Final Week - Anaesthetics

Wow these last 4 weeks have blown by. Like I've said in my last post, I've seen a great improvement in my practical skills and confidence in doing invasive procedures. It really is true: practice makes perfect!

Because I have made quite an effort to get my logbook signed off early, I took my final week in anaesthetics as a "flexible week". I had a sudden urge to go watch some orthopaedic surgery so I decided to go observe a list. As I walked into the orthopaedics theatre and asked the consultant if I could observe, I was then offered the opportunity to scrub in (which made me very happy). It was so good to be back in orthopaedics and scrubbed in. Geek moment: I was pretty excited while I was scrubbing in. It brought back the good memories I had from last year whilst on my Orthopaedics attachment. Last year, I only helped drape the patient once or twice as there was usually a registrar there, so I would stand back and watch. Let's just say draping a patient for Orthopaedics isn't the "easiest" thing when you're still quite new at it. Because there are plastic walls around the operating area, you really have to be aware of your surroundings to make sure you stay sterile. The draping is also quite the task itself as there are quite a few layers to put on and I will admit that it required a lot of concentration and focus for me to make sure I maintained sterility. When the draping was complete and I didn't screw up, I couldn't help but feel like this:

Anyways, we did an exchange of a total knee replacement. It was fairly straight forward and it was nice being able to assist. Just felt really good. The tasks I were doing were fairly simple, for example, suction, diathermy, etc, but you still feel like you're helping...in a way. At the end I got to do some suturing and close up the wound. Admittedly quite rusty, but after 2 dodgy stitches, I dusted off the cobwebs and got back into it. Of course, being a responsible person, I redid the 2 dodgy stitches (in case you were wondering...). The consultant checked my stitches over and I got the nod of approval and then tidied up. The surgery took about 1.5-2 hours, but it certainly felt much shorter. We took a lunch break and I bumped into my anaesthetic group mates. They noticed that I was looking quite happy and some of them know me quite well could guess immediately that I got to scrub in and assist in surgery. I then bumped into one of my good friends and even he asked why was I oddly happy. When I sat down for my lunch and did a bit of reflection - I really do think surgery is for me. It makes me happy and I really enjoy it. I mean I've seen a few exchange TKRs last year, and it just doesn't get old. Every case is different. We had another operation in the afternoon which was quite straight forward. By the end of the day, I was quite tired and my feet were sore, but I was happy. I felt like I had a productive day. I felt like I learned a lot. I was at the hospital since 8am and got off at 5pm. I would usually be craving to go home, but after the list, I wanted to follow-up with the patients in recovery/post-operative surgical unit. It was a really good day. Probably the happiest I have been on placement this year.

The next day was a huge contrast. I went back to anaesthetics and met up with the consultant anaesthetist at 7:45am. The first thing he told me was that he is too busy and that there won't be any opportunities for me to get any hands-on. He also told me to be prepared to stand to the side for the rest of the day. I couldn't help but get annoyed as I made the effort to come in at 7:45am, ready to learn, and then to be told that I won't get to do anything. I thought the consultant was maybe just over-exaggerating, but I quickly found out that he really did mean it when he said I will be standing to the side. I just stood in the anaesthetic room in one corner and watched everything....and proceeded to zone out. All I could think about was that it was a huge waste of time. Then 2nd case, same thing. I was just stood there. I even asked if I could help out and was promptly ignored. I made the decision that I could be more productive if I went home. By 12pm, I grabbed my bag and told the consultant that I'm going home. He wasn't too impressed that I was leaving early, which surprised me. I was not learning anything and he wasn't teaching. What was the point in me sticking around? I firmly told the consultant that I could be a lot more productive at home and complete some of my assignments. I was fed up and just left. In a way it was rude of me to do that, but at the same time, the consultant knew he was going to have a student around and if he doesn't want a student around, then say something to the administrators so he doesn't get assigned a student. Ridiculous.

Despite the sour ending to my week, at least there was a very high point in this placement, which was unfortunately not anaesthetics related. I'll just treat the orthopaedics day as a treat to myself for getting all my work done early. A few years back, I used to want to do anaesthetics, but this attachment has reaffirmed that it isn't for me. I can see why people would enjoy it, but I really do think I am more suited for surgery. I just enjoy being hands on and fixing things. I enjoy the theatre life, but not sat at the head of the table. My next placement is A&E for 4 weeks. Again, I am quite nervous as I have been placed in the main hospital, which is quite busy. I know what to expect, but I'm not sure if I'm ready for its quick pace. We'll see. I'm excited in a way. Plus more opportunities to work on my clinical skills!

Just Need to Ask.

As you have all realized, I am not enjoying my GP placement as I haven't really gotten to do anything hands-on. Learning is minimal and I essentially just sit the day away. Last week, I requested to sit in with a GP who has a special interest in MSK. Finally got a schedule I could smile about. I was placed in a surgery where majority of the patients came in with MSK complaints. Then my next day was placed in the hospital (oh how much I miss the hospital environment) to shadow a physiotherapist.

Because I am so sick of sitting around, I finally opened my mouth and asked if I could do joint examinations.  The GP was more than happy to allow me to examine and started introducing me as the "Student doctor with a special interest in muscles and bones." Clinic for once actually went by quickly and was fairly enjoyable. Then I decided to ask the physio on my next day if I could participate and get involved. She was also more than happy to allow me. The physio had a special interest in upper limbs while I am interested in lower limbs. It was good for me as I am obviously missing quite a bit of knowledge about upper limbs. I learned loads about the common injuries and presentations you see in upper limbs. I also got to work on my upper limb examination skills which involved a bit of neuro; therefore, it was a really good refresher.  It was also fun to talk to someone who knows the orthopaedic consultants in the hospital and just learn more about the other sub-specialties in orthopaedics.  I got to know about the spinal unit and the shoulder consultants and what they would usually see.

It was also cool to see what would count as an urgent referral as we had one patient who we believe to have cauda equina syndrome. Cauda Equina is essentially where your spinal cord goes further down your spinal column than most people. Most people's spinal cord terminate at L1/L2; therefore, when you do a lumbar puncture, you make sure you go below that to avoid the risk of paralysis. The patient presented with urinary retention symptoms and decreased anal tone.  He also complained of changed sensation in his genitalia region.  It was evident that he also had bi-lateral leg weakness. His symptoms fit cauda equina syndrome so we had to urgently refer him to get an MRI scan. It was also interesting because the patient was claustrophobic and he made it very clear he does not want an MRI scan. We told him that the hospital has a wider scanner so it won't be as tight, but the patient was still adamant that he doesn't want to go through a closed scanner. He allowed us to refer, but he told us that he will refuse to go in on the day. We told him there is medication that he can take before he goes in to keep him calm that he can get from his GP. I don't know why but I felt like he is still adamant that he isn't going to get the scan done and will not go get the medication from his GP. Cauda Equina Syndrome can be quite serious and need to be treated so it was a bit frustrating to see someone refusing a simple scan which can rule out cauda equina.

Then I got a bit of a reality check near the end of physio clinic. I have suffered from a shoulder injury for 5 years now, and never really bothered to take myself to see a doctor. It's a thing about medics: "Medics either go see a doctor too early, or go too late." In my case: I just never go. A shoulder patient came in who obviously needs a shoulder replacement due to OA in the shoulder. The patient had very limited range of movement and you could hear his shoulder grinding as he was abducting his arm. He explained to us that it has completely hindered his lifestyle as he can't even reach up to get things from the cupboard and it is quite painful. He then mentioned that when he was young (my age) he had a few shoulder injuries and reckons that due to those injuries - he now has pretty bad OA of his shoulder. Once the patient left, I told the physio about my shoulder and she sternly told me to go see a GP and get a referral to either physio or orthopaedics as  I am susceptible to early OA if I don't get it sorted out. Even worse, it could hinder my ability to do orthopaedics in the future as it requires a lot of strength and lifting.

To be honest, the physio is right. I've left my shoulder long enough and it is obviously not getting better. Hate being on the other side of the table as the patient.

The End of Another Placement.

Seriously cannot believe it has been 6 weeks. It literally blew by. I didn't think it would as I wasn't particularly busy and I had quite a few day offs as well (bank holidays, etc). My friends said that you cannot find a happier medical student on placement than me. I will admit, the placement started off quite slow...but once it got going...I truly truly truly did not want it to end. It's the first specialty where I could see myself work in as a career. Before starting, I was a bit hesitant as ever since I knew I wanted to do medicine, I wanted to do orthopaedics. I had very high hopes for it. Obviously I was very excited to start the placement, but there was a bit of doubt in the back of my mind. These 6 weeks could either make or break this specialty for me. I was actually scared that I will end up not liking orthopaedics...and actually hating it.

Luckily, orthopaedic surgery is just like how I imagined it to be. I was genuinely happy. It's the first placement where I enjoyed everything about the specialty. I enjoyed the surgeries. I enjoyed being on the ward (which was minimal to be fair). And I can't believe I am saying this but I enjoyed clinic. Everything clicked for me. I never struggled waking up to go to this placement. I had 8am meetings to go to (where I had to wake up at 6am) and I never struggled. If this was any other specialty and was told to go to an 8am meeting...I can guarantee you I would struggle and would probably turn up late or maybe even miss it. I was actually motivated to work hard in this placement. I didn't work hard because my supervisor was strict/I was scared of him...I actually worked hard because I enjoyed the specialty. I felt no pressure to work hard...actually my supervisor kept telling me to take it easy and made it very free. It was all down to me. There were times where I wished I was in more.

This was probably the most flexible and easy going placement I have had this year, but this is easily the one placement where I have learned the most. I had lots of fun, but also learned a lot of useful things. I am so lucky to have a supervisor who is really good with teaching and letting me progress. You all probably remember me having great praises for my last O&G placement and that it has set a very high bar. This orthopaedic placement just blew through that bar. I mean I knew it was going to be hard to have more fun and more responsibilities than my last placement, but wow this placement was fantastic. I have nothing but good things to say. I got to scrub in. I assisted in surgery. I learned how to suture and help close up. I saw patients in clinic on my own and got to examine them. I got to start and finish an audit project. I really could not ask for more. I don't even think I could do much more.

Today started out like any other day. Early meeting and then to morning clinic. Usual banter in the meeting...lots of good laughs and teasing. I took up my usual spot at the back of the room against the cabinet. Then off to clinic. Busy clinic as usual. Saw new patients on my own. Did the usual. I'm sure no one knew it was my last day because everything was going like it was just another day of my placement. Patient by patient...the note pile got smaller and smaller. Clinic was coming to an end. Next thing I knew my supervisor was signing my feedback form off. Had a bit of a chat about the placement and then a solid handshake. To be honest it was tough to leave. I wasn't sick of the placement yet. Just wasn't ready for it to end already. Every day when we finish and before I leave, I always crack a: "When am I seeing you next?" It was weird not to say that as I was heading for the door. I didn't even know what to say as I left. I think all I kept saying was "thank you" as I dragged my feet out the door. Even now...I'm absolutely gutted this placement is over. Feels like someone shot me out from cloud 9. Next week is going to be tough. Back to lectures. Back to reality. Then on to GP and being cooped up in a clinic from 9-5. No surgeries. Not in a hospital environment. Going to be out of my element. Hurts just to think about it. Should be a crime to enjoy a placement so much.  Genuinely loved this placement. Entered placement as one of the happiest medical student you can find to probably the most gutted one at the moment. What a contrast. Just shows you how much I enjoyed this placement.

Expectations.

Everyone has his or her own expectations for certain things. In my case: I had my own expectations for this placement (Obs & Gynae). Before I even started this new year and embarked on my specialty placements, I had already made up my mind about some of the specialties. And I have once again been proven wrong and again shouldn't be making judgments before even starting a specialty. You would think I would learn by now not to judge so early. Before I started O&G I constantly told myself that it is going to be my worst placement ever and I will truly hate it. I was not looking forward to it. I even marked it on my calendar as: "Ugh." To make things short, I had extremely low expectations for O&G. And you know what, sometimes I like being proven wrong. Don't get me wrong I have respect for the specialty, it just never clicked with me. You get this whole: "Awkwardddd women's health...it's going to be weeeirdddd!". I think in general anything that deals with bits downstairs is a whole taboo subject.

So I went back to my archives and read up on my blog post that I typed up before starting the specialty:

"My next placement is Obstetric and Gynaecology. I'm actually really scared for this as I don't really know what to expect as well. Should be interesting as I'll definitely be able to go to theatre (YES!); however, it'll be dealing with quite a sensitive subject so I'll definitely need to change from being playful in Paeds to professional for this specialty. Hopefully I'll be able to compose myself and try to enjoy this specialty as much as I can. First I'll need to go to a week of lectures before commencing my placement. I much rather having lectures first before going to placement as at least I'll have some basic knowledge prior to going to the hospital so I won't look like an idiot in front of the doctors. I also hope I'll have a really nice/easy going/chill supervisor. My last supervisor on paediatrics was very easy-going, which made the placement much more enjoyable. Crossing my fingers that I'll be just as lucky this time with Obs+Gyn. Another 7 weeks of Obs+Gyn and then Easter Holiday! I can't wait for holiday. To be honest...I kinda need one now!"

I really can't blame myself for being scared as it is a sensitive subject, but in terms of changing my behaviour from playful to professional was something I was a bit unsure about as I'm naturally a "happy-go-lucky" so I was a bit nervous for that change. Thinking back through the last few weeks, I haven't had so much fun on placement. Even more fun than my paediatric placement. Yes I have to be professional and build a good rapport with patients to talk about more sensitive things, but I realized that if I'm having a good time, the rapport comes naturally and you as a person become a bit more easier to approach and get along with. In paeds I was told that it was "written all over me" that I was not enjoying my placement. For this placement, yes I went in knowing I'll hate it, but I really wanted to make sure that I didn't make it obvious that I'm not enjoying the attachment. Because I went in with such low expectations I was open for anything and had little expectations. This actually helped me be a bit more welcome to anything and I think a lot of the staff and my supervisor could see that. I was even told by the nurses that some of the patients thought I was a "breath of fresh air" as I was always smiling on the wards and just enjoying my time. A patient told me that most of the staff look bored, but I look interested and just trying to have fun. Because in my last placement in paeds I looked super bored, it was probably the main reason it took me a bit longer to get to know the staff and interact with the patients.

And I can't really call it luck anymore with getting a nice/easy going/chill supervisor. I've said it before, but at the end of the day, a consultant/supervisor is a person as well. Yes they too have expectations for me and I try to meet their expectations, but because they are also people, you can certainly have some good banter with them. I got to know my supervisor and probably saw my supervisor the most out of the rest of my group so I guess he got to know me better than the others. Definitely made the attachment more enjoyable as I could feel that my supervisor genuinely cared about my learning and it's also nice to get to know your supervisor as it'll keep my blood pressure and heart rate from shooting through the roof whenever I see him. In some placements I would purposely avoid my supervisor just to avoid getting told off/being quizzed. For this placement, I didn't mind bumping into my supervisor on the ward or even in the corridors. I think we also had a "mutual understanding". He knew what my personality is like and what sort of student I am so he didn't form unrealistic expectations for me so that put me at ease and allowed me to feel comfortable in the hospital.  Again it is a two-way process. I know when my supervisor didn't want to see me and I guess I'm fairly good at telling when I can be cracking jokes. I guess it is a skill I definitely cherish as like I said I'm a "happy-go-lucky" and a bit of a prankster/joker who is quite cheeky as well...so I definitely need to know where to draw my line with each person.

All in all, I think this attachment has worked out really well and essentially exceeded my expectations. I have definitely gained a heck lot more respect for the specialty and it has definitely changed my view on the specialty. It really ain't that bad at the end of the day. The doctors are also pretty cool people as well so it was good. The hospital was great as well and was really good at making sure medical students are learning and interacting. Following a doctor around is one thing, but being able to assist and do things is a whole other ball game that makes your attachment so much better. This could be the very last time I'll be doing O&G for the rest of my career, but hey if I do get a rotation in it in the future, I won't mind doing it again. Hate to say this, but this is easily the best placement I have ever had so far. Who would've thought I would be saying this 7 weeks later. I wish all my placements can be this good. Now I'm scared about my future attachments as this placement has set the bar so high. How can I go back to just following a doctor around? How can I go back to standing in theatre not scrubbed in and peering over the surgeon's shoulder? Will I get along with my next supervisor how I got along with my supervisor now? What are my expectations for my next placements now?

Thank you for proving me wrong and giving me the best 7 weeks of my medical degree. What a placement. Damn. Can't believe it is over. The one time I am dreading for the end of a placement. I guess one good thing about this is that I finally get a much needed 3 week holiday.

Side note: Will be on holiday for the next 3 weeks and I, most likely, will not be posting as I really need a break. Sorry! 

O&G - Done!

One of the most stressful days ever. Let's just say this placement never really got my heart rate and blood pressure up until today (my last day). Waited to do my final assessment with my supervisor and I was really stressed out. Hate waiting around. You see if this was one day earlier, I would not be as stressed out. I was a bit of a smart ass and booked to leave for home 1 day before official holiday. Seriously talk about luck. Supervisor couldn't do my assessment until my final day...5 hours before the departure of my train to go to the airport. Essentially, we are allowed to resit our assessment if our supervisor believe we are incompetent. You would usually resit the assessment immediately or the week after, BUT because we are doing our assessment in the final week  on my last day of placement, I don't really get another go. So that means I have ONE shot at this assessment. I pass...I pass. I fail...let's just say that is NOT an option. I essentially needed a bit of skill (to pass the assessment) and a heck lot of luck to not only pass my assessment, but to also catch my train. Doing an assessment is already stressful enough especially when you've got only 1 shot at it. Travelling is also another very stressful thing. Put the two together (assessment AND travelling) is the formula for a heart attack. Yes why should I be worrying about my assessment? I worked hard. I came in every day. Didn't skive. Studied...a bit. Practiced my examination skills quite a bit. So why am I not confident? Simple. Anything can happen eg. bad luck such as getting a difficult patient, blanking out aka brain fart, nerves, etc. I think I'm pretty chill with my supervisor and I don't really "fear" him that much, BUT at the end of the day yes he is a person...but he is also my SUPERVISOR, which I cannot forget. He essentially is the one who determines whether I pass or fail this placement. Kind of hard not to be a bit scared/nervous/stressed/intimidated.

Anyways luckily I passed my assessment and it all went very well. Got all my forms signed off, handed in my locker keys, and next thing I knew, I was saying my goodbyes to the staff and shaking hands with my supervisor: "I guess that's it. 7 weeks. Done. I really enjoyed the placement. Thank you. Maybe we will meet again in the future, maybe not. It was a pleasure to meet you and your team. Thanks again." It was probably the first genuine "thank you" I have said to a supervisor at the end of a placement. These last 7 weeks have opened my eyes and taught me not to judge. I have never done so much active learning in one placement. Best bit: I wanted to learn. I wasn't forced. What a great overall placement. I guess the only way to show your gratitude towards a placement is to work hard and show that you have learned. Actions certainly do speak louder than words. Even my good friend said that if only my supervisor saw what type of student I was on placements and how much I have changed in terms of motivation and work ethic - only then it is obvious how much I enjoyed this placement.

What a placement. Who would've thought.

Doh!

Interesting and short week of paediatrics. Had Monday off as I was in for 9-5 lectures. Tuesday..can't remember what happened...obviously nothing exciting as I would remember. I was on-call again on Wednesday so I was in the hospital from 8:45am - 9pm. It was also my SHO's last day and to be honest I think he was really great. Probably the few doctors that really made us medical students feel very welcomed and a part of the team. He's also really good at teaching too. Really smart dude. As a medical student, the biggest worry is being left out from the team. It's already nerve-racking to step into an unfamiliar environment and have no clue what you're supposed to do, so when a doctor welcomes you and teaches - you feel much more at ease and it really makes a huge difference to your experience at the hospital.  It was also nice that he could remember our names and it really helps with making us feel welcomed. Great thing about this SHO is that I understood him. I knew when to bother him and when not to. And it seems like he too knew what I was like. Seriously, some of you may think I'm really hard working, but I am definitely not the hardest working student to have graced medical school. In fact, I'm quite lazy (blushes). It was interesting how my SHO could tell that there are times where I don't want to do anything and he lets me be. It was like we were on the same page so it was good we had this mutual understanding.

Took quite a few "tea breaks" during my on-call so I got to talk about life as a doctor with the SHO as the ward wasn't too busy either. It was eye-opening. But the conversation soon led to a massive "DOH!" moment. Out of no where I was asked: "You don't like Paediatrics very much do you..or this attachment in general right?" I was actually left speechless. My face was probably a mix of a dead pan with a "DOH" moment. Secretly inside...I haven't really been enjoying this placement very much as in general I'm not very interested in Medicine. I really miss going to theatres and watching surgeries as I find it much more interesting and exciting. I have tried my best to put on an enthusiastic/keen face during this placement, BUT apparently it is fairly obvious I don't really like paediatrics. Another interesting bit is that the SHO could tell what I wanted to do in the future. Haven't told him what I was interested in and he randomly was like: "You're definitely going to do surgery. It's written all over you." And for some of the followers of this blog, you probably know I want to do Orthopaedic Surgery in the future so it was nice that people can see I want to do surgery. On top of that, the day after, another doctor went up to me and was like "You don't like Paeds very much do you. It's like written all over your face." Cue another "Doh!" moment. I even asked if it was that obvious and everyone around me was like "Yes." Soooo....it probably means my supervisor/consultant can also tell I'm not really enjoying the attachment. Honestly though, I'm not HATING it, but I don't love it either. I'm quite indifferent about it and I do realize I'm quite awkward around kids as I don't know what to do with them. Guess it's something I have to work on...and I am trying quite hard though...guess that's what matters.

Next week there will be new SHOs starting on the job and meaning starting back at square one with trying to get on with the new doctors. Life is always full of changes and you just have to keep adapting. Also being a medical student you constantly have to remind yourself that you're at the bottom of the ladder and you really have to work hard to get noticed. Note to self: Stop making it so obvious that I don't like kids.

That's It?

After some good banter after our critical analysis presentation for our SSC research attachment, we were told by our supervisor that we essentially will not go back in/see him until the LAST day of our attachment which is in 2.5 weeks. In the meantime we are supposed to do our final task: data analysis. I am absolutely ____ing my pants about this as I do not know anything about stats. Doh! This is definitely going to be a REALLY tough task and thank goodness we have 2.5 weeks to figure it out. At the same time when I found out we will not be going in for 2.5 weeks you would assume that I would be doing a victory dance the minute I left the building. Wrong. I was actually really bummed out. I hate to admit it, but I have THOROUGHLY enjoyed this attachment and I am having a really good time! I think it is because I have an amazing supervisor coupled with amazing group members as we get along extremely well. Once you get into med school and make medic friends you tend to talk about medicine with each other, but with my group members - we all play sports and we are quite athletic and to be honest - we NEVER talk about medicine when we are around each other. We actually have something interesting to talk about and it is quite nice. Such small things can make quite a big difference.

As well, we were promised at the beginning...okay not promised...more like notified that we will probably get to go to the gait lab to try out the equipment and test out what the volunteers will be going through in the trial. Because our supervisor has to leave for conferences and stuff, we apparently will not be going in. I was really excited about going to the gait lab and now seeing that we won't go in until the last day - we obviously will not be getting the opportunity to try out the machines. Boooooo. Super bummed.

So essentially our last day of attachment is 2.5 weeks away and that means we have already been at this attachment for 3 weeks now. It definitely does not feel like 3 weeks and I know earlier I was whining about doing a research attachment, but I loved it. I think the main reason is because of the tiny little things like a great supervisor and a great group really made things a lot more enjoyable. On top of that, my attachment is very clinical based and it was nice not being in a lab all day (actually we never went to the lab) and the hours were quite "slack". Definitely a good balance. Go in just enough to get a feel for the attachment, but at the same time we get enough free time to get some revision done for exams. When I looked at my calendar and looked at the last day of our attachment I said: "That's it?" Before embarking on this attachment I would NEVER think I would be saying this as I thought by the end of this I would be sick of the attachment and hate the attachment. I am soooooooooooooo wrong and I am happy to admit that it was wrong of me to have such a close-minded view of this attachment prior. Can't believe that this is it. Today was my last proper day of being at the attachment. The final session will be a quick presentation and then getting feedback. Wow. Time flies. Scary stuff.

Quick Recap.

Finally have some downtime to update my blog.

Anyways as some of you would know I'm now starting 2nd year of medicine in England and wow. We literally jumped right into lectures on the first day of school (20th Sept). First unit is on Skin/Urinary/Endocrine/Reproduction.

Same with last year - my enemy is still physiology. I can't get my head around renal physiology. It just seems so complex. This year's topics are starting to make last year's topics seem like child's play. Getting a bit worried - especially for exams. This year's exams will include some material from first year and they will not be specifying which materials from last year will be examined...so that means reviewing all of last year. Hopefully I'll survive, but this year I have adapted a new way of studying/reviewing.

Last year, I used to print out my lectures the day before and take a quick glimpse of it. After a whole year I realized it is a horrible way for preparing for next day's lecture. You cannot even consider it as preparation. This year I have decided to take my laptop with me to lectures. The night before I would type up the powerpoint for next day's lectures and when I get to class I'll add to the powerpoint that I typed up the night before. My notes are looking much nicer and organized. Also this forces me to read my lectures beforehand as obviously to type the powerpoint...you gotta read it. It has helped quite a bit as when I go to lectures I know what to expect and am more ready. Also this year I am trying to keep up with the recommended reading. Last year I left all my reading to the last 5 weeks prior to exams and it was the WORST idea ever. It was torturous and dumb. This year I have started marking all my recommended reading and actually taking a quick read through first so when I go back to read em before exams it won't be new/fresh. Hopefully this new method of preparation and revision will help me out.

Also side note: I hope all you freshers had loads of fun during freshers week. Hopefully no one is feeling homesick yet and have made lots of friends! Most importantly I hope everyone is enjoying their course and not regret their decision of studying medicine/regret their uni choice. If you are feeling a bit down/regretting your choice - please keep your chin up and try to enjoy it as much as possible. Let go of your previous impressions of the uni and try and experience the uni. Hopefully as weeks pass you'll get more and more used to the environment and actually start liking your decision to study at that uni.

Good luck to all with your course and hopefully I'll have more time later on to keep updating.