Phew, boy oh boy, that was the most taxing month in my past 12 x 19 months! I have no idea where the whole January and half my December went to! all i can recall is A Christmas dinner and A New Years night out. The pre and after event programmes for both the events were both- Study.
- Exam-lot to study- no time- arghhhh- sick of it- ARGHHHHH!-
Well, brain reached points of No Further Intake (saturation) a few times. Too much info in too little of a time.
Subjects I've Had:
Nutrition and Energy - 58 lectures
Haemopoietic and Immune System - 26 Lectures
Neuromuscular - 24 Lectures
Human Behavioural Science - 24 Lectures
Histology - 6 Modules
Therefore, Total: 138 Lectures
I let the figures do the talking.
Some lectures, don't make sense when you read them again, hence the need of the text books and smart friends. More time required.
Fear was really great in almost Everyone. Im sure, Everyone, had gone through atleast a nervous breakdown here. Im Sure. But thank god, we had each other for support, consoling sentences and conversations would fly around once in a while, occasional skype messages, texts, calls and personal visits.
Besides that, motivation is another important factors in almost everyones conversation.
Emails on relevant files such as past years, and exam tips too were passed around and about.
We would go Days without seeing each other, all we see is our same old study desk. Makes you wonder why you're stuck here doing this. Get sick of studying quite often, and i tell you, this is the best definition of Sick Of Studying ive experienced to date. You can really feel like vomiting. And i call the past weeks, Torturous, pain, suffering and agony. All are synonyms i guess, but seriously, without friends, id not have pulled through. Gems they are.
Couldnt have gone through the exams without my baby... and wikipedia.All those email wishes and msgs i got from friends and family back home really did help in my preparations for the exam. Thank you all! you know who you are! and You mean alot to me.
Oh, and when i was sick like prior to new year, i had alot of concern and comfort in recovering fast. In Dublin, Namely, Yvonne, Yi Ping, Yi Yun, Jasmine, Jiang Gang, Elijah, and my Roommate, Ken wai. They really made sure i was not dying or something and that i got well soon, and so did i, thanks to them. Each day wasted sleeping proved ever soo vital in the run up to the exams. Thankfully, it was just 4 days. 4 days i could have done without falling sick, but oh well, not to complain now.
My Exam dates were such:
Haemopoietic and Immune System(HIS): 12th Jan
Nutrition and Energy (NE): 14 th Jan
Anatomy Practical: 15th Jan
Neuromuscular(NM): 20th Jan
Histology: 21st Jan
Human Behavourial Science (HBS): 22nd January
I think the names of these subjects are self-explanatory already.
I.e. meaning Neuromuscular is a subject where we learn on Neurons (nervous system) and Muscles and its related Drugs.
NE- is to do with Food metabolism, absorption and etc.
HBS- Psychology
HIS- Blood and Immune system.
Histology is to do with the microscopic slide pictures and so on.
Anatomy Practical- Question on a bullet train on the Anatomy of a Cadaver, and Radiology as well as bones.
The drinks that kept me going, during the sick period and also during the long exam nights.Things i sacrificed for these exams:
1. Sleep
2. Exercise
3. Food
4. Past Year Papers
5. Time Management
6. Friends and Family
7. Relaxation period before exams
8. All pre exam rituals (except yoghurt and raisins- yeah guys, still on the lucky brain power raisins. ;) )
9. Fresh air
10. DVT- Deep Vein Thrombosis (sitting long hours cause it. Example, 21 hours flight to Australia from Dublin, just that this was in the vicinity of my room.)
Basically, there were nights i didnt sleep prior to exams, there were naps, but not much Sleeps. Well, i didnt sleep before two exams only. NE and HBS. NE being a very huge module, and HBS as there were too much to study to memorize and also cos it was the last paper.
My army.Used to wonder how people go without sleeping before exams. Even discussed it over with a few friends last time, one i can remember is talking it over with Tim. I was quite surprised ppl do that and i was like, i will never do that, sleep is very important before exams. But i did it this time around, without facing any problems that come without sleeping. Guess our mind and body knows how to adapt for exam and exam nerves. But the reason i didnt sleep was because i wasn't as prepared as my other (PMR, SPM, A Levels) exams i believe.
No joke, RCSI students, this is what we do. Thats Iki by the way.Will never be sacrificing all this next sem. i promise to be the Gan i was last time. This was really not how i roll. Breaking down very often, nervous, anxious, scared... sigh. Think my state was the worst compared to the others here. Its new grounds for me. Always been prepared, but this time i wasnt. and its Med School! what was i thinking!? yes, wat mum said was correct i guess, "ganesh, you're a slow at adapting and learning, but once you get the hang of it, you'd do very well". I agree with her. Next sem on, its gonna be the adapted me, where i can perform the best i do.
According to HBS, my Temperament was 'Slow to Warm and Cautious' i believe. To non med students, what im saying is that i was brought up as that kind of child meaning Personality Development.
Its a long post already, but oh well, i think i just summed up my exams there. Results will be out very soon, in two weeks time, i hope and pray that i get good results. :)
Now its holidays, but i dont know what to do, been sleeping quite a fair bit when possible to detoxify myself. But, at times body isnt used to sleeping back at the Normal Hours, so sleep is still upside down. I see all the red bull and caffeine coming out in urine now, showing signs of good detoxification. :) Yes, i think i've lost weight over the exams, but ive learnt that in times of nervousness and stress, your body does tend to lose weight. Time to put the Pounds back on and muscles of course. :)
A video on all the drugs we learnt so far. We know 80% of it. This video was passed around among our friends here during our exams. That is alot of drugs. Sorry for the vulgarity in it (please do ignore the foul language at the end)
This were just a few from the Last Exam- NM (got the list of Yun's blog. she typed it all out. thx.)
phenylephrine, phentolamine, doxazosin, prozosin, clonidine, dobutamine, isoprenalin, propanolol, atenalol, salbutamol, terbutaline, thalidomide, amphetamines, cocaine, tricyclic antedepressants, pargyline, tropolone, alpha methytyrosine, carbidopa, reserpine, bretylium, carbacol, atropine, pilocarpin, acoclidine, cevimeline, ipratropium, neostigme, edrophonium, hemicholium, botulinum, d-tubocurare, decamethonium, sucamethonium and last but not least iisdachampion.
Phew, sweat.
Okay, then, till my next post. Will be heading to Paris and then London for the Holidays... yeap, you heard me right, Paris! :)
A Few Random pictures:
Steamboat at a seniors place: A final one before we barely see the seniors as they would now be attending lectures in the hospital... gonna miss you guys... :(
Missed my "afro". yes, ppl, i got a haircut. a short one.
Christmas at Millin Basement: A great night with Family... a blast it was.
A great night, but i fell really sick after this.. :(
Family.
New Years Eve:
The place i got the following hair cut.
I just couldn't refrain from putting this up:
My beloved PMCSA president in his room. Things to Note: his pink comforter, hes covering hes teddy bear from our view, and the best part, Hes the Gym Monitor. Ironic you say? Sorry Mehul, Had to.Till my next then, id like to thank the following people from RCSI:
Yvonne, Rachel, Ken Wai, Jiang Gang, Alyson, Yi Ping, Elijah, Mehul, Jasmine, Yi Yun, Jonny Pang and others who've helped me when i was sick, down, freaked, nervous, anxious, depressed, or just teaching and baring with my stupid questions. :)
And also the following people:
Parents, Bro, Aunt, Shu Jiun, Claudia, Pui Ling, Cin Dee, Jon Ou, and Soo jin.
Thank you All!
One Life, One Love, Enjoy Every Bit of it- Especially during the Holidays.
Yvonne, Rachel, Ken Wai, Jiang Gang, Alyson, Yi Ping, Elijah, Mehul, Jasmine, Yi Yun, Jonny Pang and others who've helped me when i was sick, down, freaked, nervous, anxious, depressed, or just teaching and baring with my stupid questions. :)
And also the following people:
Parents, Bro, Aunt, Shu Jiun, Claudia, Pui Ling, Cin Dee, Jon Ou, and Soo jin.
Thank you All!
One Life, One Love, Enjoy Every Bit of it- Especially during the Holidays.
