Chan Weng Kit's Blogspot: Poster

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Saturday, 17 February 2018

DAY 536

Feb 18

1) The three-day International Conference for Healthcare and Medical Students (ICHAMS) 2018 had begun, and I was presenting a research poster on the last day. I had to leave very early in the morning to catch a bus to town (Eden Quay), and walk all the way to RCSI to register. The conference team took my poster away for storage, while I took my goodie bag and met up with my friends. We had a couple of sessions today - 2 Oral Sessions, a Keynote Speech, a Poster Session, and a Workshop (which we had to sign up for as there were several choices).

2) Joshua started the ball rolling with his research on colorectal cancer, which he did under the supervision of Dr. Sudipto Das. We had a short break at 11.00am for tea, after which Zi Yan had his oral presentation. After that it was a key note session, followed by lunch and refreshments. I stayed for the poster session in the afternoon, which consisted of two judges with a student timekeeper. We were given 3 minutes to present, and 2 minutes for questions. As my poster was on the next day, I could enjoy watching the other candidates present their findings.

3) The last event of the day was the Workshop session - divided into 6 types, "Communications", "Alpha 1", "Suturing", "GP Skills", "US/Critical Care", and "RCSI Tour". I had signed up for GP Skills, which took place in the New Academic Building. We were rotated through five different stations - venipuncture, urinalysis, ECG, fundoscopy, and otoscopy. All in all a very informative session! I learnt so much from each session; my only gripe being that it lasted but for an hour.

4) After dismissal, I went over to the Dispensary to wait for our friends to arrive. We were going to the Dublin Kopitiam to celebrate Chinese New Year 2018! As this was my first time, we decided to walk there together, and meet up with the rest. The night was cold and drizzling, but the atmosphere was great - as we talked and ate the night away. Approaching 10pm, we were told that the shop would be closing soon, so it was time to pack up and leave. Looking back, I cannot believe how fast time flies - it has been two Chinese New Years that I've missed now, but the next one will be back with my family and relatives. On to the next day's events then, in the next blog update. Stay tuned, cheers! :)

A gathering of the fam (JC2, IC1) at Dublin Kopitiam :)

Happy Chinese New Year guys!!

And so ICHAMS 2018 begins!

(Me, Melissa, Melvin, Zi Yan, Hamsa (from UCD)) ^^

ICHAMS 2018 - First Oral Session

Customary 'take pic beside banner' pose :)

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a tad disappointed that there wasn't light snacks and/or scones for tea...

At least they made up for it with this --> Sun Bear Gelato!

(Lunch time at Exam Hall)

Picturesque night view of Dublin :)

Nasi lemak (coconut milk infused rice)

with rendang ayam (spicy marinated chicken)

"If the phrase 'Heaven on Earth' could be defined by food, this dish would appear first"

Mat Noor's ABC

Hmmmm.... seems like a really familiar place in Old Town Ipoh XD

We came, we saw, we conquered :)

Saturday, 4 November 2017

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 :^)

Tuesday, 24 October 2017

DAY 418/419/420

Oct 23, 24 & 25

1) Many of my friends have used "Reading Week" as an opportunity to go travelling/catching up on some much needed sleep. Indeed, many of the seniors have advised us to go see the sights while we still have the chance. I, on the other hand, have used Reading Week to finish many outstanding tasks at hand - both academics and non-academics related. I've done many things this week - finished booking accommodation next year, booked an appointment for my GNIB Card renewal, and done some revision (though not enough).

2) On Tuesday, I attended the Beaumont Translational Research Awards 2017 - held at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9. The journey from my house (Dundrum) to Beaumont was a painful two hours, exacerbated by peak hour traffic jams. Nevertheless, I made it in time to the conference meeting point. The agenda was simple - undergraduates, scientists, PhD scholars, and MDs would present their research projects, either via poster or PowerPoint presentation. Most of my friends would be presenting a poster.

3) At around 10am, the adjudicators arrived. They went through each of our posters, asking us to summarise our findings, and explain to them its significance. My turn came soon enough, and I tried my best to convey my research project. The judges nodded approvingly, and then went off to the next participant. Job done. Now for the fun bit; a stand with snacks and beverages had been set up, and since we had already finished presenting our posters...

4) It was a simple yet scrumptious lunch that we enjoyed. Sandwiches and wraps, plus cookies (even gluten free ones!) and all kinds of cakes and pastries. All accompanied by fresh coffee or tea. No wonder some of the senior year students (who had no business with our conference whatsoever) decided to sneak in and grab a bite! Needless to say, the organisers were not too pleased, and they were asked to leave.

5) After stuffing ourselves silly, we were invited to a separate lecture theatre, where the oral presentations would take place. Here, selected participants (excluding undergrads) were given the opportunity to present their research using PowerPoint slides. The topics these researchers focussed on were common - cystic fibrosis, breast cancer, and alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency. Nevertheless, there was a very high standard of both knowledge and oratory skill that they possessed. The questions the judges asked were by no means easy, but their answers were very comprehensive and well structured.

6) At around 1pm, everyone had finished presenting, so off the judges went to deliberate. The winners were then announced, and two first prize medals awarded to the best oral presentations. The other category winners (with much less fanfare) received a warm, congratulatory handshake and a "job well done". Not, in my opinion, reflecting the insane amount of effort and dedication that they had put into research, and not representative of the quality of their work.

7) And that was that. It was a lovely time I had at the event, and I gained a lot of experience by participating in it. I also learnt a lot from my peers, and from all the various posters on display. I took the bus no. 16 back to the college, and returned to the library. Went for a meeting with the Model United Nations Club, and here I am - tired, sleep-deprived, typing this out. At least I have the rest of the week off. Or do I... ? That has been my blog update for the past couple of days; hope you enjoyed reading about it. Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day. Cheers!