Life Is Something Like That

Are you either?

We planned for a climb/hike up the Broga Hill in Semenyih. After a night's stay at our friend's house, we started the climb at about six in the morning. Guided by lights from our torch and phones, we ascended the hill surrounded by darkness.

There was once when I was walking back towards my campus, I was approached by a guy. A skinny, average height, albeit taller than me, guy. He was wearing a worn-out shirt and a jeans, and looked like a smoker (no idea how I came out with that thought). I was just walking back in from outside, in front of the hospital building, slightly past the entrance. He came over to me and asked if I had change for one ringgit. He wanted to make a phone call, it seemed. I exchanged a few coins for his note. He then went ahead, and I continued my walk along the side of the building.

2 weeks and the posting was over. 1 week in neurosurgery and another week in neuromedical, and that was it. It was rather brief. After all, it was just intended to be sort of like an exposure for us. The field was quite complicated, I think. Nevertheless, it was interesting. Glad there was actually two weeks, rather than none, of the posting. If there were none, it would have been a miss. The cases that we saw was quite serious, at least in the eyes of the public. The patients could present with paralysis after a motor vehicle accident, had altered consciousness, even coma, or lose cognitive functions such as comprehending and talking. It's a good thing there are specialist units to handle these cases and help to improve the quality of life of the patient, whatever that's left.

Besut, Terengganu - Nine students got lost on a trekking trip, but survived the ordeal and came out unscathed (not really). More details after the break.

4 weeks and it's the end of psychiatric posting. It was a totally different kind of posting, I think. Clerking history was difficult, because a lot of the time, they either don't know what was wrong with them or they have forgotten or they simply didn't want to tell us. Yeah well, they can't be blamed either. In the eyes of our society, it is an embarrassing thing.

The posting was uneventful, well at least to me. No physical assault or anything like that from the patients. At most, there was a guy running to and fro, gazing up, as if chasing a butterfly. Then, of course, if you pass outside the wards, the patients would be calling you and trying to talk to you. That's normal. Unlike my friend, a muscular guy, he got hugged by a female patient while he was in the ward. Yeah, he was 'terrified'. Haha.

After the end of our previous posting, many students went back home. The third year students too, went back as they had just finished their professional exam. So, the campus was kinda quiet. And we were restless. We just finished our end-posting exam, and it was weekend, and there was an additional day off - we got to find something to do.

We were out of ideas, but in the end, we decided to go to a beach in Kg Kemayang Tawang in Bachok, to catch the sunrise. It would be about 20 minutes drive from our campus, and we were supposed to be leaving at 6am. Alas, we (the guys) were still floating in slumberland, and by the time we reached the beach, the sun was already out. But then, the day was cloudy, so even if we were out early, we wouldn't have seen the sun rise either. Ah, it's just a thought for us to feel less guilty. Haha.

If you had used your USB drive to copy some files over from a shared computer or a computer at the office/workplace, you may have experienced this: it all seemed all right when you copied the files, but when you went back to your laptop to access your USB drive, suddenly all your files were gone, and all that's left were shortcuts (and of course, a virus, which of course, is hidden). Now, don't worry, because most likely your files are still there - it's just hidden. Note though, that you shouldn't be clicking on the shortcuts in your panicky attempt at finding your files, because it will just activate the virus to inject its "offsprings" into your computer.

6 weeks of medical posting has already ended. 6 weeks seems a bit too short for the posting, but then again, I've always felt short of time in previous postings. Perhaps it's my problem. Haha. How did I use up my time during the posting? I wonder. Anyhow, contrary to what some may have said, I actually thought that the posting was okay. The only 'problem' is that there many classes had to be postponed and replaced at another time because the lecturers were busy. Apart from that, it was alright. I think we were given ample time to study on our own (no unnecessary activities), be it in the ward or in our room or the library, etc. And our group leader did a good job of arranging the schedule and dividing the tasks. Well, there's a lot of things to study/cover in this medical posting, as usual. And I couldn't finish it. Yeah, slowpoke. That's me. Haha. If I could remember all the I've studied in the previous years, this posting would have been much easier. Unfortunately, I've forgotten a lot of those stuff. Sigh. Because of the sheer volume of things I had to study, I did feel stressed up at times. Now that it's over, I'm so relieved. I just hope that what I've studied will be retained, though I seriously doubt it. That's for now. Next posting: psychiatry.

3 weeks of the Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery posting is over already. Yea, it's a long name for the posting, we usually just call it ORL or ENT. Another nice posting. Of course, there are much to be learned, especially given the short timeframe of just 3 weeks. There are so many parts we had to cover: the ears, nose, throat, head and neck - within 3 weeks. Nevertheless, we tried, of course, and the lecturers also were accommodative. What I really liked about the posting is the positivity of the lecturers, doctors and professors. There's like an aura of positivity around them, whether they are dealing with patients or us medical students. You will notice it when you meet them. Especially so when you meet certain doctors. You won't miss it. Their spirit or enthusiasm could actually wake you up from sleepiness during class. Haha. Instead of being stressful, they made the medical field more enjoyable. I'd just wish all the doctors were like that. Too much to ask for, eh?

All in all, it's not a posting to be taken lightly, but we had great teachers. Well, it's kind of short, and I'd think that a week or two longer would be better perhaps? Considering that these ENT cases are quite commonly encountered, especially in our future profession. In conclusion, it's a great posting, and for those yet to enter, it's a posting to look forward to.

3 weeks and the ophthalmology posting has ended. It was definitely a change of air. Having gone through the other postings, I must say it's a rather nice, clean and not-so-stressful posting. All the lecturers and MOs were very good and nice to students. They were very helpful and willing to teach. All in all, the atmosphere was 'nice' (okay, I think I used the word a bit too much, but it really is how I felt about this posting). It just makes me feel compelled to be a part of this environment. Who knows? Maybe. Haha.

So, three weeks for us to learn about the basics. We learnt, and practised looking at the fundus using a direct ophthalmoscope, as well as some other modalities that were used. All the equipment, gadgets, and lenses - they perk my interest. Haha. I wouldn't say things were rushed in this posting, and given how well the posting was organized, we actually had the time and opportunity to study and practice, so that we were able to cover the things that we were supposed to know.

And then there was the Community Eye Service, which in my opinion, was a great programme. Besides helping out the community (by giving some basic eye check), we were also able to practise our skills, especially when it comes to viewing the fundus.

All in all, a great posting!

The event yesterday night was amazing. It was a continuation of the annual Chinese New Year Night in the years before this. These events have always been a wonderful show of performances. Well, this year, they definitely did not fail to surprise us. It's great, words just aren't enough to describe it. You'd have to watch it yourself. If you missed it, perhaps next year? Aha. Bravo to all of them who made it a success. The preparation surely was not easy, but together, they made miracles.

Another 6 weeks have past - and so is the orthopaedics posting. Was it just me, or did anybody else felt the same? That for each posting that we've been through, they were just too short, too packed and too hectic. Especially for this posting. Well, at least for me.

I was assigned to the spine unit for this orthopaedics posting. It was quite alright, except that it could be quite exhausting at times (I think I'd skip the details). Otherwise, it was an interesting posting. We started off with our coordinator telling us that we should just be thinking of becoming an orthopaedic surgeon, for at least these six weeks - yeah, he probably tells that to every batch. The posting was quite organised. We're susceptible to getting lost in this vast medical sea, so a little pinch of organization is always a good thing for us medical students.

After many many hours of preparation in the weeks and months before, the day finally arrived. We had already set up the equipments, chairs and tables the day before, and so this was it. About 30 pregnant mothers came. Some were pregnant for the first time and some had already been pregnant before. Still, what's wrong with a little bit more knowledge, ain't it?

We started with registration and the opening ceremony, as usual. Then, after a breakfast, our class started. First, there was a talk on changes during pregnancy - what to expect and some tips; then the process of labour; and also the changes after giving birth. Aspects of diet were also discussed, as they are important for the nutrition of both the growing baby and mother. There were also representatives who gave talks on amnion donor and stem cells.

Happy Chinese New Year!
Wishing you a happy and prosperous new year.

Surgery posting for Year 4 has already ended. It was quite hectic, part of it due to the log book requirements. It was a heap! Looking at the log book, there's 100+ pages, probably around 120. What's in there? Cases, procedures, etc. We're expected to at least fill in 80% of not just the book, but each section in it. Yeah, when I heard about it, I was like 'what?!'.

Let's do some calculation here. We're expected to 'complete' (in other words, to get signatures) for 64 short cases, 8 long cases, clinics, ward rounds, on-calls, OTs, and many many procedures. So added up, they will amount to about 180 signatures! And guess what, there are about 30 of us in a group, so in total, the department would need to shed out 30 x 180 = 5400 signatures! In 6 weeks time! Really, when's the last time you wrote a 300-word essay? And this is just 300 words; try writing a 5000-word essay, handwritten!

It's rather impractical. Not only is it a 'burden' to the lecturers (who are always being 'chased' by students for signatures), it's using too much of the students' time. I'm not sure if we spent more time on the log book than our academic books. Okay, so you say there are many lecturers, so the signatures can be 'shared'. But in reality, there are only a few lecturers who are helpful and understanding - the others wouldn't bother less. Then your next argument would be that the log book makes us stay in the ward more. But we need to study first! Since this is the start of our 'real' clinical years, we're 'empty'. Hence, we need to build our foundation first! If we're just in the ward hunting for cases and signatures, then we're really not learning anything. At the end of it, we're still empty. But of course, once we have the basic knowledge, then it'd be interesting to stay in the ward more. We really know then what we're missing and what we can learn. On another note, I agree that some of the requirements for certain procedures seen or done, are good. For example, wound dressing, OTs (especially if you scrubbed in), blood taking, setting IV line.

How did we manage to complete the log book requirements? I'm not too sure myself. Out of desperation, I guess, for  the sake of passing. Though the exams would be an entirely different matter. The exam questions were actually quite standard. Not too hard, not too easy. The doctors who set the questions have clearly given some thought to it. I just wished I had more time studying.

Who would've thought, of all the postings, that surgery is a 'log book posting'. Nevertheless, the surgery posting is of itself, an interesting posting. There are much to learn and much to do. Apart from that, some of the doctors are very friendly and helpful. And it's those doctors who inspire us. They're even considered idols among some students. Also, we got to actually scrub into the OT and watch real close. We could also learn and practise some simple procedures, e.g. blood taking and wound dressing. It was a good experience. The posting could have been better though; perhaps some improvements and organization will make it better.