Of Hopes and Dreams

January-April 2016

Many events have transpired, collectively paving the way for my dreams (of becoming a doctor) to become a reality. As my father rather aptly puts it, "the skies are clearing, and the land beneath you is coming to sight".

Firstly, I managed to obtain 3A*1A for the CIE A-Levels exams. This meant I had definitely met the minimum requirements to study medicine (BBB) as set by the Malaysian Medical Council.

Secondly, I was attracted to the medical programme offered by Penang Medical College. It is a 5-year twinning programme, the first 2.5 years preclinical studies to be done in either the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland (RCSI) or University College Dublin (UCD), and the next 2.5 years clinical training back here in Penang Medical College (PMC). I applied online using my A-Levels results and was delighted to be called for the admissions interview on the 29th of April.

29th April 2016

My interview at PMC was scheduled for 2:00 p.m.. We took a bus to Butterworth in the morning, before boarding a ferry to Penang. After a simple lunch at Komtar, we proceeded to grab a taxi to Penang Medical College. Due to traffic congestion, we barely reached in time for my appointment.

Before I knew it, I was ushered into the interview room. No time to panic now, I thought.

My interview lasted half an hour. The interviewer was Head of Department, Obstetrics & Gynecology at PMC, Professor Knox Ritchie. He asked me questions ranging from my personal reasons for choosing medicine, to posing ethical scenarios for me to answer, in my capacity as a future doctor. We even found some time to talk about Rachmaninov's 3rd, the late Muhammad Ali and badminton. Such diversity made the interview feel very informal, and it certainly made me feel very comfortable opening up.

Before I knew it, it was all over. My dad took some snaps of the administrative building, and we were off. He promised to take my grandpa and I for a treat, so after much walking and complaining (as usual) we reached "The Safe Room", famous for its nitrogen ice cream. After such a mentally and physically draining escapade, I could not think of a better way to end the day.

The Safe Room, famous for their nitrogen ice cream

We took the bus home shortly after and reached Ipoh (my hometown) late at night.

It was with great elation that I checked my email a couple of weeks later, to be cordially greeted by a letter of congratulations for gaining admission into PMC's medical programme!

May 2016

Now the real work began. Looking through their website, I was aware of the RCSI-UCD Scholarships, which covered full tuition fees for the entire 5 years medical programme. With nothing to lose, and everything to gain, I applied for it and kept my fingers crossed.

To apply, I had to submit two scholarship essays, along with a CV and two testimonials. The weeks passed as I waited with baited breath for the outcome of my scholarship application.

June 2016

Somewhere in June, I received an email asking me to confirm my attendance for the scholarship interview to be held on the 24th of the month. I was ecstatic! All my hard work thus far had paid off, and I had one final hurdle to cross, before bliss...

Then came the days leading up to the interview. Every night, I (and sometimes, my dad) would rehearse interview questions and answer them as succinctly and precisely as I could. Each night, I would go to sleep in anticipation of the big day to come.

The interview would be held early in the morning, so my family and I had to take a bus there the night before and stay overnight. On the day itself, I was ready, all decked out in my suit and tie outfit. After a final practice, we set off for PMC once more.

Back once again to PMC

For the scholarship interview, there were three interviewers instead of one. Vice President for Academic Affairs PMC, Professor Kevin B. Nolan, as well as a representative each from RCSI and UCD, who traveled all the way from Ireland just to interview me. No pressure then...

My interview was rather brief; it lasted barely 20 minutes. Thoughts began to fill my mind, "Had I done enough?" "Did I say something wrong?" "Perhaps I spoke too fast and they had trouble understanding me?"

My parents did their best to comfort me. But this inner voice would constantly plague me until that faithful day.

July 2016

That faithful afternoon, I was busy taking a nap when I was rudely awakened by my dad. Before I could utter anything, he whispered "PMC", thrust my phone into my hands and asked me to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hi. I'm calling from Penang Medical College and I just wanted to say "Congratulations! You have been awarded the full scholarsh... ""

Before she could finish her sentence, my heart leapt with joy and my whole body just went limp, overcome with emotion. My dad read my facial expressions and probably understood everything then and there. It was all I could do but to hastily voice out a "Thank you" before my dad shook my hand heartily, saying congratulations.

A few minutes later, an email sent by PMC confirmed that I was not dreaming (as I honestly thought I was) and I could finally say my long wait was over.

It has been an emotional roller coaster ride for me for the past nine months, since sitting for the last A-Levels paper on November 6th last year. So many months spent reading books on anatomy, reading medical journals on the latest breakthroughs in medical science, making my very own anatomical drawings to aid my understanding of the human body and its intricacies; all of this has not been in vain.

I am going to Dublin, Ireland to study medicine, and I will be leaving very soon, on the 1st of September.

Stay tuned...

December 2015

Ahhh, December. While many students would be making the most of their free time idling about or going on holiday, yours truly was contemplating how to apply himself to become a successful medical student. Two skills I felt essential for a future doctor to possess: basic proficiency in first aid, and practical experience in a hospital setting.

In search of the former, I was fortunate to discover a 3-day course for first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), being offered at the local St. John's Ambulance. At the end of the course, passing a written paper and practical exam would give me the privilege of becoming a first responder.

During the duration of the course, we were taught basic anatomy as well as how to respond to emergency situations i.e. the D.R.A.B.C. procedure, how to tie all kinds of bandages, and how to perform CPR when required.

Me trying hard (but failing) to model a head bandage

A doughnut bandage, for impalements and puncture wounds

At the end of the course, we took the hour-long objective paper and sat for the practicals. After that, it was just a matter of waiting a couple of weeks for the results. Finally, I was greeted with a congratulatory note, as well as my very own certificate of proficiency in First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation! One down, one more to go.

Looking for experience in a hospital environment proved rather challenging, until I spotted a vacancy for a volunteer at the St. John's Hospice Centre. I applied for it, sat down for a simple talk with the self-proclaimed "bos besar" (big boss), and started work the very next day.

Tasks were divided into two: specific and general. Specific tasks included managing the patient's medication; making sure they took it regularly, basic knowledge on how to use a glucometer and blood pressure monitor, and accompanying the ambulance driver to take the patients for health screenings, to collect medicine and even for acupuncture!

General tasks included feeding the patients, washing and cleaning up after them, and generally keeping them company. Many of these patients were plagued with terminal diseases and it really was touching to be able to hear their stories, their regrets and their dreams. Basically, what many patients wanted was someone who would listen to what they had to say, without cutting them off rudely and abruptly. I am proud to say that I was that someone.

Bringing a patient for acupuncture treatment

I think all future medical students ought to gain some experience dealing with patients before pursuing their studies, in order to get a better idea of what they are immersing themselves in and to ensure they are making the right choice for themselves.

In short, my stint as a volunteer at the St. John's Hospice Centre may have been brief, but I gained a treasure trove of information and experience, which I will ideally carry forward in my future studies.

Stay tuned...

Life as a Sixth Former in Tenby International School, Ipoh

December 2013

I had just completed my SPM. Thoughts began to fill up my mind: Where would I do my Pre-U studies? Should I delve into A-Levels or stick with STPM? Or would Matriculation be a better idea? I spent long hours in front of the computer, reading about the pros and cons of A-Levels and STPM, as well as other Pre-U options. During this time, I also attended Tenby International School's Open Day in Meru Aman Jaya, Ipoh, Perak. A heart-to-heart talk with the subject teachers (many of whom had taught both A-Levels and STPM) and I was confident with my choice of pursuing A-Levels.

March 2014

SPM results were announced and I was one of the top scorers in my school. Many of my relatives suggested that I apply to do my A-levels at Taylors or INTI. While I was considering these two options, I read about Tenby's SiWu Scholarship. It is a full/partial scholarship which covers the tuition fees for all the subjects that the student wishes to take. 

In comparison, neither Taylors nor INTI offered a full scholarship for A-Levels study. Furthermore, there was the problem of food costs and accomodation in Kuala Lumpur. Considering the fact that I knew many of the teachers and students, having debated regularly with their team, it is not surprising that Tenby became my top priority. I duly applied for their scholarship and kept my fingers crossed.

June 2014

While awaiting a reply from Tenby, I started STPM in my secondary school, SMK Anderson, Ipoh. The first week was basically orientation for the new students as well as the assignment of classes. I was placed in Class 6RB1. Although I only spent around a month doing STPM, it became very apparent early on that STPM was no pushover compared to SPM.

Around the same time, I was invited for an interview with the board members of Tenby. They asked me about my background and my personal achievements as well as why I decided to choose Tenby. I answered as best I could and they appeared satisfied.

Fast forward two weeks and a phone call came through. I was not at home at the time so my dad answered the call for me. I can still remember the elation I felt when he broke the news to me during dinner that night. I was the only candidate chosen to receive the full SiWu Scholarship that year!

With Mr. Neil David Page, Head of Tenby International School

July 2014-November 2015

I began my A-Levels study in Tenby. Their A-Levels course runs for 18 months, with 1 year for AS and the next half year for A2. I took five subjects at AS level, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Thinking Skills. For A2, I took four subjects and dropped Thinking Skills.

Life at Tenby was constantly changing. Apart from the rigmarole of tutorials and practical sessions, we had debate workshops with teams from other schools. We recently hosted our very own Global Perspectives Debates, which invited the top orators from the various schools in Perak.

Our cohort was also involved in two drama productions, the Merchant of Venice and Hamlet. I was cast as Antonio in the Merchant of Venice. We performed in many schools and received very favourable reviews for our efforts. 

Apart from this, we were involved in a lot of charity work. From keeping the residents of the Kampung Simee Old Folks' Home company, to the charity sale we organised at the Daybreak Community Centre, it was obvious that this A-Levels programme was unlike any other.

Selling ice-cream at the Daybreak Community Centre

Personally, I participated in my first Model United Nations (MUN) and ended up making lots of friends. The following year, representing the Delegate of Algeria, I submitted my resolution in DISEC and was pleasantly surprised when it received a majority vote! Another feather in my cap, as they say.

Having gone through the whole A-Levels, my opinion is that AS feels more like an extension of Form 5 while A2 is where the real challenge begins. Fortunately, all my teachers were extremely supportive of the progress I made and were always willing to take the trouble to explain a concept until I thoroughly understood it. As a result, my confidence grew and I really enjoyed all my lessons there.

I finished my A2 examinations in November 2015. In the end, I obtained 3A*1A for my CIE A-Levels. This is a testament to the dedication and sacrifice of my teachers and I cannot thank them enough. 

Currently, I'm applying for medicine at both local and foreign universities. I'm hoping for a reply before the end of April. 

Stay tuned...