broke and broken but still smiling

the 3 days intensive course is finally over. Broke, broken but smiling.

I got so much to say but I forgotten to hand in the feedback form.

What can I say, I am getting old. Anyone getting younger?

Being postcall, I rushed to airport at 5am, thanks to SY's voluntary cover for few hours till 8am.

Upon reaching the East Coast, the airport cab Daytonaed me to the HUSM, only to have me going around the hospital in circle for 15mins, trying to figure out where is the place of the course. Somemore, the people that I asked for directions gave me contradicting directions till I met someone who are willing to take me there.

The whole course was kind of a repeat for the USMers, where they already had it for the duration for 2 weeks much earlier.

It is now a 3days course, which made it much much much much much (enuff of 'much'?) more intensive.

Here's my feedback for the course.

The course co-ordinators: funny and praiseworthy
Dr. A and Dr. A both diligently preparing everything required for the course. Dr. A was particularly a spontaneous humorous person making all the right comment at the right time. The most memorable was "Dr. xxx is going to talk about gonads. Ah, yes, gonads."

The course: Testing our attention span.
The whole roster of one lecture after another, after another, and another from 8 am till 5pm with small breaks and lunch break doesn't really fit into the model of effective learning.

Personally, it is more of like 'lets do this compulsory thingy and get over it'.

Nevertheless, collecting from here and there, I am graciously thankful that they managed to let us see a clearer picture of the scope of the coming exam, which is fundamentally-based on applied science. Seriously.

It is like basic science is part 1, clinical is part 2,
and so, this coming exam is sort of like Part 1.5 for applied science.
At one point, we're being told that it is essential for us to master intubation for adult patient and to think like orthopedics in another question.

Therefore after this 1st year, our 2nd till 4th year, we can kick back and relax and focus on the unfinished 0.5, consistent with the old adage saying 'Bersusah-susah dahulu, bersenang-senang kemudian'. Afterall, we should do much much more when we're young (I mean, less old), right?

The mock exam: Mockingly uplifting
The only reason it is being called mock exam is because it is mocking at us.

MCQ: almost pass, Essay: fail miserably, OSCE: comfortable pass. Once a while, being mock at can be an uplifting experience. Now, I am getting back my mojo after some much-confused times. And I starting to focus on studying back. Not that I have other choices, anyway.

The city: Laidback
Relaxing suburb. Everyone just lepak. There's absolutely nightlife here, just that they don't come in the form of clubs/pubs/karaoke but instead the people here, young and old, will hang out at premium 'Old Town'-like eating place till late at night and chit-chatting. At some point, the noise level plus the mozzies was intruding into my well-needed slumber. Nothing much, otherwise, because no wheel and no will to wander.

Luckily, got ample WiFi to connect with my dearest back at home.

The course charges: probably consistent with fuel/commodities inflation.

Debit

• Fee of RM3oo per person X 29 = RM 8700.

Expenditure:

• Room and items: free (from faculty)
• Speakers from faculties(16 lectures + 3 mock exam sessions = 19): probably RM 200 (200X19 = RM3800)
• Booklets n bags: sponsored
• Food (2tea breaks & 1 lunch/day & candies): probably RM 20/day/person (20X3X29 = RM1140)
• Miscellaneous (couldn't think of any) but just allocate RM760

Required balance to offset possible inflation: RM3000 (No kidding)

And the unofficial news was that we're supposed to pay RM500 for coming May exam.
That's a debit of RM500X29 = RM14500. Really couldn't wait to see the breakdown of expenditure for that.

We're supposed to attend total 6 courses [4 compulsory courses (stats,basic surgical skill, basic ultrasound,basic laparoscopy) in Year 1 and Year 2, excluding intensive course and Part 1 exam] but only allowed to claim for 2 courses per year, meaning we need to break our wallets for 2 courses.

Probably some discount is warranted, because our wallets can be pretty fragile.

The extra co-curricular activities: Books and discussion.
Together with 3 coursemates, went hunting for well-known shop of MERBAU PHOTOCOPY - N6.13383, E102.24120.
They have most of the photocopy of the lastest edition of premium medical books, selling at near-dirtcheap price.

And had our only Chinese food in the Chinatown of KB before going back to our respective budget temporary residence near HUSM. The price of the food are shockingly as expensive as KL's standard.

Otherwise, over meals, the four of us will discuss about our work frustration, mainly with the house officers and some superiors, our career focus, our exam focus and our family updates. Kind of build up the camaraderie between us, although being away in different hospital scattered over the peninsular.

I will be back here in May.
Hopefully that's the last time till my final.

If it isn't the last time, I will be broken but not smiling.

flat tyre

My last 2 on calls were perfect reminders of my active on calls back in my previous hospy, where the exceptional ninja skills of body-splitting can come in handy. Just that in this new hospy, I had to split further, across the road, to the maternity hospital.

It is always a proud thing to be placed in a position to be called 'wise', but somehow when crisis cropped up simultaneously in both sides across the road, it somehow felt 'otherwise'.

I don't need others to tell me the above fact, my (actually my wife's) apple green Myvi indicate to me in the most obvious way ever. The right rear tyre went limp the next day, after commuting to-and-fro during ungodly hours the day prior.

I wish I can have a new tyre just like that.

Tired out myself.
Tired out the car.

Break my wallet for the extra petrol consumption and tyres change.

If this have to continue, probably I will have to hitch hike on the white ambu.

P.S. Thanks to Dr. S's advice. I think she's right. We shouldn't take everything in, there's always another person. Let that person have the dignity of doing his/her job. Respect.

great sum up: fb's break-ups

Probably, if you are having a rocky relationship, you should beware that the peak is near... So better shut the f-up before you say something you'll regret for the rest of your life...

where's the bar?

The Star, Tuesday Feb 8, 2011

MMA:　Ｒａｉｓｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｂａｒ　ｆｏｒ　ｆｕｔｕｒｅ　ｄｏｃｔｏｒｓ

by Joshua Foong

PETALING JAYA: There is growing concern about the quality of doctors that the country is churning out.

This is due to the low prerequisites allowed for preparatory medical colleges, known to accept SPM-level students with the minimum requirement of Bs in sciences.

From there, the students have a high chance of getting into universities in countries like Russia and Indonesia.

“There must be some quality or level of excellence before one can realistically aspire to be a doctor,” Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Dr David Quek told The Star.

“If one is not good enough there will be problems of quality later on when he or she becomes a doctor.

“It is not simply about getting a degree or a name. It has bearings on human life and patient safety,” he added.

“The association is unhappy that we are having so many routes to medical schools.

“We are creating an unrealistic atmosphere of easy entry for anyone who can afford to pay but whose scholastic ability may be way off the mark,” added Dr Quek.

Readers of The Star have also written in to express their concern on the many “shoplot medical schools.”

While medical universities require recognition by the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) before their graduates can practise medicine, the council does not have the authority to regulate pre-university courses tied with medical degree programmes.

“We are now looking into the entry criteria for medical students, and if these are too low, then we have recommended remedial measures to limit these medical colleges from being recognised as acceptable standards,” said Dr Quek, who is a council member.

“We are also working with the Higher Education Ministry and its agencies to ensure that foundation courses be of acceptable standards and duration, and that only sufficiently qualified students are accepted,” he added.

Universiti Malaya physiology professor Dr Cheng Hwee Ming said a student also had to master the art of decision making besides having clinical skills.

Rheumatologist Dr Pagalavan Letchumanan, who has trained housemen and lectured for 13 years, said the key point should be clear standardisation for entrance requirements.

“If we regulate the intake of medical students, say through MMC-certified prerequisites, just like our medical degrees, we can be more assured of the quality of our future graduates,” he added.

Reading this piece of news is kind of like reading a page off my favorite comic book, because from the beginning, the title of the article sounds so wrong, so out-of-place, so out-of-touch. Since the tsunami tide of medical grads hit our local scene, with it, the bar had already been drowned off to Neverneverland. The title should sound something like ‘Put back the bar for future doctors’ instead of raising the bar.

If the readers are concerned over the ‘shoplot medical schools’, maybe the mainstream media should really spread out the frank truth that the main owner of those shoplots are some well-known (hopefully soon-to-be ex) political masters – AIMST – MIC, UTAR-Medical school – MCA, Manipal – another bigshot and etc.

Another thing that I beg to differ was easy entry for people with way-off scholastic ability are main reason for poor quality of doctors. We must first audit the accuracy of our present examination system in streamlining the scholar from the rubbish.

Trust me; some scholars can be real rubbish. The line between knowing what to do, and actually doing it can be a very substantially chunky broad divider.

As much as the medical schools should hand-pick the ‘scholar’ carefully, much more meticulous steps should be undertaken to prevent the rubbish in scholar clothings from creating mayhem in the society. It’s pretty much common sense that they will create more chaos than blatant rubbish, and worse, get away scot-free.

Dr Quek's full email interview here.

Do not understand.

I do not understand.