A mizdiagnosis

Why did I choose medicine?!

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

2008: Year of achievement

I'd promised myself that this year would be one full of achievements.

As I have mentioned before, 2007 was one full of personal growth and I wanted to make 2008 the product of all the internal reflection I've done in 2007.

And what a year it has been. I kept a diary where I would record every single achievements that I was proud of, no matter how small it might be.

The year started with me being drunk. HAHA. I was in Batu Pahat, in the company of my 4 closest medical batchmates, sipping on wine. But that was the time I knew who were the friends that I would always want to keep in touch with. I'll always miss the days where life's biggest decisions were, "Where to eat dinner tonight?" and the greatest adventure was driving to Johor Bahru just to catch a movie. Thank you for your friendship, eventhough it came at the end of our medical school life.

Passed my exit exam from medical school! 5 years of torture came to an end in one day, and all was good the moment I went up on stage to get my medical degree. To add icing to the cake, I was asked to give the graduation speech, the first female graduate to give one in my university. As if that wasn't good enough, I'd received a lot of compliments for giving a good, meaningful speech and my family were so proud of me that day.

Organized my batch's graduation dinner. All was good and a perfect ending to a wonderful 5 years where I've gotten to know so many great individuals who have in many ways influenced my life.

Read: The OMG post

Travelled to Queensland to stay with my best friend. Linda, hope you're doing OK. Miss you lots! Hope working life will be a great adventure for you as it has been for me...muaxx..

Read: My trip to Queensland & Goldcoast

Got to watch Formula 1 finally, with the perfect companion :) Thank you for your friendship and for listening to me cry when I'd started my working life.

Read: My most expensive date

Rearranged my parents' home when they were away at Shanghai. Tried out my internal designing skills. I think I did a good job making the place neater. Unfortunately, more than 6 months later, everything looks messy again. Haha. Oh well, I've tried my best.

Survived Induction course in Malacca and Biro Tatanegara in Negeri Sembilan. Enuff said. Seriously, it's a test of your patience and self control. Thank God I was with my medical batchmates.

Got to do my housemanship in the hospital I'd wanted. My first choice! No regrets yet as I knew all along that I would be getting a good enough (if not the best) training there. Plus it was in a town I loved staying in. Started in the surgical department and now in my third month of O&G. Over the next one and a half years it'll be Paeds, Medical, Emergency Medicine and finally Orthopaedic.

Found the perfect partner in crime during my housemanship. Though we knew each other from medical school, I'm so grateful that I had a dependable person as a close friend (platonic one, don't get funny ideas), one whom I knew I could call at unGodly hours to ask for help. I may have been irritated over a thousand times with him, but I will always be thankful for the times he was there when I didn't ask him to. I'm the luckiest houseman who has a fellow houseman who not only gives me the motivation to push myself to be better, but also one who's made housemanship an enjoyable period in my life.

I'm finally living in the perfect home, having my independence, getting paid and learning the art of surviving in the real world. Paying bills, managing money, driving myself around, running errands on my own, finding my own house, fixing and furnishing my own home. Nothing beats living the day knowing that I'm capable of taking care of myself and those around me.

Travelled to Cambodia! Fell in love with Siem Reap and will definitely make another trip.. I can't stop thinking of how wonderful it was to go there.

Made so many new friends in the most unexpected ways this year :) I'm so happy.

While I could probably think of so many more great moments, at the end of the day, I'm happy, content and in love with life. May God bless your life with joy, beauty, love and adventure, as He has blessed mine. Goodbye 2008, you've taught me so much about myself, you'll never be just another year to me. Hello 2009, this year you'll show me how exciting life will be when I choose to be spontaneous and break all the rules.

Are you as ready as I am?

posted by Sha @ 9:39 PM 3 comments

Monday, December 22, 2008

Loud department

Hi, long time no see.

As some of you know, I'm now 2 months into my O&G posting. Surgery came and went, I had a great time and actually dreaded the day I would leave a great department for one which I've only heard bad things about.

It started out bad. Then it became worse. I was so exhausted that I woke up late 2 days in a row (thank God it was over the weekend!), I've been embarassed countless times, I've been in tears for the amount of stress I was in, and lastly every morning was a day I woke up in fear and dread for what the day might bring.

But I'd worked my ass off. I was in the ward one hour before everyone else. I was doing night rounds when I've not slept for 30 hours straight. I was running around doing errands for my superiors. I'd tried my best to remember what is wrong with over 40 patients. I've skipped breakfast, lunch, dinner. I've gone out of my way to buy dinner for the nurses and on-call doctors when I should be going home. I've been yelled at far too many times.

Fortunately, that was then. Now 2 months down the line, what started as a department full of 'very loud' people turned out to be a place I've found great friends. And the best part, after all the hard work, my superiors are the nicest people to me now. So nice that I feel like I can get away with anything.

"Let me introduce our good houseman."
"Let Sasha do the scan. Sasha, do the full scan and inform me."
"I'll let you close this time. The next time you assist me I'll let you do more, ok?"
"Nothing that's happen is your fault. Don't worry, I have your back."
"Sasha, go teach the taggers what they are suppose to be doing."
"Dr Sasha, please counter-check this."
"Dr Sasha, got toast in the pantry for you. I made for you."

Haha. The last one really happened. A nurse in the labour room whom I've bought dinner for made toasts for me when she found out that I've not eaten my breakfast. But in conclusion, I've learnt that if I prove to my superiors that I'm willing to do more than expected and have the keen interest to learn to be better at what I do, they'll treat me with more respect and kindness than I would expect.

They told me that I would suffer in this department. They told me to keep a low profile for I would be taken advantage of.

I'd kept an open mind and heart and gave my all. 2 months down the line, I'm happy to be in this department and having the time of my life. I'm so proud of everything I've achieved. Imagine finding out that your MOs tried to fix which 5 housemen they wanted to be on-call with them, and out of the 30 housemen they could choose from, you are one of the 5?

Lesson of the day: When you are willing to move mountains for others, how can others not do the same for you?

posted by Sha @ 10:01 PM 6 comments

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Name: Sha
DOB: 6th July
Email: shasynergy@gmail.com

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