Tuesday, October 17

Work

Today's been really enjoyable. We studied the skull in dissection and I thought I was going to be so blur during the session. I spent a while (about 1.5 hr) before dissection going through the human anatomy atlas in the library. So at the end the memorisation paid off. I kind of know almost everything on the skull already. Test me if you want. AH..... I love the sense of satisfaction of knowing something that's universally known to be difficult.

This week had been quite a crazy week for me. I haven't wasted a single minute of my weekend amd yet I've only managed to tick off 1 out of the 14 learning objectives to be due for the PBL discussion tomorrow. What am I going to do??? This case's just mad! We literally have to study the whole brain in 4 days. I really really love the neuro challenge, but I think it has gone past the threshold for me to keep motivated. Now I just feel like going to bed and who cares if I screw up in PBL tomorrow. I just feel pointless rushing through 13 learning objectives in less that 12 hours. I think I shall just sleep for like 2/3 hours and see if I'll wake up feeling more enthusiastic.

Sunday, October 15

The legendary girls schools

I went to a secondary school which accepted only girls throughout its 109 years history since its beginning in 1893. But in the first year I left, they started admitting boys. Two years from now, yet another century old school which my sister went to, Kuen Cheng Girls School, will start to enrol boys. As a former student who attended its primary school (SJK(C) Kuen Cheng 1), I feel sad to learn the decision. I often wonder whether or not these changes are just inevitable.

Studying in an all girls school has been a really unique experience for me. While the school can be constantly filled with bitching and gossiping, we've also managed to cultivate some traditions rarely seen in co-ed school. I really missed those days when we screamed out loud in extremely high pitch breaking our throats (and other people's eardrums) for little things like getting into the semifinals of choral speaking competition. Girls are also really fond of crying over little things. I remembered Ai Ming, who was one of the toughest person I've ever seen, cried a few days before our form 5 sports day while captaining the Maclay house because of the pressure. Sports days are the best. We somehow always managed to come up with good cheers which rhyme well, making every single spectators get into the sporting spirit. I had never had a boring sports day. I admit that guys can be real jokers at times but we girls had our own jokes about guys. I recalled having laughed every single day in school during my fifth form and that's just really fun.

One thing I really need to give credit to my secondary school is the boost in self confidence I get. I would never be who I am today without BBGS/SMKSBU. A girls school gives girls the opportunity to do great things without the help of guys, and that's really important. In college especially, girls would always be excluded from important leadership role and physically demanding tasks. That kind of annoyed me because I believe both gender should have equal opportunity to undertake important responsibilities as well sa carrying all kinds of tasks, physically demanding or not.

It is true that I had some problem dealing with guys when I study in higher education institution, but that's because I rarely have the chance to interact with the opposite sex. I don't go for tuition and the only guy in my family is my father. Not many people have such unique circumstances right? Furthermore dealing with guys is not an incredibly difficult skill to learn. It took me only a few weeks to get used to talking to guys.

Long live all girls schools!

Wednesday, October 11

The Manchester transportation system

Before I first arrived in the UK, mummy always tell me that the UK transportation system is so reliable that you can put your life to it. After spending a year here, I beg to differ. To be fair, most of the time it's ok, but when something goes wrong, I tend to be really really frustrated.

My first time being failed by the system was during my second GP visit in my first year. I went to the train station an hour ahead of the time but two trains to my destination were cancelled, leaving me about 20 minutes late for my first meeting with a patient.

And today another nonsense come by. I waited at the Failsworth station for a train to Manchester for almost an hour and a half only to be told by a fellow waiting passenger who called the rail enquiry that there's no train running because of technical fault. We were asked to use the bus replacement service instead. Fine. I thought this was bad enough. I waited for the bus for almost half an hour, then I saw a train leaving the platform! The train was up and running again and I missed it. I went up to the platform again and waited for at least another half an hour for the next train. And I've wasted at least 2 hours today because of this rubbish. To add on to my frustration. I wasn't in such a good state today. I had to wake up at 7am today for a HeartStart volunteering, endured 2 hours of car travel to and from the school, then brace through the rain to get to Failsworth Health Centre in Oldham then face this nonsense. I've been through all these with just a handful of cereal chucked into my mouth early in the morning and a cup a hot chocolate courtesy of the health centre in my belly. In the train station, I watched the rain stops and gets heavy and stops and gets heavy again. I was freezing and my feet really hurt because I was wearing a new shoes.

So to sum up, this is one of the low days that I had and I just want to vent my frustration towards the Manchester transportation system.

Saturday, October 7

Interesting week!

As it was rightly predicted by Shakirah (thanks for the comment by the way), I managed to sort out my PBL work before the PBL discussion session on Tuesday. I did not sleep for the whole night before to finish the PBL work... well I haven't actually finish them but I've done quite a reasonable amount. Tuesday's PBL discussion was rather interesting as well. My tutor Tomlinson sat beside me instead of his usual place right in front to 'make me feel nice'. I've probably said this before but I have to say it again - he's really one helpful tutor. He really knows the sciences well. Even I get corrected when talking about pharmacology stuff (which has never happened for the previous two semester as I'm the Queen of pharmacology). I really enjoyed having him in the group.

Wednesday's lab practical was the most interesting yet. We injected each other with local anaesthetic. I received four jabs from my partner while I gave him a jab. It was really fun! After the practical everyone was talking about it and proudly showing off their scars!

I'm also attending a training for a job as a stop smoking adviser. I hope everything goes on smoothly and I'll be able to actually do it unlike the Apex nursing thing. On Thursday night, I went to a Buddhist society talk. Met a few people and overall it was quite good and I'll definitely do for it again whenever I'm available. Yesterday morning, I went to the Manchester Blood Service centre to donate by blood. I have also consented to join the bone marrow register. And after that, I still can't believe it but I actually spent 6 hours in the library! Got quite a bit of neuroanatomy done.

Sunday, October 1

What do you do if you simply can't control yourself?

I meant to study. I really meant to. But I just couldn't do it. I don't know why. I get distracted so easily. So up to this moment, I haven't done anything for my PBL. I had just wasted my entire weekend.

I have to admit that I began with a bad start this term. I felt more organized last term (or was it only the end of last term?... whatever) . I have covered most of the learning objectives for case 1. But just for the record, I still haven't done 1. the nature of joint and 2. the psychosocial bit. That's quite an awful lot of reading to do. And now we are in the middle of second case already.

O dear. I have yet to start even one learning objective for case 2, not to mention the preparation for dissection and neuroanatomy that I am suppose to prepare this weekend. I feel like kicking myself. So any good suggestion for me?