Chan Weng Kit's Blogspot: DAY 418/419/420

Oct 23, 24 & 25

1) Many of my friends have used "Reading Week" as an opportunity to go travelling/catching up on some much needed sleep. Indeed, many of the seniors have advised us to go see the sights while we still have the chance. I, on the other hand, have used Reading Week to finish many outstanding tasks at hand - both academics and non-academics related. I've done many things this week - finished booking accommodation next year, booked an appointment for my GNIB Card renewal, and done some revision (though not enough).

2) On Tuesday, I attended the Beaumont Translational Research Awards 2017 - held at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9. The journey from my house (Dundrum) to Beaumont was a painful two hours, exacerbated by peak hour traffic jams. Nevertheless, I made it in time to the conference meeting point. The agenda was simple - undergraduates, scientists, PhD scholars, and MDs would present their research projects, either via poster or PowerPoint presentation. Most of my friends would be presenting a poster.

3) At around 10am, the adjudicators arrived. They went through each of our posters, asking us to summarise our findings, and explain to them its significance. My turn came soon enough, and I tried my best to convey my research project. The judges nodded approvingly, and then went off to the next participant. Job done. Now for the fun bit; a stand with snacks and beverages had been set up, and since we had already finished presenting our posters...

4) It was a simple yet scrumptious lunch that we enjoyed. Sandwiches and wraps, plus cookies (even gluten free ones!) and all kinds of cakes and pastries. All accompanied by fresh coffee or tea. No wonder some of the senior year students (who had no business with our conference whatsoever) decided to sneak in and grab a bite! Needless to say, the organisers were not too pleased, and they were asked to leave.

5) After stuffing ourselves silly, we were invited to a separate lecture theatre, where the oral presentations would take place. Here, selected participants (excluding undergrads) were given the opportunity to present their research using PowerPoint slides. The topics these researchers focussed on were common - cystic fibrosis, breast cancer, and alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency. Nevertheless, there was a very high standard of both knowledge and oratory skill that they possessed. The questions the judges asked were by no means easy, but their answers were very comprehensive and well structured.

6) At around 1pm, everyone had finished presenting, so off the judges went to deliberate. The winners were then announced, and two first prize medals awarded to the best oral presentations. The other category winners (with much less fanfare) received a warm, congratulatory handshake and a "job well done". Not, in my opinion, reflecting the insane amount of effort and dedication that they had put into research, and not representative of the quality of their work.

7) And that was that. It was a lovely time I had at the event, and I gained a lot of experience by participating in it. I also learnt a lot from my peers, and from all the various posters on display. I took the bus no. 16 back to the college, and returned to the library. Went for a meeting with the Model United Nations Club, and here I am - tired, sleep-deprived, typing this out. At least I have the rest of the week off. Or do I... ? That has been my blog update for the past couple of days; hope you enjoyed reading about it. Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day. Cheers!