Looking Back

Considering the time span between the present and the last time I wrote an entry for this blog, a lot has happened.
Now, I am at home and despite the time (1.22 a.m.), I am still more than half-awake, no thanks to a glass of iced nescafe and another glass of mocha smoothie, and with ample time and idleness, it allows me the opportunity to just...think back.
Let's proceed systematically, for once.

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i. First Professional Exam
Date: May 12 - May 14
I figured that I'd be off the wall during the two weeks of revision period prior to this huge event. I mean, we are talking about covering two years' worth of lectures and stuff, compressed into an oh-too-short duration on a mere 14 days, and that's before we subtract all the little yet important activities that one does as a normal, sane human being - eating, sleeping and napping, procrastination, periods of emotional upheaval and negative vibes, and, as one with limited focusing ability, goofing around.
Yes, I remember going out at least three times, spending an average of three hours minimum at a shopping mall, shopping for things that are not exactly in my high priority nor urgent list. Though, buying food to nibble on and for dinner (ah, the memory of heating sausages and crab fillets come to mind effortlessly) does constitute as a normal activity...one imperative for survival and health.
So, as usual, there were hints dropped by the lecturers - one reminded us many a time NOT to ask her again pertaining this matter - as well as our usual practice; that is to say, targeting and...interpreting dreams.
This latter act is, I must confess, one that I engage in, although not without a pinch of salt. Given the fact that it did prove to be useful in the past, it's like a guide courtesy of my instincts, which most of the time is pretty helpful. One prime example is when I dreamt of Dr. Imad in Y1B3, and sure enough, an essay on Hepatitis viruses came out. Then in second year, a dream of Dr. Saxena dictated another essay on pharmacology; of Dr. Emad was on embryology (Development of the female genital tract)...Yep, I know they were long shots to begin with but hey, one's gotta start somewhere.
Just before my Y2B4 (Neuromuscular block) finals, I dreamt of Dr. San San telling me "Ascending tract" over and over again, but not narrowing it down when I specifically asked which one. Of course, Dr. Saxena also made his appearance (which is pretty logical, seeing how hardworking he is). So, when the questions did come by, I was kinda shocked - pharmacology because a tip I received from my classmates actually came out (drugs in epilepsy, hmmm...I seriously thought RA would be asked) and, instead of ascending tracts, Dr. Emad's corticospinal tract (i.e. descending tract) came out!
Being a little optimistic, I reasoned that my instincts were actually pointing towards Pro questions.
But no...Instead, we got repeated questions.

Essay - Cardiac Cycle (which was asked in Y2B1), Anti-diabetics & OHAs (Y2B3), and the one question that was a lil surprising: Streptococci & the medical conditions that they cause. Something like that. This paper also marked a change in my pattern of answering; instead of answering the essays according to their order i.e. their numbering, I skipped question two, going straight for question three once I was done with question one. So I broke one of my personal rules...Sigh.

Short Notes - Uhm. Killer. Getting shocked five times, one for each question, is never good. Inguinal canal (came out once in the past Pro question, but I didn't expect it would make a reappearance!), Biosynthesis of thyroid hormones (exact question in Y2B3...but my answer this time around was worse than back then, mainly because I only glanced at the topic at the last minute...), Congenital toxoplasmosis (not too surprising, but I had expected hookworms or ascariasis or hepatic amoebiasis...), Spinal shock & its recovery (Ha? It was asked as an essay in Y2B4, but now...I didn't remember as much...), and for our Islamic Input...Controlling anger as taught by the Prophet S.A.W. Yup yup. Killer questions.

OSPE - One thing I'm thankful for is that my group was the first to go, which means more time for any last minute preparation for the next paper (said last minute preparation contains, for the most part, an extended afternoon nap...). So...quite a few immunology questions (Ha? A sterilisation technique? Didn't remember much, and the word "autoclave" was completely MIA in my head...), histopathology slides, ovarian cyst (what, AGAIN!? Wasn't this, like, the third time already? ...Not that there was any improvement in my answer even after all that...Tsk tsk), one question about the leg muscle Flexor Digitorum Longus (instead of digitorum, I got confused between digitalis and digiti...Needless to say, since I spent significantly more time with my pharmacology notes, I went for digitalis. Unforgivable, since drugs are way off...I suppose answering 'digiti' - which refers to the fingers of the hand - would make more sense...), one question about anti-lipid agents (I read it already, but I couldn't remember! *tugs hair*), and...many more. Snakes didn't come out at all...Tch. Oh, and another blunder: I forgot how to spell Sarcoptes scabiei.

PBQ - I figured it would be Dr. Naznin's...Peptic ulcer, probably, since it is common and, despite it already being asked in Y2B2's PBQ and PBL, there was still a chance of a repeat question, given the nature of the questions in the essay and short notes papers. Or, Heaven forbid, cancer...Seriously, we had at least two cancer cases already for our PBQ (cervical cancer in Y1B2, lung cancer in Y2B1) and countless in our PBL sessions (oesophageal cancer...). What came out? Hypovolaemic shock due to spleen rupture (reminiscent of a PBL case in Y1B1 and PBQ in the same block, except that the spleen was uninvolved...). Yeah. Histo of the involved organ? Uhm, didn't remember much...Wound healing? Yeah, so Dr. Naznin did say that it was important during our revision class...

MCQ - Where to begin...If short notes was a killer, this was like some sort of divine punishment. For starters, the questions were new, 99.8%. The first question - what I like to call the mood setter - set the wheels in motion by asking, of all things, about the female pelvis (I forgot, despite reading it up a few times!), then another question had to ask about purine metabolism (Yup, read it too, despite half-heartedly...). Yeah, so it was like Y2B1 Minitest I all over again - it was the time when we had close to 100% new questions, and only 20 people passed the paper...
The problem with MCQs is that, being the final paper, means that we, the students, were already exhausted by then. The night before the paper was filled with light if not futile attempts at revising, because the attack of "I wanna go home already!" had started to amplify.

Outcome - Three candidates for Viva Voce for distinction, two of which got it. None for borderline Viva, and likewise, zero failure! Thank Heavens! Quoting Dr. Naznin, we're 40% doctors already! Third year, here we come!

ii. Preclinical Years Recapitulated
It was fun, in spite of the obstacles. The doctors, I hope I'll never forget how fun the lectures were...and the feasts that we had. Really, from the breaking of fast and Raya feasts and our appreciation lunch...It's a fresh sight, seeing how the lecturers reveal a little more human aspect, and not merely the lecturer with his/her powerpoint plus lectures mode.
Still, one conclusion would be that we humans are easily motivated by food...
Cough.
Then comes the issue of how our batch be labelled as the troublesome batch. Decidedly, in academics, we may not be too mad...But when it comes to discipline, let's just say that there's plenty of room for improvement. And, Minitest I in Y2B1...the lecturers had to have a meeting to discuss the unbelievable drop in our achievement. Also, after an essay in Y2B2 on Drugs in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, I expect they had another meeting for that (Dude, seriously? IBD isn't that common in this part of the world...).
So, yeah. We're something...let's just leave it at that. And we seem to force the doctors to hold meetings that discuss about us...Are we craving for attention or something?

iii. Miyavi Bu-Jae Chiaki
If it sounds like a mixed-up name conjured from a random machine, it's not. It's actually the name for our new car, which is under joined ownership of my sister and me. It's a black Myvi...and no, we didn't want black in the first place ('coz black is too ubiquitous, and silver rules), and I didn't want Myvi, although a small voice in me said that the probability of the new car being one is too high to be overlooked.
It turned out that practically everyone in the family loves him (yes, the two of us decided that the car's a 'he'...Don't ask) but I was less than enthusiastic...
Not too aesthetically pleasing, but hey, I rarely get to make the final call anyway...I'll work for my own car, then...

iv. Break
One and a half months before we officially enter third year as clinical students. Sure, it sounds long (it's the longest break we'll ever have as medical students...) but if I don't make proper use of my time, it'll seem as if it had gone by that it'd shove itself right into my face when it's finally over.
My plans are these, not in any particular order:

1. Cooking and baking - Does it seem that I've finally embraced the feminine passion within me? Will it actually become a reality?

2. Learning Adobe Photoshop - Well, I do get requests of drawing comic strips once in awhile, so why not make it really manga-like? One needs to develop the creative brain too...
Plus, I need to finish another comic strip for MSC's DVD, and I owe someone (who has been waiting patiently for it) a Natsumi of Taiho! Shichauzo drawing.

3. Galileo - A J-drama featuring Fukuyama Masaharu as the brilliant but eccentric Physics lecturer, and Shibasaki Kou as a determined detective, who solve cases. Add a bit of Numbers, a tinge of CSI, and a spoonful of mysteries...
So far I've downloaded four episodes. There're six more to go. Frankly I thought I'd give up on J-dramas for good, since Nodame Cantabile had practically raised my expectations and appreciation level sky-high...that I might never enjoy another J-drama (or any show for that matter) in this life as much as I enjoyed Nodame anymore.
So the drama has rekindled my adoration for Fukuyama Masaharu, whom I last saw in Beauty or the Beast.
Which reminds me...Why is it so hard to find (Not So) Perfect Love nowadays!?

4. Anime - I am guilty in that I tend to spend money to buy anime but only watching it halfway (perhaps less than that...), if at all. Example, Tactics , Peacemaker Kurogane, Honey & Clover II, Saiunkoku Monogatari Season I, to name a few, fall under the category of "To Complete" a.k.a "When are you gonna finish this one, you fickle minded woman?!" and Full Metal Alchemist, Saiyuki Reload, Nodame Cantabile (Anime), Code Geass: Lelouch no Rebellion, etc are unfortunately under "To Begin" a.k.a "Have you forgotten about us, scatterbrain of a woman?!". Bleach, Naruto Shippuuden , Tennis no Ouji-sama are just too long and draggy, they're considered "Dropped" for the time being (Actually, I'm thinking of categorising Code Geass: Lelouch no Rebellion under this category as well, since I feel nothing for the characters and am not so curious about its second season...).
What's the worst thing? Apparently I have this knack of expanding my anime collection rather than finishing them properly. I'm looking for One Piece, impatiently waiting for Gintama, containing my curiosity towards D.Gray-man, Shounen Onmyouji, Saiunkoku Monogatari Season II (despite suddenly developing a slight distaste towards the female lead, hence the laziness in actually continuing Season I)...
It's unfortunate that money is the limiting factor in this equation.

5. Manga Scanlations - Anxiously waiting for the next update of 07 Ghost and Volume 62. If finding the scans were easy, I'd like to find more Meitantei Conanof Samurai Deeper Kyo, Gintama (for the heck of it), Saiyuki, Kingdom Hearts, Spiral, etc...
Greedy, greedy. Guilty of greed, Your Honour.

6. Studies - It's a sad fact, isn't it, that this is numbered 6...which means that it struck me later than all the previous things enumerated. So, perhaps now it's time to concentrate on polishing what I've learnt plus reading up a bit on the clinical aspects and physical examinations...
On a side note, I should've bought Hutchinson's rather than Talley & O'Connor...

7. Keyboard - The musical instrument, not the one you type with. It's my dream to at least know how to play one musical instrument, although I know my parents would object to this...

8. Japanese language

9. English language - You wouldn't believe how my English has been impaired over the years I'm in Uni. Oh, the irony! Sad, isn't it? I used to write and read a lot, and now I'm reduced to just an average speaker. Not that I'm aiming to be the best debater or speaker but still...This is a life-long thing!

10. Polishing up my driving - 'Coz driving in Kuantan takes much more skill, gut and mental preparation than in PJ, enough said...

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So that's it for now. Although all the caffeine still wrecks havoc in my brain, my prefrontal area emphasizes that it's time to actually get some sleep. Or at least, endeavour to. I wouldn't want to spend an entire Sunday afternoon sleeping. It'd be a great waste, worthy of a whole week of repentance.

Note to self: Nasi lemak as breakfast is a huge no-no, unless you plan to sleep for a huge chunk of the day. The same goes for roti canai...

Current Music: Kiss shite - KOH+ (Theme for Galileo. I adore the ending sequence!)
Current Book: Kafka on the Shore - Murakami Haruki