DAY 1914-1928

Nov 29 - Dec 13

1) This was a rather eventful two weeks for me. To start off, I had to clear my Situational Judgment Test (SJT), which is necessary for all applicants to the UK Foundation Programme. Other than my lack of preparation, I was really concerned about my WiFi connection, as I have always had trouble with it, and at the most unfortunate of times. I briefly considered taking the test at the main campus, but in the end I did not want to risk any disruptions to my exam. Considering how strict they are with the rules and regulations, I did not want a security guard or staff member to knock on the door in campus and disqualify me from the test immediately. 

2) Fortunately for me, I managed to use the vacant third room in my apartment to take the test. As it is an unoccupied room, I did not have to do any interior decoration to remove books or notes that may be lying around. After taking pictures of my room surroundings and providing the invigilators with photos of my ID, I was good to go. Basically, the test consists of three sections - Sections 1 and 2 are taken together, followed by an optional 10-minute break before Section 3. To be honest, I had no idea how I did; I only remember being very tired after finishing the exam, as I started at 8:30pm and finished just before midnight. Luckily, my internet connection worked like a gem and I experienced no hiccups throughout. I did however forget one of the rules which was no mumbling or talking to yourself as you read the questions, and I very quickly received a warning from the proctors asking me to stop. Yes, not even your lips are allowed to move as you sit for the better part of three hours attempting questions on a computer screen.

3) On the day of my exam, I received another surprise. My mum and her side of the family came to visit Penang! I initially thought my mum was joking when she asked whether I was around, but we finally did meet up for lunch at the State Chinese (Penang) Association. Apparently, it was completely unexpected and unplanned for, but I was really glad to reunite with my mum and relatives after nearly a year away from home. My only minor gripe was they visited on the one day when I actually had an exam to take - any other day would have been fine. This meant that I could not join them for dinner, so we opted for afternoon tea at OO White Coffee Cafe instead. I definitely intend to return home (barring any changes to my schedule) during Chinese New Year next year.

4) The following two weeks will be Public Health rotation for me, which means going out to the field to learn about population-based health in more detail. Then come the end-of-rotation examinations and continuous assessment for surgery, which marks the end of the year. Hopefully next year will be an even better year. Given all the doom and gloom that we've been subjected to this year, I think we all deserve it. And with that, I'll end my blog post here. Thanks very much as always for visiting, and have a great week ahead. Cheers!

Reunited with mummy dearest and my maternal grandmother!

Ang Hoay Lor Restaurant, serving Hokkien cuisine in Penang

The whole family is here for our totally unexpected one-day reunion in Penang <3 

Right next to the restaurant is the State Chinese (Penang) Association

Round 2 - Afternoon tea at OO White Coffee Cafe

Polo bun

Tried the "yin yong" - which is a mix of coffee and tea, served in a tall glass filled with ice!

*Sigh* and yet another beautiful day has to end with a tearful goodbye...

Until CNY then

Gurney Plaza certainly brought along the festive cheer

As you can see - loads of people visiting the mall, just like pre-pandemic times :)

Wai Po Jia a.k.a. Granny Cottage @ Gurney Plaza

Thanks Rach for introducing me to Kim's Korean Restaurant - huge portions of really delicious food!

Back with my buddy Sim for our weekend lunch trips - this time at Sushi Tei @ Gurney Plaza

Can't get past the beautiful Xmas decorations

If there's one thing Malaysian supermarkets do right, 

it's definitely the decorations and festive atmosphere

(too bad they can't do anything about the blistering heat outside XD)

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 :)