Advancing towards clinical years!

It is confirmed! I will be starting my clinical years in less than EIGHT weeks time! 

I am still pretty stoked about this whole idea of starting my clinical years. It will be the time when I get to learn from real patients PHYSICALLY, gather all the differential diagnosis for various difficult conditions and deal with emergency situations FOR REAL instead of getting all my simulated cases from papers and books which is something I have been doing for the past two years.

Although I am stepping into third year of Medical school, there is not a single day that I do not find joy in what I am learning and doing. I am still marveled by how the human body functions, how diseases are capable of causing an avalanche of complications in the human body, how modern technology had advanced over the years to aid mankind in improving healthcare and  combat illnesses. 

I am still in awe, for every piece of knowledge related to mankind's healthcare that I have learnt, learning and will learn.

In the course of studying during my pre-clinical years, we will not only learn about the current state of Medical healthcare level, but also the methods of treatment provided to mankind during ancient years. Other than the feeling of disbelief about what modern Healthcare Medicine brings, I could not help it but to feel thankful that I am born in this time. 

Take for example, contraception, which is the act of deliberately preventing a woman from getting pregnant.

Do you know that the ancient Egyptians actually make do with diaphragms made using a mixture of crocodile dung, oil and honey? There again, one of the oldest known condoms is made of pig's intestines. I am pretty sure there will be a lot of people who will feel grateful that hmmm such mortifying means of contraception are no longer available.

This article from The Telegraph entitled : "Britain could create first 'three-parent baby' "

 caught my eyes today. As I was reading, I have mixed feelings about it. I am glad that as the article mentioned, we finally have a way to overcome mitochondrial diseases but I am worried too about all the future consequences that might arise should this new technique come to approval.

In my opinion, humanity have already paid a certain level of price to accommodate the recent advancement of Human Assisted Fertility be it IVF, sperm donors, or fertility drugs, but right now the British thought of adding ovum donors to the list? There are gazillions of pros and cons flooding my mind regarding this new technique.

This is certainly something interesting and foresee-ably debatable in a long run, just like how "Abortion" still remains as a debatable topic and have yet to come to proper consensus in many countries.

Till then, we shall see.

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

the need to breathe, the need to figure things out

Things have been way to still and quiet here and rachelramblebabble. The last blog post I wrote was more than one and a half month ago I think, yes? no?

Nearly every single day during the past one and a half month just went by leaving me in a daze, wondering how can time actually pass so fast?!?! I think this urgent realization of time passing by so quickly amplifies itself as one starts to errhmmm *cough cough* age.

So what have actually been going on you might ask?

Things have been pretty batshit crazy since I am in the last two months of my pre-clinical years. Tonnes of studying, tonnes of assignments, tonnes of tasks to complete.  In fact, I am only able to come up with a new blog post right now, just as I have already waved goodbye to 75% of my finals. 

A few important decisions about life and the future came into thought during the past one month, and I am glad that God gave me the wisdom to put things into the right perspective. Just keeping my fingers crossed and praying real hard that things will turn out to be fine.

Oh another thing that is, I am pretty sure I have not brought this up in the blog. Remembered some what during Chinese New Year I submitted an application to become a mission trip volunteer by Malaysian Medical Fellowship? I got accepted into the Chiang Mai, Thailand team!!! Pretty stoke about it especially after I found out that Chiang Mai is rated 24th on the World's Favourite Place to Travel To list. Will be leaving Malaysia for a good one week in the end of July, and be back just in time for Raya.

Fear not, I have not lost interest in writing in rachelramblebabble, in fact I am still pretty enthusiastic about it. I am glad that I have this little corner of mine where I can pour out my thoughts and feelings about happenings and incidents BUUUUUUUUUUT I am indeed struggling with a few issues here about rachelramblebabble.

Firstly, I am still trying to figure out what is the essence or core of rachelramblebabble. Should I "pen" down amusing happenings, personal feelings, food adventures or my journey of becoming a doctor? I have a few blog posts written halfway during that period of time, but I could not bring myself to finish them and right now they are still in my drafts folder oh gawd please enlighten me. 

Secondly, I am really really really trying to figure our how "open" should I be in this blog. I think that over the years, I have learned and grown to be more reserved about my emotions and feelings. I have this tendency of building tall walls around myself, not to shut people around me from me, but rather to keep myself guarded and safe. 

There are certainly more things for me to sort out about rachelramblebabble, and a lot more about life. I am pretty sure that as time passes, things will fall into place but right now, I still have another 25% more of my finals to work on, and all the batshit madness of my conference will start as soon as my finals is over! So you should be pretty sure that rachelramblebabble will be silent for the next few weeks again.

Anything amazing/amusing/ridiculous happened in your life of late?

Till then! Kthxbai!

"I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving."

Psalms 69 : 30