material quite well and just need to commit things to memory and you will not be needing to learn anything "new".

What I just described is the ideal way...but realistically, the chances of that happening is quite slim, unless you're quire organized and on top of everything. For me, that method got tossed out 2 weeks into my course. What actually happens is that you take notes during your lectures/print out your lecture slides. If you're having a good week and have some spare time, your notes will go into a binder so your room stays relatively neat and that you will be able to find your notes. If your university only does 1 year-end exam, like mine, on average, medics begin studying between 4-6 weeks prior to exams. You would think that's ridiculously too far in advance, but the sheer amount of material you learn in one year...it just as ridiculous. I personally need 6 weeks to go through a whole year worth of material, but do keep in mind...I don't really look at my notes again until my 6 week revision period. So here I will list some tips on how to get on top of your revision period:

1) Make a revision schedule. Try and figure out how many days/weeks you will need to go over a topic (eg. 1 week for Paediatrics, 5 days for O&G). How much time to dedicate to each topic will depend on how well you know a topic/how confident you are with the topic. Always leave 1 week prior to exams for leeway/time to go over sample/past papers/revise stuff you don't know very well/last minute cram. I usually start thinking about making my revision schedule well in advance or else if you do one too late, you'll realize you have too little weeks left and too many topics. To avoid that, maybe think about your revision schedule when you come back from your last holiday before exams.

2) Find a study buddy! If you live with other medics, then that's sorted. If you don't, try finding a study buddy who has the same sort of revising method as you. It's a great way to make sure you don't miss out any topics and also a great way to test each  other's knowledge. Make sure this study buddy won't be a distraction though or else you won't accomplish much!

3) Rest! I cannot stress enough how important it is to get enough rest during your revision weeks. No point of pulling all-nighters when your brain can't even function anymore. Nothing will get absorbed. Your body will tell you when it is time to take a break (usually when you find yourself reading the same page over and over again and nothing is going in). Try and get a good nights sleep every day. Pretty basic stuff, but it is so easy to forget to just rest.

4) Use cue cards for memorizing things. Some people don't like cue cards, which is fair enough. In medicine we have to learn a lot of names that aren't even related to the condition such as drug names/some medical syndromes. Once you write it down, you can put it to the side. Also great for the last minute cram a day or two before exams.

5) Start early. At the same time I'm not saying start revising 10 weeks before exams. Obviously this is down to personal preference. I think I started too early for this year's exam, but it's not something I regret. It was extremely tiring and boring though. At the same time, last year I started too late and regretted it and it was extremely stressful. Because I started a bit too early (or maybe even perfect timing), I could sacrifice a day or two to take a break or to spend a few extra days on a topic such as Paediatrics. I originally allocated 10 days for Paediatrics, but actually ended up taking 2 weeks to go through all of Paediatrics, but because I started revising early, I was able to give up a few days and shift my other dates around for my other topics.

6) Use revision books to AID knowledge, not gain knowledge. There are some books called Crash Course or At a Glance, which are really good books which gives you a quick glance at a topic. These are good books to help you look up stuff quickly or to double check info, but these are books you should not base your revision around as it misses out fundamental/basic knowledge that you will get from a proper textbook/lectures.

To be honest, I think the key things for revision is to be organized, good time management, rest lots, and try not to stress out too much. Exams are extremely stressful and your anxiety levels go through the roof. Everyone will be feeling the same so don't think you're the odd one out. On top of revising, you might still have to go into placement as some unis only give you 1 week of revision (where nothing is timetabled), so you'll need to be able to balance going to placement and revising. If you aren't organized, your revision will get quite messy. At the same time, don't start skiving placements so you can revise because at the same time, you can learn/revise while on placement. Sometimes really useful tutorial sessions will be held and you can learn/revise during those sessions. To be honest, this whole revision business sounds a lot harder than it really is. You'll know what to do when it comes to revision.

Hope this helps!

Another Step Forward.

I think a bit back I said I was working on an Orthopaedic project (since May). Today I had the chance to present my project in front of a group of orthopaedic surgeons across the region. It's nice to finally present something that you've been working so hard on, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. I was fairly confident a week ago when I was preparing my powerpoint though. My run-through with my supervisor went really well, but this was presenting in front of someone who I know. Presenting in front of a group of orthopaedic consultants is a whole other ball game. What I was most worried about were the questions at the end.

One thing about me is that I don't like over-rehearsing/practising my presentations as I like to improvise. I like to give relaxed presentations that can go any direction depending on how I feel as it shows confidence in your presentation/project. I know my project very...very well so this was a route I know I wanted to take, but a risky one as I haven't presented in over 2 years and certainly not in front of a group of consultants. But because I didn't want to make a fool out of myself, I thought it was a good idea to practice a bit more than usual so I rehearsed once a day starting on Monday. The one rule I have for myself is to never use cue cards or notes and this was definitely not going to change for this presentation. When I showed up at the meeting, I think the lead was a bit surprised by the fact all I had was my powerpoint and no notes/cue cards to run through while I wait for my turn. To be fair, I wanted to look like I was confident and at ease about my presentation, but actually I was completely bricking it inside. The night before I was "choking". Was confident until the night before and everything just fell apart. I was stuttering when I was running through and forgetting to talk about certain things as my slides contain very little info as I like to expand on my points.

Anyways it got to my turn and I told myself that one of my strong points are doing presentations and this is not anything different. I introduced my powerpoint and I went through my powerpoint like it was second nature. It was almost like I wasn't even consciously doing it. It felt really good! Then the dreaded part: question time. Surprisingly, the first question wasn't even a question. A consultant took the time to complement me so I was really chuffed about it. It definitely made me feel proud of myself and especially when I was the only medical student presenting amongst a bunch of registrars. At least it was some sort of confirmation that I didn't make myself look like a complete idiot, but the bail out sentence was always ready: "Sorry I am just only a medical student." The questions asked weren't too bad and it actually started a discussion amongst the audience about the thing I studied.

After doing this presentation it gave me an idea to make a post of tips for making presentations:

• Keep your powerpoint short and simple - maximum 4-5 points per slide - use these as cues for yourself and expand on these points
• Use images to make your slides/presentation look more interesting 
• My personal rule is about 30-60 seconds per slide. 10 minute presentations = 10-15 slides. Any more slides, you could potentially end up speaking too quickly
• Practice your powerpoint without any cue cards or notes from day 1 - if you don't get into the habit of using cue cards...then you'll never need to rely on them
• If you're really unsure about your presentation, find a friend to practice in front of and ask he/she to give you feedback
• If you're nervous at the time of your presentation, pause for a second at the end of each slide to allow yourself to gather your thoughts for the next slide. The audience will think you're giving them time to read your slide so use the opportunity to calm yourself and gather yourself.
• Introduction is key - also an easy way to calm yourself as you'll never forget your own name! 
• Always end your presentation with a summary slide as it's a nice way to round off the presentation
• Body language! Be aware of how you stand and what you're doing with your hands. If sitting, don't fidget/swivel in your chair. Standing and don't know what to do with your hands? Clasp them in front of you or try to use your hands to point to relevant images on your slide. Practice makes perfect for this. Avoid closed body positions such as crossing your arms across your chest and leaning against the wall. Don't want to look bored of your own presentation!
• Look around the room when talking. Don't have to make eye contact, but remember there's more than one person there so involve the room by looking around.
• And SMILE! Don't want to look grumpy about your own presentation!

So these are my quick few tips about presentations. Everyone has their own unique style so these are tips from my own personal experience. Do what you're most comfortable with. As a medical student, you are BOUND to have to do a presentation...even more likely once you become a doctor so while you can start practising in less serious meetings/conferences so when you do have to go to a proper formal meeting to present - it will be a piece of cake!

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.  

What to do during summer holiday...

I tend to see a lot of prospective medical students and current medical students wondering what they should be doing during holidays. For most people they see it as a bit of a dilemma...I personally don't...but some people feel the need to be doing something during the summer.

The most common question I see from prospective medical students is what should you read during summer holiday to prepare for medical school. To be completely honest: you don't need to do any pre-reading unless the medical school specifically told you so (which is unlikely).  If you are a gap year student and haven't studied in a long time - then just quickly look over your biology notes. I don't think looking over your notes will really get you ready for medical school. I don't think it is that big of a jump from school to medical school. I guess it varies from university to university, but for me - there was a gradual introduction to medicine. What did I do the summer before I started medical school? I traveled with parents as I know once I get to university, I won't see them as much - so I spent quality time with them. I did a lot of sleeping. Played social basketball and hockey. Chilled with friends before we all split up across the world for university.  Essentially I did a lot of relaxing..I don't think I did anything related to medicine or prepared for medical school. The most preparing I did was probably reading the intro/welcome guide that the university sent.

Another common question from prospective medical students: What books will I need to buy for medical school? I personally won't buy any books until a few months into medical school. Most medical schools will give you a recommended reading list. Go to the library and take a look at all the textbooks and see which one suits you. Textbooks are expensive so choose wisely. I made the mistake of buying books too early and ended up only using a few of them. Some of my textbooks are still sitting on my shelf looking brand new untouched. If I had to recommend ONE textbook - it would probably be Vander's Human Physiology. It is probably the only textbook I have that is quite beat up and well-used. I found it to be the perfect textbook for the first two years. Again, go to the library and check it out before buying! Kumar and Clarke Clinical Medicine is also another great textbook, but I never really used mine. Medical students from other universities say that it's really useful. I've only used it for certain topics that weren't covered well in lectures. The few chapters that I looked at - I really liked the layout and how things were explained. The only problem I had was that I found that there was a lot of assumed knowledge and some descriptions of certain conditions were too brief.  My friends say that it is either a hit or miss. Some students swear by it. Others like me, don't really care for it. Another textbook you should check out in the library before buying.

So you're a medical student and you're sitting around at home feeling that you should be doing something productive and medically related. If you're in 1st or 2nd year and you've still got a long summer holiday - go enjoy your holiday. As the years progress - your summer holiday will get shorter and shorter. This year, my summer holiday is only 3 weeks. Stupidly short. In first year my summer holiday was 3.5 months! Most of the doctors that I have talked to all told me to not work during my summer holiday as I'm currently doing an audit project. I was quite stressed about it before holiday started trying to get it done so I don't have to worry about it, and I'm glad I did get it done before holiday. Now, I can relax and just sleep as much as I want. Actually might be taking the whole sleeping in to a whole other level. Thinking about it, it's nice to sleep in. Before holiday, I was getting about 4-5 hours of sleep per night. Now I'm well rested as I'm getting about 10-12 hours of sleep...doing some major catch-up. Knowing that my holiday is only 3 weeks, I'm glad I didn't bring any work with me as I'm spending as much time as I can relaxing and doing the things I love to do. Hanging out with friends. Eating good food. Sitting around. Just doing absolutely nothing. Need to get the brain rested as exam season is coming up. So my biggest tip to current medics: RELAX when you can! Enjoy your holidays while they last! Take a break as you'll just end up burning out. Medicine is mentally and physically demanding - give yourself the needed break!

Okay so you're not convinced and you HAVE to do something during summer holiday. Try to avoid doing something medically related. Go volunteer for summer camps. Go volunteer for an activity that you enjoy doing. Do the things that you love to do. For medics: I really advise against shadowing a consultant during your holiday at your local hospital. You'll get to spend all the time you want in the hospital in the near future. For some, your next 30+ years will be working in the hospital. You can follow/observe as many consultants you want when you get back to medical school.

Anyways that kind of gives you an idea what I'm usually up to during holidays and what I think is the best way to enjoy your holiday.

Request: The Future.

There was a request from one of the readers here asking:

"What are you planning to do after medical school? It would be great to get some insight to what Canadian medics plan to do after their studies in the UK."

To be honest, the future can always change directions and I know I will have to be prepared for anything that life throws at me. My first choice is to stay in the UK and do my specialty training here as I know the system,   and I have gotten to know quite a lot of doctors who can give me advice for the future. I will try my hardest to stay in the UK, but laws do change. Hopefully the law won't change to prevent international students who study in a UK medical school from practising in the UK. In my eyes, I have spent 5 years in the UK. Moving isn't easy. The last thing I want to do is moving back and forth between countries. When I set my mind to something, I like to stay on that track and I am a very determined and ambitious person. In a way some people see it as stubborn, but I set goals for a reason - it is something for me to look forward to and to work towards to. I used to be quite a high level athlete and giving up is not an option. I do not like to stray away from the goal and when I do, I do get disappointed. I set high standards for myself and yes I know staying in the UK will not be easy, but I have set my mind to it. I have moved my life over to the UK and I personally don't see much of a future for me in Canada.

Now I may be determined and ambitious, but I'm not going to shoot myself in the foot. Always have a back-up plan. Things can go wrong. Life can throw a curve-ball at you. Rules can change. Who knows. The future is unknown and the most you can do is to be ready. Yes I have my mind set to stay in the UK, but I am still planning to take the Canadian MCCEE so if push comes to shove and I have to go back to Canada, I can. Nothing worse than ending up jobless and stuck in that awkward grey area.

I know quite a few international students wondering about taking the USMLE. (Note: I am not trying to start an argument/debate with this topic - just a personal opinion. Sorry in advance if anyone takes this persona/finds it offensive...) Who doesn't want to live the "American Dream". So why am I not taking it? Because I am not seeking for the "American Dream". To be very blunt - I do not care for working in the US. Some people see it as a great opportunity to make some good money. Some people just like the environment more. How I see it - if you are looking for the "American Dream", I'm sorry to break it to you, but in today's economy - there isn't much of an "American Dream" anymore unless you become a very famous doctor. The US is a very competitive place. Remember not only do you have to take a sickeningly hard exam, but you also have to score well in it. There's no point in just scraping a pass - you have to have a competitive score to get a desirable job in the US. I personally have my mind set on a specialty and it is a very competitive specialty. If I wanted to go the US, I would actually have to ace the USMLE. I don't want to end up working in some small southern town in the states in the middle of nowhere. The UK schools aren't geared to take the USMLE. UK medical students are geared to become practising doctors...not to take a US registry exam. That means students who want to take the USMLE, have to spend a lot of extra time to study for the USMLE alongside with their UK course work/exams. It is a very tough thing to juggle and you really have to be determined to go to the US and be committed to do well. So do your research.

Having said that, those who are determined to go to the US and have their eyes set on the prize - will probably do well in the USMLE. These people would probably take the exam seriously and study hard for it. Some might not really care what specialty they want to go into. These people will probably get a job in a desirable location. I'm sure I wrote a post about priorities before. Personal preferences and priorities - what is important to you, may not be as important to the person sat next to you. To make your priorities work, you will have to make sacrifices. At the moment, my #1 priority is to get into my desired specialty. This will probably require me to make quite a few sacrifices as it is a competitive field. The most likely thing I will have to sacrifice is: location. Someone else who wants to do the same specialty may see location as a huge priority. He or she may rather stay in London than do specialty X or he/she may not mind doing specialty Y in order to stay in London. It is all down to you.

All in all, the future is a personal thing. Everyone has his/her own path. No one path is the same. Know your priorities and stick with them. Don't let someone else alter your priorities or talk you out or into things. It is your life at the end of the day.

Theatre Etiquette.

As promised I will discuss about surgical theatre etiquette. Theatre is a really good way to see anatomy and learn more about the management of certain conditions.  Again like the wards it's a really daunting place to be in. I actually found theatre a bit of a scary place as there's so much equipment in there, but once you have experienced it...it really isn't that bad. Your consultant finally invites you to go to theatre with him next day so here are some tips: Find the theatre list for the day you'll be going into theatre so you can get an idea what you'll be seeing - best place to go is the consultant's secretary. This will allow you to do a bit of reading up on relevant anatomy for the surgery. Also a great chance to read up on the condition that the surgery is treating. Most consultants like to ask questions during surgery so make sure you're ready. Nothing worse than being the student that seems like he/she didn't do any preparation whatsoever. Also theatre starts at different times so it is something you'll have to find out from the consultant/registrar/theatre staff/secretary. Make sure you turn up for the very beginning as this is when everyone introduces each other and go through a team briefing. So you get to the hospital - what do you do next?

Head on to theatre and sign in. Go get changed into scrubs and put on a theatre cap. Make sure you also change into theatre shoes which are usually clogs/the super fashionable crocs. Hopefully your hospital have some theatre shoes for you to borrow so make sure you ask at reception first. Take off all jewelery. At all times make sure your ID is visible. In general for theatre changing rooms it is best to bring your valuables with you or simply don't bring valuables to a theatre day. I always bring my money and my phone with me and depending on the hospital I also bring my bag with me to theatre as it's just a small messenger bag. Make sure you leave the bag in the prep room or ask theatre staff where you can put your bag.

So you get to the theatre and hopefully you'll know who is the consultant. Go introduce yourself or say "Hi". You'll be surprised how often they don't notice you even though you think they saw you. I guess sometimes they can't recognize you as you are in scrubs and have a theatre cap on. Get in on the team briefing and pay attention to the theatre list for the day. Also find out who is the anaesthetist. Ask the anaesthetist if you can observe the patient being put to sleep. It's quite interesting to watch.

Simple rules of theatre:

• Don't touch anything green/blue in the operating room especially on tables/trolleys
• If you're going to faint - don't faint on the patient - so go sit down - it happens to everyone
• When the surgeons are gowned up - don't make any contact with them as they are now sterile so that means good dodging skills and just stay out of their way until they have gotten to their place at the table

Usually there will be 3 people scrubbed in and working on the patient. It will usually be 1 consultant surgeon, 1 registrar, and 1 scrub nurse. It'll be fairly obvious who is who. Scrub nurse is the one who will be passing all the equipment to the surgeons. If it is open surgery (not laparoscopic) you'll probably need to get a pedestal to see over the shoulders of the surgeons but make sure you ask them first/let them know you're standing behind them so they don't bump into you...but obviously don't be right up behind them - give them some space to breathe and move around. If you wear a lanyard for your ID badge - then this would be a good time to tuck it into your shirt so it doesn't swing around.

If it is a laparoscopic surgery - there will be a tv screen for you to watch so you don't need to be standing as close to the surgeons. Just find a good spot to stand and for me, I never sit down as I think the theatre staff are more deserving of a chair than I am. 

The problem with surgeries is that it can range from 30 minutes to 8 hours. You'll find that your back and feet will be hating you during long surgeries. Also make sure when you're standing for a long time just to keep your legs moving so you don't faint. Sometimes with long procedures I will go take a walk around the operating room just to get my legs moving again and give my back a stretch. No matter how much you love surgery (and take it from me - I really do LOVE surgery) - it will get boring especially when you're not scrubbed in and just observing. If nothing interesting is happening go talk to the anaesthetist. Ask he/she about the machines and what they are doing. The thing with surgeries as well is finding the right time to ask questions. There will be times where the room goes dead quiet as the surgeons are concentrating - obviously horrible time to ask a question. You'll be able to tell when they don't need to focus as much as usually they'll start talking about really random things like plans for the weekend...you'll be surprised what sort of things surgeons talk about during surgery. Some surgeons even have music playing in the background so don't be shocked when you walk in and there is music playing. I think the best one was when I was waiting outside a day surgery theatre and the doors to the operating room opened and all you can hear was music blasting out...almost seemed like a night club in there!

Hopefully your consultant will be good at teaching and he'll show you the relevant anatomy IF it is easy to see. Not all the time the anatomy is easy to see, but don't be disappointed if you don't really see much. Most surgeries that I have observed - I usually don't see very much so don't think this is your fault. Especially now, surgeons are trying to make incisions smaller to reduce the recovery time...but again as long as your consultant knows he/she has a student around - most are quite good at moving over and letting you do a quick lean in to take a closer look - again make sure you don't touch the patient/surgeons.

When the surgery is done - go make yourself useful and help the theatre staff with moving the patient. Put on a pair of non-sterile gloves and grab hold of one side of the bed sheets (other than the head as the anaesthetist will be there). It'll be made clear which way the patient will be going and usually the clue is probably the empty bed right next to the operating bed with a slide board underneath. The anaesthetist will always count you down to moving so some will say "On 3" or "Ready Steady *Move/Shift*" - either way it'll be obvious.

If the previous surgery was long - you might want to stick yourself onto the consultant/registrar as they usually will disappear to the coffee room. Go make yourself a drink or get some water - staying hydrated is key for surgery. Sometimes it is quite frustrating as you could wait for an hour before the next surgery. I always hate coffee room breaks - not because I hate waiting around...it's because sometimes the consultant needs to quickly pop up to the ward and you're left alone in the coffee room. Just keep your eye on someone who is from your theatre as they tend to leave without telling you. Well based on personal experience - I always get left behind so I always got to stay near the registrar/consultant/theatre staff just so I wont miss the next surgery. Another way is before breaking off to the coffee room - ask a theatre staff how long a break do you have or what time does the next surgery start - then at least if you lose everyone - you'll still know what time to get back.

Hopefully this gives you a better idea what to expect when going to theatre for the first time. Hey maybe you'll be lucky and get to scrub in. But don't be disheartened if you don't scrub in as I didn't get to scrub in til this year (3rd year of medical school - been on surgical placements ever since 1st year). So just enjoy your time in theatre and hopefully you'll see lots of cool things. Also a great place to witness some good teamwork and communication skills as well. If you're unsure about anything just ask a theatre staff.

Ward Etiquette.

My last post was for non-medical students so here is one for medical students. Going onto the wards is quite an exciting thing if it is your first time, but there are a few "unwritten" rules that medical students should know about. Either you learn about em by hearing it from an upper year...or learn by experience (eg. being told off by a nurse). So I'll save some of you from any embarrassment/telling off by doing a quick post on ward etiquette.

Hopefully your medical school will make the hospital aware that you'll be coming to their department for your clinical attachment, BUT there will times where the ward/hospital will not be expecting you. First rule is to turn up to your placement ON TIME - even better: show up a bit earlier. Nothing more frustrating than expecting a student and them either not showing up or showing up late. It is important to leave a good impression. Nurses are quite good at passing on feedback to doctors/consultants. Last thing you want to be known is as a disrespectful student. These nurses can actually make your life very difficult.

Next must-do is to dress appropriately. You guys probably won't believe me but I have had colleagues who show up to placement in a hoodie. Yes it is cold outside, but before showing up on the ward where all the patients are...take off your hoodie and look presentable before you go into the ward/hospital. Some of the staff/patients won't know you have just arrived and no one wants to be seen by a poorly dressed student. I'm pretty sure if you were a patient, you wouldn't want to see a doctor who is in a hoodie/not looking presentable. I've also had friends who have been told to get off the ward because their shirts were not ironed. For girls, heard of female medical students getting kicked off the wards for showing too much cleavage and for short skirts. General rule is that if you bend over you shouldn't be able to see anything in the mirror. Skirts should be below the knees. I save myself from the hassle and wear trousers instead of skirts...plus it isn't very glorious when you're in a skirt and you have to help move a patient or lift things (which I do a lot of as I feel bad watching nurses struggle).

I will always remember this key point: "You will never get kicked out of medical school for not showing up to one day of placement, BUT you can get kicked out for showing up to placement hungover/drunk". If you had a night-out the day before and you're hungover/still drunk...take a sick day. The quote just stated...says it all.

Nothing frustrates me more than seeing my colleagues disrespect the staff. I'm usually quite a modest student, but I like to think I am quite successful with getting along with staff/consultants. My friends always ask me how I become so friendly with consultants/why doctors/staff treat me like a friend. Simple: Respect them first. It is quite annoying to see some students being very arrogant. I was on a placement with another student and he thinks he is the best thing to have graced the hospital. When a consultant asks him to get something...he goes and tells the nurse to get it for him. He treats the nurses like slaves and at the end of the day - you are just a medical student. I have stated it in many many posts that we are probably the LEAST important thing in the entire hospital. I have had a professor talk to us about "knowing our place in the hospital". You cannot go wrong by assuming that you are less important than the janitor. And ever since that day - I go onto the wards and respect every single member of staff. Nurses are your saving grace. If they like you - they will make your life so much easier. Best bit is that they sometimes remind you of things and bail you out if a consultant is being a bit "uncooperative/unfriendly". A way to show your respect to the nurses? Everyone loves a cup of tea. I have lost count the number of teas I have made for the nurses. In my last Obs and Gynae placement...I made 2 pots of tea for all the midwives every 2 hours. They made my life so easy and they passed on very good feedback to my supervisor as well.

When talking to patients - first ask the nurses if the patient is a good patient to talk to. Always introduce yourself before going to talk to the patient. Put yourself on the same level as the patient so go get a visitor chair and sit down. Don't sit on the patient's bed. When asking for the name of the patient always ask them how would they like to be addressed. Some of the more elderly patients usually would like to be addressed as Mr/Mrs, etc. Smile when you talk to the patient and just act professionally. When you leave - make sure you take your chair with you and put things back where you found them. I personally like to ask the patient if there's anything they would like me to get/do for them. It's the little things that makes a difference. Usually their tables are too far away or they need something to drink. If they want something to drink, make sure you ask a nurse first before fetching something just in case.

Finally - the most daunting bit: interacting with the consultant. Some like to make your life very difficult. I like to think it is because the consultant didn't want students and was forced to have them...or he/she is overly bored. My good friend said dealing with consultants is a skill on its own. I like to give myself 2 weeks to get a feel of what the consultant is like. Is he/she friendly? Is he/she talkative? Is he/she interested in teaching? One way to put yourself in the good books of a consultant is obviously the things I have listed above and just smile and be relaxed. Don't be arrogant. And DO NOT correct a consultant...no matter how tempting it is...it is a bad idea to correct a person who has been in the job for 20+ years. It is fairly embarrassing to get corrected by a student. Unless the care of the patient is at risk - I usually keep my mouth shut. If there is really any discrepancy - go look it up on the internet/textbook or ask the registrar/SHO. At the end of the day - the consultant is still a person. It's like dealing with teachers back at school. Yes they teach...but they still have a life. No one wants to talk about medicine 24/7. If you manage to figure out that the consultant is fairly relaxed - chat about regular stuff. People always find it amazing that 90% of my conversations with consultants are random banter. Make yourself enjoyable to be around. Put yourself in their shoes. Be considerate.

Anyways basic ward etiquette. Seems like common sense - but you will be surprised how many students forget about these basic things. Assume you are back in school and the medical staff are your teachers. Address them properly. Address the consultant by their last name unless they make it known that they want to be known by their first name. I have yet to call any of my consultants/supervisor by their first name. I tend to address registrars by their first name as that's how they introduce themselves to me. Can't go wrong by being polite and respectful. It is a pain but I think it is fair.

How to Make the Most of Shadowing.

Right so I'm in the mood for a tips post so today I will be discussing how to make the most of a shadowing opportunity. This is mainly aimed to those who aren't in medical school yet.

Let's point out the obvious issues of shadowing doctors when you aren't in medical school yet:

• You can't do any clinical skills
• Don't have much knowledge in medicine 
• Daunting environment - very unfamiliar/disorientating 
• Never really spoken to a patient before

Common problems that you share with medical students:

• You get ignored
• Can't do very much (depends on the placement/consultant)

So with the common problem of getting ignored...there isn't much you can do about it other than finding someone who won't mind having students around/is a good teacher. Not being able to do much is a universal problem. Fair enough some patients don't want to be handled by a student and there has been several times where I have found myself sitting in a corner like an old piece of furniture. It's just something we all have to accept.

Right so as a prospective medical student you want to get some experience and see what it is really like to be a doctor so you ask to shadow a doctor/consultant. So how do you make the most of it? Because you won't have much knowledge about the specialty, the best thing you can do is observe the key skills that a doctor needs. The main skills you'll notice are:

• Communication skills
• Empathy
• Teamwork

Communication is probably the most important skill to have as a doctor. The profession involves a lot of talking to patients, but also the need to listen to the patients as well. Watch how the doctor talks to a patient. Listen to how he/she asks a question. Usually doctors start a consultation with open ended questions to allow a patient to elaborate why they are in clinic. Watch the rapport that the doctor establishes with the patient. The best way to get info from a patient is to get them to trust you so the first few seconds of a consultation is key. Don't dig your head too deep into the medicine. Just focus on the interaction between the doctor and the patient. Some of the consultants who I have been attached to describe it as an art form. Communication is literally needed everywhere. Communication is key in theatre, clinics, and on the wards. If you're fortunate enough to go onto the wards, take some time and talk to the patients. I took my first patient history 1 month into medical school and hardly knew any medicine at that time. Take a social history which involves asking the patient about how his/her medical condition has affected them. Try to find a patient with a chronic disease such as heart conditions. Find out how their condition has changed their lifestyle. This is a good way to practice your communication skills and creating good rapport with the patient. Plus most patients on the wards are really bored so most will welcome a nice lil chat.

Empathy...I've made a post about this not too long ago. Again another important skill and something you'll sometimes see. Talking and listening to a patient is one thing, but watch to see if the consultant shows a bit of empathy. Sometimes patients have a tough time with their medical condition and SOME consultants do take the time to empathize.

Being a doctor involves a lot of teamwork. It is certainly not a one-man job. In clinic, you'll probably have a nurse helping out. Just watch how the doctor and the nurse interact and how they have to be on the same page. Essentially the nurse keeps the clinic running smoothly and on time. You'll probably see more teamwork in the operating theatre. There is always about 6-8 people in an operating theatre so again stressing the importance of communication skills and teamwork skills. Sometimes the consultant may invite you to a MDT meeting (multidisciplinary team meeting). There will be microbiologists, radiologists, surgeons, physicians, nurses, etc all sitting in one meeting to discuss complex cases. Not only do you have to get along with people in your own specialty, but you'll have to get along with people in other specialties. So essentially the care of a patient isn't just in one person's hands...but in many many other people's hands. If you can, take the time to appreciate this as when I first started out in medicine I didn't expect THAT many people to be involved in a patient's care. It was actually surprising and quite amazing how people manage to stay organized and not mix things up (but it does happen from time to time).

Oh and if you really don't know what's going on...best thing to do is just smile and look interested. No one wants a grumpy/tired/not interested student around them. If a doctor sees that you're interested then he/she will be more willing to teach. I've tested this so this is based on first hand experience. Recently in my last orthopaedic attachment...I was falling asleep in clinic (due to jet lag) and my consultant hardly said anything to me or really taught me anything. He just left me alone. Next clinic...got over my jet lag...more keen...leaning forward and looking interested - learned loads. My consultant taught me so much and he seemed to enjoy my company as I was interacting with the patients and with him as well.

Another tip is that if you find yourself on the wards and no one to follow - go find the junior doctors. They know what it is like to be a student as it is still fresh in their minds and they'll probably be able to sympathize and show you some interesting things suited for your level. I've encountered prospective medical students in the hospital before and don't be shy and just ask for help. For me, I'll always be happy to help unless I'm busy. Same goes with junior doctors/doctors of any level. As long as they aren't doing something really important/look really busy, just introduce yourself and ask em if they can show you around/teach. Just make sure they know you're not a medical student and just want to get a taste of what it is like to be a doctor. Some might even get a break and sit down with you and tell you what their day is usually like.

Good luck and I hope this post helped!

Post #100 - A Look Back.

Post #100 for this blog. I obviously want to make a special post and let's take a trip back to the beginning of this blog.

August 6, 2009 - my first blog post. It was a big day for me as it was the day I received an unconditional offer from my university to study Medicine in the UK. Looking back, coming to study in the UK was a huge decision and definitely a path of a lot of unknowns. A new country. A new culture. A new chapter. Little did I know what a roller coaster ride it would be for the next 2.5 years. I faced many challenges (and still facing challenges) and have grown up a lot in the last 2.5 years. University was a new chapter to my life. Saw and learned so many new things. It has so far been the best few years of my life. I can easily say that Freshers week will always be a highlight as it was quite an experience getting to know so many new people in such a short amount of time. I've been in the same school for half my life so making new friends is something "new" and I was extremely nervous. Kind of laughing at myself now for being so nervous/scared as there was nothing to be scared about. Every one is on the same boat in terms of friends and people are just so friendly. A tip for those who will be starting this coming September: be EXCITED. There is nothing to be afraid of and don't let anything hold you back. Enjoy your time as a Fresher as it will blow by in a blink of an eye. 

When I first started this blog I was really unsure whether I will even be able to keep up with it. Slowly I've noticed that people are reading it and it really motivated me to keep posting. Whilst scrolling through my archives...I have noticed quite a change in frequency of posts. I think it's a fairly good representation of excitement through my years in medical school. Obviously if there is something exciting, I would post about it. Here's reality: the first 2 years of medical school is a bit of a shock. I think a lot of us come into medical school thinking like we would be like the TV show ER...or House and we would be immersed in doing clinical procedures and running around. WRONG. Well in my case I was stuck in a lecture theatre for 2 years learning about the basic sciences, which isn't the most exciting thing. It is obvious there were a lot of up and downs in the last 2 years. I lost sight of the final prize (becoming a doctor) several times throughout the last 2 years. You get to a certain point where you're like "get me on the wards!" and then there will be times where you ask yourself: "Why in the world am I studying Medicine?" Medical school is full of obstacles and it is emotionally, mentally, and physically tough. There are so many times where you're on the floor and you really need to dig deep to pick yourself back up. I realized this is a degree that you have to be committed to because there are times where you truly do question your desires of being a doctor. Then at last - I reached clinical years. 2 grueling years of being cooped up in a lecture theatre and finally I am able to do some practical things and talk to patients. But hold up...with my school we are quite lucky to have a bit of clinical experience in the first 2 years.

March 15, 2010 - first hospital attachment. It was a short clinical attachment and really just a taste test of what I'll be doing in the future. Only a few months ago I saw first year medical students starting with their first clinical attachment like I did back in 2010. Seeing these freshers really put things into perspective of how far you have come along. (And for once it was nice not being at the bottom of the ladder at the hospital). It really gave me a flashback to what it was like when I started my first clinical attachment. Patient histories were a struggle...I was not good at them at all. Hardly knew any medical sciences so I didn't really understand anything and tried my best to keep up. Couldn't do any clinical skills. Essentially just shadowed the doctors and tried to not get in the way. Went to observe a few surgeries and standing on a pedestal trying to peer over the consultant's shoulder. However, I do remember how much I enjoyed watching surgeries. It just clicked. Fast forward to 2012. Patient histories - easy. Interacting with patients - easy. Medical knowledge - growing every day. Clinical skills - taking bloods, inserting cannulas, inserting catheters...just the other day I put in an endotracheal tube on my own (supervised by the anaesthetist). Surgery - observe? Heck I'm scrubbing in now and even helping close up at the end! Medical school is a long and painful process...but when you take the time to stop and think back to when you started...you see how far you have come.

February 8, 2011 - immigration laws changing. I believe this is the first proper post where I've discussed in detail about being an international student and things we have to think about. From then on, I have dedicated 2 other posts (Tidbit for International Students and Life of an International Student) to give a bit more insight about the life of an INTERNATIONAL medical student. To be honest, being an international student isn't that much more different than a local British student. We go through the same course. We get treated the same. We learn the same things. We see the same things. The only difference is our accents, and our passports...and the fact we have to worry about Visas and immigration laws. But other than that, being an international student hasn't been that hard of a transition that I had initially thought. Before I started medical school, my biggest fear was the fact I was an international student and it might be a bit harder for me to make friends or get used to the culture. Again during Freshers week...everyone was just so friendly...I didn't feel different. I didn't feel that much of an outsider. There were a few times in the last 2.5 years where it was frustrating to be an international student due to the lack of support from the medical school, but you learn to manage. As an international student, you make a lot of sacrifice. You leave your family behind. You leave home behind (which can be thousands of miles away). You pay higher fees. But hey hopefully it will be worth it. Hopefully this is something I will not regret. At the end of the day...hopefully this will be all worth it. Homesickness is a huge thing for international students and a lot of my friends do struggle with this...including me. Every time this happens I just have to take a break and tell myself it will be worth it and think about all the obstacles I have already been through and how far I have come. What makes me wake up every morning is the end prospect from studying medicine. I am grateful to be in such a great field and the experiences I have had so far have been amazing. The future with immigration and working in the UK - not a straight path and one with many bumps, but the fact I have made so many sacrifices just gives me so much more motivation and determination to make it work. Work hard and hopefully have a bit of luck on my side when it comes to jobs.

August 7, 2009 - first tip post. Not exactly one of my best tip post, but hey we all got to start somewhere. Obviously this blog was to keep a track of my crazy life of being a medical student, but also to give some tips to future medical applicants. I try my best and over the last 2 years I have posted quite a few tip posts here and there. Applying to medical school is no easy process and I wished I got some tips. My school back in Canada was not very good with helping out students with applying abroad as they are not very familiar with the process. It was a difficult process as I had to do a lot of stuff myself and call up universities in the middle of the night (my time due to the time difference) to get some more information. Hopefully with my tip posts I am able to help future applicants with the process. Obviously I applied 3ish years ago so UKCAT info and tips are a bit off, but I'm sure the interview process is still the same. Now I'm trying to focus on giving tips on surviving medical school. Little tricks I have learned here and there. I remember my very first medical school lecture, one of my professors told all of us: "Life is not fair." And it is so true and particularly true with medical school. So here is a tip to all of you: Life is not fair. You cannot have your way with everything...unfortunately, BUT what you can do is make the best of every experience no matter how undesirable it is. There is always something to learn. Stay humble and treat those around you with the same respect you would expect in return. You will meet a lot of people throughout medical school and treat everyone well as you never know, you might see he or she again in the future. Consultants on placements - treat them with as much respect as you can as who knows, he or she may just be your future employer in a few years. Don't do anything you will regret, even outside of school hours as things can come back and bite you on the ass. Unfortunately as a medical student - we got to grow up very fast. We start medical school at around 18 or 19 years old...you will see patients of all ages and they expect professional behaviour despite your age. Also grow some thick skin - consultants can be very unforgiving. Do your best to not take it personal. At the end of the day their criticisms are for your own good.

June 2, 2012 - post #100. It has been quite a journey and I expect more ups and downs in the next 2 years. Being a doctor is starting to get real. Now going through my specialty placements, I'm starting to do more and more on placements. This post has made me look back and realize how much I have grown emotionally and mentally. Thank you to all you readers out there and keeping me going on this blog. I really appreciate it. Happy reading!

Request: Top Tips for Managing the Workload.

Alright so this has been requested by one of my readers so I'll try my best to answer this request: Top Tips for Managing the Workload.

1) Stay on top of reading and lectures.

Let's be honest here...it's not exactly the easiest thing to do. So it's pretty unrealistic to constantly be on top of it and I have always struggled with it. I mean try your best to do recommended/relevant reading, but there are days where you just don't have time/there is way too much to read - to the point it is ridiculous. At the end of the day, you start asking: "How much reading should I be doing?" To be honest, it depends on your lecture. Sometimes I have amazingly detailed lectures, so I tend to skip out on the reading unless I need some clarification/extra details. Now if I had a lecture which was incredibly brief as in the lecturer spent maybe a total of 20 minutes talking about his confusing topic, then I will definitely need to read and make notes. It's really hard to say exactly how much reading is needed. You really have to judge that yourself as every school's lectures are different and every lecturer is different. I think another way to stay on top of lectures (if this is available to you) is to read next day's powerpoint/lecture the night before. For my university, our lectures' powerpoints get uploaded online for us to download so we can read what will be covered. Even if it doesn't make sense, just reading it helps a bit as when you get to the lecture you'll be more focused on what the lecturer is talking about and will probably make better notes as you know what to expect/know what he/she will be talking about. Also taking notes during lectures is also a great way to help you remember stuff...and it'll make your life a bit easier when it comes to revision as your notes will be ready for your revision.

2) Staying awake in lectures/Go to lectures.

I don't know about you, but I surely have difficulties staying awake in some lectures. Yes they can be horrendously boring, BUT it makes such a big difference when you're actually paying attention as no matter how little attention you're paying, you will absorb some info and the lecturer may even highlight a key point that you need to know for exams.  And same thing with staying awake...if you ain't at the lecture...how are you going to know if it is important or not. There are lectures for a reason - go to it! I can't stand it when people think they'll be clever and skip lectures. Then when it comes to revision time they call me up and start asking me about the lecture that they missed. My answer: "Well if you actually cared and bothered coming to lecture, you wouldn't be in this position would you?!" It's not rocket science.


3) Use your weekend effectively.

"YAY WEEKEND!" Unfortunately, weekends are great at distracting you from your work. By all means go have fun. I usually go out and play sports on the weekends, but I do dedicate SOME weekends to working/catching up (most likely doing more catching up than anything else). It's the perfect time to catch up on work. If you have caught up with notes and have no plans, spend an hour just reading for the topics for next week, then you can ease the amount of work you have to do during the week.

4) Take a break!

Hey, no one can work forever. Take a break from time to time! No one said shut yourself in your room and become a hermit to do your work. GO OUT! Catch up with friends. YOUTUBE! Watch some TV! Do something else OTHER THAN medicine, plus it'll make your life a bit more interesting. When you take breaks, you become more effective at working. Work for short periods vs. doing a long haul. Well that depends on your personality. I'm horrible at working in short periods as it takes me quite awhile just to get going/working. I'm a long haul worker however that means I take really long breaks. For example: Recently I had my essay due for this attachment...I spent the entire Saturday doing nothing/being distracted/staring at a blank word document. From 1am - 7:40am, I managed to write up 4200 words for my essay. Went to sleep...Sunday - finalized my essay and it was ready to hand in for Monday. I like to say I'm quite efficient, and again it'll depend from person to person. You know yourself best. Do what works for you. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

5) Make a revision schedule.

I know some of you who are already in medical school will probably have exams coming up pretty soon. Go do yourself a favour and design a revision schedule EARLY.  Predict how long you'll need for each topic. For example in 2nd year I dedicated 5 days per topic I had over an 8 week revision period. I tried my best to stick to it, but I always give myself a 1 week grace. So I aim to finish revision 1 week prior to exams just in case anything goes over time or takes longer to revise. If I finish revision on time, then I have the week to go over anything I'm not very sure about or to solidify some things. I also use the week to go over sample papers and any past formatives/quizzes that we got throughout the year. By making a revision schedule, this will probably temporarily cause your stress levels to shoot through the roof, but eventually it'll actually keep you from cramming and you'll feel like you know what you need to still study/you can keep track of your revision progress.

6) Don't leave everything to the last minute.

Aka do not procrastinate. It is extremely tempting to procrastinate, but we ALL know what happens when you procrastinate. Stuff gets real and you start stressing out because you realize you haven't done a lot of work and everything has stacked up. It is tempting to leave your lectures to stack up and just go over em over the weekend (I'm very guilty of that), but in the end, if you are busy on the weekend with sports or whatever, then the work just keeps piling up. The best thing to do is to PREVENT this from even starting in the first place and to avoid procrastinating. It is natural to procrastinate so don't think you're weird or you've got issues. I think every normal person procrastinates. Like some of you have noticed...I am very guilty of procrastinating, but thankfully I'm fairly efficient/effective when it comes to deadlines as I'll work my heart out if that means staying up all night to meet deadlines.  Guess it is a give and take world and like I've said already - only you know how you work. Optimize it and use it to your advantage.

7) Get your work done EARLY.

Again just stressing the previous point - don't procrastinate. Yeah the deadline is like 2 months away, but if you get your assignment done now...well you don't have to think about it anymore. Done and dusted. No need to stress you out anymore. I'm actually very glad I finished my essay 2 weeks earlier than my colleagues as they are now stressing out as my placement is coming to an end. Me? I'm just chilling. Supervisor is off my back as he doesn't need anything else from me as I've finished my essay. Happy supervisor = happy student. Get your work done early. You'll never regret finishing work early...well ok maybe you might...but UNLIKELY you will regret finishing your work early. So just get on with it!

8) Be organized.

When you're organized, you're on the winning side of the workload. Organize your notes into binders or split them out. Cardiovascular notes in one binder. Respiratory notes in another and so on. I'm horrible at keeping my notes organized and every single time when it comes to putting notes away into binders after going through 2+ topics, I start regretting not staying on top of my organization Print out lectures if you can, type out notes if that's what you do, etc. Put them into the respectful binder and you'll be happy with yourself and it is less likely you'll lose those notes when they are slotted into a binder and when it comes to revision - everything is there and ready for you. Easy.

...I can't think of another 2 points to make it a nice round 10 points, but I will think about it. For now here are 8 points. I hope they are useful. I'm just telling how it is. No student is perfect...so I think the general rule is if you stay on top of your work early - less regrets at the end. I will openly admit that I am very guilty of not always staying on top of my work and I do stress about it near the end. I have no one else to blame but myself as I got to manage my time better/not procrastinate. If you know you're going away for the weekend/busy on the weekend/busy for the week...do your work ahead of time. Don't let it get out of control. Easy to say - extremely difficult to do.

Anyways good luck! If you readers have any requests for me...I'll try to write up a post for you. If you've got a question, I'm sure other readers will think the same. Obviously when I'm busy, I won't be able to get to requests as quickly, but I'll try my best.

More posts to come! :)

Interview Tips!

Today I feel like posting in my blog despite having a bit of work to do for tomorrow. I will make this one brief and hopefully informative.

I have noticed people are starting to get interview offers and I reckon giving out some tips should be useful.

IMPORTANT: REFLECT REFLECT REFLECT! AND EXPAND ON YOUR ANSWERS!

1) Look around the city before going to the interview! A common ice breaker question would be: "Why *City*?" Make sure you find something to talk about the city/university. Nothing better than completely messing up the first question. It is a great time to help yourself calm the nerves as you SHOULD know the answer.

2) Look at the medical course that the university offers. A common question would be something like: "Why this university?" This would be the perfect to time to show off your knowledge about the university and the course. Shows that you are keen and you know where you applied.

3) Please have something to say when they give you the good ol' vague question: "Why medicine?". I personally hated this question because it is SO vague and you could basically talk for ages. A great thing to remember when answering is to try and pull in stuff that you wrote in your personal statement. For example you can talk about your work experience/volunteering helped you discover more about medicine/educated you about the career. Also draw in positives such as your skills that you have picked up helping you to succeed as a doctor. Make sure you try to keep the answer short despite it being a difficult task. Just give a summary and make sure you cover the important points and cover some of the stuff in your personal statement.

4) Read the news especially about the NHS/health. In some interviews - the like to ask you about something recent that happened in the NHS or a recent medical advancement. The day before just go on BBC or something and read up on some stuff. Don't pick the hardest thing you saw in the news...pick something that actually drew your attention and that you find interesting so you can actually talk about it in the interview.

5) Reflect on what skills a good doctor should embody. This is a pretty common question. They could ask you to name a skill or they could name a skill and ask you to talk about that skill. Remember to always try and relate the question to yourself. If they ask you about empathy - find something that you have done which helped you develop empathy/care for people. Something like working at the hospital or care home would be good things to talk about. Remember in an interview the interviewer wants to know about YOU and how capable you are to becoming a doctor. Show that you are three dimensional and do other things other than go to school.

6) Be prepared for an ethical question. There is no right or wrong answer....actually none of the questions have a right or wrong. Do not fake an answer...answer honestly because interviewers are smart. Don't think you can actually outsmart them. The best thing about ethical questions is to prepare a structure on how you will answer it. Remember to look at both sides of the argument! Don't just completely ignore the other side of the argument as it is important to acknowledge it.

7) Some interviewers like to play the "Good Cop/Back Cop" game. Ignore it and be patient! They may ask very similar questions where you will have the same answer. Don't get frustrated and just answer the question with different wording. Sometimes it'll get annoying but some could be testing how you cope in stressful/annoying situations.

Random Tips:

1) Dress professional/well.
2) Be awake! (I must admit I did fall asleep in the waiting room though) - but be awake during the interview!
3) Don't fidget during the interview - it is distracting.
4) Know your personal statement - they will draw stuff out from it and ask you about it.
5) Smile!
6) Don't ask "dumb" questions at the end. I know some will argue that you will sound keen if you ask a question but seriously most of the answers can be found on the university's website/prospectus. If you really have any questions before the interview - call up the admissions office to ask or if an upper year is taking you around for a tour - perfect time to ask questions.

To be honest I didn't find interviews that hard as they are asking questions about YOU and only you know yourself the best. If you do your research and know the course and genuinely want to go the university you'll cover the factual questions. Just relax. The minute you tense up you get what I call "brain farts". Avoid it because you'll find yourself saying "um" and "uh" for the next what feels like hour. Plus it gets awkward too when the interviewers just stare at you waiting for an answer. Oh and don't rush your answers...make your answers concise and to the point, but at the same time show that you have reflected about it and try and draw positives to yourself.

Anyways I should get back to working. Hope this post helps. I know it is brief but I really don't know what else is there to cover about interviews. When you get an interview it is technically like you got your foot in the door, you just need to get the rest of your body through. They won't ask for an interview if they aren't interested in taking you. Quite simple.

Good luck!

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.

FRESHERS WEEK - CONCLUSION

Overall it was quite a hectic week. Also it was a time for me to adjust to university life. The transition wasn't too bad as I was able to meet loads of people who are all very nice. The activities fair, the lectures, and parties were awesome. I still don't get why it is so heavily hyped but I guess it is really up to the person. I bet if you go out every single day and party yeah you'll have loads of fun. But for me it was okay really not like mind-blowing amazing.

If I could re-do freshers week again I think I would make more of an effort to join more activities as right now I feel that I am not involving enough with the university and try new things. My friends took up many new hobbies/sports/activities and I haven't really done that yet. So far university is going well and really there is not a thing to worry about. Yeah you might get homesick/miss your friends but you just have to open up. Remember everyone is in the same boat and everyone is looking for a friend. It is a waste of time to worry but I know it's hard not to worry. Just have fun, enjoy your last weeks of summer and be ready to start a new chapter!

So I guess the most important tip I can give you is to try new things, don't be scared to open up, and have FUN!

Look out for a post later one (when I have time) of a summary of the first month of uni has been like.

FRESHERS WEEK - SEPT 25, 2009

Luckily our first lecture of the day was at 1pm so most of us could get over/recover slightly from any hangovers. When I got to the lecture theater, half the class was holding a water bottle which I found pretty hilarious. Schedule for the day was just:

1:00pm - 2:00pm : Summing Up Introductory Activity

Pretty easy day to be honest. Anyways by 1:15pm our lecturer still hasn't showed up and people started to get bored. People started throwing paper planes and paper balls around the room. It was quite the scene. Things flying from side to side, from back to front. By 1:40pm a MedSoc rep. noticed that our lecturer was still not here and contacted the med school that there are 250 students are impatiently waiting for their lecture. So at around 1:50pm our lecturer shows up and everyone was really bummed out for obvious reasons. The lecturer was pretty considerate and just rushed through the conclusion of our task and went over the answer. The diagnosis for our case study ended up being H1N1/Swine flu and the differential diagnosis was just the common flu. Lecture ended at like 2:10pm which was REALLY fast. We all ran off pretty fast back to our flats.

After the lecture I quickly went over the student union to check our the Sports Activity Fair. There was SO MANY PEOPLE! By the time I finished my late lunch (after lecture) and got INTO the sports fair, the stands were starting to pack up. I didn't get to see much and was interested in signing up for some stuff but sadly they were all done for the day and took away their sign-up sheets.

Oh forgot to mention: I could hear the beginning of freshers flu flying around the class (oh no!). Nice short post as I didn't do anything interesting and just went home and took a nap.

Tip of the day: Load up on vitamin C during freshers week if you want to avoid freshers flu. No guarantees though. Oh and party really hard during freshers week because you won't be able to party as hard during actual uni time...too much work. Oh and if you really want to go sign up for stuff at a fair and you know you'll be in a rush after your lecture to go to the fair...just go before. It makes life much easier.

Side note: Hopefully most of you have already submitted your UCAS application for medical school by now or putting in the final touches to your personal statement. Good luck!

FRESHERS WEEK - MEDICS FRESHERS FEVER

WHOA WHAT A PARTY! This party has always been hyped up as the best freshers party in the entire freshers week. Wow they actually lived up to their word! First, it was a beached themed party. Second, it was a FOAM PARTY. The party technically started at 7:30pm but people didn't start going until 8:00 pm. We were told to make sure we put out phones into plastic bags or else we won't have one by the end of the night. I met up with my friends and stuff so when we got there we went straight to the bar. They were having a special and drinks were 1 quid! After sitting around for an hour or so the party really started to get going as the doors were closed and everyone started dancing. Sometime through the middle of the party they started letting loose the foam cannon and wow the party just got 1000x more fun. Some people did drown in the foam though...here's a good tip: KEEP YOUR MOUTH CLOSED. Gotta admit I didn't exactly abide by that tip and did choke on the foam a couple times. The foam was pretty much all the way to your knees so it was pretty deep. Everyone was having an amazing time and it was so much fun to play with the foam. I know that some people were really shy and didn't want to dance and stuff but eventually they did join in. By the end of the party they were really partying it up and regretted that they didn't join in earlier. I can't really remember much about the exact details of the party but at around 12am we switched venues and went over to a nightclub.

All I know is that when you are wet and you have to walk 2 blocks in the middle of the night...you will freeze into a block of ice. Other than freezing I gotta say that the after party wasn't as fun and exciting. By that time everyone was really tired and soaking wet. Majority of the people started leaving within the first hour of after party and my friends and I also decided to call it a night.

All in all it was an awesome party and probably the best one I'll have this year...but I truly hope there will be a party later on that will top Freshers Fever.