DAY 794-807

Nov 4-17

1) Time for a much needed update of my blog. I've noticed that the length between each blog post can be used as a yardstick for how busy I am at the moment. Which obviously would indicate that I am up to my neck with work. I'll try to summarise the things I've done in the past two weeks or so.

2) On Nov 3, Malaysian Medics International Ireland (MMII) organised a Research Symposium at the Trinity Biomedical Science Institute (TBSI). I was privileged to be invited to present my research project(s) at the event, as well as being on the panel for a discussion session on lab-based research vs clinical research, along with other professional researchers/doctors. There was a huge turnout (it's Trinity so yeah XD), and I was very happy with the enthusiasm shown by the future student researchers. The panel discussion was awesome as well, moderated by Eunice, who did a great job distilling the many questions that the audience had regarding research. Most of them who came had little research experience and were looking for tips and advice on how and where to begin with research.

3) On Nov 5, we had our REGUB (Renal, Endocrine, Genitourinary and Breast) exam. It was raining in the morning, and I had to run to a different bus stop to catch an earlier bus to the main campus. It didn't help that the bus stop provided no shade from the rain. Anyway, I made it to college with time to spare, got myself a large cup of coffee, and with my veins pumped with caffeine I sat for the paper. Done and dusted. I was unproductive for the rest of the day, but that's just the side effects of the caffeine wearing off I guess XD

4) On Nov 7, my good friend Zi Yan and I went for the "Run In The Dark" event. There were two options - 5km or 10km, and we opted for the longer distance. The temperature at night wasn't as cold as it was for the marathon, and I was really glad to finish without stopping (thus partially redeeming myself for the full marathon XD). We collected our goodie bags, and stayed behind to get some KFC. That was the end of the night for us, and we went back home soon after.

5) On Nov 10, Zi Yan and I attended a SafeTALK training course, organised by the AMSI RCSI (Association of Medical Students Ireland). The talk focussed on suicide prevention, and how to be alert and spot "invitations" which are the signs that someone may be considering suicide as an option. It also aimed to get everyone talking about mental health, and to move away from considering it a taboo subject. I found the talk very helpful, as the presenter had been through this harrowing experience themselves.

6) On Nov 16 (i.e. this morning as I'm typing this), we had our OSCE examinations in Beaumont. Three systems were covered this semester - gastrointestinal (GI), lower limb (LL) neurological sensory, and LL neurological motor, respectively. We had five minutes to perform the entire examination, so the day before, my friends and I practiced the night away. I was the first batch examined this morning, and was very happy indeed to have passed well. The OSCEs in Intermediate Cycle are pass/fail, so the strategy would be not to fail, rather than perform flawlessly.

7) Now that I've covered everything that has passed, I'll share with you everything ahead. Tomorrow (Nov 17), PMCSA is organising a Farewell Dinner for the students leaving for Penang (i.e. us) at the end of the semester. It will be a tear-jerking moment for us as we part ways with our peers, friends and colleagues for the past 2.5 years. But as all good things must come to an end, that doesn't mean we have to be all sad about it. Thus, I've made the decision to dedicate a poem to everyone at RCSI, to remember and treasure the memories we made, and to remind everyone that this not a goodbye, but rather a see you again soon.

8) On Nov 23, RCSI Cancer Society is having a Bake Sale in conjunction with Movember - which aims to promote men's health and fund research on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and suicide. It is a great cause, and we even have a competition on growing a mo' (moustache) for the entire month. Zi Yan and I are one of the eight teams participating, so if you'd like to support us (please do) you're more than welcome to donate to this link (https://www.gofundme.com/v25pxh-movember). Just make sure to indicate in the "Leave a Comment" section which team you are voting for. The end goal is the same though - all proceeds will go to the Movember Foundation. So what are you waiting for - donate to the Running Mo's! ^^

9) On Nov 26, we will have our CNSLF (Central Nervous System, Locomotor, Forensics) module exams, which thankfully, are in Beaumont. It will be another harrowing week for us, as the following week is our end-of-semester exams. To make matters worse, we have practically ONE day in between each of our exams, and we have both MCQs (multiple choice) and SNQs (short notes) to cover. That will be one heck of a week for us, and you can expect me to be in the library ALL DAY LONG for that.

10) Following our end-of-semester exams (which end on Dec 12), I will have 3 days break before I must bid Dublin farewell to return to Malaysia - capping off an incredible 836 days spent abroad! That would summarise the events for myself, and for the next couple of weeks, I may find it difficult to post regular updates on my blog due to the mounting pressure of exams etc, so do bear with me. That's about it for this edition of my blog post, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. Have a nice weekend, cheers! :D

P.S. A TONNE OF PHOTOS COMING YOUR WAY, SO DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT SCROLLING DOWN FIRST. CHEERS! :)

Thank you very much MMII for having me over to present my research experience!

(at Trinity Biomedical Science Institute)

Certificate ^^

Turnout was great - really happy with the overall planning and organising!

 From l-r: Desmond Chua (4th year UCD), Myself (3rd year RCSI), Dr Roshaida Abdul Wahab (PhD Candidate UCD), Dr Wan Mahmood (Specialist in General Medicine, Diabetes and Endocrinology), Dr. Arimin Mat (Research Fellow in Endocrinology UCD), Eunice Lim (Moderator, 4th year UCD)

As mentioned before, the turnout for the Research Symposium was very good! ^^

Enjoying a brief respite (while contemplating how to tackle upcoming REGUB exams)

Post REGUB exam meal with everyone!

l-r: Andy, Barry, Winston, Mat Noor, Kuhan, Myself

(enjoying a good breakfast at "1784" Cafe at RCSI SSG)

The Running Club of RCSI - over 60 people signed up for the "Run In The Dark 2018"!

A beautiful night to remember!

Zi Yan and myself, after completing the Run In The Dark 2018! 

#TeamRunningMo's 

Very glad to have finished in one piece XD

Colourful lights illuminate the bridge at night :)

All that glisters is not gold—

Often have you heard that told.

Many a man his life hath sold

But my outside to behold.

Gilded tombs do worms enfold.

Had you been as wise as bold,

Young in limbs, in judgment old,

Your answer had not been inscrolled

Fare you well. Your suit is cold—

Cold, indeed, and labor lost.

A well-deserved meal post-run :)

Indeed, the side dividers are the thing I miss most about the old Mercer Library

(pic taken outside the Beaumont Library)

Attended the safeTALK on suicide prevention

Bulletin Board in No. 26 York St. New Academic Building

Movember 2018 - advertising for a good cause - so make sure to donate!

(link: https://www.gofundme.com/v25pxh-movember)

THANK YOU <3 <3 <3

l-r: Myself, Hong, Zi Yan practising for our OSCE exam the next day :)

(at an undisclosed location somewhere in the heart of Beaumont Hospital :)

Sneak peek: This is the same room to be used for our OSCE examination the next day

Providing FREE counselling advice! :)

DAY 429/430

Nov 3 & 4

1) Again, a very busy weekend for me. On Thursday night, I attended the Surgical Society Event - Life of a Surgeon. We had three distinguished surgeons - RCSI's own Prof Gillen (General Surgeon), Ms Carroll (ENT Surgeon) and Mr. Barry O'Sullivan (Plastic Surgeon). It was a huge coincidence that I got to meet Mr O'Sullivan, as he was the very surgeon who had performed that DIEP flap breast reconstruction surgery in Beaumont, when I shadowed him over the summer. Anyway, each surgeon talked about their pathways, the very high "ups" and very low "downs" of their field. One could sense the great moral burden they had to shoulder when determining the outcome of a critical condition. The talk gave me newfound respect for the enormous sacrifice these surgeons make on a day-to-day basis, which included blocking off any negative emotions on the outcome of a previous case, and instead focusing all remaining energy on each subsequent one. That, more than anything else, can make or break a person.

2) On Friday night, I had been invited by MMII to present my research experience in UCD, at the Charles Institute of Dermatology. Around 50 attendees were confirmed, with student researchers from RCSI, UCD, and TCD talking about their research. Each one of us had our own "booths" set up, where we displayed our posters. At 7.40pm, everyone was ushered into the meeting room. The President of MMII (Michelle) gave a short welcoming speech, and explained the flow of events. Participants were broken into groups, and each group would have around 10 minutes for each booth. At each booth, the researchers would explain their research projects, including applications, funding, grants, and reflections. So off we went.

2) Altogether, we had four rotations i.e. four groups came to visit my stand. I only had one poster available, so the other one was in my laptop. I talked about research in both areas, and how it gave me a better appreciation of the theory work we have in medical school. It was gratifying to see the large turnout and the enthusiasm that the attendees had towards research. It is, after all, a very rewarding and beneficial experience. After the booths, we moved back to the meeting room, where one of the UCD researchers (Eunice) talked about her experience in applying for external funding. Then the event was over, and everyone went back home. An evening very well spent.

3) The whole of my Saturday was spent attending the Crisis Event, organised by the RCSI Model United Nations Society. It was an extremely thrilling event, where each participant was assigned a member of the Turkish government, and had to come up with a directive (solution) to a zombie outbreak. I was assigned the role of Prime Minister, Binali Yildrim. It was crisis after crisis, as events developed throughout the course of the day. We had to deal with internal and external crises, as various ultranationalist parties, foreign intervention, and cults ran rampant. Nevertheless, I am sure everyone learnt a great deal from the experience, and I'm personally looking forward to more events in the future. The rest of my day will be spent desperately trying to catch up with my studies, as we move ever closer to our final semester exams. That has been my day, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. Thanks very much for tuning in, and have a good weekend. Cheers!

Thank you very much MMII!

It was a wonderful experience

RCSI MUNC Crisis - delegates of Turkey! 

At the UCD Charles Institute of Dermatology, with Eunice (UCD) and Wei Herng (RCSI) ^^

Albert Lecture Theatre - for the "Life of a Surgeon" talk

Prof. Gillen started the ball rolling with a frank representation of a surgeon's life

Wine and cheese reception :)

With Mr O'Sullivan, whom I had the privilege of shadowing at Beaumont

Me and Melissa, with Ms Carroll (ENT Surgeon)

With Mariss, the quintessential international RCSI student

My booth :)

Researcher for a Day...

MMII Event - welcoming speech by the President

Another take on my poster

The Charles Institute Charter, I presume

Am loving the pen too :)

On muffins and coffee/tea

Boojum FTW :)

Group photo time :)

PC Victor Yoon

A bit blurry haha

Too many photos, too many memories :^)

DAY 392/393/394

Sept 27, 28 & 29

1) The past couple of days have given me some much needed study time, especially having Thurs and Fri off. My timetable has subsequently been packed full of miscellaneous activities, completely unrelated to studying. So I've decided to participate in this year's PMCSA Games, held annually between RCSI and our friends from UCD. We had our first practice (Ultimate Frisbee), and it was lovely fun.

2) I've also come down with a sore throat and runny nose. It seems almost everyone is getting sick at this time of the year - many of my friends have either gotten sick or are sick too! It could be the drastic change in temperature that's causing this. But anyway, I have my first quiz (Quiz 1) next Tuesday, so there really isn't much time to think about this...

3) Kickboxing practice has been brought forward to the morning (usually it's Sat afternoon) due to the coach being busy. I look forward to my second practice with the other members, as I find kickboxing a great way to destress and have a good workout! Also, I will be attending the MMII Event "Late-Night Coffee with MMII" tomorrow night, at Accents Coffee and Tea Lounge. Again, it's basically another excuse for me not to study and hang out with my friends instead.

4) To cap it all off, our group (for the EBH/PHE Team Project) will be meeting up tomorrow, to see how far we've progressed. Frankly, I am looking forward to completing this once and for all, as it is taking up a lot of my valuable time. Time which I can put to good use - such as sleeping. This reminds me, the library has come up with a policy - you can only leave your belongings (at your preoccupied space in the library) for up to 30 minutes. Any longer than that, and someone else can take over your seat, and your belongings removed to a secure location.

5) The decision was made after many students left their stuff and went off for hours at a time. I think it is a good idea, but honestly I would prefer if we were given a bit more time. Library spots are a "hot" spot given the nature of our study, as well as the studiousness of my friends. Given how almost everyone I see is literally buried in books/ self-made notes, it can all be a bit daunting. But I guess everyone learns to cope eventually...

6) So that has been my recount of the past couple of days, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. Thanks for visiting as always, and have a good day. Cheers!

Free Friendship Lunch - 

with Dr Ebun Joseph (Career Development Consultant) 

and two Student Representatives :D

Sandwiches and banter - just in time for the afternoon lectures!

Jigsaw: 5-A-Day for Positive Mental Health

(RCSI Health & Wellbeing Week)

Follow the trail of food - just kidding (okay only partially ^^)

DAY 212

Apr 1

1) Today has been a really tiring day, but no less exciting for it. The main itinerary of the day was the "Time Bomb Conference", organised by MMII (Malaysian Medics International Ireland). For this, I was up by 6.30am sharp, to ensure I reached Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute (TBSI) by 8.00am. We attended a short briefing, to ensure that we knew each of our roles inside out. Our schedule was fully packed for the day, so there was not much room for delay.

2) So in total, there were four talks by Dr. Ignacio, Dr. Little, Dr. Khoo, and Dr. Flannagan, respectively. In between each of these talks, there was a lot of interactive games to be had. The first of this was the "debates" segment, which was actually a Crisis event taken from a MUN (Model United Nations). Essentially, participants role-played as ministers of WHO in tackling a bio-war crisis, which had a certain "Professor X" who had created a "Virus X" and was threatening to unleash it upon the general public. The general consensus for the session was that there was a lot of active participation, with some groups actually able to cast suspicion on who Prof. X was.

3) In the afternoon, over lunch, the participants had the opportunity to visit various booths set up, which all had the common theme of "Time Bomb" or "emergency situation!" written all over them. Among this included sessions on Emergency First Aid; everything from DRABC's (first-aid procedure) to performing CPR and using AEDs (Automatic External Defibrillator). It was really fun and interactive throughout.

4) The last event I was involved in was the Forensic Games. Participants were broken up into groups, and rotated across four different stations, where they had to investigate the death of a certain "Uncle Soon". Afterwards, they had to piece together all the clues to formulate a prognosis as to how the victim died. There was a short quiz afterward, designed to test the knowledge and understanding of the patient's disease. I was particularly impressed by how fast everyone was able to answer the questions. Although some of them were quite straightforward, some required ample in-depth knowledge and the participants certainly didn't disappoint.

5) By four plus, the last event had ended, and everyone went back. Everyone except us, who were involved with the event. We had a semiformal feedback session, where we got a chance to voice our opinions on the event, and suggest improvements for the future. By 5.30pm, everyone was completely drained, so we called it a day. Yours truly still has an exam to worry about this coming Tuesday, so it was back to Mercer Library for another round of study. Of course, it is quite unreasonable to think that my brain will last long after what has been a hectic day, so I packed my stuff early and went home to take a well-deserved rest. That has been my day, and hopefully you enjoyed reading about it. Thanks as always, and have a great day. Cheers!

P.S. Do scroll down for many pics of the event. Enjoy ^^

Group Photo with the Street Doctors

The Stanley Quek Hall

TCD

Biscuits and fresh coffee/tea - who can resist? ^^

Conference set up, sans the participants XD

Chicken fried rice for lunch

CPR session

View from the second floor of TBSI (Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute)

Group photo with the Street Doctors of Ireland

TIME BOMB!!

Me and "Uncle Soon"

Yes, that's all that was left of poor Uncle Soon

MMII 2017 :D

Dinner in Mercer Cafe