DAY 899-911

Feb 17 - Mar 1

1) And just like that, we're three weeks into our first rotation (two weeks surgery, one week orthopaedics). Having completed our first three weeks in Penang General Hospital, it is time for a breath of fresh air - so it's over to Seberang Jaya Hospital for the last two weeks of rotation. Seberang Jaya is one of the main hospitals in Penang, and strategically located in Seberang Perai Tengah, near the PLUS (North-South Highway) and BKE (Butterworth-Kulim Highway), and the industrial areas of Prai and Bkt. Mertajam. Along with Penang General Hospital and Taiping Hospital, it forms the three major teaching hospitals for our college.

2) It is a challenge waking up in the wee hours of the morning to go all the way there, but after a while we have gotten used to the routine. The sunrise as we cross the first Penang Bridge is always a magnificent sight, and enough to brighten anyone's day. We had many "bedside teachings" (BST) with the surgeons/doctors, and were lucky enough to enter OT on the last day for a laporoscopic cholecystectomy (surgical removal of the gallbladder). It was exciting seeing the entire procedure from start to finish, and looking at the freshly removed enlarged gallbladder afterwards.

3) RUMCSA (Student Association) recently organised our Lunar New Year celebration, at the Multi-purpose Hall. As I had already bought the ticket many moons ago (see what I did there?) I had no choice but to go. In the end, I was really glad that I did. We had loads of fun tossing the yee sang, and the performance by the trio of Melvin, Melissa, and Esther (rendition of "The Moon Represents My Heart" (月亮代表我的心) was truly heart-warming. We enjoyed the friendly banter with the professors and heads of department, and especially the lion dance ensemble at the end. Some of us were even lucky enough to receive ang pows (red packets) from the "God of Prosperity"!

4) Last weekend, a group of RCSI and UCD students attended the inaugural RUMC Medical Careers Day, in Novotel KL. The aim was to promote our college while providing future medical students with a flavour of life as a medical student and doctor. Our task then, as scholars and therefore student ambassadors for the college, was to give a brief (i.e. 15 minutes) presentation on our life in Dublin, where we did our preclinical years. Aneesha did her presentation for UCD while I gave mine for RCSI. We were also involved afterwards with the two workshop sessions, one for Basic CPR Skills Training, and the other for blood pressure examination - two vital skills that any doctor (and I would argue, layperson) should have.

5) It was a tiring weekend for me as I skipped the last half hour of tutorials on Friday to make the PMC van to Kuala Lumpur. The journey was long, but the conversation pleasant. We stopped by Tapah Rest & Relax, just past the exit where I take when going to Tenby. That means I was within 10 minutes of home XD. Overall, we felt the event was a success, and many eager students stayed back to ask us questions and obtain our contact details.

6) Fast forward to today, and we had our first EORA (End of Rotation Assessment) - essentially a "Long Case" Examination. We are given 40 minutes to clerk a real patient in hospital, which includes history taking and physical examination. Then a further 15 minutes is allotted for questioning by the examiner. We had to be in quarantine at 7.05am, so I had to wake up really early. I was really glad to have finished our long case, eventhough we do not receive our results until later in the week. With a huge burden lifted from my chest, I returned to the college, had my breakfast, and went up the library for a short "nap" - which turned out to be more than an hour XD.

7) Preview for the coming weekend --> as part of the compulsory MPU "Hubungan Etnik" (Ethics Relations) module, our entire cohort is required to perform a task as part of our assessment. That "task" has manifested as a dance showcasing the many cultures and backgrounds of Malaysia. I'm involved in the Dikir Barat dance, along with many of our friends. We will be showcasing dances from all over Malaysia, as part of our very own RUMC Charity Carnival & Open Day. To be honest, practice has not been easy, as most of us had our end-of-rotation assessments this week. But we will give it our all, and hopefully it will be an eventful day for everyone. Stay tuned...

8) That's basically it for today's edition of my blog. Thank you very much for visiting as always, and have a nice weekend ahead. Cheers!

Group B1

l-r: Myself, Mahitha, Helmi, Hajar, Ruth, Esther, Matthew, Ray, Amirah

@Seberang Jaya Hospital

Clerking partners

Last day of surgery rotation for this semester!

Surgical masks on...

@OneDeLand Restaurant

I ordered the nasi lemak special - was not disappointed! :)

Sunday lunch with Aly and Denise

Kung pao mantis prawn rice set - @Sri York Cafe

The morning Sun was breathtaking

- on our first day of rotation in Seberang Jaya Hospital (for orthopaedics)

 

At Sri Ananda Bahwan for lunch today :)

Banana leaf rice will remain one of my all-time favourites ^^

Masala chicken set

Lunch with Ray and Mahitha

Cili padi merah - basically some chilli with a K-I-C-K!

Thai style mantis prawn with rice set

Chinese New Year Dinner with RUMCSA and Heads of Department

Prosperity Yee sang - tossing our food for good luck and prosperity :)

Prof Doughty clearly distracted by the humongous ears of the "God of Prosperity" XD

Happy CNY everyone!!

A beautiful rendition from our dear friends to enrich the night

l-r: Esther, Melissa, Melvin

Root beer float @ A&W

- at Tapah Restover

(on our way to Novotel KL for RUMC Medical Careers Day)

Huge bed all to myself?

Yes please!

My Friday hospital attire

To my Saturday presentation attire XD

Nothing like a buffet breakfast to kickstart the morning :)

Nasi lemak was lit

Breakfast with Aneesha

The venue for today

(the main event would begin in an hour)

Buffet self-service with the participants

With the other scholars

l-r: Myself, Sabrina, Rueben, Aneesha

Prof. Whitford enthralling the audience with his superb presentation on choosing the right medical school

My turn to present - my experiences in Dublin retold... ^^

Thomas was the main event coordinator, and all credit goes to him

- he did an awesome job! :)

Group photo with all the participants

Returning to the PMC Van

How does one fill up RM656 worth of petrol in one go?!

The van wing mirror is shinier than my future XD

Saying goodbye to Hospital Seberang Jaya, only to say hello again the following week when we start rotation in Medicine

Collage by Google Photos is very interesting :)

Extra photos :)