Chan Weng Kit's Blogspot: 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!