back home...

so I've been home for 1 week now. and it has been incredibly boring.Pretty much spending most of my days at the driving range getting use to my new set of Golf Clubs. Callaway X-Forged irons. Which are SOOOOOOooooo SWEET!. I totally love them. you never go wrong with either callaway or forged irons. after 3 days at the range, I'm pretty comfortable with them now, just have to maintain my swing and slowly raise my sswing speed to get that ball flying further.

OH, I'm also damn relieved and grateful I DUn have to take supplementary exams. Thank GOD!!!! I can totally enjoy my break now....

rain rain go away, come again another day, or perhaps go visit somewhere else that needs you more than Singapore. somewhere like Melbourne.

going home.....

so tomorrow afternoon I catchmy flight back to Singapore. Dosent feel that special anymore, the feeling of going home after a year. it seems like I'm pretty much settled in Melbourne, and tavelling back and forth has becoming something i've gotten used to. Time flies by really quickly i must say. It wasn't so long before, when I was also waiting to go home after a long year at uni, and now i am at it again.

I'm really looking foward to the holiday nonetheless, its going to be a good break(fingers x) after a long year of assignments and study, distractions...and what not. Just wanna sit back, kick back and not have anything to think about for a couple of days....

the lull period.....

exams have been over for 1 week now, but it feels like ages ago....and even though it's over now, a huge burden still sits on my shoulders. I can't help but think of the possibility of doing supplementary exams. guessing 60% of the time thru 220 MCQs is actually quite scary in retrospect. well I hope I did well enough not to be called back for those exams, although my preparations won't the best this time around, I did put in effort for this exam. well, i'll know in a couple of days how things will turn out.

the halls are pretty quiet now, most people have already moved out. didnt do much since the exams ended but chill out, watch movies, South Park, visited the SEXPO on Sunday, which wasn't as exciting as I hoped it would be, but it was an experience nonetheless. Got hooked onto a golfing game, Shot Online 2007

, which is so awesome. its keeping me rooted to my seat and staring at the laptop for hours.

on to better news, I shall be returning back to Singapore in about 4 days. Quite excited about that. Will be playing so much golf back home, I just can't wait. bought myself the Ping Rapture today for a pretty sweet deal, 350 bucks for a DEMO.
It's not brand new, but its gonna be USED anyway.

until next time.

exams looming...

its been 2 weeks since the last day of school. and time has really flown by just like that. OSCEs are coming up in a couple of days, and the big exams are just over a week away. In addition, it only less than a month before I find myself back in Singapore for the summer. Study has been going slowly. Gonna have to make some sacrifices and buck up. I sure as hell don't want to fail 2nd year. Its been the biggest bitch of my education so far.

On another note, I was in church today, and one guy fainted. The good thing is, he turned out alright, and nothing too serious happened. The fucked up thing is, I just stood there too shocked to do anything, or even respond. I'm not gonna let this happen again. and MED2042 I'm gonna come destroy you!

assignments out of the way...

with assignments out of the way FINALLY!!!!! it is sadly time to hit the books for some serious study for the next month or so, before the fun and relaxation. the few weeks has been a mad rush of presentations and submission of assignments. Never before in my life have i been so busy before. Those weeks seemed endless, but now that it is finally over, I am truly glad.....recently bought myself some Valerian for better sleep and Ginko Biloba for better concentration, though I suspect some placebo effects with such supplements, anything that will give me a better advantage with studying is worth trying.......peace.....

Richardson Hall Halloween 2007

halloween party last night awesome, people came in the craziest outfits...I myself was suited up as the Hamburglar. 1st prize goes to elliot Eu....for coming as the pants-less RObin...with greased hair...and a tight top...questions floating about his sexuality last night i must say...th epartty had a slow start....but once things kicked off at around 930...it was just good....if only more people from other halls were involved, it woulda been so much better.... crazy times..I'm gonna be missing Richo next year...

golf golf

recently tried out the Callaway X-Forged irons....and they were awesome...

med ball 2007....

spring break is finally here and what better than med ball to get things started. last night was perhaps one of the best nights I've had since the last Med ball. This year's event took place at the Royal Exhibition Building up in Carlton, and it was an affair to remember. I'm not sure I am able to describe it much, you'd have to be there yourself to experience the awesome-ness of the night. but it has been a while now since my last binge drinking episode, and I must say things aren't that well as I type this blog. it could've easily added up to 15 drinks, of a various combination of beers, wines, champagne and spirits, but it wasn't so bad that I can't remember...







At the Ball: 4 wines, 3 champagnes, 6 beers

After party: 2 Beers, 1 bourbon-coke, 1 pineapple malibu, 1 Jaegger bomb

so its actually more than what I first recalled... a few sculls together with Tim lindsay and his rugby mates, i coulda sworn, put the nail in the coffin...

overworked, overloaded, over my head......

the last 3 weeks has been an exceptionally busy time for me...after my rural placement, it was just a mad rush to finish assignments. rural was quite a good experience this year, because I felt i actually spent time leaning important things, and being in Bendigo made things alot easier from a rural context. nice big town with everything you need, and very interesting architecture too. but i shall not dwell into that, as I can't be bothered typing out the events that took place. but I must let everyone who reads this blog that, Nman aka. Derrick is the man, the fucka cock blocked me in recent events that took place in Bendigo.

anyway, the last week after rural has been crazy, spending 3 day in the library from morning till closing time.writing a stupid assignment that only makes up 5% of my total marks for 2nd year. on top of this rural fortnight has also thrown at me another 2 assignments. more and more reflective essays. fuck!!!!!!! tuesday night I actually did not get any sleep, was up till 630am wed morning to go thru the fucking SPC assignment, and in the end having to skip the morning lectures, so that i could get in a few hours of rest before heading to the library for another day of revision to the essay.

I am having many issues with the way monash handles its curriculum and the kind of tutors they engage, firstly some of the tutors aren't even doctors who can't even give us proper clinical information during PCLs, and other clinical skills tutors who use 2 hours to teach us the theory of physical examination when we are meant to practise it. something is seriously wrong here. Last year, I had excellent tutors who alwasy shared with us their own experiences in practise, while this year its just been a pain to be at tutorials. How is reading out what reaserch you have done to a class going ot heplt he learning process, when everyone has already read it before?? it neither stimulates thinking nor draws further interest to the subject?? fuck this.....

oh well im really glad that one assignment is sorta out of the way but the many many more ahead is just fucking annoying me. good thing I attended the Richo ball last night, good times I must say. and if it is one thing i learned on an alcohol induce event, less thinking = more action = more fun = good times. This i shall practise at similar events in the future.

3 exams down....1 to go...

the mid-semester exam for MED2042 is finally over. now just one more final exam, before real medicine. going thru the exam script yesterday, I reckon i did pretty alright, should be able to pull off a Distinction, which I would be happy with, anything better would be a bonus.

a number of events are coming up for me, Rural placement, and Phantom of the Opera. going to bendigo this year, with a group of students that are 80% Asian. Good fun I say, imagine a whole bunch of Asian kids in rural australia, where people who haven't seen non-white people other than their own indigenous people actually exist, place where some people may or may not have telephones and television. but i guess this is a good break from school. I'm going to have to maximise my time spent in Rural, plenty of assignments to submit this semester, so i'll have to finish some, so i can put them aside, and not let them get in the way of my final exam preparations.

Went on a shopping trip today. not so much as to buy things i needed urgently, but rather to make use of my very very awesome Country Road privileges. $100 discount when you spend $300. and for 200 bucks, i got my self a new pair of shoes, a bag, and a Neck Tie. shopping in Australia is always more awesome then back home, where the sales are rubbish and the variety is severely lacking.

So time has really flown by that quickly, and only half a semester, 7 weeks or so left till the end of the school year. I only hope to make the best of what's left....

lazy crap...

some people involved in group assignment can be incredibly lazy, and at the age of 19 have not a single ounce of fucking initiative. and stop fucking behaving like you ahve done plenty for the group, when even the most important part of the project was taken over by someone not even involved in the project. FUCK you!

many falls, bumps, and soggy pants and socks later....

Snowboarding is DEFINITELY the BEST sport in the world.initially quite a challenge to pick up, but after a few runs, nothing else can truly beat the exhilaration of carving the slopes, charging down at top speed, and at the same time praying you down fall and break something. today's weather in Melbourne, was just wet. Wetness in the city is good, but pelting rain on the mountain top is almost suffering. but when engaging in some as exciting as snowboarding, you just tend to forget about everything else. today's visibility was in a sense PITCH BLACK, just think everything in WHITE. you literally could not see further than 5-8m in front of you.

People might think that cruising down the slopes is effortless, but only those who have ever tried will tell you how much it taxes your quads and your calf, and when you fall over, it hurts your wrists..... but it is definitely worth every minute and cent of it.

no life....no interest...no interest in life.....

the past few weeks have gone by quite quickly. been sick, been tired, been sick and tired. but i've since recovered. the lectures have been quite intense and the workload just never ceases to increase.i slowly feel the pressure creeping up on me, and finally what it means to be in medical school has never been as clear. last year in perspective, was a complete joke compared to this year. as i look ahead into the weeks to come, i see essays and more essays, essays to reflect on projects and essays to reflect on what you have just reflected on. this need for reflection in a medical curriculum still befuddles me. finally got back the results from the delayed exam, and im glad to say I did quite ok. managed to scrape a distinction. it was quite unexpected i must say.

the group assignments aren't going as well as i wanted them to be. it seems that in 2 groups of people im working with, i have to constantly be the one to keep abreast of what is going on, and push people to get their work done.i dun mind taking up this role, but what pisses me off the most is people lacking in initiative, people who see difficulties and try to find easy escapes immediately, this morons dun deserve to be doctors.

my next exam is one week away. and with everything to juggle, i can only pray for the best.

I'm going snowboarding tomorrow, its going to be good, and better still to just get away from everything.

boredom.....

Intellect + Style = My image of the 'doctor'


and just adding a teeny bit of sleek to top it off.....





vroom!vroom!

bad newssss.........

The exam yesterday was a terrible mess, the questions on Microbioloy were just like the organisms we were meant to know about, A fucking annoyance. Certainly dosen't give any confidence to any one like me taking an exam and going thru a dozen MCQs, and not knowing what was going on, and worst of all not being able to eliminate the choices to narrow down answers. I've totally wasted the extra month we were given to prepare for the exams. What is most annoying and disappointing, is that despite knowing the consequences of last minute exam preparations, and foreboding unimpressive grades, I still wasn't able to kick myself in the arse and get myself studying.

Good vs. Emo/Evil. I wasn't quite sure what the theme of the party was last night. Highlight of the party would definitely have to be the jackmeister himself Jack Griffin himself dressing up as Jesus Christ, and doing an awesome job at blasphemy as well as sending his own ass straight to hell when the times comes. (no love lost for you mate).


it's been a while since I've experienced bad news in my personal life. and the most recent one, being this morning didn't come well at all. brushing aside 5 missed calls last night from my family back home while I was getting myself inebriated, I woke up this morning, to another phone call from my mom, telling me my grand dad had passed away. Heart failure---->Postural Hypotension----> syncope----->trauma----->hemorrhage----> death. it freaks me out to see myself seeing the pathology of the sequence of events, without having felt a sense of loss. perhaps its just me, perhaps its the whole idea of medicine that has desensitized me. perhaps its just that I haven't had really bad news told to me in a long time, that i've just forgotten how im suppose to feel. but life goes on.....

studying studying.....

its the day before my long overdued exam. been camping in the library for the past 2 days, shoulda done this much earlier, been getting more work done than back in my private cave. fuck..... what needs to be done has been valiantly attempted, hoping for the best tomorrow, but expecting the worst. peace out....

lethargy...

the past few days have been dreadful. I hate feeling lethargic and exhausted. even with my alarm clock set at 830am, so that I can get up for a morning gym session, I end up rolling out of bed at 1030am. Something is amiss. sleeping at 2 am is not an excuse, as I lived and breathed 5 hours sleep sessions during my high school and army days. stupid exams, everyone else is chilling out except my own tired-ass....fuck.

my study plans are going no where....

my study plans are going no where. distractions abound. shows to watch, movies to see, and girls to sarge.

back from Tassie..

so i got back from Tassie yesterday, but just too tired to blog till today. I must say I'm very glad to have visited Tasmania. Amazing scenery. i'm definitely going to make a trip back for the adventure stuff and check out more scenery. Some of the highlights of the tour included the Cadbury Factory Tour, the Cascade Brewery tour the drive up to Mt Wellington, AMAZING seafood and not forgetting the delightful scones at Shot Tower.

Putting up at Zhi's place was good. Saved myself a good deal of money. Tried out his ride, a souped up 350Z, possibly the noisiest car I have heard so far. Proved my mettle in whipping up tantalizing medium-rare steaks. Well now, what do I think of Tasmania.

Basically a rural environment, the only city-like place being Hobart located far down in the south, a 3.5 hour drive from Davenport. Davenport and Launceston are basically huge rural towns. you don't see buildings taller than 20 stories with the tallest building in Hobart being Wrest Point, the Crown-wannabe. Most of the homes being built by the hillsides along the coast in a stepped manner, gives all the residents an excellent ocean front view. Weather in the mornings can be dreadful. upon disembarking from the ship, the FOG was so thick, one could not see further than 2 car lengths in front.thankfully such driving conditions did no persist throughout the trip. On the whole, the weather was somewhat similar to Melbourne, perhaps a few degrees lower on average, at this time of the year. Seafood in Hobart is amazing, and so are the fish and chips.

Despite being a small place, to explore Tasmania sufficiently, would require at least a 2 week trip. Getting about is not easy if you do not have a car as the only means of transport around is by BUS. there are numerous places to explore, from quaint lodges and cottages to taste amazing Aztec Chilli-Choc Mocha to soft, mouth-watering scones at Shot Tower. A delightful spread of oysters awaits seafood lovers at Barilla Bay out in Sorrell. People who love to drive, will thoroughly enjoy the drive throughout Tassie, with speed limits at 110 km/h and very very beautiful scenery along the way.

The links below will show you the photos I took during the trip, its too many for a blog.

http://monashedu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025578&l=f8e4e&id=212900539
http://monashedu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025579&l=0292b&id=212900539


For now, its back to hitting the books for the postponed exam.

NUS is possibly the most ridiculous Tertiary Instituion yet

after learning the shocking news that NUS Faculty of Medicine had decided to accept the applications and offered places to 2 Poly Graduates, they have placed the final brick into the wall of disdain that I built for them. Not much more can be said of their idiocrasy, and their insatiable need to make headlines with the most ridiculous of achievements. For example, actually believing they are 18th best Univeristy in the world, ranked ahead of universities like Columbia and U.Melbourne. Nonetheless, this amusing instituition of higher learning never ceases to amaze me in the crazy little things they do.

when procrastination becomes sloth.....

so the 3rd week of my extended Swot Vac has ended, but still I have yet to accomplish any of the goals I set upon before. Revision wise, I have only covered weeks 7-11 of the lectures, now that's only 2.5 weeks of work, as weeks 9 and 10 are irrelevant. Head and neck anatomy went pass quite quickly but i have yet to review the larynx. In place of this revision, what I have done instead, is finishing seasons 1-5 of my new addiction Scrubs, in 1.5 weeks, and I must add season 5 in 8 hours. Also, i have finshed reading 2 very very intersting books on surgery which I have mentioned in earlier posts. you will find that this blog is particularly because I have some mental notes on the book which I would like to put down to paper.

Firstly, "Complications - A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science" by Atul Gawande, now this man is a Harvard Medical School Graduate, koodos to that. One of the chapters that stood out was 'Whose Body is it Anyway?'. Now in this chapter comes the endless debate about paternalism vs. patient autonomy, very relevant to recent developmetns in medical school education, involving the indoctrination of the belief that 'What the PATIENT wants supercedes the DOCTOR's recommendations'. This debate goes far back, to the time where doctors were idolized and worshiped, and from that pedestal, whatever being said by the doctor was the absolute truth. No Questions Asked. Then came along, a doctor by the name of Jay Katz, author of the revolutionary book 'The Silent World of Doctor and Patient' which had strong critique for the whole idea paternalism, which obviously did not take too well with the current mindset of clinicians. some would say, ' if doctor's have difficulty choosing the best options, how can the patient then be capable of doing so?' Patient ideology vs. Treatment outcome. In my opinion there is no hard and fast rule about this. Some patients feel that to live a life with some fear of a returning cancer, by preserving a social image is more important to them, hence choosing a lumpectomy over a total mastectomy, some will be smarter. Of course there are many considerations here, patient's age, degree of metastesis, patients occupation and other emotional, psychosocial babble. Now having being socialized into the medicine paradigm, naturally I would raise my hand for the treatment that boasts the best MEDICAL outcome, and whether a patient decides to follow your lead is purely their business. Now you might say, ' where is the empathy that doctor's are suppose to have?' Like I said before, it depends on the situation at hand, while a doctor may recommend a radical mastectomy for a 65 year old post-menopausal woman, he may not do the same for Kylie Minogue.

Whilst inundating the patients with a mountain of information regarding their options and then leaving them to decide might be the 'cover-my-ass' way of having a malpractise free career (as much as possible), it most certainly is not fair to the patient. At the same time, patients who say," don't tell me all that stuff doctor, i won't understand it, do what you think is best." also is unfair to the doctor. Then comes the idea of a partnership, that is being proposed in my med school, where the lay person with his -5 years of MBBS education but lifelong learning from Wikipedia and Google actually has a more important decision making role. Certainly even when give this position of authority, one question comes to mind, who gets the blame when something goes wrong? Is it the doctor? or is the patient left to live a life carry the burden of his mistake? At this juncture, the idea of a partnership ceases to exist and the blame-game starts. Such decisions which can lead to life and death situations carry a huge burden, neither the patient nor the doctor would want this. childish regression from the patient partnership vs. Aggressive Paternalism. The debate continues.

i quote from the book," whilst there is an art to becoming a doctor, there is an art to being patient." this is absolutely essential to YOUR/MY overall treatment outcome. just because you choose to absolve yourself of all responsibility in decision making, or decided to disregard the expert opinion of your doctor, a good and CLEVER patient must always question the doctor about the treatment. Ask questions that pertain to your lifestyle, how is the treatment goign to affect your work? can you play sports as aggressively as before? what ultimately is important to you in your time of sickness? These are all important questions, as they help the doctor in determining the best treatment for you. If patient's don't tell, doctor's dont ask (well good doctors like the one im going to be) will ask, and when you sign the form acknowledging the potential risks involved, i hope patient's don't start behaving like morons when things don't turn out their way. doctors make countless decisions everyday, some of them in emergencies some not. so the hard and fast rule of the ethicist about being partners cannot always be applied. These people, especially those without MBBS should realize that their idea of ULTIMATE patient AUTONOMY cannot exist in a blemished society. Whilst doctors must always act to serve in the patient's best interest, patients must remember that doctors are only always HELPING them, and the thing to do is to voice concerns and TRY to work towards an agreement, rather then play the blame game later on. This debate will continue for as long as existence goes and will only get more complexed as patient are enlightened by the resources of google and Wikipedia.

One quote i would always remember is " the real task is not to banish paternalism; but to preserve kindness."

What i really like about this book, is how it gives a really good insight from both perspectives of the patient and the doctor. As it the pages open to exciting surgical stories, it also brings with it important lessons that have strengthen the foundations my current MBBS education is giving me, allowing me to see the bigger picture of medicine and also understand that whilst some classes in med school might seem irrelevant now, they are absolutely important in any doctor's career.

crazy cold....

its been 1 week since the last day of school, and a good break thus far. The weather has been rather insane as of late. Early mornings being around 2-3deg C and average day temperatures hovering between 8-12 Deg. played insane golf, in antarctic ocnditions on tuesday, and random city stuff on Wed. I've been spending too much money as of late, fuck I need to get a hold of myself.

The Gym routine has been going well, and I'm not snacking as much,but thats possibly because my snacks were devoured in a space of 2 days and I haven't been able to get of my ass to get more...

to anyone who might stumble upon this blog, DO NOT WATCH ZODIAC. It is perhaps one of the longest, most boring, and retarded movies ever made, especially when you are made to share a bean bag otherwise known as the 'love sack' thats meant for a cozy couple with 2 other people instead. Am I going to write a movie review here? I guess not, it pains me to think of those 3 precious hours i wasted my life away...
On the side of the books, i've been able to get my first step down in revision, starting with anatomy of the HEAD and I've been reading these 2 books; autobiographies of a surgical adventures. the first being Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science by Atul Gawande and Brain Matter: The Adventures of a Brain Surgeon by Katrina S. Firlik.

Haven't completed them yet but I'll be sure to put my thoughts about them down to paper pretty soon.

The weather today has been insane. all FOGGED up, and you can't see further than 100m I reckon. not a safe day to drive.

Done with Med 2031!

I just can't belive how fast medical school is going by.It seems just like yesterday when I got on the plane and came back to Melbourne to start 2nd year, and now I', half way through it. 6 weeks of Holidays ahead, but then i'll have to study for the stupid exam that got postponed. This past semester has been really relly hectic and exhausting. I've seriously never felt so drained and at the same time STUPID. Going to school everyday attending lectures that seem ok, but walking out of them totally clueless as to what was going on. Back in my room, reaging book after book, and feeling like nothing is being absorbed at all.

Reflecting on this semester.Haven't been as participative in class as I wanted to be this semester, so think will have to change after the holidays. The social scene has been okay, despite the immense workload, getting to know more people and not having to put in as much effort as I thought previously. i'm looking to get a good break this holiday, work on my golf and hit the gym as often as I can. Really excited about Tasmania which is coming up in a few weeks.

In the meanwhile, I shall have to force myself to finish some miscelleanous assignments for next semester, get them out of the way so that I can maximise my Free TUESDAYS, yes I say again FREE TUESDAYS next semester. I need to organise my study material and get my anatomy up to mark for the exam. Timetables haven't exactly worked well for me till this day, but i'm going to have to get into a more regular routine. I'm going to make myself proud next semester. fuck yea...in the mean time, its time for PFE at The Croft Institute which is going to be so awesome..

4th June 2007

and so I turned 22 yesterday. 1 year older, 1 year wiser ......had plenty of birthday wishes coming in, mostly on facebook, that seems to be the latest fad in communication these days, and i'm getting addicted to it. I hope. Not being a fan of birthday celebrations. I did the usual small dinner with some close friends. and what better way to have a good meal than possibly the best steak around at Hog's Breath Cafe. the Juiciest and Chunkiest prime ribs you could find, is here. I must admit I was very surprised when Shuwen sneakily went off, to organise some really really good mudcakes to be served after main course. I had a singing waitress too, who was quite attractive. so that was rather delightful. bithday songs in public still bugs me though,never once felt comfortable having that song sung for me ever.

the weather is getting much colder, and waking up in the morning is getting harder as the days go by. Finally handed in my CPP report, which took ages to complete. 1 Assignment down, and plenty to go. OSCE formative exam is coming up, but since its formative I just cant be bothered.

can;t belive it already the last week of the semester. after this the holidays, then a new semester, and very quickly the end of 2nd year. How quickly time flies.

5th of June, that is today. something happen that totally made my day. it was a simple gesture, but from a special someone.

fuck you idiot asses....

bollocks...today I learnt that the exams are gonna be postponed till after the holidays, in the 2nd semester. totally killed my mood. destroyd my momentum.my study was going good, putting in a few hours every after school in the library, getting organised, and now it feel liks someone stuf a freakin pebble in the middle of the road, when i'm goign down hill at 80km/h on a skateboard... university, swotvac....what the fuck seriously, its only becoz of a few days, and some ill disciplined morons had to make a complain. so many generations of doctors before went through the same system before us without any problems. no doubt the MSA was acting in our interest. no one is blaming them. we blame the morons, who would be our colleagues in a few years time, who made this petty complain.

Now the exams are 8 weeks away. and worst of all my holiday is ruined. somehow i'll have to go through with it, doing my assignments, entertaining friends from singapore, travelling to Tasmania and revision. ARGGGGGGGHHH, just feeling really pissed off right now.this is really really frustrating. guess i'll just have to manage and be flexible. no worries, good doctors always rise to the occassion.

Haven't been waking up according to schedule lately. and according to my good fren Zarif, " You Snooze, You lose"
which is actaully very very true. for two consecutive days, I snoozed, and I end up being almost late for classes. FUCK. I need to change something. Gym sessions have also somewhat been reduced lately, for some unknown reason.

I need to get my act together. Today, is the end of a week, and let the new week ahead, be the beginning of a change for the better.

waterpolo with kids......

one of the best saturdays I've had since starting med school. buying groceries, heading back to my room, watching a couple of movies was pretty much how my saturdays usually went, throw in a few hours of trying self-directed learning. BUT TODAY, I got myself involved in a Waterpolo Clinic for Kids. and how cute they are, especially the few who's name I got to remember, Maverie, Keallie and Rhys. Really adorable kids. This clinic goes on for another 2 saturdays, and I am definitely going to be part of it.

and sunday..... Inter-Halls swimming competition once again. guess who rocked up a splendid performance once again??? me of course. haha. Whilst last year it was more of a one-man show, this year we had a great team. Good participation from the girls and another amazing bloke by the name of Trevor, terrific swimmer. once again Richo prevailed, and this time I won the 25m Fly I narrowly lost last year. we SWEPT the relays, and there was no 2nd guessing who the champions were going to be once again.

monday.....I know this seems like a combined blog of the weekend, but I can't help it. my discipline standards has plummeted to embarassing standards as of late. School is back on track once again. seeing everyone again. setup my wireless internet after more than a yaer of procrastination. and with this I have made a new resolution. On days that I do not have evening activities, I will take my study to the library, away from distractions.I got one month left to the semester exams, and I do not intend to give myself excuses for dismal results. The next few days are going to be hectic, HPKM ethics submission is due, CPP is also due soon, and exams are in a month.

damn i really hate assignments. especially when they are irrelevant and take up precious study time. But I shall persevere.

and lastly, last day of CPP tomorrow. WOOHOO!

finally the end of CPP.....

its been a very very long 3 days at Billings Method this past week. I decided that for once I shall leave slightly later at 830am, since CPP didnt really matter anymore, not like the people down at the placement really bothered with whether or not we were late or punctual. I still managed to reach Fitzroy 10 mins before time. Melbroune Rush hour traffic, heaviest between 745 and 815, after this, its much smoother. When I use to leave at 8ish, I usually reached Fitzroy just on time. Buggar, I coulda have 30 mins more sleep every tuesday morning. oh well, what's done is done. These last days at Billings have been rather rewarding compared to our first few days there. We got to meet the pioneers of the Billings Method, Dr Lyn Billings and also Prof James Brown ( the man who came up with the progesterone/oestrogen chart/graph during a menstrual cycle)it was really an honour to be in the same room as he was, having seen that graph over and over again in school studying biology not so long ago. our CPP project finally came into harvest. we decided that Billings on the whole was dull and boring and havent't had any avenue for advertisement, since they were pretty much quite tight at the pouch. So we came up with perhaps the most beautiful pamphlet ever, eye-catching and elegant. it was pretty much Hiep's work alone, but we all gave ideas. heh.




Finally back into the pool playing water polo. for the 2nd time in my life, i've never felt so tired ever before. this sentence is kinda wrong, but what the fuck. Urban week has come to and end, it seems that I have just tossed the 2 weeks out of the window. There were so many things I wanted to revise for my semester exams, btu at the end of it all, i can't quite remember what I did, school wise. This is seriously very poor discipline and time management. I gotta do something about it.

Lastly, the weather has been getting colder as of late, getting more and more difficult for me to get out of bed.damn it. And I made the decision o go down to Tasmania during winter. Looking forward to that.

Teacher Training Course.

CPP once again. This time, I had to make my way to freaking Eltham, which is sitting on the brink of RURAL-hood. GOt lost along the way, so that certainly didnt help the 45 min drive. Chart after Chart after Chart. 930am to 530pm. It was like going back to high school, and sitting in class, one after another. It was perhaps one of the most tiring days I have ever had, related to school work. now im having back spasms. Having said that, today was perhaps one of the better days of the placement so far. At least now we are learning important things. The billings method is more than just a tool for fertility. by recognising the patterns throughout the ovulatory cycle, women empowered with this knowledge would be able to recognise unusual physiological changes, more than just to detect fertility or infertility. rather, they would be able to take this awareness, and go to a trained medical professional for further assessment. this would definitely be a big step in the direction of preventive medicine especially int he area of womens health. I would definitely teach this method, once I am equipped with the necessary skills to friends and family who want a greater sense of self-empowerment.

Lunch was definitely good today. gourmet pizza. met some great people too. not exactly looking forward to tomorrow yet, as it is going to be another long day, but it would be enriching none the less.

fuck you monash city council...

headed down to MMC today for my 'Buddy Visit'. I chose MMC for the visit this time around, as I already have been to the Alfred before. Contrary to popular belief, it really isn't a bad hospital to do clinicals next year. The final year student, Chole was really helpful, way better than the final student I had last year. I ahte seeing final year students though. everytime I see one, i am reminded of the many years I have left till the beginning of the end. well, it never really ends in medicine now does it?

Was very fortunate to meet Max today. Perhaps the most enthusiastic patient I have ever met so far. Never would I expect a recovering patient from a 3ple bypass would be so keen on letting medical students like myself, who are clueless about anything, take his history or perform a physical examination. 78 years of age and still full of energy. a stark contrast from the other patients in his ward, who weren't as 'frenly' so to speak. But we can't really blame them, the last thign any recovering patient would really really want, is a bunch of medical students coming in and using them as tst subjects. Anyways, to Max, I wish you a speedy recovery, and I shall always remember what you told us. " As long as YOU learn something, I don't mind you doing whatever you want with me." " You have to be the best at what you do, because its you guys who will be looking after patients like me in the future". your words, I will take with me wherever I go, whenever I look at any patient. Thank you so much Max.

on a more messed up note, I received a damn fine for parking my car over the duration alloted. and now i have to pay 54 bucks to the damn city council. fuck this.money hungry SOBs. don't understand why anyone would put parking restrictions on a road that is perhaps 2.5 lanes wide. better luck next time I guess.

CPP on a friday night...

so they told us, that there was much to be done for the registration and setting up at the opening night of the Billings Conference. bollocks, no one was to be seen when we got there at 6pm. The conference was organised to begin at 730pm, so we tried to leave uni as soon as class ended. But we found ourselvs to be relatively early. after 10mins or so of setting up soem laptops and projectors, we were pretty much done. driving 30 kms all the way to heidelberg just to do that, was quite a wate of time.

fortunately, we got a chance to have a mini discussion with Dr Mary Martin, who is a Gynaecologist who is in provate practise in the United States. The session we had with her was really insightful and enriching. I must say, having a very experienced gynaecologist come in to spend some time with 2nd year medical students was really time well spent. not only did we get her insight on the Billing's Method, but also some lessons in medicine. The pill...end ovulation...hyperinsulinaemia...... increased insulin and its effects on circulating androgens...metabolic syndromes...pre-diabetes in women, and the relationships with fertility. It was quite a bit in that one session, 60% of medical jargon that I did not understand one bit, even after 1.5 years in medical school. This is why I chose the Billings Method for CPP last year, not to be some slave worker, packing hundreds of envelopes and photocopying 100s of door bags. i'll give this another chance, hopefully once the conference ends and the teacher-training session begins, we'll all get what we were orginally looking for..

the next 2 weeks are rural week, so the urbanites like me wil be having a more relaxed time-table. I gotta make sur eI use this time wisely, get alot..and I mean ALOT of studying done, as well as some HPKM stuff. perhap sI could get a few rounds of golf in the 2 weeks. we'll see.

tired, exhausted and a general loss of interest in life...

dear diary,

went out clubbing tonight. its been almost a month since the last time i went out. Long Room along Collins St was the venue for tonights forae with my good fren, shuwen. good fren she was, when she interrupted me as I was running my game on this chick, damn it. This place serves good alcohol, and by that I mean Asahi "Super Dry" Beer.

Almost died early wed morning. Never felt the exhaustion and fatigue after a long night of clubbing to this extent before. decided not to stay over at shuwens place, and instead drive home from the city at 5am in the morning. Most fortuantely where weren't any other cars on the road, as most importantly I was driving slowly and carefully. But a momentary lapse in concentration, led me to dozing off at the wheel. eyes shut for one second and I almost found myself driving straight into a road divider. Thank god nothing happened.

MEd school is getting more and more tiring each day, stupid project proposals to do. It just takes up too much time. My regular gym routines are slowly dwindling, in part due to lack of time, but most recently due to sheer exhaustion after a long day at school. My weekly weight record shows that I've been in the 70-71kg range over the past week, this is not good. My ideal weight should be maintained at 69kg. Following the exams last week, the night snacking regiment has not stopped. Though Is nack on healthy stuff like muesli, they pack a deal of carbohydrates, and It hink this is the main culprit in my recent weight gain. Gotta get back into the GYM regiment.

Went back to water polo for the first time this year. It's been a long time since i felt so exhausted. cramps and more cramps, was the main experience I had during the hour+ long session in the pool. Met Catie's boyfriend, who schools at Deakin, but decided to come down to the Monash club. what a small world.

met a SUPER hot chick at the gym today. but my blue balls syndrome set in. damn. I hope to see her again sometime soon.

paintball.....

yesterday,I was conned into joining the society I so vehemently avoided last year. All I did was want to play paint ball, but I had to join this dumbass association. fuck. Paintball, good fun and excitement. That is if you go with a good group of friends. this group unfortunately weren't my friends, but a bunch of retarded individuals who come from the same country as I did. this group of idiots and morons, and one individual in particular, dosen't understand english despite growing up in English speaking Singapore and now studying here in Australia. This fucking retard dosen't give regard to any safety rules at all, blardy bastard putting 3 pellets into my side, when only standing 2m away, and best of all after the game was declared over, because I won the game for my team. Fuck you, you stupid son of a bitch, mother fucker, rot in fucking hell and have a tragic death.

1 Exam down, 3 more to GO.

the first mid semester was finally over yesterday. I would say i was fairly consistent over the past 7 weeks, but somehow, when it came down to the crunch, which for me would be 1 week before the actual exam, the number of pages, number of pictures and volume of text, seem to somehow grow by unimaginable proportions and the helpless medical student, in this instant myself, is left to fend for himself, with TIME as his indomitable enemy, and his laptop and caffeine shots as the only weapons to wield.

I cannot believe teh amount of work we medical students have to cover.back in Alevels, it was a narrow scope with a somewhat fair level of detail to cover, right now, its a scope that stretches beyod the horizons, and a depth of detail required that goes beyond conceivable proportions. this was only 7 weeks worth of work, at the end of the year, I would have 54 weeks worth of study material to cover, and not to mention, the totally hectic, but totally irrelevant project assignments that we have. but now that the first hurdle is over, I shall take a few days off, that is, perhaps reduce my amount of study to 40%, and from week 8 onwards, its back to the books. I need a plan, a RIGHT now plan. Long term plans and desires of fast cars, big bucks, and beautiful women can take a back seat, becoz the RIGHT NOW plan will be in action.

1. Do pre-reading for all lectures.
2. Do self directed learning prior to all Anatomy/Clinical Skills tutorials.
3. Weekends - Revision or more detailed research for personal understanding.

That would be the plan I hope would make me more prepared and more confident for the next exam.

On the brighter side of things, I cut up a man's face today. I broke his jaw, and picked away at the tissues, until they were clean, leaving behind only what I was required to see. My right now plan will make me a surgeon. That is the only way.

Torquay Day trip!!!

Dear diary,

this post was meant for yesterday. ANYWAYs, the cut-short easter break that my fellow medicos and myself have been hustled off has been going well, study has been going well, been able to concentrate when it comes down to it, dedicated attention and focus, just like ADSL, dedicated bandwith.

Sof first things first, headed down to torquay today with joshua and his sister joanne and his cousin Diana. Tried surfing for teh first time today, and I mst say it was mighty awesome, definitely worth another trip back there.IF i could go down every weekend, I just would. The whole town is just so laid back and into the surf culture, you dont see any form of industries over there, just small offices, cafes....that and other stuff. but what you do see are MASSIVE, and I mean MASSIVE Surf shops. surf shops the size of Nike Melbourne, which could easily be half of Borders book store, the one back home in Singapore, not the fucked up ones you find here, which are no bigger than Dymocks. All this just a 90min ride away.

today 100407, first time i played golf in 3 weeks perhaps. had quite a good game today, the best so far since coming down to Melbourne.Hit will with the irons and had a few good tee offs, just a bit short on the putting aspect, which I must seek to improve. 1 more day to the end of the so called 'break'. Its gonna be full on studying from here. till next time.

dont hold back.