DAY 216

Apr 5

1) Today has been a typical day for me in the library. Having struck the Histology Quiz off the list, I'm now left with the submission of two individual assignments, after which it will be the finals that I'm preparing for. I drafted out a simple schedule to follow for the next month or so, which (fingers crossed) will allow me to finish revision by the time exams come about.

2) I spent the better part of the morning working on one of the individual assignments (ICP1). We still have two more patient contact sessions - one at the next Healthcare Symposia, and the other at the Expert Patient Session tomorrow. After that, we'll have all the material to finish our ICP portfolio. Over the course of the afternoon, it was back to revising the usual cycle of GIHEP, FUN2, REGUB, and some anatomy.

3) Tomorrow represents a bit of a crisis for me. I agreed to volunteer for the REACH RCSI Sports Day 2017, but at the same time that means I'll have to forgo both Anatomy Practicals and possibly, the Expert Patient Session. It was a TOUGH choice, but finally I decided that I'd skip lessons tomorrow. Anyway, I'll worry about that another time. I still have all these lessons to sift through, and not a lot of time at all. Our first final exam starts barely three weeks from now, so it's best to start ASAP. That's been my day today, and thanks as always for reading. Have a great day, cheers!

Throwback to a coin

(Vote RSU - yep, just trying to throw in some subtle hints here ^^)

DAY 214

Apr 3

1) Today has been a long day of studying for me. Brought my stuff to the library first thing in the morning, and I've been there since. But as with all things in life, there were some unexpected surprises in store. At around 10am, a stall was set up at the entrance to the library, and on closer inspection it was the students of RSU, who were campaigning for RSU to be the new Student Union for the next academic year.

2) Free doughnuts and coffee were served, with the promise of free ice-cream at 3.00pm. And as we all know, the one thing that Malaysians love to hear, more than anything else, is the word FREE. I presume they managed to attract a huge number of students to vote for them just by that stint haha. But in all honesty, most of my friends are in this team, so when the time comes to vote for a team to be the new SU team, I know who I'm voting for.

3) The afternoons and evenings are essentially a rehash of what I do (almost) every single day: study, a short nap, and back to more study. Tomorrow's exams are very important in terms of contributions to our final mark, so I had to make sure I learnt the lectures inside out. Went home a bit earlier, to make sure I got enough sleep for tomorrow's exam. That's all for today, and thanks very much for reading. Have a great day, cheers!

Group photo with members of team RSU

RSU

Doughnut and coffee, a perfect combination

Pasta carbonara for lunch

The ice-cream proved to be a hit with everyone

Peppermint ice-cream ^^

After a double helping of ice-cream, coupled with a large cup of coffee in the morning, I was adequately equipped to last through the night, right up until my exams the next day (which ends at 8.45am), after which I'll crash XD

Coin-shaped chocolate (and on it is written "libertie, egalitie, fraternitie", the national motto of France and the Republic of Haiti

DAY 213

Apr 2

1) Today has been a major recovery day for me. Following a long day the night before, this was the time to rest and recuperate. And what better way to do that than by going to the library first thing in the morning? XD

2) I still had two more sections to cover for the histology quiz on Tuesday. So the entire morning and afternoon was dedicated to finishing off the remaining parts. Thankfully, by evening I had completely finished the required material. The only problem was, now I couldn't remember what I had studied a couple of days back! It's quite common really, to forget stuff that we once knew because there's newer stuff entering our brain.

3) Anyway, I have one and a half days more to revise that which I have already studied, to make doubly sure that I've covered everything. Out of all this though, there are two positives that have really lifted up my spirits - the increasing temperature, plus the fact that time is passing really quickly, and soon it'll be the summer break!

4) The end of this semester would unofficially mark our first year at RCSI. Each academic year is broken into two semesters, so on completion of Junior Cycle 2 (JC2) we'll be considered second year students, next semester. I can't wait to make new friends with the first year students, and introduce them to a whole new experience of life. And on that note, I'll end my blog there today. Thanks/domo arigato/nandri/terima kasih/merci beaucoup/muchas gracias/danke schon/daedanhi gamsahamnida/xie xie/do ze/go raibh maith agat as always for reading. Cheers!

Left entrance, first floor middle and right window is where I currently reside

My trusty notebook 

(considering it survived splashes of water, it truly is a rugged one ^^)

Breakfast

Pasta carbonara for dinner

DAY 211

Mar 31

1) So finally, we had our Anatomy Card Signing today. To be frank, I didn't prepare much for it, instead focusing on the Histology Quiz due next Tuesday. At least, I did spend the previous day revising all of the previous lectures. That would have to suffice I guess...

2) Card Signing started at 2.00pm. Essentially, it is an oral exam where the examiner asks you questions about whatever you have studied on that region, and you don't have much time to think. Grades are divided between an A, B or C. Some examiners choose to use "+" and "-" to further separate the grades. So today, we got Dr. Farrell for our group. What I didn't expect was for him to ask us about the lower limb - this was supposed to have been covered in the previous test.

3) When it came to my turn, he asked me a lot on the lower limb, the muscles, vasculature etc. It took me all my effort to remember what some of these structures were called, and I kept confusing names up. Fortunately, I still managed to pull through, and felt really happy when I saw the "A" next to my name. To be honest, I feel there's an element of luck involved in getting good grades, as I remember toiling for days on my first card signing and still ending up with a B.

4) The rest of the day had me in the library, taking a nice (albeit short) break in the afternoon. Woke up from a short nap and started studying for the Histology Quiz. In the evening, my friends and I met up at the Coffee Doc, to prepare for tomorrow's event - the MMII Time Bomb event, at Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute. My friends and I are in charge of facilitating some sessions throughout the event, so there's plenty to discuss and coordinate among ourselves. Hopefully everything goes smooth sailing, and the event turns out to be a great success!

5) That has been the gist of my day. Hopefully you enjoyed reading about it. I'll be ending on this note. Thanks for reading as always, and have a great weekend. Cheers!

A very sunny day at St. Stephen's Green Shopping Centre ^^

Pasta carbonara for lunch today

DAY 210

Mar 30

1) Today has been much of the same as the previous days. I got up early as usual, had my breakfast, before packing up to go to the library. For some reason, the library is more packed than usual. Perhaps due to tomorrow's Card Signing? Today was all about anatomy in preparation for the test.

2) Morning passed soon enough, and it was afternoon. I went over to my friend's apartment, where many of us were practising for Card Signing. So we shared as much information as we could with each other, and in two hours we had covered many chapters. That left me feeling a bit more confident, and a bit better prepared haha.

3) In the evening, I was at it again, busy studying for pretty much the rest of the night. I did take some breaks off though, to relax and unwind. Exam periods may not be the most exciting times of my life, but they definitely are important. Hopefully that's enough motivation to keep me going. That sums up my day today, and thanks for reading as always. Have a great day, cheers!

That's a College Ball ticket ^^

(In the end, I decided not to go since none of my close friends were going - I sold the tic)

So I decided to cook yesterday night...

And here's my food for the rest of the week :)

Pasta carbonara

DAY 208

Mar 28

1) Today has been a long day for me. As it was anatomy today, I made it a point not miss any lectures. Anatomy lecture was followed by our anatomy practicals immediately after. We learnt a lot today from our surgeon prosector, Mr. B. E. Lane, retired Consultant General and Gastrointestinal Surgeon at Beaumont and Conolly Hospitals.

2) In the afternoon, I stayed back as we had our first tutorial on Evidence Based Medicine, which will become one of our main modules next semester. I find it interesting that we are covering all aspects of medicine, from the actual "meat" of the subject, to the other no less important aspects of medicine. I was also in a bit of a dilemma as I didn't know we needed to know our passport number today for our "Garda Vetting" session.

3) Thankfully, after a long time searching, coupled with a bit of ingenuity, I managed to find out my passport number from one of my old emails. Problem solved, then. "Garda Vetting" comprised a form which we had to fill in if we wanted to be given clearance to do our clinical component at the teaching hospitals. Luckily, everything went smoothly from then on, and we finished our lessons.

4) I returned to the library, where I've spent the rest of the day. Later that day, I went to Dunnes to do some grocery shopping, in preparation of my cooking tomorrow. Card signing this Friday, Time Bomb event this Saturday, and Histology Quiz next Tuesday. Then a brief respite before the final exams, starting end of next month. Time is passing so fast, sometimes I wonder how I'm coping with all this haha. One step at a time, I'd say. Anyway, that's the end of my blog today, and thanks for reading. Cheers!

Horse-drawn carriages are not an uncommon sight in Dublin ^^

National Garda Bureau form

Fried Rice for lunch

DAY 207

Mar 27

1) Today has been another beautiful day for me - at the library. Granted, exams are fast approaching so there really is not much left to do other than study for the end-of-semester exams. I only recently found out that our Histology quiz is worth a LOT more than I expected - it's 15% for REGUB, 10% for GIHEP and 5% for FUN2! And the best part; I've barely started touching it...

2) My afternoon and would be spent covering as much as I could, but it isn't easy considering we have Anatomy card signing just four days before our histology. Card signing is only worth 2.5%, so being the rational person that I am, I decided to take a gamble and NOT study for it until the very last minute. Hopefully that gamble pays off, and it's not like I have a choice otherwise.

3) In the evening, there was a talk organised by the RCSI Cardiovascular Society, called Life of A Cardiologist. RCSI's very own Dr. Dermot Kenny was presenting, so I had to attend. Presentation started at 7.00pm at the Albert Lecture Theatre, and was followed by a cheese and wine reception. A very interesting speech indeed, where we learnt a bit more on why he chose cardiology as a specialty, how he went about it, and his research on ischemic heart disease. I thoroughly appreciate the myriad opportunities we get to attend such talks, as they will ultimately be our guide to choosing our postgraduate options.

4) Afterwards, it was back to the library, where I spent a short time studying, before calling it a day. Packed my stuff up, and headed straight home. That caps the end of my day, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. Have a great day, cheers!

Dr. Dermot Kenny's lecture, on how he came from medical student to professor XD

Dr. Dermot Kenny,

Professor of Cardiovascular Biology

Day 81

Nov 21

1) Today was a cold day. Got up early because we had our Histology Quiz at 8.00am. Didn't bother with breakfast, and went straight to the Exam Hall to take the exam. Half an hour later, quiz was done and dusted, along with my brain I guess haha.

2) Went to grab a nice breakfast at AK. Henry's, but because we had to wait so long for fresh scrambled eggs, I opted for two scones instead. Attended the lectures afterward, and made it out just in time for lunch. My friends and I went to Dicey's today, and I tried their lamb meatballs with sides. Oh-so-nice after a tough day wracking my brains over exam questions...

3) I didn't go home after that, instead ended up sneaking into an ongoing lecture and studying there for about an hour. At 3pm, we had our small group tutorial, under Dr. Dermot Cox. It was really informative and thoroughly entertaining at the same time. Came home after that, and bought a few treats at the local delicatessen for dinner (I know I know, I'm trying my best to wean off the habit of not cooking dinner like I used to... XD)

4) Retuned home to shower and relax, before meeting up for a short discussion with my housemate and BioSoc Anatomy Quiz teammate, Justine. After a while, we came up with a strategy for the upcoming quiz on Wednesday, and I'll start reading up tonight. That would be all for today, and thank you all for reading. Cheers!

Scones for breakfast!

Dicey's menu today!

Lamb meatballs with all the fixings...

Rice krispies cake and chocolate truffle

DAY 80

Nov 20

1) Today has been a typical exam prep day. Woke up slightly later than usual, and went down for breakfast. Came back up to prepare for my Histology Quiz tomorrow, until about noon.

2) Walked past O'Connell Bridge today and past the River Liffey (about 25 min walk) to have buffet lunch at Jimmy Chung's Chinese Buffet. It was a bit expensive for €12.90, but I saved on dinner, so I guess that evens out haha. Anyway, the buffet here is by far the best I have had, compared to the other ones (although those were cheaper).

3) After sampling their main courses, I had a go at their desserts, and boy were they delish! From apple crumbles to banana fritters with syrup, to an assortment of cakes with cream, and everyone's favourite - ice cream! It was certainly worth the high(er) asking price.

4) Came back home, walking through the chilly weather (temperatures today dipped below zero throughout the day, and the wind made sure we felt a lot colder than that). Chatted a good deal with my parents, before my customary nap. And then it was back to the lecture notes, where I shall devote the rest of the night towards. That's all for today, and hopefully the nice pics of food will make up for the lack of activity I've been doing lately XD. Thanks for reading, and have a great day/ night. Cheers!

Twas a chilly day ^^

Used to be €9.90 for adults ):

Some appetizers

Main dishes (assortment of meats)

Snacks

Apple crumble with vanilla ice cream

Jellies and pudding

Assortment of cakes, with heavy cream

A bit of everything for me

DAY 78

Nov 18

1) Today was a mentally draining day. Woke up for breakfast, before preparing the last of my notes for the day's Card Signing. During the first lecture, I noticed a splinter in my left hand. Luckily, after a few futile attempts of my own to remove it, my friend Stephanie offered to help and with her longer nails, managed to remove it. It felt so good haha... Attended lectures from 9.00am till noon, before heading over to Dicey's for lunch.

2) Today I tried the sirloin steak, and it was really really good! Nothing like a hearty meal before an important exam. Came back to RCSI, where there were some students from Oman who had a booth set up to celebrate their 46th National Day today! They offered everyone traditional snacks (called halwa), sweet dates, and their very own version of coffee. They even dressed me up in the traditional turban, and presented me with a lovely souvenir in the form of a badge of Oman. What a lovely group of friends!

3) Soon after that, it was time for Card Signing, so I entered the Anatomy Room. Our surgeon prosector was Mr. B. E. Lane, the first prosector we met in the Anatomy Room. My turn came soon enough, and he held nothing back, going so far as to ask me anatomy from the previous card signing. I tried my best, and in the end managed to get a B. I think it was a fair reflection of my performance, and I'll try harder next time...

4) We had two lectures after that, but my mind was already gone long before that. It was all I could do to stay awake, as the clock ticked away minute by painful minute... And then it was over, for now. I still have a Histology exam on Monday, which is worth 10 marks. I will be preparing for that soon, but right now, I need a break from all that cramming haha. Anyways, the rest of today is pretty much the same as before, so I'll just leave it as that. That's all folks, thanks for reading. Cheers!

The splinter after just after being removed

(the reddish area directly below my ring finger)

Dicey's Menu for today

Sirloin steak with pepper sauce

46th National Day for Oman!!

Me posing with a turban :D

Cake! ^^

Oman friends

Sweet dates and halwa <3

My dinner today :p

(Forgot to thaw the frozen meat today)