DAY 1879-1891

Oct 25 - Nov 6

1) I've been really busy and stressed out this past week. Essentially, there were two really important events taking place: i) the International Undergraduate Medical Research Conference 2021 (IUMRC21), and ii) the Specialised Foundation Programme (SFP) interview. To make things more difficult, there were both held on weekdays, giving me very little time to prepare after our clinical rotations in the morning.

2) After emerging as the best overall presenter for RUMC Research Day 2021, I was privileged to be sponsored by my university to present my research findings (on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) at the IUMRC 2021. My abstract had been accepted for oral presentation, where I was required to submit a 10 minute recorded video of me presenting my PowerPoint slides. On the day of the conference itself, this video would be played to the audience (and adjudicators), followed by a live Q&A session for two minutes. 

3) It took some time for me to remember all the details regarding my research, and to prepare for the possible questions during the Q&A session. Also, my WiFi has a habit of failing me whenever I have important events coming up. Fortunately, there were no hiccups on the day itself, as I managed to answer the two questions posed by the audience. On a side note, it was really interesting to listen to the other presenters and find out more about how research is conducted in other disciplines. It reminded me of how diverse research can be, and why I enjoyed research in the first place.

4) I had to wait until the next day to get my results. Indeed, I was incredibly lucky to be awarded the Best Oral Presentation Award in the category of "Discovery Science". I certainly would not have been able to do so without the continuous support, encouragement, and advice from my university, and for that I am truly grateful.

5) After attending the conference, I had less than half an hour before the next event - the Specialised Foundation Programme (SFP) interview. This is basically an interview for aspiring clinician scientists hoping to train in the UK as a Foundation Doctor. Although this is very much a longshot, I knew I had to at least try. After the hour-long interview, we were informed that the results would be announced next year. I had done my best during the session, so the only thing left to do is to keep my fingers crossed. That, as well as to start preparing for the upcoming Situational Judgment Test (SJT), the end-of-rotation examinations for medicine, and the second half of the Public Health Examinations. There's never really a break is there? XD

6) I did spend the past few days finishing off my Public Health Report, just so I could get it out of the way. I have been neglecting both my medical and surgical rotations, so it is time for me to start revising properly. Thanks very much for visiting as always, take care and stay safe. Cheers!

My expired student ID card - had to trade it in for a new one :)

Finally received my prize for winning the Anatomy Heart Sketching Competition

- a set of very appropriate pens

I also finally got myself a new watch (from Lazada) after the strap broke off in my old one

First time trying out An Viet - a restaurant in Gurney Plaza serving authentic Vietnamese cuisine :)

As you can see, they gave me so many clams in my coconut broth!

Kimchi burger from "Dream Burger" - smells and tastes absolutely phenomenal! 

Thanks Tenisha for the recommendation :)

DAY 1802-1821

Aug 9-28

1) After what felt like an eternity, we are finally done with fourth year. Eight rotations (paediatrics, obstetrics & gynaecology, psychiatry, family medicine, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, emergency medicine, and radiology) all condensed into three combined written papers. Two days later, a massive 31-station OSCE practical session, assessing all eight rotations over three hours. Honestly, the last month has been one hectic race against time, as we scrambled to cover all the specialties before our dreaded finals. 

2) So what's in store for our batch? Well, we are now bona fide final year medical students, with less than a year remaining before we graduate. Initially, we were supposed to begin our final year rotations (surgery, medicine, and public health) immediately after exams, but this had to be postponed after the major hospital departments denied us entry, so it'll be online classes for the next two weeks. Less than ideal, but I'm sure this would be a welcome breather for most of us after the mental and physical hell that we've been through.

3) It is also high time for me to focus on the core subjects for which our degree is based on, namely medicine and surgery. The last time I properly revised any surgery or medicine was in Semester 6, which was literally two years ago! Of course, I'll be taking the weekend off while I focus on other, more pressing tasks i.e. sleeping and cleaning my room. There is laundry that needs to be done, groceries that need to be bought, and sleep that needs to be replenished.

4) We will (supposedly) get our results in a week or two. Regardless of the outcome, I just want to sincerely thank everyone who has helped me on my journey so far, and hopefully we'll continue motivating each other on the road to finals! And with that, I'll sign off here. Thanks very much for tuning in as always, take care and stay safe, and have a great weekend - cheers! 

Does someone need a CAT scan?

Featuring Luca: a rather contented cat :)

Fadhli and I were all smiles after our obstetrics and gynaecology end-of-rotation examination

(his was genuine, mine was forced though :')

Jinny, Rachel, and I enjoying a short break before resuming our medical student shenanigans

Oh look - someone's decided to jump in the picture as well

I've never done well with captions, so just imagine a nice one in place here

Post-exam pre-requisite photo

ft. Lai, Aiman, and myself

DAY 1746-1759

Jun 14 - 27

1) So this week I got my first dose of vaccination! This may sound like a thing of the past for those in other countries, but in Malaysia, vaccination uptake has been very slow. Thankfully, in recent times, vaccination rates have been increasing exponentially, with the latest data showing at least 15% of the population having received their first dose. 

2) My vaccination appointment was at the SPICE Convention Centre, so I carpooled with my good friend Daniel (who coincidentally had a morning appointment as well). My appointment was an hour earlier, so I thought I would wait for him after I was done. In the end, they allowed him to be vaccinated at the same time, so we could go home even earlier. The entire process was very quick and efficient. All we had to do as we progressed through each station was to keep showing the staff our app ("MySejahtera") which contained all our particulars, and our identification card. 

3) After about 15 minutes, we were led into the actual stadium, where multiple booths had been set up for mass vaccination to take place. I was asked if I knew which vaccine I was getting (the AstraZeneca vaccine), and whether I had any allergies or previous reactions to anything. The staff then briefed me about the vaccine and asked me if I had any questions. Next, I sat outside the booth waiting for my turn to get vaccinated. The doctor went through the same quick screening, and then proceeded to show me the syringe containing 0.5mL of AZ vaccine. 

4) Before I knew it, the contents had been injected into my left deltoid, and it was all over - I did not feel a thing! The last part was to wait for 15 minutes in the waiting area (just to monitor for any immediate reactions). Daniel came right after me, and we both left without any reactions. All in all, it was very smooth-sailing and uneventful. Barring a little tenderness over the injection site, I have had no reactions/ adverse complications since getting vaccinated. Before leaving, they gave us a card with our next appointment (within 3 months), which would complete the two doses necessary for immunity. Half way there, half more to go then.

5) The rest of the day (and week) was uneventful. I had missed the whole morning session that day, so I had to take down notes from my friends. Thankfully, I will not be missing any more classes after this (until my next vaccination of course!) And on that note, I shall end my blog post for today. Thanks very much for tuning in as always, and have a great week ahead. Stay safe and stay healthy, cheers!

The card reads "I've been vaccinated!"

Daniel and I, waiting for our turn to register :)

Translation: I've been vaccinated - you should too! :)

That's exactly how the COVID-19 vaccine looks like 

(not to scale of course XD)

DAY 1705-1718

May 4 - 17

1) Malaysia is currently undergoing its third iteration of the Movement Control Order (stylised as MCO 3.0). While initially limited to a few key states, the MCO has since been expanded nationwide due to new coronavirus variants with higher infection rates, increasing constraints on the capacity of the public health system, and suboptimal compliance of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) amongst the general public. This includes a blanket ban on inter-district and inter-state travel, to last until June 8th. 

2) So what does all this mean for us as medical students? Well, all education has switched from face-to-face to online. This has put a halt to our clinical training in hospitals and wards. For now, our learning is conducted via lectures and online tutorials, with new timetables being circulated every now and then to accommodate the latest updates from the Ministry of Health. 

3) Group B (my group) is in their final rotation for the year, obstetrics and gynaecology (O & G). Assuming no changes, we have one week after this rotation before having to sit for our exams. Having the constant reshuffling of timetables and disruptions to our learning is not ideal, but I agree that it is necessary and in our best interests. On a positive note, the MCO extension gives us more time for self-study and revision, which can only be a good thing given our upcoming exams.

4) Just yesterday the fifth years finished their final year medical exams - a massive congratulations to everyone! I'm sure the coming weeks will provide a much-needed break for most of you, and richly deserved indeed. I've been really lucky to call many of you my friends, and I look forward to seeing where you will go from here. All the very best in your future endeavours :)

5) Yesterday was also Teacher's Day - a very special day where we showcase our appreciation to all the teachers out there. As a secondary school student, there was a particular poem by Malaysian poet Usman Awang that I really enjoyed, called "Sajak Guru O Guru" (lit. "Teacher Oh Teacher"), and which is commonly read during Teacher's Day celebrations. Here is a particularly poignant stanza from the poem (in the original Malay Language and then translated by yours truly into English):

Jika hari ini seorang Perdana Menteri berkuasa
Jika hari ini seorang raja menaiki takhta
Jika hari ini seorang Presiden sebuah negara
Jika hari ini seorang ulama yang mulia
Jika hari ini seorang peguam menang bicara
Jika hari ini seorang penulis terkemuka
Jika hari ini siapa sahaja menjadi dewasa
Sejarahnya bermula oleh seorang guru biasa
Dengan lembut sabarnya mengajar tulis baca.

English translation: 

If today exists a Prime Minister come to power
If today exists a king ascending the tower
If today exists a President of a nation proper
If today exists a noble scholar
If today exists a lawyer upholding one's honor
If today exists a famous writer
If today exists someone who became wiser
Their story started with the humble teacher
Teaching in calm collected demeanor

6) I liked the poem so much that I actually committed it to memory, in anticipation of our SPM Malay Language examinations back when I was in secondary school. Unfortunately, the theme "Teachers' Day" did not come out for our exams that year. Nevertheless, I've never forgotten my teachers, not even those from primary school. Hopefully, I'll be able to come back and meet up with some of them in the near future. And on that note, I shall end my blog post here. Thanks very much for tuning in, and hope you have a great week ahead. Take care and stay safe, cheers!

Happy Teachers' Day 2021

To all the teachers out there, thank you for being so kind and inspiring!

DAY 1670-1674

Mar 30 - Apr 3

1) X-rays were first discovered by Wilhelm Roentgen in 1895, when he discovered that the cathode radiation he was experimenting on passed through human tissue, leaving bones and metal visible. Fast forward to today, and X-ray radiography remains one of the cheapest and fastest non-invasive imaging techniques available. We use X-rays for a variety of diagnostic purposes, as a screening tool to exclude fractures or foreign objects, and to visualise the proper placement of various lines and tubes. The reason for this brief history of the origin of X-rays is because, for the past week, we have been posted in the department of radiology, at Seberang Jaya Hospital.

2) There are four commonly used imaging modalities in the current hospital i.e. radiography (X-rays), ultrasound (US), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT). Each imaging technique serves a different purpose. For example, X-rays are really cheap, fast, and convenient, and can easily detect most bone abnormalities e.g. deformities, fractures, and some tumours. Ultrasound and MRI are more useful at detecting soft tissue abnormalities e.g. specific organ damage, tears, and ligament injuries. They also do not expose the patient to any radiation, compared to X-rays. Regardless of their strengths and weaknesses, each imaging modality has a role to play, and the expert radiologist only selects the test(s) based on what is absolutely necessary to answer the clinical question.

3) In radiology, each one of us was assigned a different station each day, such that by the end of the week, we had covered all the imaging modalities in the department of radiology. In addition, we had afternoon lectures/tutorials to consolidate all that we had seen in our practicals. I was indeed fortunate as all the doctors and technicians that I observed were very happy to teach, and as a result I was able to learn a lot. Fun fact: when I was quite a bit younger, I had somewhat of an aspiration of becoming a radiologist - as that would mean secluding myself from everyone, interpreting scans and just writing up radiology reports. Having been through the rotation, however, I realise that radiology, much like other departments, is very much a team-based effort, in the same vein as emergency medicine.

4) For the past week, I observed as medical officers, radiographers, and technicians worked together to coordinate the entire process of preparing patients for imaging. For example, someone has to set up the X-ray machine and place the patient in the correct orientation (e.g. standing or lying down) and at the appropriate distance away. Someone else has to key in the patient's details, select the correct body part to be analysed (e.g. chest), the view and orientation, as well as ensure the appropriate level of radiation exposure, including any precautions (especially for children). Next, someone has to interpret the test results, and write a radiology report with the impression of what the scan shows. This would sometimes involve discussion with the specialists if the case was more complex. As you can see, a lot of people are involved in the wellbeing of just one patient. And there would be a long line of patients from morning till lunch time. 

5) Having finished yet another rotation, we have a one-week break for "self-directed learning" before continuing with the next two rotations in this multi-specialty block - ENT and ophthalmology. That would lead to the final rotation of fourth year which is obstetrics and gynaecology. For now, however, we get a break. And it couldn't have come any sooner. Thanks very much for visiting my blog as always, and have a great weekend. Cheers! :D 

Trying out the hospital cafe (Aariz Cafe) for lunch :)

(l-r: Myself, Wen Hui, and Jia Min)

Study session with my good friend Kuhan ended with a wonderful lunch

Indian-style lunch @ Arati Villas

(That's biryani rice with curry chicken, cucumber, and hard-boiled egg)

Seberang Jaya Hospital

(the seminar room where we have our afternoon tutorials)

The sunrise in Penang is to die for :')

(What a lovely view to end the rotation!)

DAY 1607-1622

 Jan 26 - Feb 10

1) It has been a good while now since my last post. Usually, I would have quite a lot of interesting material to share on my blog after such a long period of time. However, due to the fact that we are all in lockdown, and clinical sessions have not yet resumed, there is nothing really exciting going on in my life right now.  Meanwhile, we have received news that clinical teaching will resume on the 22nd, which gives us some time to relax revise.

2) I have been spending the past week revising data from my previous dissertation. It has been a long week for me, having to sift through and conduct further analyses on what seemed to be lines of never-ending data. Thankfully, I have managed to complete the bulk of the analyses, and I shall now wait to discuss the next steps with my supervisor. 

3) At the start of the new year, a lot of us would been led to believe that we would witness a sense of normalcy from the current COVID-19 pandemic. That has very clearly not been the case. While numbers have been dropping in most countries, it is clear that mass vaccination will take a while to implement, and even longer to build up immunity in the general population i.e. herd immunity. This could take anywhere from months to a year. Therefore, it is important to maintain social distancing, practice good hygiene, wear a mask, and obey local public health guidelines. 

4) Having said that, the situation in local shopping complexes and other small businesses is really quite depressing. Just the other day, I walked to Gurney Plaza to get some groceries and stock up for Chinese New Year. Around 80% of non-food outlets were closed, and of the food outlets, no dine-in was permitted, with takeaway being the only option. For added measure, all the chairs and tables in these outlets had been tied up to prevent any dine-in customers. In general, the whole complex looked empty, safe for the  Grab/Food Panda delivery drivers who were queuing to pick up items for home deliveries. 

5) It is quite clear now that I would not be returning home for CNY. There is just too much uncertainty with when I might come back for clinics. At the very least, I will be fully occupied with things to do throughout this continued lockdown - mostly revision if I'm honest haha. That's about it for this edition of my blog. Hopefully there will be more exciting posts in the weeks to come. Have a great week ahead, and stay safe and healthy. Cheers!

Beautiful Chinese New Year decorations @ Gurney Plaza :)

Too bad there were so few visitors to admire the lovely decorations...

DAY 1593-1606

Jan 12 - 25

1) As our country battles a third wave of COVID-19, most states have been placed under a fresh lockdown, initially for two weeks, then subsequently extended for an additional week. During this time, all our clinical rotations have also been suspended. In the midst of all this, there are two factions - those who feel that further lockdown is essential to contain the number of clusters daily; and those who feel that any further lockdown will severely cripple the country's already weakening economy, in particular the small and medium enterprises (SMEs). I can see the arguments for both, and I'm personally on the fence on this. But at some point, difficult decisions will have to be made, which will not please everyone.  

2) Personally, I've enjoyed the two weeks' reprieve from having to wake up early to attend clinics. This is an ideal opportunity for me to (hopefully) catch up with my revision. The downside to this "extra" bit of revision time is that we will now either have less holidays or less study time before our exams. That's assuming that we still get to graduate in time, of course. The way things are going, it is really hard to tell what will happen in the coming weeks. 

3) In the recent weeks, my email inbox has been inundated with emails from potential medical students/ school leavers who are interested in finding out more about medicine at RUMC. It has given me great satisfaction to be able to help these aspiring doctors decide if medicine is for them, and to share my own experience as a medical student. Before entering medical school, I had a few close seniors who were extremely patient in answering my many questions, so in some small way, I think of this as giving back. 

4) A week ago, the landlady came over with the maintenance staff to take a look at my bathroom. For the past few weeks, the toilet had been leaking from one of the pipes. Luckily, with some help, we were able to locate the source of the water (it was very well concealed behind the tank cover). As they did not have the necessary tools to fix the leak there and then, we made an appointment for the plumber to come again. All in all, the repair took just under an hour. I'm very glad as I had initially been told that it would take at least two visits.

5) That's basically it for this edition of my blog. Sorry there is nothing more interesting to read, but then again, these are some really strange times... As always, thanks very much for visiting my blog, take care and stay safe. Cheers! 

We need to stay strong and remain hopeful, and look out for one another :)

DAY 1564-1578

Dec 14 - 28

1) Back to the blog after two weeks. As my current group (Group B) passes the half way mark of our eight-week rotation, I realise that family medicine is really quite interesting - its focus on the whole patient, its holistic perspective, its continuity of care, and its integrative methodology make this field unique. 

2) Consequently, I am aware of how much more there is to cover, from basic revision of medicine in general, to paediatrics, psychiatry, and some obstetrics and gynaecology thrown in for good measure. Therefore, I have made the difficult decision to not return home for Christmas break this year. In all honesty, as much as I would have loved to be back home, I would not be able to focus on my revision as I would be busy going out and hanging out with friends/ relatives. Secondly, I have already planned to return home for Chinese New Year next year, so at least I have that to look forward to.

3) My time in family medicine has been really enjoyable. We have had experience in three different clinical settings - the health clinics (klinik kesihatan), the maternal and child health clinics (klinik kesihatan ibu dan anak), and private GP clinics. We have had the opportunity to do home visits with a registered nurse, as well as visit an old folks' home. Besides, we also managed to visit the occupational and physiotherapy departments in Penang General Hospital. A mainstay of patient management in these settings, other than return of mobility and function, is chronic pain management. I personally enjoyed the occupational and physiotherapy clinics the most, as there were so many creative approaches used to manage the patient's symptoms and conditions.

4) As the year 2020 comes to an end, I cannot help but look back with a slight sense of pride at how far I've come on this long road of medicine. When 2021 begins, I can finally say that I will (touchwood) graduate in just over a year. Of course, along with that expectation of graduating, there is increasing expectation that I should have some basic medical knowledge. Hopefully, I will have filled up some of those gaps in my knowledge and practical skills when the time comes. Here's hoping everyone had a wonderful Merry Christmas (for those celebrating), and happy holidays to everyone! I'm looking forward to a better and more productive year :)

5) Thanks very much for visiting my blog as always. Too bad I don't have a lot of interesting pictures to share this time around. Have a great week ahead, cheers! 

The price of getting a nice photo XD

(just kidding - my group mate and I were practicing venepuncture (blood taking) and IV cannulation)

An incredible learning experience here at the X-Ray department today :)

From phlebotomist to patient...

Ok lah it was quite well done...

Fish fillet rice at Gurney Plaza Food Hall

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

An opportunity to test out functional electrical stimulation (FES), a treatment that applies small electrical charges to improve mobility, for example in cases of stroke or spinal cord damage

Delighted with my new oversized purple clipboard :D

Our latest addition to the apartment!

It seems as though I'm staring into the dark abyss of space and time...

DAY 455/456/457

Nov 29 & 30 and Dec 1

1) It is now barely a week more till our end-of-semester exams. The library and all study areas are packed to the brim, with many students staying back till after midnight to revise. On a positive note, there have been a couple of revision lectures, designed to help us consolidate everything we've learnt so far. One such lecture we attended today was the anatomy revision session. All the students from Group B (my group) were separated to four tables, each with an Anatomy Demonstrator. Mr Lane would facilitate our lessons, and he wasted no time in revising many of the lectures we had covered, including some high-yield questions.

2) These days have become less and less exciting for me, as there are no more activities to attend, nor events to go to; as everyone is busy with the upcoming exams. As a result, my daily routine involves me commuting to RCSI in the morning, and basically staying till nighttime. I usually go home well before midnight, as the LUAS doesn't operate too long after that, and because it can get really chilly walking back from the station.

3) Also, it seems that after a string of bad luck, I've finally gotten lucky again. I am of course referring to the "Buy a Burrito, Flip a Coin" challenge at Burritos and Blues. Every Wednesday, when you buy a burrito, you get to choose heads or tails for the challenge. Guess correctly, and it's a free burrito. I was three for three when I went alone, then after going out with friends I was stuck at none out of two, and now that I went alone again, I'm one for one. I wonder if there's a pattern here?

3) In a way, this winter feels somewhat colder than the last, and try as I might, I have not gotten used to the cold yet. On the other hand, some of my friends back home are complaining of how hot it is, especially during the afternoons. I guess it's hard to satisfy everyone XD. Anyway, that has been the past couple of days here, and thank you for visiting my blog. Have a nice weekend ahead, cheers!

It looks like a scene from a sci-fi movie, but it's actually the staircase to the upper levels...

Ciabatta sandwiches really hit the spot!

AK Henry's €3.50 sandwich deals 

(I'm not getting paid to write this XD)

DAY 93

Dec 3

1) Today was yet another revision day for me. Woke up to have toast for breakfast, and made my way to the library to study. Not much happened after that if I'm honest, only that when lunch came, I was more than eager to get up and move about.

2) Bought a sandwich at Subway for takeaway, and came back to the library to indulge. Then it was more studying/vids/songs until evening came. Had the rest of my 'sub for dinner, and continued revision.

3) Finished the day by having some cookies and tea for supper. That sums up my revision week, and I'm glad to note that our exams begin in two days (so I won't be stuck here forever haha). Thank you for reading, and hopefully the upcoming days will be more exciting than this one. Good night, and cheers!

My breakfast (as usual haha)

Subway for lunch today

My study essentials

Nice to see the warm, inviting (not to mention dressed-to-kill) Dr. Bones,

Mercer Library, RCSI

DAY 92

Dec 2

1) Today was yet another routine day for me. Had some toast for breakfast, before making my way to Mercer Library, which has fast become my second home haha. Studied for a couple of hours, and then at around 11.30am, there was a revision for Anatomy in RCSI.

2) After our last revision session before our exams (in three days (!)), I went to have lunch at AK. Henry's, and met up with some friends. Next, I walked back to the library for another bout of studying. For dinner, I had brought some biscuits and a warm cup of tea...

3) Took a short break to unwind and maintain some semblance of sanity, before continuing studies for the better part of the night. I really am trying my best, but at the same time, I hope I'm wise enough to balance study with some down time, so I don't end up like a walking zombie, saturated with medical information but not much else XD

4) That is all for tonight's blog update. Thanks for reading as usual, and have a great day/ night. Cheers!

Toast for breakfast! ^^

Sandwiches at AK. Henry's for lunch

DAY 91

Dec 1

1) Today was a typical studying day. Woke up early to have some toast for breakfast, and headed straight to library to begin studying.

2) Around noon, I went to Burger King for lunch, and tried their Lunch Deals for €5.75. Left very satisfied haha. Then it was pretty much revising until evening...

3) Had dinner at Burrito Blues, just opposite Boojum. I ordered a quesadilla, and had some Mexican fries as a side. I managed to choose the spiciest sauce though, and that instantly opened up my sinuses haha

4) Came back to the library. After a while, it was time for our second session of Laporoscopic Surgery Tutorials, under Mr. Cuan Harrington. Today, it was free and easy, so we were allowed to pick our own tasks and complete them, under his guidance. I did all five tasks, and so did the rest. Essentially it was a revision session from the previous lesson.

5) Had a lot of fun playing "surgeon" for a day. Apparently the tasks that we did are the same ones required as basic skills needed to become a surgeon. It wasn't easy that's for sure. Anyway, came back to library at around half past nine, and I plan to stay here for a while longer before heading home. That's all for today, and thanks for reading. Cheers!

Toast

Mercer Library

Burger King Lunch Deals (€5.75)

Quesadilla for dinner (at Burrito Blues)

Me and Zi Yan with Mr Cuan Harrington