DAY 809-829

Nov 19-Dec 9

1) Where to even begin? Soon after our final class on Nov 21, we've been bombarded with exams after exams, and as I'm typing this there is one last exam to overcome. We had our CNSLF "mid-semesters" exams on Nov 26, then our finals started on Dec 2, with an exam every other day. We've literally gone through three huge exams in just one week - REGUB, GIHEP, CNSLF (which we had today - on Saturday(!)), with the final exam (TM - Tropical Medicine) coming up in three days.

2) And of course, as the exams are all in the main campus (much to the delight of pretty much everyone else) I had to travel everyday from Beaumont to the city centre. Add to that the chilly and recently rainy weather and that's a lot to take in. The only small consolation is thanks to the tight schedule, we'll finish our last exam very soon. And that would be it - 2.5 years (or 832 days) in Dublin!

3) As I am returning to Malaysia early (on Dec 16th), I have very little time to say a proper farewell to Ireland. Nevertheless, I have planned trips and meals with friends to make the most of what little time I have left post-exam. It will be very difficult to say goodbye to everybody, but hopefully it's just a roundabout way of saying I'll be back.

4) Now, as they say, I need to get cracking again. Last Paper Syndrome cannot get the better of me; I have to finish strong! My sleep-deprived, running-on-fumes, caffeine-imbued self can only take so much, but it will nevertheless take me through the last mile of our exam marathon. And that's that for today's update - I really do not have the luxury of time anymore (just for now - I'll have loads of time after exams XD). Thanks very much for reading, and have a lovely week ahead. Cheers!

The last day of lectures - with Prof. Arnold Hill

(Professor and Chair of Surgery, RCSI)

The last day of lectures - with Prof. Leader

(Professor of Pathology, who taught us from IC1 right till the very end of our journey 

(for the Penang students I mean XD))

With Ms Tanya Chapple - the most helpful person for anything and everything 

societies-related

Claire, Monika, Lanny, and myself

- at Cafe Nero enjoying some light conversation before the nightmare of exams begins :))

The Moon was out in full force this rather chilly morning - I wait at this particular point every time I need to go to the main campus!

A fun fact: this is the first balloon I've actually inflated and tied off - I know it sounds strange but I've never done it before! XD

Promoting our Cancer Soc's Bake Sale - all proceeds would go to charity, specifically the Movember Foundation which aims to raise awareness on men's health and research.

(P.S. That is my handiwork)

Posing with Eddy the Elk - the new official RCSI Mascot!! ^^

All the decorations are up in preparation of Christmas! It's gonna be a big one :)

Contemplating life's many intricacies the night before our first exam (if I remember correctly - my sense of day and time has been lost)

Our CNS mid-sem exams were in Beaumont - the first time we had our exams in the recently renovated Smurfit Building

Probably the most fulfilling meal I've had in a long time - at Croi na B Cafeteria at  Beaumont Cafeteria (some day I'll be able to pronounce the name haha)

I'm going to miss this view very soon. It's so quiet and tranquil at night...

Trop Med - one last hurdle to go, and I'm free! 

(until the next semester of course haha)

   

DAY 774-780

Oct 16-22

1) And another week has passed. As I count down the days till our exams finish, I'm increasingly aware that I will soon be leaving Ireland. It is indeed a shame that as much as I would love to maximise my remaining time here doing fun exciting activities, I still have to keep my studies a priority - or I wouldn't be going back XD.

2) As it is, my friends have been very supportive, and I find myself hanging out with everyone a little more. Knowing that everyone is going through the same phase certainly helps, as we can relate to each others' problems. My routine has not changed one bit - I still arrive early at the library everyday, and I leave when it closes - 10pm on weekdays, and 8pm on weekends.

3) One thing I've discovered is that breaks are really important. Everyone deserves a break, regardless of how close exams are or how much left they need to cover. I've always felt a lot more energised and in the mood to study after a well-earned lunch break with friends in the canteen. And I realise that when I do return to Malaysia, it is these memories that I will take home with me - not the ones spent cramming information in a secluded spot in the library.

4) In less than a month, it will be time for our annual Farewell Dinner - for the Malaysian (and international) students returning to Malaysia for their clinical stage of the course. It was only yesterday when I attended my first Farewell Dinner, for the seniors two years above. I still remember thinking what a long way we have to go, and yet here I am. Frankly, time has wheezed by (mostly due to the studying XD) and soon it will be time to bid each other farewell. But it's never goodbye, only until we meet again.

That's it for today's blog update, and thanks for tuning in as always. Have a nice week ahead, cheers! :D

With Andy, Barry, and Hazel at the (staff) canteen, Beaumont :))

- ft. a rare 1920 note called "Reichsbanknote" in front of my plate -

With Amirah and Ice at "1784" Cafe in the main campus, St. Stephen's Green :))

Munch ado about nothing ^^

Ein Hundert Mark (One Hundred Marks)

- 1920 note from Hazel's inventory -

Roast chicken with roast potatoes and carrots

(I've discovered stuffing is free XD)

Jacket potato with a side of chips - dinner on a lazy Sunday...

Spice burgers with mash potatoes and kale - courtesy of my awesome host mom Emma! :D

Beaumont Hospital is getting into the Halloween theme now!

Ghastly...

Baked salmon and vegetable mash, drowned in gravy

(believe me the gravy is very much necessary XD)

A rare look into the staff cafeteria :)

Finally received my certificate for being a Peer Led Tutor at RCSI

- I covered Fundamentals in Biomedicine 1 (FUN1) with Joshua last semester :)

A huge burrito bowl at Burritos and Blues - a long-term craving satisfied! ^^

(the red dots are form the hot sauce you can see on the left)

Microbiology Tutorials at the ERC Integrated Lab of the RCSI Smurfit Building

6 hot wings with fries and salad - at "1784" in the main campus :)

DAY 758-767

Sept 30 - Oct 9

1) And just like that, another week has passed. A week which has seen me try my best to prepare for our "quiz" - worth only 20% for each module, but at this stage in our course, every single percentage counts. Tropical Medicine and GIHEP (Gastrointestinal Hepatology) were the two modules we were tested on, one after the other with no break in between.

2) Although it was only MCQs in this particular quiz, that didn't make it any easier, at least not for me. Sometimes it feels like no amount of studying would have prepared me for the type of questions asked. Anyway, as they say, that's a thing of the past. Now it's onwards to the next couple of tests in the coming month - REGUB (Renal, Endocrine, Genito-Urinary and Breast), and CNSLF (Central Nervous System, Locomotor, Forensics) - not to mention a pass/fail OSCE in between.

3) You'd expect a brief respite after racking our brains over those two exams in the morning - but as this is RCSI, nothing can be further from the truth. We had four hours worth of study after our exams, compounding to my misery of not having slept enough these couple of days. Plus as they've long started the other modules and I haven't really looked through any of them since I was too busy revising for this exam, I now have to play catch up for the rest of the week. As if I didn't have enough already haha.

4) Anyway, in a sort of ironic way, this is preparing us for reality. When it comes to patient wellbeing (and indeed, their lives), there is simply no excuse. The plus side is the semester seems to be flying by. It's hard to believe that we're deep into our second month, and about a third of the semester gone. Here's to more knowledge acquisition in the coming weeks/months, and to achieving our desired grades in our exams. That's it for this edition of my blog, and thanks as usual for checking in. Have a lovely week ahead, cheers! :D

Post exam "celebration" - lovely Beaumont staff cafeteria food :')

(l-r: Sarita, Joshua, Aliyah, Yours truly, Zi Yan)

Curry lamb with rice and carrots :)

Chicken and mushroom pie - this tasted really awesome :)

Vegetarian something with stuffing and carrots XD

My host mom Emma bought me this really fancy luxury chocolates after coming back from holiday!!<3<3<3

Fish and chips - a staple here in Ireland. Really fresh fish too ^^

And one more for the record :)

DAY 753-757

Sept 25-29

1) After yet another busy week, I am finally marginally "free" to update my blog as usual. This semester, the workload has definitely piled up - we finished the entire Tropical Medicine module (one of four modules for this semester) in just five days! Now we're well on our way to finishing our second module (GIHEP), and we've even started the third module (REGUB). Before our first exam (on 8th Oct), we will have started our fourth and final module (CNSLF).

2) On Monday, some members of the Malaysian Medical Council came over to our college to have a casual talk with us, as part of the accreditation process for RUMC (that's RCSI-UCD Malaysia Campus; which used to be called PMC - Penang Medical College). As I understand, the process of accreditation for medical schools is done once every five years, and seeing as the last time we had one was in 2012, it was time for a new report.

3) Professor Raymond, the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at UKM (National University of Malaysia), began the informal session by asking us questions regarding our studies and life here in Dublin. So we talked about our experience, our assessments, modules, summer research and observerships, and overall opinion on the quality of the school. They asked us on our practical skills exposure, OSCE's, use of "gamification" in teaching (to make lessons fun I presume XD).

4) It was a short but meaningful interview, as we got the opportunity to share our experiences and personal skills gained during our stay here in Ireland. After the session (and the group photo which I requested and they obliged), the panel were brought for a short tour of the facilities in the Smurfit Building. We went to the tutorial rooms, the new extension of the Smurfit Building, the library, and the two main lecture theatres. After that, they had to make a move, so after thanking them, we left as well.

5) The rest of the week has pretty much been the same. I've enjoyed sessions practising our "memory recall" with Joshua and Ishtar over lunch, and hopefully we'll do more of that in the future. It's been an eventful and productive week, so looking forward to more of the same in the upcoming week. It's cheerios for now, and until the next one. Thanks for reading, and have a nice weekend. Cheers! :D

Group photo with Professor Dato' Dr. Raymond Azman Ali, and members of the MMC Accreditation Team

Vegetable lasagna with stuffing and corn - complemented perfectly with the savoury brown sauce!

That was some incredible tuna salad with egg and cheese and greens ^^

Tutorial Room 6, of the new extension of Smurfit Building

(all mine today! :))

One more for the record :)

DAY 247

May 6

1) So far, so good. I've covered as many lectures as possible, but I know I won't be able to finish them by tonight. Ideally, I wanted to have tomorrow as a sort of revision day, where I consolidate everything I learnt so far. However, that would not be possible. So I'm going to finish as much as I can tonight, and then continue with the remainder tomorrow. And then if I still have time, I'll do some revision (of my revision haha).

2) It's just two days more till my exam, which means I really have nothing much to add. Everyone I know is studying in the library, and it really helps seeing them here, as it goes to show that everyone is in the same boat. I have some bittersweet news to share, but I'll just wait until after the exam. You know, just to keep the suspense going... Thanks for reading, and have a great day. Cheers!

Flowers in the spring time <3

My breakfast