DAY 1892-1913

Nov 7 - 28

1) Finally, a breath of fresh air. As the end of the year approaches, so too are the number of exams remaining in our penultimate semester. This week, Group B finished their end-of-rotation assessment for medicine. Basically, it's a continuous assessment where we have a 20-minute session with our examiner after clerking and examining a patient in the ward. Overall, it has been an interesting four weeks here in medicine, as we were finally allowed to return to the wards to practice clerking patients (before this we were only permitted in the clinics). 

2) Returning to medicine (after our fourth year sabbatical in other rotations) reminded me of just how wide the scope of medicine really is. Each ward is specific for a particular system e.g. the cardiology ward for the heart, respiratory ward for the lungs etc. In addition, there are outpatient clinics for walk-in consultations and follow-ups, as well as procedure rooms for specific interventions. Case in point, in the cardiology clinics, we were able to witness echocardiograms being performed, as well as exercise stress tests, dobutamine stress tests, and ECGs. Simply reading about all these in text books is not useful, as only by seeing them performed in real time do we actually remember better.

3) The only two assessments left for this semester are the public health examination as well as the surgery continuous assessment. In the meantime, we have a dedicated week off for both self-directed learning (SDL) and a basic life support (BLS) course, the latter which we had already passed in our pre-clinical years but are required to attempt again before we graduate. Anyway, that aside, we have a further two weeks of SDL before our Public Health II rotation begins. That concludes the end of Semester 9, our penultimate semester in this course.

4) The final semester begins next year, and consists of "just" medicine and surgery, as well as pre-internship training. But we'll leave that for another time. For now, the public health module requires my attention. And with that, I'll end this edition of my blog here. Thanks for visiting as always, and have a great one. Cheers!

Photoshoot for the yearbook!

L-R: Helmi, Tenisha, Myself, and Angel

End-of-rotation assessment (EORA) for medicine - DONE!

L-R: Helmi, Shang Chen, Lay She, Nasuha, Tenisha, and myself

Exploring Penang - Hin Bus Depot (an art and events space located in George Town)

Granola and different organic nut butters on display

As you can see, it's a busy Sunday indeed :)

Stopped for our burger and kefir soda lunch 

Tried Vietnamese egg coffee for a third time - still loving it!

Sounds like a weird combination but believe me it's wonderful

Cake and coffee - nothing else really compares :)

Chinese fan dance (left) juxtaposed with the kuda kepang dance (right)

Not sure what the bull signifies here - perhaps it symbolises the Year of the Ox?

Apparently the space behind me used to be a bus depot, now converted into a setting for indoor and outdoor exhibits, as well as a cafe and weekend market.

Lunch at a cafe with an interesting name - D' Fat Mona Lisa Cafe

Really liked the food - huge portion sizes at an affordable price, complete with sides and a drink!

Photoshoot time :)

Yes - the RCSI tie is mandatory 

(even though I haven't earned the right to wear it yet XD)

Art exhibition in Gurney Plaza today :)

Incredible painting of the food culture that permeates Penang Island

Huge fireworks display over the Penang Bridge (top) 

and over Kek Lok Si Buddhist Temple (below)

Guan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) Statue at Kek Lok Si Buddhist Temple, Air Itam

I realise that I've never really taken a photo of my usual weekend lunch spot - Han Sik Ga

Lunch at Han Sik Ga, Gurney Plaza

A quick lunch before heading back to Penang General Hospital to clerk patients

Post-examination destress brunch at Coffee Elements @ All Seasons Place :)

(And so begins our three-week "holiday")

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 1863-1878

Oct 9 - 24

1) As I walked past the sea of people on my way to the food court in Gurney Plaza, it suddenly dawned on me - we are gradually recovering from the effects of the pandemic. Once empty walkways and corridors are now filled with people going about their business, and empty food stalls have returned to near full capacity, with dine-in being allowed for fully vaccinated individuals. Week by week, I am amazed by how much progress has been made. Case in point, today we recorded just 5,666 infections - nearly half the number of daily infections we had at the beginning of the month. Over 94% of the adult population has been vaccinated, and there is an ongoing vaccination programme for schoolchildren, targeting at least 80% full vaccinations before school reopens in 2022. I think that is a commendable effort.

2) In the past two weeks, my group has had clinical teaching in the various surgical departments in Penang General Hospital. We had teachings in cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery, urology, and general surgery, covering a wide range of cases ranging from simple to really, really complex. Anyway, it has been a productive four weeks of surgery / orthopaedics. The next rotation (for me) is medicine, followed by public health to wrap up the semester. 

3) The past two weeks have also been unbearably hot. Even with a stand fan on at full blast in my face, I was still sweating profusely. The hot weather also made me really sleepy, especially in the afternoon, and after a heavy lunch. Thankfully, the past couple of days have been much more bearable, mostly due to the frequent raining. I still remember when I was studying in Ireland, deep in the middle of winter, complaining about how cold and dark everything was (as I often do in my blog updates). I made a promise that when I returned home, I would not complain about the weather - no matter how hot it was. Well, turns out I just complain a lot about everything.

4) Before I start complaining about other things, perhaps it's best to end this blog update here. There's nothing really exciting going on in my life right now, but maybe no news is good news? Thanks very much for tuning in, take care, and stay safe. Cheers! 

Gurney Food Hall - the side entrance from the lifts

The "Canteen"

"Bak kut teh" or pork bone tea - today's lunch objective :)

The interior decor reminds me of when I did my research in China

"Bak kut teh", accompanied with a heaping bowl of rice and "you tiao" or fried dough sticks

Yes it's the one and only Sim!

It was a lovely day outside today - just after the rain

DAY 1848-1862

Sept 24 - Oct 8

1) For the past two weeks, things have been getting better - both for our country and for us as medical students. The average number of new Covid-19 infections per day has fallen by over 7,800 over the last three weeks, with today being the fifth consecutive day the cases were below 10,000. Considering at our peak, we were averaging well over 20,000 cases per day, I would call this a huge milestone. Indeed, things are looking much brighter now, as there are plans to lift the ban on interstate travel in the next couple of days, once  90% of the adult population have been vaccinated.

2) As for us medical students, we have been informed regarding the re-opening of campus on the 18th onwards. This is a very timely update as well, since we are now in final year, and usage of the library and other facilities will definitely help us through our final stage of medical school. For the past two weeks, my group has resumed clinical training in the orthopaedics outpatient clinics. As mentioned before, we have not been allowed in the wards yet, due to the high number of cases. But in the coming weeks, I am hopeful that at some point we'll be allowed back, as more Covid-19 wards are reverted back for normal use. 

3) Having completed our two weeks of orthopaedics posting (for Semester 9), we now have another two weeks in the surgery outpatient departments (SOPD), after which we have two more rotations - in medicine and public health, respectively. Having done half our the public health module in Semester 6 (Year 3), we will now complete the remaining half during Semester 9, and we will sit the final examination for Public Health as well. Next year, Semester 10 - our final semester - begins. We only have two large modules, medicine and surgery, which includes sub-internship (i.e. pre-housemanship) training as well. Barring any hiccups, there will be one last round of examinations at the end of Semester 10 - these are the final examinations for medicine and surgery. Thus concludes medical school in a nutshell.

4) It has been a really long ride, certainly made longer by my research year abroad. But at the end of the day, I keep telling myself that it will all be worth it. And with that, I'll end my blog post here. Take care, stay safe and stay happy. Cheers!

Dinner with my good friend Sim @ Sushi Tei, Gurney Plaza

A lovely view to the sea

Chicken katsu curry for dinner :)

This is my first dine-in at Gurney Plaza Food Hall in months. 

Feels great seeing people coming back.

Saba meal deal for lunch. Cheap as chips for just RM10 (~£2)!

DAY 1822-1847

Aug 29 - Sept 23

1) This is the longest I've gone without a blog update - and for good reason. I've been waiting for the end-of-fourth year results to come out. What initially started out as a one week wait turned into two, then three, and finally just shy of a month since our last exam, we finally received our results this morning, during online class no less. I can just imagine some of my friends just zoning out of the lecture in order to check our results mid-lesson - I know I did.

2) For the past four weeks, we have had online classes on medicine and surgery, which are our fifth year modules. It has been rather difficult for me to find motivation to study for fifth year, especially when we didn't even know if we passed fourth year or not. Honestly, I was mentally preparing for the worst - as I knew I did not do well in a few modules. But without getting into too much detail, I was so incredibly lucky to pass fourth year! And suddenly, the stress and anxiety of waiting a month for our results seemed to just melt away. 

3) So the next (and final) step is fifth year - which is divided into Semester 9 and 10. Semester 9 has three modules which the students rotate through i.e. surgery, medicine, and public health. However, there have been problems getting us medical students back to the wards, as our main teaching hospital (Penang General Hospital) has no more teaching wards. This is due to the fact that most of the wards have been converted into COVID-19 wards, which is off-limits for medical students.

4) Nevertheless, we are scheduled to return to clinics beginning next Monday. It will be a slightly different experience, as the clinics see different patients compared to the wards. The main difference being that patients seen in clinics are generally in a more stable condition as they do not require ward admission. But there is still hope, as we are likely to utilise another teaching hospital (Taiping Hospital) after our first two weeks of clinics. Currently, there is a lot of uncertainty regarding the resumption of clinical teaching. Hopefully, this is sorted out as soon as possible, so that we may graduate and move on in life.

5) The coronavirus pandemic has really turned the world upside down, and on a personal note, has affected our clinical exposure with patients. Hopefully, we will be able to make up for this deficit and become safe and competent healthcare professionals in the end. On that note, I'll end my blog post here. Thanks very much for visiting, and have a great day. Cheers! 

On a side note - I've received my second dose of vaccine!

This means I'm fully vaccinated, and just in time for our return to clinics too :)

The sign reads, "I've been vaccinated. You should too!" - which is really good advice

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 1787-1801

Jul 25 - Aug 8

1) We are entering the last few days of clinical teaching before our exams (Obstetrics & Gynaecology). It has been a hectic two weeks, as we juggled between morning bed-side teachings in the wards, filling in our clinical logbook, as well as completing our case write-ups in time. Thankfully, all of that is a thing of the past. Monday will be our final bed-side teaching before our O&G end-of-rotation examinations on Thursday / Friday. This is followed by a 9-day study break before the end of fourth year examinations, consisting of written papers and a 20-station OSCE practical session.

2) Let's see if I can explain how the clinical exams work. Each exam candidate is assigned a patient, either in the obstetrics ward or gynaecology ward. We are given around 30 minutes to obtain a coherent history (i.e. ask the patient questions) and perform any physical examinations as we see fit. Then, we have a 20 minute session with two examiners, which will include presentation of the case, demonstration of the physical examination, as well as discussion on management and long-term follow-up. That's basically it.

3) Looking back at the rotation, I have found obstetrics and gynaecology to be very interesting and challenging at the same time. Doctors frequently remind us that the job scope involves managing the long-term care of not one but two lives - that of the mother and the baby. Also, a lot of management decisions (especially during labour and delivery) is time-sensitive - there is absolutely no room for any delay whatsoever. A good example would be when my friends and I were awaiting a mother to deliver in the labour ward. Having waited for more than an hour, we decided to go outside to take a breather. A few minutes later, we returned - only to find that she had already delivered!

4) This rotation also made me aware of the sacrifices that mothers have to make - before, during, and after birth. Going into the rotation, I was aware of the pain and stress that comes with childbirth, but nothing could prepare me for actually being there as it happens. We witnessed various types of delivery, including spontaneous vaginal deliveries (natural childbirths), assisted deliveries (vacuum, forceps), and C-sections. Babies who were delivered healthy and well would be immediately placed on the mother for skin-to-skin contact and subsequent breastfeeding. Babies who were not active or not breathing well would be immediately handed to the paediatrics team for neonatal resuscitation and evaluation. This further highlights the importance of inter-departmental coordination, specifically between the O&G team and paeds team. 

5) In the gynaecology department, the doctors manage patients with reproductive system issues. A common presenting complaint is abnormal uterine bleeding, which comprises heavy or prolonged periods, painful periods, irregular periods, reduced periods, or absent periods. There is a laundry list of causes to explain these symptoms, ranging from mild, benign causes all the way to cancerous causes. Therefore, women are constantly reminded of the need to undergo regular pap smears, especially with advancing age. During my posting, I had the opportunity to clerk patients with fibroids, cancers, and miscarriages. It also taught me how to approach sensitive issues (e.g. past relationships or sexual partners, past miscarriages or C-sections) with tact and diplomacy. All in all, it has been a huge learning curve for me.

6) It has been a great experience thus far, and hopefully the exams will go smoothly as well. I'll end my blog post here, as I should probably get back to work haha. Thanks very much for visiting as always, and have a great week ahead. Stay safe and stay happy, cheers!

Me, Aida, and Ainin outside the labour room

(it was a very long but productive day!)