yups. this was coming. :P the sentimental reflective writing that's gonna come out when farewell's imminent. Before I start packing my bags, I have to do some justice to the amazing 5 yrs I've had by writing all these down. :)
Results were announced in the auditorium this morning. 226 of us made it! Freshly graduated Doctors from UKM. Just feel honoured to have shared the past 5 years with an amazing bunch of people. To be honest, I can't bring myself to pack my bags, knowing that things are never going to be the same from here. New chapter, new challenges, new friends. Darn, getting emotional writing this.
The past 5 yrs have been an adventurous ride. I can say I come out of it different, if not more solidified, mature and knowledgeable. (thank goodness lol, it'd be a disaster if i didn't)
1. Crazy friends who rock my world.
2. Inspiring lecturers. some really handsome ones. grins. and a Dean who rocks the guitar! Prof Raymond.... swoons......
3. Strategic and really comfortable air-conned Hospital UKM.
4. Cell group friends and my shepherds who keep me growing in my journey as a Christian.
How can I not miss that?
There're far too many memories of this place I've called home and with the family I have here. Definitely will be one of my best days in many years to come.
I love you UKM. I love you beloved batchmates, housemates. muah muah muah xoxoxo
Breathe in, breathe out. Time to start a new chapter of life. Gonna partay, kick off my shoes, scream my lungs out and take in the wonders of the world for the next 2 months, then, put on the white coat (germ free hopefully? :P) and badge that carries the responsibility of human lives for the many decades to come. After several years, I've dare say found my purpose in life. To serve God in the marketplace in the healthcare system. Looking forward to learn more and experience greater things. Working world, here I come. Fellow Doctors, I'm coming to join you all...! aiyyyeeeee! xD i mean, wheeee! i mean, Hi :) yes I am sensible. :P
In the meantime, I gotta figure out how to pack my things back to Kuching xP go home to vote! then enjoy a trip to Krabi and Cameron with some great company, and then head back home to spend time with the family. :) Thanks mum and dad.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Friday, April 19, 2013
And... it's still not over! but it will be soon.
So.... the first week of theory papers are over. *Sigh of relief...............
Stress level for the past month was
High--> Mild --> Moderate --> High --> Super high before my 1st paper OSCE --> High after OSCE (cz a lot of tembak-ing involved) --> Super high during Medical essay ppr --> Cooled down a little throughout wed, thursday --> Went up again Fri morning thinking about next week's clinical exam --> Sat for the LAST theory paper --> Stress went down to ZERO (woots!!!) watching The Croods to destress (laughed my head off and even cried it's a super awesome cartoon seriously) --> Stress is back up to High tonight (in anticipation and preparation for clinical exam on tuesday).
conclusion: crazy past 1 month
I thank God for pulling me through the first week. I'm depending on Him to pull me through Tuesday as well.
I thank God for sending ppl to help me along the way.
All the best to all you guys and girls. We're in this together and we will make it <3 p="" xoxo.="">
Stress level for the past month was
High--> Mild --> Moderate --> High --> Super high before my 1st paper OSCE --> High after OSCE (cz a lot of tembak-ing involved) --> Super high during Medical essay ppr --> Cooled down a little throughout wed, thursday --> Went up again Fri morning thinking about next week's clinical exam --> Sat for the LAST theory paper --> Stress went down to ZERO (woots!!!) watching The Croods to destress (laughed my head off and even cried it's a super awesome cartoon seriously) --> Stress is back up to High tonight (in anticipation and preparation for clinical exam on tuesday).
conclusion: crazy past 1 month
I thank God for pulling me through the first week. I'm depending on Him to pull me through Tuesday as well.
I thank God for sending ppl to help me along the way.
All the best to all you guys and girls. We're in this together and we will make it <3 p="" xoxo.="">
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Reality jolt
4 weeks away to finals...
It does evoke mixed feelings.
When I walk through the corridors of HUKM, i'm thinking, this is gonna be the last few weeks i'll be walking along these paths in at least the next 5 years from now or never again. gonna miss walking through the emergency dept doors, scanning for new admissions, wonderful computerized lab system, shooting bloods to the labs, taking the lift to the 3rd floor library, etc. emo moment. hahah. Spending the last 5 years of my life with a familiar bunch of friends definitely has imprinted stg deep inside me. i'm foreseeing a longer emo post about goodbyes in a few months time from now. heheh.
Pushing away that brick wall of emo-ness, and jolting back to reality, 4 weeks! yes. the number slowly dwindles down to a 3, 2, 1, and i guess before i know it, it's going to be tomorrow. yikes!
to my present batchmates, all the best for our preparation in the weeks to come!
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
I pray for peace, focus and His grace.
It does evoke mixed feelings.
When I walk through the corridors of HUKM, i'm thinking, this is gonna be the last few weeks i'll be walking along these paths in at least the next 5 years from now or never again. gonna miss walking through the emergency dept doors, scanning for new admissions, wonderful computerized lab system, shooting bloods to the labs, taking the lift to the 3rd floor library, etc. emo moment. hahah. Spending the last 5 years of my life with a familiar bunch of friends definitely has imprinted stg deep inside me. i'm foreseeing a longer emo post about goodbyes in a few months time from now. heheh.
Pushing away that brick wall of emo-ness, and jolting back to reality, 4 weeks! yes. the number slowly dwindles down to a 3, 2, 1, and i guess before i know it, it's going to be tomorrow. yikes!
to my present batchmates, all the best for our preparation in the weeks to come!
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
I pray for peace, focus and His grace.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Across Borders
this year's chinese new year celebration has been the most memorable for me thus far. might sound a tad naive to a working adult, but this is my honest account on my thoughts over the past few days.
the stereotype of doctors leading terrible lives, hvg countless working hours, lack of sleep has always been alive. i hear of it, feel it, smell it and my mind reeks of it. in the anticipation of joining the working force in just a few more months, i can't help but from time to time dread the thought of starting work. the negativity surrounding the whole thing makes me believe that it's going to be terrible for me.
now hearing from my friends who were back in kuching over the cny celeb, those working in engineering firms, the banking line, doing sales and marketing was really really refreshing. felt so amazed listening to their account of their day to day working life. dealing with events, products, people, clients, economy, shipping, millions to billions of ringgit each day. now, that, is what I call challenging. phewh. battling the ups and downs outside there in the corporate world. learning from experience. working on stg totally unrelated to the degree they studied. when I compare my job to doing that, I'm thinking, mine's a lot easier. i felt as if a chip of the coconut shell that has been faithfullly shading a huge portion of my life that revolves around the hospital and clinics being lifted. a small beam of light shining in, making me look up in awe. Man, these ppl are awesome. their jobs are interesting (and tough).
well yeah, no doubt i gotta study lots, sleep less, work round the clock. but i deal with patients. and they deal with kickass bosses and clients with crazy demands. different job requirement altogether. guess of course we're more comfortable with what we've been trained to expect when we walked down our respective pathways in tertiary education.
i came back from kuching this time feeling motivated. i didn't have to look too far for role models to get me going. they didn't have to be internationally renowned figures. they are my secondary school classmates who currently brave the corporate weather each day. darn... i'm so proud of u girls and guys. parting words from the classmate who dropped me off at my house last night: Bye Vin. Take care. Study hard. :P she said it half jokingly. but it did for a moment spur that motivation in me to study hard n get it going in the last lap of my race in this undergraduate course, finals being just 2 months away.
maybe it sounds ridiculously simple. but it evoked a special feeling in me. i wana work hard to make them proud of me too. hehee.
A classmate, Sheryl got married on V day to Jarred, who's from the States. lovely. wish them both much happiness and future blessings. cross cultural marriages are always beautiful (with a hint of curiosity) :P
the stereotype of doctors leading terrible lives, hvg countless working hours, lack of sleep has always been alive. i hear of it, feel it, smell it and my mind reeks of it. in the anticipation of joining the working force in just a few more months, i can't help but from time to time dread the thought of starting work. the negativity surrounding the whole thing makes me believe that it's going to be terrible for me.
now hearing from my friends who were back in kuching over the cny celeb, those working in engineering firms, the banking line, doing sales and marketing was really really refreshing. felt so amazed listening to their account of their day to day working life. dealing with events, products, people, clients, economy, shipping, millions to billions of ringgit each day. now, that, is what I call challenging. phewh. battling the ups and downs outside there in the corporate world. learning from experience. working on stg totally unrelated to the degree they studied. when I compare my job to doing that, I'm thinking, mine's a lot easier. i felt as if a chip of the coconut shell that has been faithfullly shading a huge portion of my life that revolves around the hospital and clinics being lifted. a small beam of light shining in, making me look up in awe. Man, these ppl are awesome. their jobs are interesting (and tough).
well yeah, no doubt i gotta study lots, sleep less, work round the clock. but i deal with patients. and they deal with kickass bosses and clients with crazy demands. different job requirement altogether. guess of course we're more comfortable with what we've been trained to expect when we walked down our respective pathways in tertiary education.
i came back from kuching this time feeling motivated. i didn't have to look too far for role models to get me going. they didn't have to be internationally renowned figures. they are my secondary school classmates who currently brave the corporate weather each day. darn... i'm so proud of u girls and guys. parting words from the classmate who dropped me off at my house last night: Bye Vin. Take care. Study hard. :P she said it half jokingly. but it did for a moment spur that motivation in me to study hard n get it going in the last lap of my race in this undergraduate course, finals being just 2 months away.
maybe it sounds ridiculously simple. but it evoked a special feeling in me. i wana work hard to make them proud of me too. hehee.
photos taken frm leen and pauline. :P Jacq's place, stealing shots drg the wedding reception, the bridegroom and his bride.
A classmate, Sheryl got married on V day to Jarred, who's from the States. lovely. wish them both much happiness and future blessings. cross cultural marriages are always beautiful (with a hint of curiosity) :P
Friday, February 8, 2013
Lamentation
The place you love the most is always the place you call home.
Kuching will always be home to me. The familiarity makes it the ultimate comfort zone. it feels good to tell ppl where i'm from and take in the cute misconceptions ppl have about east msia. on a bigger scale, it's malaysia i will always call home. the people i will always love the most among any of the nations in the world. However, as a young undergraduate who's bound to leave student life and join the huge throng of labourers in the workforce soon, i have my concerns. where is our country heading to? it's true that the way of management of every country has it's pros and cons. financial policies, priorities. we're called to serve our people. deep inside, i know that i will love treating any msian uncle, aunty, teen, child more than anyone else, bcz i feel that i can identify with them and that there is a need in this country for ppl to serve. BUT. with the onslaught of drs in training hospitals ard, current financial planning of the country, the latest doomed project in kelantan, it makes me wonder what the future holds in this country. well to be honest it's more of the failed project in kelantan that i just read about this morning that gave me this sense of hopelessness. why can't people, developers, etc. have conscience. why is there corruption. why do ppl misuse power and rob the country. there're tons of ppl out there who're poor, underpriviledged, unable to afford themselves education, whose lives are confined to meagre states of living. most of you would shake ur heads and think, yeah well it's nothing new. corruption. ppl who would squander money for themselves and leave the rest to rot. they shud be banished. well lol my lecturer would say they shud be shot, i kinda feel that way too, but i suppose it sounds pretty scary. you wish this didn't have to happen in your country. i wish there was absolute equality. but it's a thought of an idealist. equality can never exist. what is left is hope. the ultimate value of life in the end is afterall, to run the race and live for His glory. I love Malaysia. you know that feeling when you wana prove urself to be better than any individual from a neighbouring country lol. we all have that kiasu feeling. ahaha. I just wish the spark of hope and light here can brighten up soon, if not to not be extinguished. many of us feel the flame's dying. without transparency, questions pop up. the truth is evident, some know more, some less. but i think no matter how much we lament, deep down this is still our home. and we want the best for it.
thaaaaat said, still, looking forward to the coming week. :) gonna fly back kuching saturday. cny cny the reason to kick off those shoes and celebrate :D
Kuching will always be home to me. The familiarity makes it the ultimate comfort zone. it feels good to tell ppl where i'm from and take in the cute misconceptions ppl have about east msia. on a bigger scale, it's malaysia i will always call home. the people i will always love the most among any of the nations in the world. However, as a young undergraduate who's bound to leave student life and join the huge throng of labourers in the workforce soon, i have my concerns. where is our country heading to? it's true that the way of management of every country has it's pros and cons. financial policies, priorities. we're called to serve our people. deep inside, i know that i will love treating any msian uncle, aunty, teen, child more than anyone else, bcz i feel that i can identify with them and that there is a need in this country for ppl to serve. BUT. with the onslaught of drs in training hospitals ard, current financial planning of the country, the latest doomed project in kelantan, it makes me wonder what the future holds in this country. well to be honest it's more of the failed project in kelantan that i just read about this morning that gave me this sense of hopelessness. why can't people, developers, etc. have conscience. why is there corruption. why do ppl misuse power and rob the country. there're tons of ppl out there who're poor, underpriviledged, unable to afford themselves education, whose lives are confined to meagre states of living. most of you would shake ur heads and think, yeah well it's nothing new. corruption. ppl who would squander money for themselves and leave the rest to rot. they shud be banished. well lol my lecturer would say they shud be shot, i kinda feel that way too, but i suppose it sounds pretty scary. you wish this didn't have to happen in your country. i wish there was absolute equality. but it's a thought of an idealist. equality can never exist. what is left is hope. the ultimate value of life in the end is afterall, to run the race and live for His glory. I love Malaysia. you know that feeling when you wana prove urself to be better than any individual from a neighbouring country lol. we all have that kiasu feeling. ahaha. I just wish the spark of hope and light here can brighten up soon, if not to not be extinguished. many of us feel the flame's dying. without transparency, questions pop up. the truth is evident, some know more, some less. but i think no matter how much we lament, deep down this is still our home. and we want the best for it.
thaaaaat said, still, looking forward to the coming week. :) gonna fly back kuching saturday. cny cny the reason to kick off those shoes and celebrate :D
Saturday, February 2, 2013
So... Who Gets to Age With Grace?
Maybe you think or I thought I was gonna be spewing out a gurgling mud pool pie pool bbblllblblbl of asking everyone to appreciate and love our elderly people, how ungrateful children can be and how elderly ppl are being left to rot in old folks homes that thrive on public donation. I was thinking that. Indeed I was. We all know it. The adverts on TV every festive season gently remind us about it. It's a social phenomenon that's sad but real and it's happening in every country across the world.
I guess everyone has heard one too many messages and shout outs on that.
(but yes i agree that a one too many reminder is still good to catch our attention for a sec and keep our sense of humanity in check on and off)
Just a few thoughts that came to mind after a visit to an old folks home today.
How do you imagine yourself to be in 60 years time??
some of us are gonna be the hockey grandma -is that a parallel to a hockeymom?-
the senior consultant who gets to wear socks with slippers and shorts and no one can say anything about it. or spot sportshoes with slacks. or purple socks with orange shoes. ok no. nope.
the owner of land properties who never has to work
the aunty running a kolo mee stall to pass time
the aunty giving line dancing lessons to church members -thr's a really cool aunty in my church who does that
we basically wana be independent financially and physically so that we can do things we love.
but you never know what kind of disease is going to come knocking on ur bones i mean door one fine day. choi touch wood but yea we all know that's imminent in old age. buy health insurance ppl!!!
when that happens, no amount of money can buy u genuine love from ur loved ones who will care for you no matter how things end up. u can pay someone tons of money to tend to ur daily needs when u're chronically ill, but it cannot buy u the bond u share with someone dear, or daily wound dressing done with love. when u're bed bound, the smallest things like feeding, bathing, clothing yourself, combing ur hair, personal hygiene, getting things to ur bedside etc will require help. who'll be willing to do that for u, and r u willing to do that for another individual?
still, buy health insurance.
we cant deny diseases like Alzheimer changes a person's behaviour. it can make them totally indifferent to someone they used to know and love so dearly, be aggressive, forgetful etc. and it brings two level of thoughts.
1. love those around you, care for them, appreciate them, and it will naturally be mutual. now i'm not saying do things with personal intent. that's just kinda weird. but u get wad i mean. i hope. :)
2. love those around you before it's too late. choi touch wood i'm once again not saying bad things are gonna happen to ur loved ones. but again, u get the gist of what i'm saying.
It also leaves us all with another important reminder.
Save for future needs!
Money isn't everything, but money is still vital. and, did i mention insurance? xP ok enough about insurance. grins.
At the end of the day, pun unintended, you still wana age with grace.
Now i certainly wana be up and active even at old age, doing lots of things, reading cute books, knitting??? hahah, baking pies??? (so stereotypical of grandmas lol), running about doing work for God, maybe still contributing medically to society?, making sure lil kids dont stuff pencil erasers up their noses or doing the Heimlich manouevre on a choking kid or doing CPR on a person who collapsed in front of me -oookkay maybe going a bit too far-
The old folks home isn't somewhere you ideally imagine your parents or yourself to end up in. A retirement home is different, but lets not get into that. There's no place like home. Home meaning the house+people+comfort zone+love+birds singing outside ur window lalala hehee ok
So..... basically we need to work hard, keep our brains active, keep our body fit, keep retirement savings, get insured -ok enough already, keep running the race for His Kingdom, and hope life ends in the most beautiful way possible. the word is, dignity. to live, and leave in dignity. (it's the essence of palliative care for chronically ill patients. another interesting topic to talk about.)
Hmm no it's not that i'm pessimistic or anything that i'm mentioning end of life. afterall, what awaits after that is eternal life. :D
what i'm saying is just a tip off the iceberg in the massive world of geriatrics healthcare. if u're passionate for elderly ppl, it's a great area to research on.
I guess everyone has heard one too many messages and shout outs on that.
(but yes i agree that a one too many reminder is still good to catch our attention for a sec and keep our sense of humanity in check on and off)
Just a few thoughts that came to mind after a visit to an old folks home today.
How do you imagine yourself to be in 60 years time??
non existent cute magical grandma knitting snowflakes from the moon
the senior consultant who gets to wear socks with slippers and shorts and no one can say anything about it. or spot sportshoes with slacks. or purple socks with orange shoes. ok no. nope.
and nope.
the super duper businessman who never stops workingthe owner of land properties who never has to work
the aunty running a kolo mee stall to pass time
the aunty giving line dancing lessons to church members -thr's a really cool aunty in my church who does that
we basically wana be independent financially and physically so that we can do things we love.
but you never know what kind of disease is going to come knocking on ur bones i mean door one fine day. choi touch wood but yea we all know that's imminent in old age. buy health insurance ppl!!!
when that happens, no amount of money can buy u genuine love from ur loved ones who will care for you no matter how things end up. u can pay someone tons of money to tend to ur daily needs when u're chronically ill, but it cannot buy u the bond u share with someone dear, or daily wound dressing done with love. when u're bed bound, the smallest things like feeding, bathing, clothing yourself, combing ur hair, personal hygiene, getting things to ur bedside etc will require help. who'll be willing to do that for u, and r u willing to do that for another individual?
still, buy health insurance.
we cant deny diseases like Alzheimer changes a person's behaviour. it can make them totally indifferent to someone they used to know and love so dearly, be aggressive, forgetful etc. and it brings two level of thoughts.
1. love those around you, care for them, appreciate them, and it will naturally be mutual. now i'm not saying do things with personal intent. that's just kinda weird. but u get wad i mean. i hope. :)
2. love those around you before it's too late. choi touch wood i'm once again not saying bad things are gonna happen to ur loved ones. but again, u get the gist of what i'm saying.
It also leaves us all with another important reminder.
Save for future needs!
At the end of the day, pun unintended, you still wana age with grace.
Now i certainly wana be up and active even at old age, doing lots of things, reading cute books, knitting??? hahah, baking pies??? (so stereotypical of grandmas lol), running about doing work for God, maybe still contributing medically to society?, making sure lil kids dont stuff pencil erasers up their noses or doing the Heimlich manouevre on a choking kid or doing CPR on a person who collapsed in front of me -oookkay maybe going a bit too far-
and being able to descend from the skies holding an umbrella would be cool
So..... basically we need to work hard, keep our brains active, keep our body fit, keep retirement savings, get insured -ok enough already, keep running the race for His Kingdom, and hope life ends in the most beautiful way possible. the word is, dignity. to live, and leave in dignity. (it's the essence of palliative care for chronically ill patients. another interesting topic to talk about.)
Hmm no it's not that i'm pessimistic or anything that i'm mentioning end of life. afterall, what awaits after that is eternal life. :D
what i'm saying is just a tip off the iceberg in the massive world of geriatrics healthcare. if u're passionate for elderly ppl, it's a great area to research on.
the awesome ppl who made today's visit possible :)
last but not least, a great shout of love and appreciation to all nursing home volunteers out there. u guys have amazing giant hearts. i stand in awe of your works.
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