DAY 172

Feb 20

1) Today has been a really busy day for me. To start things off, we had a solid four hour block of lectures, beginning at 8.00am! The agony of waking up for the 8.00am class is real XD Anyway, at noon, we had a brief respite for lunch, and I had some chicken sandwiches with stuffing. There wasn't much time to idle about, as most of us were involved in the Interfaith Celebration event at the Unitarian Church.

2) Many of my friends were ushers, while Khee Heng was the candle bearer. I was chosen to read a text on thanksgiving for the donors, and I was accompanied by three others. By 2.30pm, the event began, with prayers, poems, reflections and choir performances to commemorate the deceased and to show our appreciation to their families for their sacrifice. Professor Clive Lee, Professor of Anatomy, RCSI - was also present to give his address to those present. It was a solemn and emotional gathering, but made all the more memorable with the presence of the surgeon prosectors and family members alike.

3) After the concluding words by Rev Bridget Spain, we were all invited to the College Hall (RCSI) where refreshments were served. Here we got an opportunity to meet up with some of the family members, and many of them thanked us for hosting this event. It gave me immense joy to know that their loved ones voluntarily donated their bodies and that they honoured their wishes. As medical students, I think it is imperative we make the connection that the "cadavers" that we study in the Anatomy Room (every Tues and Fri) are someone's brothers, sisters, spouses or relatives. It just makes us appreciate the greatest gift of them all; the gift of life. And we should never forget that.

4) Immediately after the event, I hurried over to Mercer Library, where my group and I discussed on the Team Project. Fortunately, we are almost done and just have to compile everything and proofread it before submission. Hopefully we'll complete this before our next meeting, which is after Reading Week. At 6.00pm, I was again back at the College, to meet up with the PMC Student Association, to discuss on the performance for International Night. While I still can, I aim to be as active as possible in all sorts of events, before we start doing clinical rotations in hospitals. As expected, the rest of the night will be spent trying to read up on my lessons, in preparation for Card Signing this Friday. That has been my day, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. Thanks as always, and have a great day. Cheers!

An important event, made all the more memorable by those present

Toast galore

I have a fancy for stained glass windows ^^

Group selfie time! (After the event)

Cookies so massively BIG...

Everyone's so well dressed! :D

Promoting a Green Campus Initiative

From l-r: Khee Heng, me, Esther, Jason

L-r: Hong, me, Nee Kee, Esther, Stephanie, Khee Heng, Jason

(secretly advertising for Coffee Doc)

DAY 171

Feb 19

1) Today has marked a return to my usual cycle of activities. Woke up early today, went down for breakfast, before packing up and heading over to the library. Studying becomes quite therapeutic after a while, and it has become less of a chore for me as the days pass by.

2) During the afternoon, I went over to RCSI, where we had another Lion Dance practice. Together, Khee Heng, Esther, and I came up with moves for the lion and searched for inspiration from past performances. PMCSA (Penang Medical College Student's Association) will be performing during International Night 2017 and we aim to promote our culture and heritage for everyone to see, so the pressure is really on us haha.

3) After a fruitful session, we split up and I went back to the library. I was contemplating going for badminton, but by that time the badminton session was almost over. So I decided against it and had a quick nap. Woke up and had a nice, long chat with my dad - where we discussed accommodation for the next semester. I guess we'll just have to wait it out then.

4) At night, I had chicken sandwiches for dinner, before continuing to study for a while. This Friday is our Card Signing, so we have that to prepare for. Plus tomorrow we have the Interfaith Celebration, and we will get a chance to meet the family of those who donated their bodies to the College. Our aim is to be as professional as possible, while reflecting on the knowledge we have gained by their sacrifice. That sums up my day, and I'll end on that note. Thanks for reading as always, and have a great day. Cheers!

ICHAMS 2017 - checked! ^^

My morning toast

With each passing day, spring is nearing its way

Cupcakes ^^

DAY 168

Feb 16

1) Today has been another long day. While the actual lecture hours weren't too bad (it was from 10-3 only), what made it horrible was the sheer volume of slides per lecture. The last two lectures for example, had 160+ slides between them! Imagine having to go through each and every one of them in order to pass our exams; it is enough to induce stress in anyone haha.

2) In the afternoon, my friends and I went over to the Unitarian Church, where there was a rehearsal for the Interfaith Celebration the following Monday. I will be reading a short, simple thanksgiving note, while most of my friends are either ushers or candle bearers. Practice took us around an hour, at which point we returned to RCSI. I went to the Anatomy Room, where most of my friends were - desperately trying to brush up on anatomy knowledge before their first Card Signing tomorrow (mine is next Friday ^^).

3) Later in the evening, Khee Heng and I went for ICHAMS 2017 (International Conference for Healthcare and Medical Students). It is a three-day event, with guest speakers and presentations of research projects by various students etc. The first event was Keynote Speaker, Mr. Ray Mc Kiernan, who gave an energy packed talk on "The Resilient Cliniciain - Building Resilience for Sustaining Performance in Clinical Practice". Afterwards, there was a smorgasbord of hors d'oeuvre, truly reflecting the wealth of our school to be honest XD. After a while, Khee Heng left to have dinner and study, while the rest of the group went to Harrys on the Green (a cocktail bar) for a pub quiz. I did not follow, but came back to the Coffee Doc to finish some work. That's all for today, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. Thanks as always, and have a great day. Cheers!

ICHAMS 2017 @ RCSI

St. Stephen's Green today!

Unitarian Church

Early dinner today

Albert Lecture Theatre

Fine selection of hors d'oeuvre ^^