Still Alive! Happy New Year!

Wow these last 2 months have been a whirlwind hence I haven't had time to make a post (apologies!). Essentially just wanted to check-in and wish everyone a Happy New Year. 2013 for me has been a whistle-stop tour. I've made many accomplishments and is certainly another memorable year. Some highlights:

• Presenting a poster at a national conference
• Meeting new people
• Going back home for my elective 
• Commencing another research project (fairly large one too)!
• Applying for my first proper job!
• Learning more skills (medical and surgical)
• Being happy :)

This year had blown by and it has essentially been a year where I had to gain even more confidence especially knowing next year, I will be given responsibilities (no more fooling around!). This second half of the year was just hectic. The minute I came back from elective, it was just non-stop meeting deadlines and never-ending work. Even now I'm supposed to be busy as I've got my first set of final exams in a few days (cruel). I despise revising through the holidays...it's very depressing. 

Anyways better get back to revising. I'll hopefully get some free time soon and be able to write an entry about the job application process and what that was like. 

Wishing you all a Happy New Year. I know for sure it'll be a big and very important year for me. Bring on 2014!

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!

Life of an International Student.

Winter holiday is coming to an end and it literally blew by. First came Christmas. Next thing you know it was New Year's eve. Then we welcomed a new year - 2012. I celebrated these festivities with my family and knowing that this is probably the last Christmas/New Year I will spend back at home before I graduate really gave us the urgency to do as much as we could this winter holiday. Ate lots of good food and did quite a bit of shopping. Really tried my best to take in as much of home as much as I could. Also tried my best to spend as much time as I could with my family. I really don't know when is the next time I'm coming back home. It is a really sad thought. School is getting busier and I am getting shorter holidays.

In a blink of an eye I will be heading to the airport to fly back to England. I hate going to the airport and saying "goodbye". Tears my heart every time.  It will never get easy. It is really hard to see your parents sad to see you leave. Sometimes I wonder if going to study thousands of miles away from home a good choice. Unlike local students, I can't just spontaneously decide to go home for the weekend. Home is in a different country thousands of miles away. Thinking about it, international students make huge sacrifices to come to England to study. So food for thought: when parents of international students come to visit, don't tease them.  Sometimes flying back home isn't an option so the next best thing is for parents to come visit. Think about the sacrifices we make for a better education and the opportunity to study things that may not be available in our home countries.

Life of an international student is not easy.

A New Decade, Another Chapter.

Welcome 2011. 2010 has been very memorable, but sadly went by too quickly. After some thought, I realized that entering this decade could possibly mean a new chapter in my life. I realized in a few months I will be completing my second year of medicine and with a bit of luck and good studying I will be entering into my third year or essentially entering into my clinical years of medicine! To me, this seems to be a huge step and from what I have heard, when entering your clinical years it will probably be the first proper time where you get the slap in the face that you will be a doctor. Just thinking about it makes me nervous and excited.

This also means that my medical sciences portion of my course will be coming to a close meaning I've learned about the basics/general idea of almost everything in the body. Quite daunting. To be honest, judging how fast 2010 went by, I have a feeling my medical school years will be going by quite quickly. Just the other day I was thinking about the 2010 Winter Olympics and how much I enjoyed watching the Canada vs. USA ice hockey gold medal game. Then it occurred to me that the next time I'll be watching an Olympic ice hockey game (IF I have time) will be months before graduating from medical school in 2014. Crazy crazy crazy. This next decade of 2011-2020 I can guarantee will be a decade of highs and lows, firsts and lasts, challenges and accomplishments. When this decade comes to a close at 2020 HOPEFULLY I will be specializing in what I enjoy in a place I enjoy. A lot will be happening in this decade and hopefully I will be able to accomplish my goals and dreams. There will be a lot of transition and change: from medical student, to a junior doctor, to picking my specialty and so on. That's a lot of transitioning/change in one decade and I'm pretty sure it'll be a decade to remember.

Cheers to a new year and of course a new decade of new challenges, accomplishments, and happiness.