DAY 1929-1941

Dec 14 - 26

On this very Christmas Day, I have quite a bit to say. 

Public Health has been a pleasure, with each passing day a new adventure.

Despite long rides in the morning, no lecture was ever boring,

Of course I jest - by afternoon we were all a-snoring.

Our two weeks off was a blast, if only it would last

Then I'd be able to wake up late, and wouldn't that be great

But things have to move on I suppose, as our semester draws to a close,

And we bid our goodnight's sleep adios.

From McDonald's breakfast runs, to afternoon lunches in the scorching sun,

Friendships were made along the way, and I'm hoping that will stay

For in a course where everything moves at speed, and nothing is ever guaranteed, 

A friend in need is a true friend indeed.

I make light the long hours of our rotation, but in truth it exceeded our expectation,

We learnt about the different levels of care, and even took my friend's car for repair

For when the brakes of a car malfunction, we all know that's a clear indication

That the next junction might be our final destination.

Thankfully things got sorted overnight, and wasn't that a delight

But then my laptop decided it had enough, even though I never treated it rough

But where there's a will there's a way, or so they say,

And luckily my laptop is holding on, at least for today.

My trivial laptop issues aside, there were far larger issues nationwide

We were devastated by yet another tragedy, the largest we've had in recent memory

Of a flood that claimed 46 lives after it started, and left many questions unanswered, 

As it crashed through the east coast unabated.

This Christmas has been marred by the recent flood, a tragedy that left many devastated,

But from initial despair and grief, to the subsequent aid and relief

The rakyat have proven time and time again, when there is nothing to lose and everything to gain

We the citizens of Malaysia will prevail - no matter the pain!

Group photo of everyone posted in Seberang Perai Tengah

(With the lovely matron, nurses, and supporting staff)

Photo taken at the Kampung Pertama District Clinic

Back in the ACC building (Penang General Hospital) after a long break

With my good friend Gary

Disclaimer: I'm not a houseman yet, but just tagging along as a final year medical student

A full day of academic and practical sessions

Making new friends in my cohort 

(thanks to Covid-19 and the physical restrictions I've not met many of my peers)

L-R: Tina, Jiji, Gary, Nazhan, Myself

What a beautiful morning to cross the Penang Bridge

Crossing the bridge on our way to Seberang Jaya Health Clinic

(our main destination for the public health rotation)

Public Health Rotation attendance card

Kak Sal Kelate Restaurant - famous for their nasi kerabu

An incredible assortment of flavours, with a very uniquely coloured rice, dyed blue from the petals of butterfly pea flowers

Lunch time is always a good time
With my good friend Tenisha :)

Lunch with (almost) everyone in our rotation!

L-R: Tina, Mira, Tenisha, Sabrina, Alin, Liyana, Myself, Jiji, Nana

Trying another shop recommended by our friends - LoMaQ Coffee

Their specialty is masak lemak cili api (i.e. bird's eye chilli in coconut cream)

You can pick your meat and it gets slow-cooked in this really rich creamy and spicy sauce, served with rice and a side dish of fried anchovies and ulam

As promised: here's a shoutout to my good friend Helmi for recommending this for my "good eats" review!

My "good eats" score: 8/10

Rich and smoky flavour, but would have preferred if it was spicier :)

A three-hour extended break on Friday meant a trip to Sunway Carnival Mall, where a huge Christmas tree made of presents was on display :)

A better view of the towering Christmas tree of presents!

Bawal bakar (charcoal-grilled pomphret) @ Dapur Penyet, an Indonesian cuisine franchise 

in Sunway Carnival Mall

Saturday lunch with my buddy Sim @ Gurney Plaza :)

Another one for the memories :)

DAY 1914-1928

Nov 29 - Dec 13

1) This was a rather eventful two weeks for me. To start off, I had to clear my Situational Judgment Test (SJT), which is necessary for all applicants to the UK Foundation Programme. Other than my lack of preparation, I was really concerned about my WiFi connection, as I have always had trouble with it, and at the most unfortunate of times. I briefly considered taking the test at the main campus, but in the end I did not want to risk any disruptions to my exam. Considering how strict they are with the rules and regulations, I did not want a security guard or staff member to knock on the door in campus and disqualify me from the test immediately. 

2) Fortunately for me, I managed to use the vacant third room in my apartment to take the test. As it is an unoccupied room, I did not have to do any interior decoration to remove books or notes that may be lying around. After taking pictures of my room surroundings and providing the invigilators with photos of my ID, I was good to go. Basically, the test consists of three sections - Sections 1 and 2 are taken together, followed by an optional 10-minute break before Section 3. To be honest, I had no idea how I did; I only remember being very tired after finishing the exam, as I started at 8:30pm and finished just before midnight. Luckily, my internet connection worked like a gem and I experienced no hiccups throughout. I did however forget one of the rules which was no mumbling or talking to yourself as you read the questions, and I very quickly received a warning from the proctors asking me to stop. Yes, not even your lips are allowed to move as you sit for the better part of three hours attempting questions on a computer screen.

3) On the day of my exam, I received another surprise. My mum and her side of the family came to visit Penang! I initially thought my mum was joking when she asked whether I was around, but we finally did meet up for lunch at the State Chinese (Penang) Association. Apparently, it was completely unexpected and unplanned for, but I was really glad to reunite with my mum and relatives after nearly a year away from home. My only minor gripe was they visited on the one day when I actually had an exam to take - any other day would have been fine. This meant that I could not join them for dinner, so we opted for afternoon tea at OO White Coffee Cafe instead. I definitely intend to return home (barring any changes to my schedule) during Chinese New Year next year.

4) The following two weeks will be Public Health rotation for me, which means going out to the field to learn about population-based health in more detail. Then come the end-of-rotation examinations and continuous assessment for surgery, which marks the end of the year. Hopefully next year will be an even better year. Given all the doom and gloom that we've been subjected to this year, I think we all deserve it. And with that, I'll end my blog post here. Thanks very much as always for visiting, and have a great week ahead. Cheers!

Reunited with mummy dearest and my maternal grandmother!

Ang Hoay Lor Restaurant, serving Hokkien cuisine in Penang

The whole family is here for our totally unexpected one-day reunion in Penang <3 

Right next to the restaurant is the State Chinese (Penang) Association

Round 2 - Afternoon tea at OO White Coffee Cafe

Polo bun

Tried the "yin yong" - which is a mix of coffee and tea, served in a tall glass filled with ice!

*Sigh* and yet another beautiful day has to end with a tearful goodbye...

Until CNY then

Gurney Plaza certainly brought along the festive cheer

As you can see - loads of people visiting the mall, just like pre-pandemic times :)

Wai Po Jia a.k.a. Granny Cottage @ Gurney Plaza

Thanks Rach for introducing me to Kim's Korean Restaurant - huge portions of really delicious food!

Back with my buddy Sim for our weekend lunch trips - this time at Sushi Tei @ Gurney Plaza

Can't get past the beautiful Xmas decorations

If there's one thing Malaysian supermarkets do right, 

it's definitely the decorations and festive atmosphere

(too bad they can't do anything about the blistering heat outside XD)

DAY 1892-1913

Nov 7 - 28

1) Finally, a breath of fresh air. As the end of the year approaches, so too are the number of exams remaining in our penultimate semester. This week, Group B finished their end-of-rotation assessment for medicine. Basically, it's a continuous assessment where we have a 20-minute session with our examiner after clerking and examining a patient in the ward. Overall, it has been an interesting four weeks here in medicine, as we were finally allowed to return to the wards to practice clerking patients (before this we were only permitted in the clinics). 

2) Returning to medicine (after our fourth year sabbatical in other rotations) reminded me of just how wide the scope of medicine really is. Each ward is specific for a particular system e.g. the cardiology ward for the heart, respiratory ward for the lungs etc. In addition, there are outpatient clinics for walk-in consultations and follow-ups, as well as procedure rooms for specific interventions. Case in point, in the cardiology clinics, we were able to witness echocardiograms being performed, as well as exercise stress tests, dobutamine stress tests, and ECGs. Simply reading about all these in text books is not useful, as only by seeing them performed in real time do we actually remember better.

3) The only two assessments left for this semester are the public health examination as well as the surgery continuous assessment. In the meantime, we have a dedicated week off for both self-directed learning (SDL) and a basic life support (BLS) course, the latter which we had already passed in our pre-clinical years but are required to attempt again before we graduate. Anyway, that aside, we have a further two weeks of SDL before our Public Health II rotation begins. That concludes the end of Semester 9, our penultimate semester in this course.

4) The final semester begins next year, and consists of "just" medicine and surgery, as well as pre-internship training. But we'll leave that for another time. For now, the public health module requires my attention. And with that, I'll end this edition of my blog here. Thanks for visiting as always, and have a great one. Cheers!

Photoshoot for the yearbook!

L-R: Helmi, Tenisha, Myself, and Angel

End-of-rotation assessment (EORA) for medicine - DONE!

L-R: Helmi, Shang Chen, Lay She, Nasuha, Tenisha, and myself

Exploring Penang - Hin Bus Depot (an art and events space located in George Town)

Granola and different organic nut butters on display

As you can see, it's a busy Sunday indeed :)

Stopped for our burger and kefir soda lunch 

Tried Vietnamese egg coffee for a third time - still loving it!

Sounds like a weird combination but believe me it's wonderful

Cake and coffee - nothing else really compares :)

Chinese fan dance (left) juxtaposed with the kuda kepang dance (right)

Not sure what the bull signifies here - perhaps it symbolises the Year of the Ox?

Apparently the space behind me used to be a bus depot, now converted into a setting for indoor and outdoor exhibits, as well as a cafe and weekend market.

Lunch at a cafe with an interesting name - D' Fat Mona Lisa Cafe

Really liked the food - huge portion sizes at an affordable price, complete with sides and a drink!

Photoshoot time :)

Yes - the RCSI tie is mandatory 

(even though I haven't earned the right to wear it yet XD)

Art exhibition in Gurney Plaza today :)

Incredible painting of the food culture that permeates Penang Island

Huge fireworks display over the Penang Bridge (top) 

and over Kek Lok Si Buddhist Temple (below)

Guan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) Statue at Kek Lok Si Buddhist Temple, Air Itam

I realise that I've never really taken a photo of my usual weekend lunch spot - Han Sik Ga

Lunch at Han Sik Ga, Gurney Plaza

A quick lunch before heading back to Penang General Hospital to clerk patients

Post-examination destress brunch at Coffee Elements @ All Seasons Place :)

(And so begins our three-week "holiday")