Weekend at Peak Districk Part II

For Part I, please click here.

Sunday morning are always lazy and I think they should stay that way. However, when four other people are waiting for you, it might not be such a good idea. I was the last one to wake up, even though I got an extra hour of sleep with the clocks moving back. I had to pack so quickly because everyone else was ready. Awkward... I felt quite embarrassed.

Anyway, after I booted myself out of the door, we went to a little cafe for breakfast. Most of us had the very big breakfast plate. And oh my oh my was it big.

Weekend Away at Peak District Part I

I never got the obsession that some people have about autumn. For me, it is the start of term, the end of sunny days, end of floaty summer dresses, the start of the countdown to winter. The weather is changeable, sometimes it is freezing and sometimes it is too warm. So I was never that big of a fan of autumn. However, I think the Peak District may have changed my mind on this ambiguous season. The scenery was just amazingly beautiful. The red hues and the weaving mountains were just stunning.

We went to Ladybower dam and Derwent dam on the Saturday morning and then enjoyed the rest of the day at Chatsworth House. We drove past Ladybower dam and made a pit stop at the Ladybower lake. It seemed like there would usually be quite a lot of fisherman out there if the weather was better. There was a fishing supply shop just opposite the road.

Ladybower lake. The skies weren't looking too kind on us that morning...

The area around Derwent dam was just so pretty. It was just all trees and grass, so different from the dusty grey London. The dam was impressive but I think it would have been more spectacular if we were in the wet season. To be honest, it is difficult to think that North England has dry seasons, I swear it never stops raining. We even caught a little bit of rain in the morning, although it didn't stop us doing our planned activities.

Cup of tea, check, scarf check, massive coat, check. How to combat British weather. 

Weekends are for Pigging Out

FOOD. This pretty much sums up my weekend.

On Saturday, my boyfriend and I went round to one of my friend's house for his birthday party. It was such a good evening. The food was amazing, espresso martinis were made by the birthday boy's girlfriend. She is very talented in that area, amongst other things like knitting, baking, being super stylish (just check out her website)... Anyway, girl crush fawning over. So, food, I felt way too self conscious to take pictures, but here is a list: fried chicken, spiced rice, salad, coleslaw... Seriously, everything was delicious. And the desserts. There was a lemon tart and two loafs of lemon drizzle cake. The drizzle cake was melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness, super light. It was so good that I took a slice home. No shame whatsoever.

To add to the pigging out, before we went to the party, we had food out at Westfield Stratford. It is quite dangerous that a massive shopping centre is only 25 mins away on the overground train from my flat. The proximity is not healthy for my wallet, I am looking at you Victoria's Secret. We went to a Vietnamese restaurant and had some light but satisfying noodles and Pho (pronounced 'fuh'). Then proceeded to have poffertjes (mini Dutch pancakes) covered in milk chocolate AND an Oreo milkshake. Before you judge, we only got one of each and shared between us, that makes it less bad, right? The poffertjes were hot and freshly made, it was slightly salty, and having it dipped in milk chocolate was just heavenly. I think this might be my new favourite guilty-pleasure treat at Westfield. It used to be Mr Pretzel, but they increased their price by 49p, not a lot in absolute terms but that is a 14% increase!

God, just looking at this makes me want another one... (taken from thefoodconnoisseur, not my own picture)

Save the NHS

I went to my first protest today, for one of the most important current issues in the UK right now- junior doctor contracts. The new contracts will compromise patient safety, discriminate against female doctors wanting to start a family, discriminate against different medical specialities... The new contracts mean the beginning of the end of the NHS.

So, medics decided to protest. We had to make our voices heard. The atmosphere was amazing. The hundreds of people that turned up tonight managed to make a difference, and I am so glad I was a part of it.

What's happening to my future?

I feel sad, incredibly sad. Everytime I think about the junior contract changes, or see any evocative writing in social media by doctors, I can feel tears fill my eyes. Sounds dramatic, I know, but please let me explain to you why I feel this way.  

Working to become a doctor doesn't only start at university. It starts in early teens. First, we have to get good GCSE grades because medical school admissions take GCSE grades into account. GCSEs starts from 13/14 years old.  Then, we have two years of A-levels. During which we have to get straight A/A*'s, because of the competition for med school entry. Outside studying, we do extracurriculars, part-time job, sports, music, work experience, volunteering, to make us a desirable candidate for medical school (and of course we enjoy them too). If we are one of fortunate ones who got a place in a medical school, then we can start the 6 year university course of medicine. So far, that is already 10 years of dedication. 

After we graduate, we work even harder in the hospitals. Early mornings, late nights and weekends. Missed family events, weddings and hardly any holidays. When we aren't working, we have to study for more exams for our career progression, some also do research work at the side. All of this is tough, and we get stressed and depressed, but we get through it all. We probably all secretly have a relish for it. All of this is worth it. To see someone sick and frail become healthy and strong again because of what you did is an amazing feeling. To have that person's family thank you for your hard work, and see their happiness is fantastic. 

But now... Is it all going to be worth it?

New Junior Doctor Contracts

I am so angry. Absolutely fuming. Why are doctors in England constantly under attack by the government?

No, I am not a doctor yet, just a medical student, but in under two years time, I will be the one affected by the new junior doctor contracts.

After 6 years of hard work, after 6 years of debt, there will be more years of hard work, more exams, more training courses, and even more money spent on those things. Of course I knew about that, I accepted that. But what I don't accept is the government insinuating that we are lazy, greedy, money grabbers.

Firstly, the 7 day NHS debacle. The NHS is already working 24/7, giving everyone, everyone access to free healthcare. While junior doctors, registrars and consultants work day and night to deliver that service. The 6000 deaths are NOT due to a '5 day' system. This is the paper the conservative government based their movement on, which then caused sensationalism by the Daily Mail. Utter rubbish.

The conclusion states that 'admissions at the weekend is associated with increased risk of subsequent death within 30 days of admission. The likelihood of death actually occurring is less on a weekend day than a mid-week day.' From this conclusion, I cannot fathom why the government thought having a 7 day NHS would solve the problem in the death rate variance.

If you want a more detailed breakdown of the results from the paper, check out this blog.

So after all the social media rage over the havoc Jeremy Hunt has fueled, now comes the new contracts for junior doctors starting from 2016. All with the aim of a 'better and safer' NHS. And these are the facts:

First Day Back!

Smart clothes, stethoscope, pen, notebook, ID. Okay, those are the bare essentials. Double check. Okay. Good.

First day back on the wards! I was quite looking forward this. The last two weeks in the lecture theatre was almost torture. Also, since I have done clinics already last year, everything was a bit more familiar and less nerve wracking this year. Some things never change though, I waited for a good 20mins for the ward round to start. As a medical student, you gotta have patience to wait around for the doctors.

As a new year begins, I promised myself to study harder, eat healthier, wake up earlier, and work out more. It's worked out pretty well so far. (Well it has only been one day) I managed to drag myself out of bed by 6.15am. Then got dressed and worked out, took a shower. I proceeded to make my breakfast (toasted seeded bread with smashed avocado and poached egg) and to finish preparing my lunch. I even had time to put on a little bit of makeup and still walk to uni. A pretty big win in the morning! Now I just have to keep it up... I am feeling pretty sleepy already though and it's only 7.38pm...

I think I had more expectations for today. However, things quickly settled into routine. Ward round, lunch, library, teaching, then home. Pretty uneventful day! Tomorrow I have nothing scheduled- just clerking patients. If this was last year, I might have just not gone in, but as I have promised myself, I am going to work harder. Hence, I shall do what the timetable says and clerk some patients. Very elderly patients, possibly with hearing problems too. More of a challenge to talk to and examine. But they can be very sweet and adorable.

Right, I promised myself, so I must get on with it. You have permission to slap me (softly) if you find me slacking. Off to studying I go now...

Baozi Inn in Chinatown

I went to one of my favourite restaurants in Chinatown with a friend last week. I loved their Baozi, a bigger version of a dumpling that is steamed, but they changed their menu and they no longer served any baozi! Why call it Baozi Inn when you don't serve any baozi anymore?! It was a bit disappointing for sure, but the food that we did order was still very tasty.

Writing a Good Personal Statement for Medicine

As mentioned in my previous post, your personal statement is the most crucial thing in your UCAS medical school application. Writing a good personal statement (PS) is almost an art, you want to be original but not outlandishly weird, you want to seem intelligent and confident but not arrogant and cocky, and there is the character limit. It seems like all the cards are stacked against you, but don't stress! I've come to the rescue! If you are struggling to write your personal statement for your medical school application, you've come to the right place. I've got some very important tips and advice for you.

Now you are probably thinking why you should listen to me, right? Well, I've written quite a few formal personal statements in my time. Two for my medical school applications (as I applied twice), one for studying an integrated bachelor's degree in Neuroscience (one the most competitive courses at my university), another for studying a bachelor's degree in Anatomy (we had to write another second PS for our back up choice), aaaand one for a PhD application.

Was I successful in all of them? Yes.

I got 3/4 medical school interviews (I didn't get an interview from Oxford, but they didn't place very much on PS's for interview selection). I got a place on the Neuroscience BSc degree, which was decided on the personal statement alone, no interviews! I also got an interview for my PhD application, and I know people who were rejected just on paper.

So I hope I have convinced you that my advice is worth reading. Obviously, your personal statement is not the only thing that will determine your success. It is one of the means to get you an interview. For other things, please read my post on Medical School Applications.

So, let's dive in...

Top Tips for Getting into Medical School

*Disclaimer: this blog post is aimed at students applying for medical schools in the UK*

How do I get into Medical School?

This is a question I have asked myself a few times in sixth form. A questions with unsure answers, especially as I was applying for medicine for the second time back in 2010. Now thinking about it, it all seemed much simpler.

If you are currently thinking about becoming a doctor, and would like to go study medicine at university (how else will you become a doctor right?), read on for my Top Ten Tips. Advice from someone who has tried twice, so I know what to do and what not to do.

Too Many Lectures!

Two more days until we go back on the wards, THANK GOD. I cannot take anymore lectures.

For the first time this week, being at university hasn't induced me to sleep. We had small group teaching sessions on bedside assessments, palliative care, ear examination and ophthalmology. In small group teaching, I was actually engaged and felt like I was learning something! Whereas for the last two days, I was sitting in an artificially lit lecture theatre with no windows (sunlight = happiness, heard of seasonal depressive disorder?), in front of my iPad, which was for note taking but really became a procrastination tool, and unable to listen to anything with attention. I wanted to listen dutifully and make impeccably clear notes, but that just did not happen. Maybe I wasn't interested in the content (psychiatry, yuck) or maybe I just have a short attention span. The exact same thing happened last year, but I passed and came in 4th decile, so the lectures are obviously not pass/fail. Well, I have to tell myself that to make me a little bit better when I'm sitting next to my friend who is typing away on her laptop diligently...

Today was so good though. I felt so happy that I saw the optic disc through the ophthalmoscope. I only really managed once before on a patient whose pupils were dilated medically. They say practice makes perfect, but an ophthalmoscope costs over £100! I inherited one from my boyfriend's grandma, but I blew out the bulb by putting the wrong battery in it... Then I tried to find the correct battery online, but the model of the ophthalmoscope was so old. Also, it still costs so much and a new bulb costs £70 too. Learning medicine is so expensive, my stethoscope alone cost me around £60!

So tomorrow, we have one 3 hour lecture in the morning, then a couple more one hour lectures, followed by a super short lunch break and then another 3 hour lecture in the afternoon (on psych again, yucky yuck yuck)! I am not looking forward to it. I am going to go to Chinatown after lectures though- the company and the custard buns will save me!

Start of Term

Hello, my name is Aijing and I am a fifth year medical student... I am looking forward to using this phrase over and over again starting from the next couple of weeks. Four years of my life has gone by studying medicine, and two more to come until I become a doctor! 

This week has been a 'limbo' week. We are eased into the year with four days of 'Introduction and Orientation'. I think there might have been one or two useful lectures. They were about migrants' healthcare rights, which is actually quite a current topic righ now. Other lectures were interesting(ish) but having them back to back right after summer was not appealing, no matter how interesting. They weren't particularly factual lectures too, so overall I was slightly annoyed at medical school for putting this week in as it meant one less week of summer.

All the useless lectures had one good thing though, it meant I could socialise in the evenings rather than studying! I hung out with my friends every night and went back home for the weekend. I went round one of my friends on Tuesday and we made huevos rancheros (sorry if it's spelt wrong!) for dinner. Food was so tasty but I managed to break their tin opener and kill one of their pans. I felt so guilty! On one of the other evenings, someone cooked rather than me, with less disastrous results. He made thai chicken curry and it was delicious.

Cyprus Holiday Part II

We drove to the mountains one day and saw Toodoro and went along the walking trail that lead to a waterfall. The waterfall wasn't spectacular, but that was probably due to the dry summer. A lot of driving was done on that day. The next time that we used the car, one of the tires started to go flat. All of use was slightly concerned that a tire might have been punctured by the driving from the day before. This caused quite a lot of stress on my parents, and some very expensive phone calls to the rental car company. Fortunately, we found a garage and it was actually a valve problem due to neglected maintenance on the wheels. Phew. Not our fault.

Cyprus Holiday Part I

Sun shine, sandy beaches, and clear ocean waters. These words describe my Cyprus holiday perfectly. After travelling actively in Croatia for a week, a do-nothing-beach-holiday was just what I needed. I went there with my parents and my boyfriend, while there was some friction between me and my parents sometimes, the holiday was still enjoyable.

We didn't get up to much on this holiday, but it was still quite eventful. Most of the time was spent at the beach. The Hotel we stayed at had its own beach, so it was literally only a few steps down to the ocean from our room. The water was so warm, it was like having a bath! We did a lot of snorkelling, which caused me to have a rather stripy, unevenly tanned back...

Into the fish!

Last Croatian Holiday Post

Today was cake day. Our last day in Croatia was pretty uneventful. We spent it at a beach sun-bathing all day and enjoyed a swim in the Adriatic for the last time.

Day 7- Split

It is very loud here.

There are many more cars and we can hear every single one as they drive past our window. The buses make a rumbling sound as they go past- all this noise is quite a shock to the system after a quiet few days.

The Diocletian Palace ruins

Day 6- Korcula II/ Arrival into Split

(Super long post with SO MANY pictures)

Today was probably the most troublesome day during the entire holiday.

Southern Croatia had a thunderstorm. At the beginning, I was quite glad of the rain. It bought a cool breeze to the town and for once I wasn't constantly sweating. However in the afternoon the storm grew. The episodes of rain was more frequent and it was pouring down. The cool breeze turned into a chill and I had to borrow Philip's jumper! I did not think that I would at any point wear a jumper and not feel boiling hot during this holiday.

Day 5- Korcula

Posing next a canon is normal right?

Day 4- Miljet

The owner of the hostel gave us a free lift to the ferry terminal this morning. We were leaving Dubrovnik today to go to Miljet Island via ferry. Fortunately for us, she was getting up early to drive to the airport and offered us a ride. We were very appreciative of this as it meant we got to the terminal in good time (7.30 for 9.15 boat) and it saved us a taxi fare. 

The view from our balcony- stunning!

Day 3- Lokrum

(Pictures coming very soon!)

The last day in Dubrovnik was a relaxing one, although it was technically mostly spent at Lokrum, an island near Dubrovnik.

It took only 10 minutes by boat and once we got off, we decided to just wonder without looking at any maps. That might not have been such a good idea. We were climbing up a walking trail for quite a while, but it was so hot that it wasn't as enjoyable as it could have been. We decided to try and go downwards and find a beach to finally feel the Adriatic Sea. We did find a nice area to swim in the end, and when we left that spot to walk back to the harbour, we realised that our 'exclusive' spot was actually much much closer to the harbour than we thought- all that walking in the heat for nothing!

Day 2- Dubrovnik

We had planned on getting up at 7am, so we can go out in the cool and beat the tours to the City Wall of the Old Town. However, we ended up getting up just before 8am. We got to the city wall at 9am, so it wasn't too bad and the weather wasn't too hot at that point.

We started walking around the City Wall at Ploce gate. This part of the wall had the steepest climb and was deemed to be less busy by the Lonely Planet, so a good starting place. The views of the old town was beautiful. The terracotta roof tiles that covered over each building was a classic sight of Dubrovnik. The coast line and mountainous views were also amazing. My boyfriend and I enjoyed watching the kayakers at sea struggling to steer and move forward.

Trying to look cool in the boiling heat

Day 1- Arriving at Dubrovnik



Figs! Fig trees were everywhere, found this juicy one on the road on the way to Old Town

Arriving at the quiet tiny Dubrovnik airport was quite a stark contrast to departing from crowd-filled Gatwick, even though we got to the airport at 5am. Also in contrast was the weather. We arrived in glorious sunshine and a whopping 32 degrees.

Tyler Hilton and Kate Voegele Concert

For some reason, some songs just sound and feel so much better live.

Last Saturday was the third time I've seen Tyler Hilton live in the UK. First time, he was supporting Boyce Avenue, then he was on a small tour in the UK, and this time round, he was touring with another favourite artist of mine- Kate Voegele. So obviously I had to go!

The pair did not disappoint. Tyler Hilton used a loop pedal this time and created some nice bass along with the guitar. There was also a keyboard player, whom by the way was amazing! Therefore the sound was so much richer than the previous times I've seen him. He only had his guitar and his voice before. I was mouthing pretty much every word, swaying to the music and pumping my arms in the air. I did not care how silly I looked, I was there to have a good time! Oh it was so much fun! Also, it doesn't hurt that he's pretty good looking too.

Kate Voegele was pretty good too. This was my first time seeing her and her voice was really good live, much stronger than I expected. Again, I was singing along to every single word and whooping really loudly. The girl standing next to me gave me weird looks because of it, I think she only went to the concert for Tyler Hilton. What's the point if you don't whoop at a concert?! Kate Voegele wore a sparkly dress too, which made me like her more. (I have a real obsession with all things sparkly...)

Anniversary BBQ Lunch

It was my step-grandparents' 40th Anniversary last Sunday. We had the fortunate sunny weather, so sunny that I managed to get a trucker's tan on my right arm, oops. My parents got them a giant teddy bear as an anniversary present. It was very silly but I think they liked it. I think everyone else also enjoyed the massive teddy bear sitting on the lawn chair.

Celebratory Dinner

My parents, boyfriend and I went to Jamie's Italian for a massive dinner tonight. It was partly to celebrate that I passed and partly because Mum got a little bit of bonus money from work for a dinner out. A win either way! We had so much food. Jamie's Italian wasn't an adventurous choice, but a safe one. The food was very satisfying.

My legs were aching all day today after a Kayla Itsines workout yesterday. It made getting into the car and just generally walking around quite a struggle. I hadn't trained in ages because of revision, and the session hit me hard. After leg day, just sitting down on the toilet hurts! It didn't stop me from wearing heels this evening though...

Outfit! 

Results are out!

I PASSED! 

I did much better on the OSCEs than I thought too, which was good. Unsatisfied with my SBA paper mark, but now I know how to work and I plan on working much harder next year to get the results I want. 

So, no more self pitying and sad posts for a while, because it finally feels like the summer holidays! My boyfriend and I are going to Coratia next week, then got a family holiday to Cyprus. Keep your eyes open for some pretty pictures of the sea! 

Happy days :) 

Freedom-ish?

So, my last exam was on Friday. 

I have never come out of a medical exam and not cried. BUT I have never failed and got decent grades even though I always torture myself about how it went every time until results come out.

As tradition goes, I started crying when my best friend and I hugged outside the exam hall. We were both in shock wondering what the hell just happened in those three hours. I did have to restrain the crying though, people started to stare and I REALLY didn't want to talk about it to people I didn't know that well.

So many people brought alcohol with them and started opening bottles as soon as they were out. They looked so happy and were shouting out 'freedom' and 'summer'. I guess I was slightly bitter about that. How can you be happy right now? I thought to myself, did you not sit the same paper I did? Or did you find that easy?! Really?!

Day 2 OSCE

Damn those nerves.

While today's OSCE was better than yesterday's overall, it still didn't go as well as I'd hoped. At this point in time, my mind is filled with how I could have done better, what I should have said... Even though I keep telling myself  'forget about what's happened, there is nothing you can do now, just focus on revising for the exam on Friday...'. As much as I keep repeating that, I just can't stop reliving the nightmares from today and yesterday...

Day 1 OSCE

So did that really just happen?

It's amazing what anxiety can do to you. I think I checked my examination reporting instructions email at least 20 times. 'Am I definitely going to this hospital at this time?' 'Oh God, what if the exam started on Monday rather than Tuesday?' 'Wait, am I sure I am meant to be here?'... I knew where I was supposed to be and when, I remembered that the first time I saw the email, but then the insecurities and nerves made me do crazy obsessive things.

So, on the day my heart rate was 92, which is definitely higher than the normal range. My resting heart rate is usually just below 60! This tells you how nervous I was feeling. We did have a nice lady giving us a debrief before the exam though. She was very light-hearted and that relaxed everyone a little bit.

Oxford May Ball

I feel that the title of this blog is a little misrepresented as the ball was actually in June, and the ball was specifically held at Oriel College, called the Oriel Commemoration Ball. Anyway, it was a great night with lots of fun and games, open bar and lots of nibbles around. It was also a great excuse to get dressed up and look fancy. I didn't get as many pictures as I wanted, but when you are really having fun, you forget to take photos...

Enjoy the pics!



All smiles as we wait to enter in the queue... 

The theme was Gardens of Babylon... 



I didn't go on those, but people were swinging pretty high! I guess it's stronger than it looks... 

Dinner at Jamon Jamon

We went out to dinner at Jamon Jamon for one of my friend's 22nd Birthday. The food was good, the company was even better- it was a nice break from revision!

New Ted Baker top from a visit to Bicester Village this Saturday, thanks Mum! :D

Jamon Jamon is a Spanish Tapas restaurant. There are three dotted across central London. The restaurant had a slight Spanish feel to the deco. The walls was decorated with the restaurant's name and there was a wine rack at the top of the walls, which I thought was an interesting touch. They had an open skylight, which was lovely to sit under, but the view was not great out of it. Camden is a bit cramped and we could see next door's 1st floor (or 2nd if you are not British) window. The skylight was nicely decorated around with hanging pot plants. This was a ambient scenic backdrop to our dinner, something quite different to the blaring of horns and busy people passing by just outside!

I haven't seen some of these nice people for a while for a proper chat, and it was so nice to just talk and bond and laugh with them. We are all so busy and our different clinics schedules separates us from meeting up as much as we'd like to. Also, it's exam season, which is something I might have mentioned (or whined incessantly about) in my last post.

Okay, so the important part, FOOD. I may have invaded several of my friend's space while taking these pictures and they still aren't that good photos unfortunately... I think a DSLR camera might be on the next birthday/Christmas present list...

Also, is it just me or is it always so awkward to order food at European restaurants?! I can never pronounce the words properly and I just end up pointing to the menu like an idiot. When I do try and pronounce it, the waiter will say it back to me properly with a lovely sounding accent and I just end up feeling super uncultured. Now as I'm writing this, I realised I should have let my friend order as she had a term of Spanish lessons... D'oh!

Exam Season

*cries and hides under the duvet*

PANIC!

This is such a tough time of the year, my exams are now exactly 57 days away. Obviously I am not currently doing a good job revising as I am writing this blog post rather than studying... *deep sigh* *cries a bit more*

I am writing this because I am using this blog post to vent, because honestly, I feel like I can just burst into tears any second from all the pressure. Sorry for the drama.

By this time last year, I had already finished all of my exams, and was planning my summer (I went for Australia for 5 weeks, woohoo! And went to China for 2 weeks. Good times) and just soaking up the sunshine, well when there was any... It is England after all.

But now, I have to go to hospital, attend clinics and teaching, then work at library or home until bed time until I take my exams at end of July. I still have 7 weeks of teaching left on orthopaedics and rheumatology. Great.

We all had a revision lecture this evening on heart failure and hypertension. It made me want to cry. (Have you noticed a theme yet?) There was so much still to learn, and the list is ever growing. What scares me more is when someone knows the answer when I don't. It makes me feel really stupid and incompetent.

I do apologise for all the whining. I promise there will be no more posts of this kind, but if you do feel the same way as me right now, leave a comment and we can all hug and cry together for a while, before we have to get on with it again.

STUDY, STUDY, STUDY.

Ambition and Being the Best

Can you become a doctor without ambition?

I don't think so.

I think for as long as I remember, I always wanted to be the best, be at the top. I was the big fish in the small pond for a while, but then the pond got bigger and I wasn't the big fish anymore. It was something that was quite hard to deal with, but I am quite happy and content now. Beating myself is what matters.

Honestly, almost everyone at med school is extremely smart and hard working. There will always be someone who is captain of the hockey team and president of medical society AND comes top of the year... It is scary. It is sometimes very daunting to think you have to compete with these people. It is tough. Especially for someone like me, who wants to do well.

This feeling is becoming more prominent as exam season is upon us. It just feels like a never ending black hole of drug names and diseases and medical procedures...

It is just so competitive. I wanted to become a neurosurgeon since I knew I wanted to study medicine. It was my dream. I had dedicated a lot of my time to 'boost my CV' around that area and finding out what it really entailed. I know the training programme and what you have to do to get on it. The working hours.. the loooonnngggg and endless working hours. I was prepared for all that. But people change. What I really want now is to have a fulfilling family life, be a good mother, and being a doctor comes second.

Bouncy Obstacle Course

What is the point of living one of the most vibrant cities in the world if you don't advantage of it? There are always so many events going on in London.

A new breakfast drink is trying to break into the UK, and they have set up a bouncy castle style obstacle course in South Bank as part of their advertising campaign! I saw it in Time Out magazine, and decided to give it a go in the afternoon after my morning lectures. Take a look at the obstacle course...

 This is what it looks like from a far...

 Slither through the holes...

Jump over the low ones and roll under the tall ones...

Strawberry Jam and Summer Drink

After a busy day of running errands, exercising and meeting up with a surgeon for a potential project, I decided to spend my evening making healthy strawberry jam. This is a recipe from Deliciously Ella's book. I also decided to make a healthy summer drink- pineapple and grapefruit green tea with passion fruit.

These strawberries were not the best, they didn't look that tasty for eating, and I've never made jam from scratch before, so why not?

All you need is strawberry and honey and chia seeds. 

Admin, admin, and more admin

At my medical school, the first clinical year has three major 12 week rotations of different placements. While I thoroughly enjoy my time at placement, the beginning of each of those 12 weeks brings a fair amount of anxiety and stress.

Before we start, there is a long waiting period for our timetables. For my last block, I didn't receive my timetable until 2 nights before I was due to start. Not a lot of time to prepare and know what's coming my way. The good thing though, the timetable was quite self-explanatory and easy to navigate around.

For the first rotation, it was just plain confusing. There was two hours allocated for us to sit down with the module lead to go through the timetable on a Monday morning! We still didn't know where to go for some clinics after that... I promise we are not stupid students- medical school is just so massive and hospitals and clinics are all over the place.

Friday Morning in Theatre- Edited

I want to be a surgeon. Therefore I value all the opportunities I get at Medical School to watch surgery. I've attended theatre quite a few times, but yesterday's experience was like no other. I met the fiercest nurse ever in my life. And she was not fierce in the good sense of the word.

Like most days, when a medical student arrives at theatre, the consultant surgeon is nowhere to be found. They are usually late, so I'm always hanging around feeling a bit lost and trying to find the relevant people and the right place. This happened again (the theatre I was meant to go to was closed that day...) but it was no big deal as I was used to it. So I introduced myself to the theatre sister (the nurse in charge), and wondered who and where the consultant surgeon was. She was a short oriental lady. And she was very loud. Straight up, she told me she didn't want a medical student watching the surgery because the patient had an infection and the operating theatre was small. I stuck around anyway, because I wanted to meet the consultant and see what he says.

After around 30 mins of waiting and trying to figure out where I was supposed to be, the consultant arrived. He told me it was fine for me to watch. Then he went off again to get changed. When I was left by myself, the theatre sister told me go away again. I didn't want to antagonise her by saying the consultant said it was fine, so I said I just need to wait for him to come back to sign my attendance sheet. Then she said she can sign it, and then said that after she's signed it I can't just run off with my boyfriend for the day. She told me to go to the library and study vascular surgery. This was unnecessary. I didn't mention I had a boyfriend. I didn't even want to leave in the first place! And it's called surgery. In order to learn surgery, you actually need to SEE the procedure! It's not just something you can learn from books. I was very unhappy about the way she was speaking to me but I let it go.

So the morning wasn't off to a great start. But then something pretty amazing happened.

Weekending 18-19th April

Weekends are always more active and fun when my boyfriend is here visiting. We also had the pleasure of British sun on Saturday. Therefore we took a nice stroll from Camden to Embankment with several small stops on the way.

Tavistock square at UCL Bloomsbury campus- looking glorious in the sun. 

Inside Russell Square. Where there is an arch, pose under it.