Chan Weng Kit's Blogspot: February 2018

Saturday 24 February 2018

DAY 538-542

Feb 21-25

1) These past few days have been uneventful for the most part, as I have been to the library at Beaumont for the whole day, only returning during night time. Our mid-semester exams are but a week and a half away, and as a result everyone has gone into hardcore mode. Everyone, but me. I've just been finding it difficult to consolidate that much knowledge and commit it to memory. But of course, where there's a will, there's a way.

2) This year has been passing by at breakneck pace - while keeping watch, I've noticed the following: in two and a half months my parents are coming over to visit (yeay!), and in only ten months it will conclude my stay here in Ireland, whence I return for the clinical portion of my studies (the latter is not set in stone; it is still subject to my passing the end-of-semester exams). I cannot help thinking that I've come a long way, and that I've grown a lot from my experiences, which have been both good and bad.

3) I've recently found ignited within me a passion for photography. I have lost count of the number of times I've witnessed gorgeous sunrises by the River Liffey, the sunsets at Beaumont, or the vibrant nightlife near Temple Bar. At each opportunity, I've tried to take some quick i.e. un-professional snaps to capture the scene, and I'm quite happy with how they turned out. Maybe in the future, I may actually consider taking up photography as a hobby. As for now, it's back to the same rigmarole of study, eat, sleep, rinse and repeat. Thanks for visiting and have a lovely weekend. Cheers!

Intense sunset at Beaumont

Sunset at Beaumont :)

Sunrise by the Liffey

Sunrise by St. Stephen's Green Park

Night life by the Liffey

Contrails at the Northside Shopping Centre

Sunday 18 February 2018

DAY 537

Feb 18-20

1) After spending the night with some friends, I went back to RCSI to register for the third and last day of the International Conference for Healthcare and Medical Students (ICHAMS) 2018. The schedule for today was as follows - Poster Session B, Oral Session C, Keynote 3, Lunch, Poster Session C, Workshop, Oral Session D, Tea Break, Keynote 4, followed by the Closing Ceremony and optional Black Tie Dinner.

2) I spent most of the morning rehearsing for my poster presentation after lunch (Poster Session C - 13.00-14.30). During lunch, we had the opportunity to listen to research carried out by past students of the RCSI Collaborative Research: The John Bradley Clinical Research Summer School, Michael Garron Hospital, Toronto. Quite a number of my Canadian friends had taken part last year, and were presenting their posters today. It was thoroughly entertaining listening to each one of their research focuses, and to appreciate the rich diversity of projects available to candidates.

3) At 13.00, the judges came over to do their rounds. I was one of the first to be assessed - 3 minutes speaking time, with 2 minutes for questions. Before I knew it, I was wrapping up and being bombarded with questions. I tried to answer as best I could, and they nodded in approval. Job done, I thought. As I opened a bag of crisps and stared at another poster - in a vain attempt to prevent myself from overthinking about my just concluded presentation - I was approached by two girls, Hazel and Meghan. Apparently they had been following my blog too, and we had a nice chat about my research projects last summer.

4) At 14.30, I went for the second workshop: Workshop G - Physio in high-caliber athletics. Mr Aidan Woods (Head Physiotherapist at the inaugural European Games 2015 in Baku and the London 2012 Olympics) gave the presentation, going through some practical examples - including two case studies on the role of physiotherapy in giving athletes the green light to compete at major championships. It was fascinating to obtain a different perspective and approach towards healthcare, especially for top-level athletes. The chances of litigation due to an oversight are enormous, but so are the payoffs - seeing an athlete fulfil their lifelong dream of starting a race, even with an injury.

5) Our last keynote speech was by Dr. David Rowe - general physician and thought leader in the emergent area of Health, Happiness, and Wellbeing Wisdom. It was an inspiring talk that beckoned us to practice more gratitude and gratefulness. After a mesmerising dance duet by Robert Prein and Mayke van Veldhuizen, it was time for the closing ceremony. The winner of the Best Oral Presentation went to none other than Joshua! Congratulations to him, and job well done to all.

6) As it was getting dark, we decided against staying back for the Black Tie Dinner at NoLIta. I walked all the way back to Eden Quay, and took Bus 27b back home.That concludes ICHAMS 2018, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. Thanks for visiting, and have a lovely weekend. Cheers! :)

ICHAMS 2018 was a huge success!

With Dr. Sara O'Neill

(ICHAMS Faculty Advisor since it's inception)

Hazel had us posing like that

(and then didn't maintain it so the picture's a tad blurry XD)

Me: Until the next one guys :')

Congratz Joshua on a thoroughly deserved win :D

Dr. Mark Rowe was the fourth and final Keynote Speaker of the conference

Dr. Mark Rowe -

talking about how an arson tragedy in the past turned out to be the most important lesson in his life

ICHAMS 2018 draws to a close ~~

"K bye"

- Melissa

Saturday 17 February 2018

DAY 536

Feb 18

1) The three-day International Conference for Healthcare and Medical Students (ICHAMS) 2018 had begun, and I was presenting a research poster on the last day. I had to leave very early in the morning to catch a bus to town (Eden Quay), and walk all the way to RCSI to register. The conference team took my poster away for storage, while I took my goodie bag and met up with my friends. We had a couple of sessions today - 2 Oral Sessions, a Keynote Speech, a Poster Session, and a Workshop (which we had to sign up for as there were several choices).

2) Joshua started the ball rolling with his research on colorectal cancer, which he did under the supervision of Dr. Sudipto Das. We had a short break at 11.00am for tea, after which Zi Yan had his oral presentation. After that it was a key note session, followed by lunch and refreshments. I stayed for the poster session in the afternoon, which consisted of two judges with a student timekeeper. We were given 3 minutes to present, and 2 minutes for questions. As my poster was on the next day, I could enjoy watching the other candidates present their findings.

3) The last event of the day was the Workshop session - divided into 6 types, "Communications", "Alpha 1", "Suturing", "GP Skills", "US/Critical Care", and "RCSI Tour". I had signed up for GP Skills, which took place in the New Academic Building. We were rotated through five different stations - venipuncture, urinalysis, ECG, fundoscopy, and otoscopy. All in all a very informative session! I learnt so much from each session; my only gripe being that it lasted but for an hour.

4) After dismissal, I went over to the Dispensary to wait for our friends to arrive. We were going to the Dublin Kopitiam to celebrate Chinese New Year 2018! As this was my first time, we decided to walk there together, and meet up with the rest. The night was cold and drizzling, but the atmosphere was great - as we talked and ate the night away. Approaching 10pm, we were told that the shop would be closing soon, so it was time to pack up and leave. Looking back, I cannot believe how fast time flies - it has been two Chinese New Years that I've missed now, but the next one will be back with my family and relatives. On to the next day's events then, in the next blog update. Stay tuned, cheers! :)

A gathering of the fam (JC2, IC1) at Dublin Kopitiam :)

Happy Chinese New Year guys!!

And so ICHAMS 2018 begins!

(Me, Melissa, Melvin, Zi Yan, Hamsa (from UCD)) ^^

ICHAMS 2018 - First Oral Session

Customary 'take pic beside banner' pose :)

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a tad disappointed that there wasn't light snacks and/or scones for tea...

At least they made up for it with this --> Sun Bear Gelato!

(Lunch time at Exam Hall)

Picturesque night view of Dublin :)

Nasi lemak (coconut milk infused rice)

with rendang ayam (spicy marinated chicken)

"If the phrase 'Heaven on Earth' could be defined by food, this dish would appear first"

Mat Noor's ABC

Hmmmm.... seems like a really familiar place in Old Town Ipoh XD

We came, we saw, we conquered :)

Tuesday 13 February 2018

DAY 531-535

Feb 13 - 17

1) This post is a continuation of the last one, where I recount my adventures (and misadventures) while visiting Manchester/Sheffield. On the 9th (Fri), I took RyanAir from Dublin to Manchester in the wee hours of the morning. Shortly after, I boarded the TransPennine Express to Manchester Piccadilly Station, where my journey began. After exiting the station, my first stop was the Alan Turing monument, in Sackville Park. Inscribed on the memorial plague were the words "Father of Computer Science, Mathematician, Logician, Wartime Codebreaker, Victim of Prejudice." Mr. Turing was believed to have committed suicide two years after being convicted of gross indecency...

2) Next stop - Chinatown. The resplendent Arch of Chinatown greeted me as I entered the ethnic enclave, home to the third largest Chinese community in Europe. After walking a bit, I reached Piccadilly Gardens, home to many statues including that of Queen Victoria's and the Duke of Wellington. Just in time for breakfast - I thought - as I walked past the Fresh Loaf and Leo's Fish Bar. Deciding to go with the Fresh Loaf, I ordered what can only be described as a proper "Mega English Breakfast" - four slices of buttered toast, three pork sausages, three strips of bacon, scrambled eggs, garlic mushrooms, a hash brown, baked beans, fresh tomatoes, and to top it off - a large Earl Grey! I would need the energy though, as the day went by.

3) The next two stops were at the Manchester Town Hall and Public Library, followed by a visit to the Genting Casino. It was really convenient that all the tourist sites that I wanted to visit were within the same area. As I continued walking, I passed the University of Manchester, the largest single-site university in UK, and part of the prestigious Russell Group universities. I entered the Manchester Museum - home to a myriad of sculptures and ornaments. With noon fast approaching, I took a taxi to my next destination - Old Trafford. I've always wanted to visit "The Theatre of Dreams" (Manchester United's home ground since 1910), and today I was feeling like a million bucks as I would get a tour of the museum and stadium.

4) We were shown the various stands in the stadium - the dugouts reserved for players and coaches, the players' changing rooms, the waiting area (before they entered the stadium), the interview room post-match, and finally - the gift shop, where I bought some souvenirs for my grandpa who's an ardent fan. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me, being able to pose with The United Trinity - George Best, Denis Law, and Sir Bobby Charlton. But alas, time was ticking, and I had one more destination in mind - Salford Quays. Previously the site of Manchester Docks, it is now home to various landmarks including the Imperial War Museum North, The Lowry (where I caught a glimpse of "Britain's Got Talent"!), and MediaCityUK.

5) Needless to say, all that walking took its toll, and so I hired a cab back to Piccadilly Station, where I took the train to Sheffield. During the journey, I made a couple of friends who were solving a crosswords puzzle in the newspaper. We had a lot of fun trying to decipher some of the more cryptic ones - and ended up with two unfilled spaces when I had to alight at Sheffield. I walked from the station all the way to my AirBnb residence, checked in with the hostess, walked to the University of Sheffield for the important briefing before the big day (of PAN XV 2018 - my earlier post), and then spent an (almost) sleepless night prepping for the event. That has been the gist of my stay in Manchester, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. Do scroll down for LOADS of photos detailing my journey. Enjoy, cheers! :)