studying as a post-graduate and as a doctor

Although I'm officially no longer a student, the learning never ceases in medicine. This is something that can be hard to fit in and with my rota averaging 46.25 hours a week (seven of which are unsocial), it is hard to keep up the energy and enthusiasm for some extra learning once the hospital is out of sight.

And as surgery and anaesthetics are at the forefront of potential career paths, I'm trying to stay on top of anatomy revision.

What's changed from my revision at university is that notes are now on loose leaf sheets of paper and in an A4 lever arch folder instead of in a notebook. This is because I'm continuously adding to the notes in the form of post-it notes, extra sheets of paper and various other print outs.

Something that hasn't changed is that fountain pen is still my pen of choice and that there is still an abundance of colour (though less so when you look at some of my other notes such as here, here and here).

beginning a new chapter of my life: goodbye medschool, hello foundation years

Just a mere four years ago, I was preparing for a new degree: Medicine. I still remember my first day at medical school like it was yesterday; from the moment I woke up to the moment my head hit the pillow later that night. And now, I've somehow made it and become a doctor. How time flies? It's scary, yet exhilarating. Nerve-wracking, yet filled with excitement.

Throughout my first two and a half years at medical school, I never thought I'd ever feel ready to be a doctor. Now, with every signature comes responsibility; with every action I do, there has to be justification and with every patient who I care for as part of a team, they'll always remember me as their doctor even if I don't remember them as easily. This is scary. But by the time my penultimate year was halfway through, I began to feel less apprehensive and more appreciative of what a privilege it is to be in this profession. And by the time I came to do my assistantship placements in final year, I felt ready. Even if this is a pretty dark time to start work for the National Health Service (NHS) here in the UK and I touched upon it back in January 2016 here...

A little part of me is sad to no longer be able to say 'I'm only a student' but considering I'm now 26 years old, it's about time I grew up! Over the last four years, boy, have I done a lot of growing. My views on the world have changed considerably, my outlook in life is very different (much more optimistic and less apprehensive of new opportunities) and my self-confidence has increased (though that part of me still has a bit of growing left to do).

These next two years will also fly by; a lot of my seniors reassure (or scare?) me about this. And with them, I intend to grab every opportunity that comes my way; just like I did at medical school. 

For me, I learnt these five things over the last four years that will stay with me forever:

1. Grab every opportunity that comes your way. You may never get that chance again.

2. Say yes to everything (within reason). As a student, if I was asked to insert a cannula/catheter, etc, I never once said no. 

3. Remember to rest. I'm a workaholic by nature and need to feel productive. But I've learned to rein this in from time to time. 

4. You'll never know everything and that's ok... As long as you can admit this and still possess the desire to want to learn more and question everything. 

5. Even in the worst of times, it will be better soon. 

Life is undoubtedly going to get a lot busier for me but I still intend to keep this blog going :)

Above: some Instax films taken when I did a day as a tourist in London; post-finals, pre-foundation programme!

my study week #25: an old pre-clinicals notebook, part II

This may be my last study week for a while! Though the learning never stops in medicine, because I'm not technically in full-time education anymore, it's quite hard to make it a monthly feature without the guarantee of decent content.

Anyway, last month, I talked about a similar notebook and here is another from the same pre-clinical year. These notebooks were from Artbox. Again, this was used for problem-based learning (PBL) but this one is a lot more colourful with a few more embellishments in the form of cute sticky notes.

graduation gifts to mark a milestone

With graduation just around the corner now, I thought it would be nice to do a mini graduation gift guide. For this gift guide, I decided to look at pricier items (sorry, not sorry).

Stationery

1. A luxury diary from Smythson
Hit the ground running in your new career with a Smythson planner which'll keep you organised and looking chic. With its cornflower blue pages and contrasting bright orange colour, you'll never forget to take this everywhere with you. The only problem will be that once the year is over, you'll really want another one...

2. Pelikan Souveran M400 Fountain Pen
So I'm slightly biased here as I have this pen (it was a 25th birthday gift to myself!) and it's such a lovely pen to use. It's beautiful, sophisticated and feels like such a luxury each time you use it.

3. Smythson Panama Cosmetics Case (can also be used to store stationery!)
I love Smythson goods (can you tell?) and this cosmetics case would be just lovely in your handbag. It is versatile and if you'd prefer to keep pens and other stationery items in, I'm sure it'll last you a good many years.

4. Pilot Capless Decimo Fountain Pen
Another fountain pen, but this time, a capless one! This is the more lightweight version of the original Capless and if the reviews are to be believed, just as dependable and smooth a writer.

5. Aspinal of London Organiser
If you prefer to customise the contents of your daily planner, this might be the one for you. You can also have the option of having it engraved with your name, initials, your pet's name... Pretty much anything you want!

6. Midori One Year Diary
Finally, a one year diary. When I start my job in August, I plan on writing a few lines every day as an emotional outlet. Also good for those who like keeping a journal :)


Beauty and Fashion

1. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit in Surreal Light
A popular palette in the beauty world and a nice luxury gift for someone into their make-up. It also looks very pretty with its marble pattern packaging.

2. Liberty London Silk Scarf
The iconic Liberty scarf :) Good for someone into their fashion and labels!

3. Mikimoto Pearl Earrings
Pearl earrings are a timeless classic and these ones have a clover design to them just above the pearl. A good gift for pretty much anyone who has their ears pierced! They are work safe and will also look good for an evening/night out so they'll get plenty of wear.

4. Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb Perfume
I'm biased here as I've been wearing this perfume for the last six years and it is my go-to fragrance. However, alternatives could be a Jo Malone perfume or even a custom one made at a boutique perfumery.

5. A Tiffany Necklace
A classic graduation gift here and only included because its so cliché! I'm not a fan of them personally but their simple design means that they are also timeless and go with pretty much any outfit.


Home

1. Fornasetti Profumi Sol Di Capri Scented Candle
Whilst browsing the Harrods website, I found these candles from Fornasetti Profumi. The packaging is just so pretty (there are many other designs) and once the candle has been burnt, they can be re-used for something else, such as storing little trinkets in.

2. Johnston's of Elgin Cashmere Throw
A soft throw is an excellent addition to a bedroom or a living space that is crying out for something a little extra. This cashmere one will keep you warm and look good while doing so.

3. Neom Happiness Reed Diffuser
If candles aren't your thing, how about a reed diffuser? Great for those of us who are too lazy and accident prone to burn a candle!

Note: there are no affiliate links in this blog post. I will not receive commission for anything purchased through these links.

my study week #24: an old pre-clinicals notebook part I

When I was tidying all of my university stuff last month, I found this notebook (and one other which'll be next month's feature). It is a pre-clinical notebook from my second year where it was split between clinical placement and lectures/problem-based learning.

I used it mainly for the twice a week problem-based learning sessions where each week, we had a new case. For those who don't know, problem-based learning (or PBL for short) is where you have a patient and you follow their journey whilst making learning objectives. These learning objectives can be to do with anatomy, physiology, clinical management, etc and can be as simple as 'define chronic kidney disease' to a more complex one such as 'understand Starling's Law in heart failure'.

As you can see, most of the notes are taken using a gel pen with some highlighting from Zebra Mildliners.

finals revision: how to cope!

This is my second time of doing finals and it has to be said, the first time was a walk in a park compared to this one. Having wanted to be a doctor for so many years, it is now within touching distance and the fear of messing up is so real. To get me through finals revision, here are the things I'm doing.

1. Food

The last thing you want to do during revision is to get ill so eating a balanced diet where you get your five a day is a must. Add in some exercise and it's the perfect combination for staving away those viruses that may knock you out for a few days. A few days you can't afford to lose. I like to batch cook things like cottage pie, divide them into portions and then freeze them. They are perfect for those nights where you just don't feel like cooking but want to stay healthy.

In terms of snacking, I like dried fruit and nuts. Salted cashew nuts are my current love but I am also known to substitute these with pistachio nuts. Though they are on the more expensive side, I think they are slightly better than crisps, sweets and chocolate (though some of these nuts have quite a formidable salt content!).

2. A Timetable

The best way to ensure you cover as much subject matter as you want is to have a revision timetable. Mine is pretty rough - I dedicate sessions to medical or surgical specialties and then try and get through as many practice questions/chapters in the Oxford Handbook I can during that time. I often have post-it notes on my desk of things to look up later and I factor in revision sessions for these too.

3. Time To Relax

As tempting as it is to keep ploughing on with revision even after a mammoth eight hour day (with breaks of course!), sometimes a day where no revision is planned can also be good. At least for me it is. Choose your weapon - a book, Netflix, a workout, anything that does not have any link to your subject matter :) I like to mess around with my Instax and taking a walk because it kills two birds with one stone for me (leaving the house and doing something fun!).

Remember to factor in breaks during the days you do revise too!

4. Sleep

Chugging down Red Bulls may seem tempting to try and maximise the number of hours in the day but sleep is essential for memories. I try and sleep as much as possible but not too much so as to negate the learning I've done during my study sessions. For me, 7-8 hours is a good amount.

5. Environment

Consider your desk and tools! If you dislike clutter and find it counterintuitive to your productivity, then tidy up before studying. I tidy away everything at the end of each session so I get a fresh start. I also like to ensure I have my favourite pens nearby :)

Good luck to those you with exams in the next few months :) I'm sure you'll do great!

my study life on IG

Back in August, I blogged about a study challenge I wanted to do on Instagram and here are the results! I actually started my final year on a project block so I didn't actually get that much study in if I'm honest! It was mainly revision in preparation for my surgery assistantship placement I'm on currently. My instagram is paperl0vestory if you want to see more! :)

 

If you took part, thank you! :) It was lovely seeing what you shared through the hashtag #pls30daysofstudy :) Hope you enjoyed it and managed to get some study out of it too!