Mock Formative OSCE

[OSCE] : Objective Structured Clinical Examination
[formative] : ungraded

Today I started off the first day of the week with OSCE, which happened early in the morning. It is the very first time sitting for an OSCE. I thought I might be a little nervous and probably would not mess things up because I had three practices with my peers in the last week. Overall, everything turned out pretty well except there were some minor steps that I forgot to carry out maybe because I was a little excited.

There were only 4 stations, which would be considered as the least and probably the most simple OSCE ever, as regarded by Dr. Jack, the doctor who briefed us before the test. Each station is set up with different situations/scenarios and there were different tasks given for us to perform. And 5 minutes were given for each station in which 4 minutes were for performing the tasks and 1 minute for the examiner to elaborate or comment on what you would have done better or your overall performance.

There were altogether 13 groups for our batch in which each group consisted of 20 students which were then arranged into 4 different clusters with similar tasks. During the exam, the buzzer system was being used. There were different kinds of buzzer styles as indications of the time. For example, a long buzz would indicate that the test starts and the students are supposed to start reading the instructions on the paper which was attached to the wall right at the door of the particular room. After one minute, 2 short buzzes would be heard and students should be entering the room and start performing their tasks after greeting the examiner as well as the SP. 4 minutes later, a short buzz would mean that you have to end the task and the examiner would start giving comments, which would last for 1 minute when a long buzz would be heard again, which means students have to exit the room and start reading instructions for the next station. I find the system pretty impressing because it keeps everyone on time so that everyone is clear of what they should be doing at the particular time.

For me, the four stations included a brief history taking, palpating the apex beat, locating the brachial pulse and the aortic area, the vital signs(TPR), examination of the mouth and hand washing. The worst thing that I've done was that I forgot how to use the thermometer and I guess I struggled there trying to shake the thermometer and look for the temperature. I actually shook the thermometer with my hand holding at the bulb! How silly. I have no idea what I was trying to do at the moment. So I got only a 'PASS' for the station. Besides, at the station where I was supposed to examine the mouth of the patient, I forgot to wash my hands before and after the session. I also forgot that the lips are part of the mouth! Well, this is embarrassing to tell but I really forgot about it totally. So that made me a 'PASS' for it as well. Other than that, I guess I did a pretty good job.

The thing that I'm still figuring out is the minor tasks that we are supposed to perform like hand washing and explaining to the patients about the tasks that you're going to do. Reason being, we only have 4 minutes. Hand washing would easily take up 30 seconds at least, explanation would cost you probably 1 minute. And it would be even worse if you're nervous because you might find yourself struggling what to do first for the series of tasks given.

I think the following practices in CSU, I will need to time myself so that I'd do better in time management.

Overall, I enjoyed the session very much.
I really love CSS much more now!

MICRO BIOLOGY?

MICRO = small
BIO = life
-LOGY = studies

I'm moving on to Microbiology from this week onwards for 3 weeks. I haven't really started learning about it yet so all I know now is that it's all about *wonderful* and *gigantic* names! But I'm definitely going to conquer it! Hurray~

Okay, so today, I had a pretty wonderful session in the laboratory. I had Gram Stain session =) ( Gram Stain is developed by Christian Gram in the 19th century (it's in the notes)) I learnt how to stain bacteria using Gram Stain method and identify Gram positive or Gram negative bacteria.

I stained E.coli and Staphylococcus aureus and got to see E.Coli appeared pink(Gram-) whereas S.aureus appeared purple(Gram+). They looked so small even under a light microscope but they can be so harmful that might result in very high mortality in human beings. I put on the gloves and sterilized the entire working place, and started the task very carefully. I don't want to bring the germs home!

I enjoyed the session so much. Although it's inevitably tiring looking through the small lenses of the microscope.


All the best for your coming 3 weeks of Microbiology, and then you're freed for Christmas holiday! Yeah.

Updates =) =) =)

Wuahha...The last time I blogged was almost 10 days ago! Looks like I've been pretty lazy nowadays huh.

Well, I didn't blog doesn't mean that nothing special has happened. In fact, I've learnt so much these past days. I'm having one whole week of Pharmacology with Dr. Kyan Aung now and I'm trying hard to fall in love with Pharmaco. It's all about drugs. If you think that what you're learning is as simple as that, then you're very wrong. But if you relate Pharmaco with so many things else and then you get to know how a tiny bit of chemical that you swallow can create such a vast effect. It's all about poisons, I'd rather say. Now I understand why is it so important to prescribe the correct drugs, and at times even if the doctor prescribes correctly, it doesn't give 100% guarantee to the patient that the drug will bring benefit to the patient at all. Through Pharmaco, I find that our body system is miraculous. And scientists who discovered the ways drugs act in human bodies are way too fascinating to be described with words.

Wuahha...I'm spending more time at school now. I want to find time for myself. It's either the library or one of the e-lab where I got to find myself a lovely favourite spot of mine to do my stuff.

Enjoy!

How's life, dey.

"Finally I'm blogging dey..."

I think it's almost 3 weeks since the last time I jotted down my memories here. Hmm...It's been pretty busy all this while. Lecture notes are piling up. I need a lot of time to catch up! OR I should put it another way, I need to catch up faster...because the amount of time is constant.

Am I crapping now? It sounds like so. But I've way too many things to express so I'll wantonly allow myself to blurt everything out.

I'm doing Immunology and Pathology now, supposedly entering Foundation 2. I think it's fun. At some point of time it makes me feel like I'm beyond control. The cells in my body are fighting for the best thing for me but yet I'm wasting so much of my life on craps. It is like..."come on, you have no reason to stop working hard because your heart is pumping hard, and your every cells in your body have been doing a great job..." I guess this is one of the reason I have to work hard consistently.

Never let stress manipulate you. You have to manipulate it. You live your life.

Great achievements!

I had a wonderful day today!! I probably have saved lives today.

I signed up as a volunteer in a community project run by EMPOWERED and 20 other government or non government organisations, namely COLON CANCER SCREENING PROJECT. The purpose of this project is to save lives by early detection of colorectal cancer. There are 3 targeted communities, 3/4 zones in each communities. My job today as a registrar was to help the residents in INTAN BAIDURI, one of the zones in one of the communities in the Selayang area, to register them to take part in this project. I had to take very informal history of the residents who are mostly Malay-speakers in order to determine their eligibility in the screening. The doctor-in-charge of this masterpiece is Dr. Christina Ng who came back from the University of Melbourne. She guided us on how to complete the questionnaires for the residents and some important points to take note of. This was actually my second time of history-taking and it turned out that I had to speak in Malay at all! Guess what, I would say that today I got to speak the most Malay in my life! Well, truth to be told, I certainly think that my Malay sux. But luckily most of the residents whom I interviewed today were pretty illiterate and they knew nothing more about Colon cancer. So with my very limited Malay vocab and communication skills, I tried my best to communicate with them and make them understand what I was trying to tell. At least I think I've done a great job. I actually interviewed 8 residents..well, in 4 hours though, but there were more than 50 questions to ask. Imagine I got to get consent from the people and most of the 50 questions I got to explain to them before they got to give me the correct answer. So, personally I think I've achieved a lot....as in, well, this is the first time ever I took history in MALAY, TOTALLY. I mean...WOW!

Well I talked to only 8 persons today, all are residents from Intan Baiduri, which is a Malay area of the low income group. The eldest was already 79, and the youngest 54. I would say that they are very nice people although they know very little about health consciousness, and although I spoke with them in a very "bahasa paku" accent but extremely broken language. They were very patient =) I actually hope they really did understand everything I said. ha-ha.

I learnt a lot in today's event. Not only how to communicate in a very *new* language (well, to me, this is true, I've never spoken so much Malay before, not even 10% of today's achievement) with people whom I do not know, and who are from a very different background compared to mine. I asked about their personal details at first, like if you're married, what do you do and so on. Then I asked some Yes No questions that determined whether they are eligible for the screening. One lady actually happened that she lost 7 kg in the last 8 or 9 months because she's got admitted to the hospital due to stroke. I had to apologize to her trying my best to explain to her that this might affect the accuracy of the results. I guess she was pretty disappointed at that moment but luckily she was quite optimistic as well. I tried my best to tell her to take good care of herself. I was sad too ( because most of them came for the 5Kgs rice provided they are eligible for the screening).

From other perspectives, I learnt a lot when I got the chance to meet people who are so poor. One of the Indian ladies actually survives with only RM500 a month, which is the amount of her husband's pension. She has to take care of her grandchildren as well. I was pretty miserable inside when I asked her about the pay she got if there's any. Another Indian guy was working as a gardener in KL international school. I guess he could hardly understand what I was trying to tell because his daughter was there to do translation. And when I asked him how often does he eat vegetables, fruits and meats, his daughter told me that he eats only 2 meals a day, one at 12 at noon and another at 12 midnight. Gosh. And he has red meat like beef and mutton, even chicken, only a few times in a week.

When I think of myself I feel so shameful. I am living in heaven compared to them! I'm not being sympathetic but empathetic. But one very important thing that I learnt today is to appreciate everything I have. I talked to Mum and she actually kept on reminding me of how good my life is. She encouraged me to give away the things I have and to share them.

In the very near future, I'm going to keep up the pace to be a volunteer in community-based  project like this one. I truly feel glad to have the chance volunteering in this project. It is definitely incomparable to sitting at home studying for 8 hours. I would never have learnt this much from books =)

Thank you so much! to whoever and whatever that brought me to this volunteering job.
I'm going to be a merrier person from today onwards!!

**One more achievement today: Good news! I actually went for a swim after coming back from Selayang!! Hurray! I'm going to swim swim swim!!

What's the problem here -- to swim or not to swim?

To swim or not to swim? What is the great deal that is worth my time to blog about?

It's been more than 3 weeks since the last time I went for swimming. And the last time I swam, it was after at least 3 weeks I went for swimming. The swimming pool is only downstairs! I don't have to drive, don't have to take a cab. It is just but a 3-minute walk! And I have no freaking idea what stops me from doing so!

I always want to be a healthier person. I always want to swim everyday. I always tell myself that I will try my best to exercise EVERYDAY for several reasons. So I guess I would have to list down all the pros and cons for going or not for swimming so that I have a clearer and better reasons to go swimming! And possibly, to make my goals specific only so that they are more feasible to be fulfilled.

First of all, I am such a person who does not break promises without very good reasons. So what I confess or promise here I would surely, and I MUST, implement with ACTIONS.

Swimming is the best sports ever in the sense that it avoids injuries because water helps reduce impacts on the body. This is one indisputable reason. But why I always want to swim and every morning I still wake up with guilt that is killing me? Why, at the moment I get up from the bed, I would tell myself "tomorrow"? What is the subconscious motion behind this? I really don't understand my MIND. What's in her mind now? One moment she swears that she's going to swim and when it's time she tells herself not to swim.

In addition, for health benefits, I must swim often. I'm such an unhealthy person that I hardly pass motion everyday and I think that is really really bad. I don't want to store overnight toxins and stools in my body. That is disgusting, isn't it? I tried eating 1 grapefruit a day and it helps but now it seems not that helpful anymore, I guess I'd just have to SWIM. Health is definitely a big thing to me. Without good health, I'm DEAD. I'm not going to be an unhealthy doctor, after spending so much money on my 5-year education as a medical student, haven't yet mentioned the future specialisation with that I'd probably carry on, I cannot afford to let myself fall sick. 'I'd rather get stomach ache than constipation' This shows how concern I am to overcome constipation.

Next, I am turning 20. I want to wear nice dresses!! I don't want to look like a dumbass that looks like a pear or an apple. I don't want to be FAT. Well it is unhealthy and this restricts me in the choices of clothings I wear. And I DON'T WANT THIS TO HAPPEN ON ME ANYMORE after so many years. It's desperate to say but it's a fact that I haven't been 'slim' for all my life. OOH...I seriously want to change!!

Okay, so what's the stupid reasons stopping me from swimming?
1. weather - it's been raining season. I don't want to be dead stricken by lightnings!
2. Laziness - WTH is this? Now that I am conscious and *wise, I can't be surer that this is definitely not a reason. It's a very LAME excuse indeed.
3. hahh! Again, this is not going to be a reason. Time-consuming? What is more important than your health??

Yimin wake up now. Get yourself in the pool! You need to move it move it!! You can't afford to store more fat anymore!! You're going to look HORRIBLE and AWFUL. Please!! Swim swim swim!! Let mummy and daddy know that you are matured and capable to manage your HEALTH! You're turning 20 so please act like an adult. Do it!! Just do it!! Don't think. Just don't give yourself even half a second thinking of GOING OR NOT. Just do it!!!!!

Okay, just do it. So try your best to GO!!!! SWIMMING!!!

-make you lighter-
-smile and laugh more-
-go swimming-

1st hospital visit [Nursing week]

Hurray. Yesterday was my first hospital visit to Hospital Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan. It's nursing week therefore we were supposed to tour around the hospital, get to know more about the hospital setting and observe how the nurses carry out their tasks.

Personally I find the trip average. It wasn't as fruitful and as helpful as I expected as the session was so short which lasted only about 2.5 hours. We weren't shown how to wash our hands, wear gloves and so on. One of the sisters brought us around the hospital, and briefed us when we went to have a look at the dialysis centre, the ayurveda treatment centre, female and male wards, paediatric ward and the mortuary. My group was considered lucky as we were allowed to take a look in the mortuary. There were 3 cases on that day.

There were really nothing much in the hospital to describe actually. However, this trip isn't that bad after all. You see, IMU is such a comfortable university where the entire building is air-conditioned, with escalators even though there are only 3 floors and most of the floor is carpeted. Compared to a government hospital, for example, the PD hospital's setting was such a vast difference. I think there is a reason for the trip to the hospital. Because we students tend to *forget, somehow, the real setting and environment of the hospital where we'd be working in the future. This is very important because it reminds us that we would be servants of the community because we serve the community by giving treatments and consultations. And everything would be carried out in the hospital...which means, we must always remember that it is not necessary that we get to work in an air-conditioned comfortable environment like what we are having now in the university.

=)

And...I actually feel sad when I see the patients in the dialysis centre. I always remind myself not to show sympathy BUT empathy. Imagine, there's a Chinese patient who has been doing dialysis for the past 24 years, which, each session lasts for 4 hours and the patient has to undergo 3 sessions in a week. There are a lot of restrictions to the diet as well, like a limit to the amount of fluid they take and so on.

Uhhh huhh...I feel like I am such a NUBIE that there are so many things that I don't know. I need to learn a lot and therefore I shouldn't stop learning!!

I love bones, SERIOUSLY

my favourite skeleton, JOHN.

My mates with who I learn about bones =)

This recent I have been spending quite a lot of time with the skeleton.
After a few listening to a few lectures by Dr. Nilesh Kumar, I strongly feel that I like anatomy a lot. In fact I love listening to his lectures, either it is the plenary or the Medical Museum Session.

I enjoy so much even it's only looking at the models, like the skeletons, muscles and even the cadaver. I know it sounds weird when I tell my friends that I like *touching* the bones and the smell of the cadavers. People might think that I'm crazy. The cadaver doesn't smell nice at all but I like it. Well of course, I like not really the smell, but the atmosphere. I like to be in the medical museum. It reminds me of being a medical student * of course I am a medical student now but at times I forgot, seriously, perhaps due to the hectic schedule of the everyday routine*. I'm learning so many new things. I feel like I've grown up a lot. And I realised that there are so many things out there that I've not come across, nor have I even heard about at all. There are so many knowledge to learn, and I realized how much stronger I have to grow.

I hereby wish myself a happy and exciting journey in learning, in the journey of becoming a competent medical student, and becoming a successful doctor in the near future

boosters needed =)

I'm happy these few days. Really? Well I'm not so sure but I think I'm supposed to be happy. I found my file and the book I borrowed from the library. It happened yesterday when I had a meeting with the Halloween committees members in the SRC room. I saw my belongings on the meeting table. It just appeared out of no reason. I was so sure that I brought it to CSU and it appeared right in front of my eyes in SRC. My friend saw me taking the book with me. Ahh! Whatever. Anyway, I should be so glad because * luckily I haven't paid for it, which costs me RM150 inclusive of RM25 service charge. ( I actually purposely delayed making the payment and wished for miracles) And it happened. So fantastically and unexpectedly. I'm so glad now that I saved such a lump sum. Yea, it's true, RM150 is a big number to me because it doesn't worth it and it would strike me hard for not being responsible enough. Now, it seemed that everything is so bright. Although I still have no idea about the fact, that, if I didn't take the book along with me OR if someone else took it and was kind enough to return it to me.

The thing that I want to emphasize is not the narration of how and what it all happened. It's my emotions. Life seemed to be so freaking hectic that I almost lost my sense of living. I don't know how I feel and in fact, I feel numbness of feelings. Sometimes, well, most of the time, if I'm happy enough I feel so light and bright, and if I feel sad enough, I'd feel like I'm going to die BUT if my mood is moderate I would feel nothing, or literally, I feel senseless. It bothered me so much that I wondered if there's something wrong with me.

Everyday is so similar.
Everyday after school I'd take the same lift back to the floor where my unit is, and I'll walk at the same pace to the unit, then to my room and then take a shower. Then I'd switch on the computer and start doing my stuff, either updating FB status or checking out for lecture notes of the next day. Probably I'd take a short nap and when I feel hungry I'd cook and eat. After dinner, usually around 6 or 7 I'd start studying and by 12 I'll go to bed, which is just behind the desk where I study, after preparing the cereal drinks for the next morning. The next day begins at 7 when I get up. And I'd be walking to school at the same pace and around 7.50 I'd reach the auditorium where I have the first lecture of the day. There are always 2 lecture, each lasts for 1 hour, with a 15-minute interval. Then around 10.30 I'd either grab a bun from de Brio, or go to the library to *have a look or a touch in the medical museum. Around 12 I'd have lunch with my mates and after that if I have nothing for the day I'd spend a few hours in the library, usually the medical museum, with my mates and then I'll go home, walking at the same pace as well. And the routine repeats everyday.

Everything that I do every day seems so similar and monotonous, *well it's not boring at all, but, too similar* that at times I have to refer to the calendar to check the date of the day. I cannot even remember which day of the week it is. And time pasts so fast that now it's already Thursday night of the 6th week and I was still wondering what lecture I had on Monday, of which I thought just happened the day before.

I need booster. In fact, a lot of boosters. I have to make everyday a different and special day. Life is without meaning when every day looks like the same day.

Caffeine is not working at all. It only contributes to dizziness and motionlessness.

Well anyway, Mum and Dad are coming over on Friday night and I'm FREAKING glad. It's been 3 weeks since the last time I spent time with them *although I felt like it was just yesterday*....

I'm really looking forward to spending time with them, even a breakfast is going to boost me a lot and a lot!
Even now when I think of them I feel like my tears are going to burst. I didn't realise how much I need them before I left home.

Mum & Dad, you created me nine months before 8th of September of the year 1992 and I'm so grateful that you brought me to Earth. It's so amazing that now I'm studying about the human body, which is all about miracles that are so mesmerizing. I feel guilty when I feel helpless showing my gratitude to you, that you brought me to this world of miracles, which is of myriads colours.

lovely saturday

I woke up at 7.30 today and the first thing I noticed when I got up from the bed was that I had a really sweet dream the previous night. That made me a little miserable actually because I realized I came back to the reality and that I have a whole 1 inch of double-side printed, lecture notes to be covered.

I spent my day in the library. I spent almost 5 hours in the medical museum. And I like it a lot. I like the place so much. I feel like I'm energetic and 'alive' when I look at all the models of different parts of the human body which is placed everywhere in the museum. 

I met a Sem 5 senior there before I left then. He shared a lot on what is more important and what is not so on anatomy, as he saw me studying in front of the skeleton. I appreciated it a lot although I still don't know his name. And I see hope. I see some direction. I see, at least, some beams of light ahead of me.

Tomorrow the library is open from 12 to 5 because it's Sunday. And I'm definitely going to the library as well =)

I like to be in the library because I like the environment, the setting there. I can focus better there rather than at home. 

Then I got a booster right before I walked to the escalator. Yea, I saw ChihYean and I was so happy for no reason. I guess it's because I hardly talked to anyone for the whole day. And having the chance to meet someone I know it made my day. Then I had dinner with him. LOL. I had Nasi goreng Ikan Masin by the way...it's not bad. =) 

Yay~ all the best.

always encouraging.