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Wisdom Teeth Extraction: Days 1-4

2010-11-05T23:09:00.000-07:00

I got all 4 wisdom teeth taken out a few days ago. This is a summary of my experience.

I had to go to the day surgery about half an hour before the scheduled time of my surgery. Some admin stuff had to be done, plus I had to pay for the excess of the fee to use the theatre ward ($100, the rest was covered by my health fund).

The pre-op nurse then called me in to the pre-op room, where I had to get changed out of my clothes (except my undies) and into the hospital gown and surgical "shoes" and cap. I was nervous as, and she said that I should tell the anaesthetist, probably so he can set the dosage to allow for my nerves.

I then went into this waiting area, and laid in bed watching tv and waiting to be wheeled into the theatre. Not that I had any idea what was on tv, as I was getting more & more terrified by the minute.

The anaesthetist eventually came around to introduce himself, and to ask me some medical questions. And then a few minutes later my oral surgeon came around to brief me as well. Soon after that, I was wheeled into the theatre. I remember the theatre looking very much like any other surgical theatre that you see on tv - which of course did not help my nerves!

They wheeled my bed right next to the operating table (OMG), and asked me to move over on to the latter. (OMG x2) All the nurses introduced themselves to me while they prepared me for what's to come. The anaesthetist said that he was going to give me some introductory drugs to see how I would react, which was fine. About 30 seconds later, he said that he'll now give me the real thing, and that's all I remember.

And the next thing I remember is waking up in the post-op recovery area. They gave me a local anaesthetic as well, so I didn't feel any pain in my mouth. After a few minutes, a nurse helped me up to walk over to the waiting/pick-up area. I felt quite drunk! I couldn't walk straight, and I didn't feel like I had full control of all my senses. It was a rather strange sensation.

After waiting here for a while, B came by to pick me up. Both the anaesthetist & the oral surgeon came around to give me post-op instructions, and then I got changed back into my clothes & I was discharged not long after that. We went & picked up my painkillers (Digesic) & anitibiotics (Amoxyl) at the pharmacy downstairs, and then went home.

My mouth was numb for the rest of the day, which kept me amused and in good spirits. But I could barely open my mouth, and had to pretty much drink everything through a straw. I was starving...

The next day the local anaesthetic wore off and left me with a rather sore mouth. I could open my mouth a little, but I still couldn't really chew. The soreness was bearable, so I decided not to take any of the painkillers. My hunger continued on into Day 2. I started rinsing my mouth with salt & warm water, pretty much after every "meal", as per the post-op instructions. There was a bit of bleeding after the first 2 rinses, but it was just uncomfortable all the other times. I also started brushing my teeth with my little baby toothbrush, bought especially for this! :-)

Day 3 was pretty much the same. Soreness was the same, and I could open my mouth that little bit more. Still can't eat anything, so I'm still STARVING. My cheeks look a little more puffed up today, especially on the left side.

It's now Day 4, and it's pretty much the same still. My face looks even more swollen - & now it's looking a little bruised! I still can't eat much. I weighed myself today - I have lost 1kg. That's one good thing that's come out of all this inconvenience! LOL

Still no painkillers to date, so the pain obviously has not been as bad as I thought it would be.

Regrets of the Dying

2010-09-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

I think we all need to stop and smell the roses every once in a while:

http://www.inspirationandchai.com/Regrets-of-the-Dying.html

Difficulty in changing one's name

2010-08-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

I have one administrative question to all the medical people out there: how hard is it to change your personal details on the medical register?

I have a (supposed, LOL) friend who claims that she did not want to change her name from her maiden name to her husband's name when they got married because it would take too much effort. I want to know what other people in the medical field (especially women, who are almost always the ones who take their partner's name in marriage) think about this claim.

I also note that she got married around 2 years after graduating from university, so it was not as if she had already built up a substantial reputation in her career over a 20-year period.

Global Financial Crisis Hitting Home

2009-05-13T22:51:00.000-07:00

My brother just lost his job. :-( I hope he is ok and can get through this. He can get very down, feeling extremely sorry for himself. I really hope he gets a new job soon, for his sake both emotionally and financially.

Gun Shot Victim

2009-05-07T00:02:00.000-07:00

I saw this article on the news today, and felt so much sadness for her. To have her own partner do this to her is unimaginable. It is so sad. This is one of those times when I truly believe in an-eye-for-an-eye.

Boyz n the Hood

2009-01-05T13:27:00.000-08:00

I just watched Boyz n the Hood. 17 years since its release, but hey, better late than never. I wish I watched it 17 years ago though. It is an excellent movie, and probably was the first to tell the world the real story about what is happening in the United States in some of the black communities in that country.

It is tragic. Black kids wanting to escape but can't. This one scene where a teenage girl is trying to study, but is distracted by the constant gunfire and sirens outside. And I won't ruin the ending, but suffice to say, the effort to get out is almost always insurmountable.

I don't know what it's like in that country, but from what I've heard from people who have been there, the race segregation is still clearly visible in most states. That is very sad to see, and I really feel for those people who are portrayed in the movie. There are thousands, if not millions, of people that the movie represents, and my heart goes out to all of them. I really wish the Government could do more to help these communities. No one ever wants to be in that sort of situation, but it is all the more difficult to escape such a life if you have little to no resources (financial or otherwise) to assist you to do so.

Motherhood

2009-01-02T17:30:00.000-08:00

Is it wrong if I have no inkling whatsoever to become a mother? Christmas time always makes me question my lack of maternal instincts. We always meet up with our family & friends at this time of year, most of whom have little kids attached to their hip (figuratively speaking, but you know what I mean). But I don't ooh & ahh over them like some women I know. Does that make me less of a woman in some way?

Then there's the guilt I feel that my parents will not be grandparents. (Not from me, anyway. My brother could be a different story.) I see their friends becoming grandparents, and I feel sad that I can't (or rather, won't) give them the same opportunity. It brings tears to my eyes. I would LOVE my parents to become grandparents, I just don't want to be the mother of the kids. LOL

And why don't I have any desire to become a mother anyway? Shouldn't it be something innate in all women? I feel like I'm wired incorrectly or something. I know I'm not (wired incorrectly), but sometimes I wonder why I feel the way that I do...

Georgia Rule

2008-11-03T23:49:00.000-08:00

Georgia (to Rachel): For a smart girl, you do stupid well.

LOL - B thinks this is so perfect for me, and I totally agree!

Update from the slacker (aka me)

2008-09-04T23:34:00.000-07:00

I've been rather slack over the last few months. I've been really busy (who isn't, I know, so poor excuse, I know also), with work, study, and dancing keeping me busy seven days a week.

Surprise surprise, I didn't even make it to the interview stage for the 2009 intake for medicine. I was half expecting the "thanks, but no thanks" letter from them, and unfortunately, I got it. In the form of an email, but the message is still the same. :(

And to tell you the truth, I'm not all that disappointed. I've been doing a lot of soul-searching over the last few months, trying to figure out what it is that I really truly would love to do, and medicine just didn't seem to fit it. I don't think I would get the enjoyment from seeing patient after patient, day in day out, solving their health problems. I may enjoy the relationship building aspect of it, but I'm not much of a hands on person, and that goes hand in hand (more or less) with this career.

What I have come to the conclusion about though is what I really want to do: and that is to work with numbers, spreadsheets, data. But not in finance, as investments and profits of businesses do not interest me in the slightest. I NEVER voluntarily pick up the Australian Financial Review to read for pleasure (also mentioned in my previous post, not surprisingly). I need to work where I can put to better use my highly numerical abilities in a different field.

And I think a scientific field would suit me much better. Psychology, perhaps, or assist in medical studies. Somewhere where I still get to work with data, but in a field that interests me personally.

I have to continue to do my research on how to best move across in to this non-financial arena. But I'm so happy that I've come this far and narrowed down exactly what it is that really gives me that buzz that I've been lacking in my working life so far.

Finance is soooo not for me

2008-06-07T00:46:00.000-07:00

Helping out at Lowes' store recently has put a bit more perspective on my life. I've decided that I enjoy being out of an office environment. I like working on the customer service side of things, as well as working on administrative details. I've always known that my passion never was in finance, and unfortunately have spent a good decade of my life in it. I love helping people, and I would much rather do that than read the Australian Financial Review every day. Ugh. I can't even bear to think about reading it, let alone actually read the damn thing.

Although I may just be enjoying it because it's not my usual daily routine. Would I still feel the same way if it was actually my job to work at the store, day in day out?

I've been thinking about what I'll do if I don't get in to medicine this year (especially given my terribly disorganised approach to the application process this year - please see previous post). Would I want to do something else still related to the health care field? How about nursing? Could I still be fulfilled in a nursing role? What else can I do? Can I do something where I can still use some of my current skills but in a non-finance field?

My current chosen career was decided based on external factors, and not on what I'm truly passionate about. And I truly regret that. Unfortunately though, I don't know what it is that I'm truly passionate about, so at the moment I feel a lack of direction. Will I ever know, I wonder.

I missed it!

2008-06-07T00:29:00.000-07:00

OMG, I missed the deadline! Are ACER and UND going to be strict about not receiving my documentation by today?? I completely forgot that I had to order originals of my Academic Transcript again, and I only faxed through the order last Wednesday. I'm still waiting for them today (Friday night), so I still couldn't have even handed my documentation in person, even if I wanted to (which I so desperately did!!). ARGH!! Why am I so disorganised??!? Or is it just fate that's telling me that medicine just isn't the right career for me...?

Hmmm... Come to think of it, I was ill when the GAMSAT was on this year. And then I just submitted my scores for the GPA calculation at 4:59pm today; I was literally seconds away from the online calculator closing. I was actually scared that my submission wasn't successful, it was that close. But thankfully I received the confirmation e-mail. One thing that actually turned out well in this entire debacle of an application this year.

So I don't know if my final application will still be accepted, even though I've done all the online steps on time. *sigh*

A small business with a large problem

2008-05-27T22:46:00.000-07:00

A friend of ours (let's call him Lowes, LOL) owns a small business, and I've been helping out at his store over the last few days. And I've had the "pleasure" of working with one of his staff members during this time. Let's call her Clueless. (This is in fact a double entendre; there is such a clothing store in Sydney... LOL) And she is so disrespectful! She's not rude, she just doesn't respect Lowes' decision on so many things. It's his business, and if he makes certain offers/discounts to people, then she should just respect his decision, and not question it each and every time. Certain decisions are made for strategic reasons, and she doesn't always see this bigger picture. All she sees is "well this is a 10% discount, and so we're losing 10%, which we wouldn't lose out ordinarily. So this is a bad decision", and herein starts the questioning of Lowes' original decision. She just doesn't see that this isn't all there is to it, and that we may be winning a lot more business from this one customer, which we otherwise would not have received. ARGH, she is so frustrating sometimes!!!

The other thing that annoys me is how she makes decisions based on how easy it makes life for her. If she can find a shortcut to do something, then she'll do it that way. That's not always a bad thing, sometimes she comes up with ingenious ideas this way, which can turn out perfectly fine. It just becomes a problem when she starts vetoing Lowes' ideas, just because his ideas - in her opinion - are too hard to implement, administer or manage.

And one final issue - she feels like she is entitled to make overarching decisions in Lowes' absence. Uh HELLO, I don't think so! You don't own the business. You don't have the authority to do whatever you want. Just because he is not in the store at any particular time doesn't give you the right to offer whatever you want to customers. Unbelievable.

I think Lowes is partly to blame for how she is right now. He hadn't set boundaries from the outset; and being a small business, written procedures aren't in place to set boundaries and expectations. I'm not saying that he shouldn't have processes in place . The complete opposite, actually. Especially after seeing what has happened now, without them. And I don't know how he can rectify the problem now. He has let her run amok in certain ways, and I can't see how he can all of a sudden set boundaries and not expect a negative reaction from her.

Lowes has also mentioned that in the past, when he has put his foot down, and made his final decision, no questions asked, she becomes sullen and ignores him for the rest of the day. How rude and disrepectful is that?! I can't believe you would act that way with your own boss. I am completely shocked. And at the same time feeling sorry for him to have to put up with this behaviour.

I missed it

2008-03-29T23:51:00.000-07:00

I missed the GAMSAT this year. I was sick in bed all day on Friday, and I already knew that I wasn't going to make it to the exam the following day. So I guess I'll just have to apply with last year's GAMSAT result. I wonder how I'll go, considering that I achieved a pretty mediocre score last year.

I think I'm going to apply for UND(Syd) as my first preference. I should've put them down as my first preference last year, I don't know why I went for USyd, especially since I knew that I wouldn't have a chance, based on my GAMSAT score (and my GPA, for that matter). Plus I really liked the campus, their smaller classes & the more 'intimate' nature of the course. Honestly, I only put down USyd because of their name. That's it. If I actually made it in to the USyd course, I probably would be wishing that I was at UND(Syd) instead! LOL

I'm still trying to decide whether I want to sit the UMAT as well. Do I have much chance getting a spot through this undergrad route??

**sigh** Is this worth the effort? Do I really want to go in to medicine? Is it really the right choice for me?? How does one know??

Quote for the day

2008-03-15T18:27:00.000-07:00

"We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once." - Nietzche

Another improvement!

2008-02-23T00:08:00.000-08:00

I got a few more compliments on my dancing tonight. :) My instructors would be proud. One guy commented that I was really light; another said that I was really easy to dance with; and a fellow female student said that I've really improved since the first time she saw me (which was only a few weeks back).

Awesome.

Improving?

2008-02-22T18:59:00.000-08:00

I can tell he wants to talk to me, but doesn't quite know how to initiate the conversation! He tends to use the end of the day to come over to talk to me. Yesterday was the first time, and I was really impressed with his effort. I have a feeling he'd been looking for a reason all day, LOL, and finally found one at around 5pm. It was a little awkward, but we got there, I think.

And today was even better. Well, it started out rather awkwardly at drinks, and he positioned himself right next to me whenever he could. But drinks isn't my scene, as you know, and we barely talked. But we finally found each other later and we had a pretty good chat then. Awesome way to end the working week, I reckon. :)

Good moments - when there's no silence

2008-02-15T19:26:00.000-08:00

There's this new guy in my team at work who intrigues me. He's one of these rare guys that I actually get along with, who I am quite comfortable with when I am around him. And you know how rare this happens.

Now I say 'quite' comfortable because the really ironic thing is that, because we're both very quiet individuals, when we are actually next to each other, we actually don't have much to say to one another! But the few times when we actually have conversed were really good moments. I could really feel that we were on the same wavelength, and that we both have the same very dry sense of humour. LOL I just wish I knew how to have more of these good conversations, and minimise the number of silent moments...!

I think he feels the same way, because I think he does what I try to do - position ourselves close to the other to strike up a conversation that we know we will both enjoy. But he has the same problem as me in that he doesn't quite know how to start (and continue!) the conversation. :-/ Such a shame. I'm hoping that the more time he's in the team, the more I'll find out about him, and the more chances I'll have to actually strike up a conversation with him!

I'm ok when there's a group of us chatting, but usually the others can carry the conversation along. But it would be nice to just talk to him, and get to know him a little better.

I feel like a teenager all over again.

To be or not to be... with child...

2008-02-11T21:29:00.000-08:00

Is it wrong for me not to want children of my own? Am I selfish for not wanting rugrats in my life (apart from Angelica and the gang... LOL)?? I can't imagine being a mother. The idea doesn't repulse me, but it doesn't interest me, either. Is that bad? Does it make me less of a woman for not having (or wanting) children?

I'm running out of time to make up my mind. And I don't know if I'll come to a decision in time.

Tick tock tick tock...

Treasure

2008-02-08T19:07:00.000-08:00

My Dad wished me a happy birthday recently. This is a bit of what he wrote:

"The pictures show the girl I still see until now, when your name is mentioned. You were the most beautiful baby in the world, and you are my treasure. Please take good care of yourself Always."

And he attached one photo of me when I was a baby, and a second photo when I was probably about 1 year old.

I thought it was such a beautiful message, which I will treasure always.

It's almost February

2008-01-23T21:59:00.000-08:00

I can't believe we're almost at the end of January already. How quickly did the month fly by?!? I haven't even had the chance to start studying for the GAMSAT. I don't want to get an even lower score than last year...!

Decision

2008-01-13T10:20:00.000-08:00

I've decided to re-sit the GAMSAT this year. I figured that I might as well re-sit, I have nothing to lose (except for the $300 entry fee, and an entire Saturday sitting the exam!).

I still don't know if medicine is the right career for me, but then again, does anyone know? Does the feeling of belonging in a hospital every time I'm in one count?

GAMSAT is on 15 March this year. I have a little over 2 months to prepare.

A classic

2008-01-04T22:00:00.000-08:00

'Canon in D' has to be my all-time favourite classical piece. It amazes me that Pachelbel composed this over 300 years ago, and it can still evoke so much emotion all these years later.

Newborns

2007-12-27T22:17:00.000-08:00

I went and donated blood today. The usual routine is that the nurse asks you for your full name and date of birth at the outset, and then asks you again about halfway through. The lady next to me was asked to give her details, and she replies "Jane Smith, 9 January 1991". 1991!! I felt so old. The nurse asked if she was at uni, and I was thinking to myself, "Uni?!? She's 16 years old! She's probably in year 10 or 11!!". Can newborns give blood?? hehehe ;)

Although even being in the center today made me feel like going in to medicine again. It just feels 'right', being there. I can't explain it any further than that. **sigh** The saga (to do or not to do medicine) continues...

Merry Christmas!!

2007-12-25T23:47:00.000-08:00

We cleaned up our place and had family over for dinner. I hope we can keep the house this neat for the rest of the year, and carry it in to the New Year as well! :)

Happy holidays everybody!!!!

A dying tradition?

2007-12-12T20:16:00.000-08:00

Is the card-giving tradition during Christmas on its way to extinction, giving way to e-technology and all the convenience (and cost & environmental savings) that it brings??

We have only received 2 cards in the mail this year, in contrast to previous years gone by where we have received over 10x that number.

It's making me wonder whether I should send out any cards through snail mail this year.... I bought a pack of 10, which is still sitting on the coffee table unopened. I wonder if they'll make it out of their pack before the year ends...

Another stroll...

2007-11-16T18:24:00.000-08:00

I walked home again today. You've gotta love daylight saving!! :) And the lovely warm weather.

I was a little puffed by the time I was about a block from home, so that was good. Get my heart pumping just that little bit more...

Compliments (continued)

2007-11-15T23:44:00.000-08:00

When complete strangers come up and compliment you on your dancing, then I think that's pretty amazing. I was on my way to work this morning when someone recognised me on the street. ON THE STREET. I couldn't believe it. I felt like a celebrity! LOL But it's such a good feeling though, that I am actually inspiring others. To think that li'l ol' me could actually invoke such emotions...!

Compliments

2007-11-14T19:25:00.000-08:00

I've been receiving a number of compliments on my dancing lately. As with any sort of training, the development is so gradual that I hardly ever notice it. But there have been occasions when I can feel that my spins are a lot faster, and some of my moves are a lot sharper. So all the hard work (and $$!) is actually starting to pay off...!! :D

Change? How much?

2007-11-12T20:11:00.000-08:00

I have a friend who I believe has changed dramatically since she started studying medicine at uni. I think it just got to her head, and now she thinks that she's better than everyone else. She puts everyone down (including her own partner), and makes it out as if she knows it all and that no one else could possibly know as much about anything as she does. Whenever she's talking to you, she puts on this tone so that it sounds like she's lecturing you, that she's doing you a favour for imparting her knowledge on to you.

She is just so intolerable now, to the point where I just don't even want to talk to her anymore.

I know this is just one person, but if I decide to go in to this field, would I also change? And would the change be so gradual that I wouldn't even realise it, which is perhaps where she is at now??

Walking

2007-11-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

I decided to make good use of the extra sunlight, and walked part of the way home today. It was pretty good exercise, actually, I was slightly puffed by the time I arrived home. I should try and do that more often, to help me get my fitness level up a little bit more. And obviously being fit will help on the dancefloor... ;) That should be incentive enough for me, I think! LOL

I'm thinking of walking home at least once or twice a week during daylight saving, but then thought that would mean I would have to bring my sneakers with me each time. I wouldn't really want to be walking in my heels, not to mention the wearing down of the shoes.... Although I used to work with someone who walked to and from work EVERY DAY. I think she said it took about 45min each way. Now that's dedication for you! I, on the other hand, may just settle for 1-2x a week one-way. During spring/summer. :)

And at one point during my walk home, I was walking behind this man and his little sausage dog. The sausage was so small that it must have still been a pup! So cute! His little legs just scrambling to keep up with his owner. Hehe!

Daylight Savings

2007-11-02T19:13:00.000-07:00

We have entered the daylight savings season! I LURRRRVE daylight saving, it is my favourite time of the year. I wish we could have daylight saving all year... LOL

Apparently we are getting an extended daylight savings period this time round, I believe a few additional weeks. Happy happy joy joy!

Oh, and btw, I am loving my new work. It's been about 3 months now, and I have had no regrets about the move. I love the work, my boss, and the people that I work with on a daily basis. I wonder if I have ever liked any of my past roles as much as I do this one. Happy happy joy joy! :D

(I wonder if my enthusiasm is being buoyed up a little simply because it's a Friday... hmmm...)

Walk the dog (oops, I mean cat)

2007-11-02T18:52:00.000-07:00

There's this guy in our apartment complex who walks his cat. It is so cute! (Both the cat and the act of walking the cat) And he doesn't keep his cat on a leash, the cat just happily walks around nearby, and never strays far from its owner. So adorable!

Incessant Voices

2007-10-05T19:12:00.000-07:00

I was standing on the bus the other day, and there was this guy down the back of the bus somewhere, occasionally screaming what seemed like incoherent words either at himself or at someone next to him. When I moved closer to the back of the bus, I finally saw the screaming man. He had a small device pressed up against his left ear, perhaps a walkie-talkie or a small radio.

I didn't think much else of him, thinking that he must have some sort of mental disorder. A few minutes later, I looked over his way again, and noticed that he was covering his ears. I was now within earshot of him, so I could actually make out what he was screaming to himself: "SHUT THE F#@K UP!!", "JUST SHUT UP!!", "ARRRRRGHHHH!!".

He must have been a schizophrenic, trying to drown out the voices that follow him around wherever he goes. When I realised this, my heart just went out to him. Can you imagine living your life hearing voices day in day out, and not being able to switch them off?? Ever?? It would be enough to drive you bonkers even after a few days, let alone an entire lifetime.

I'm not a doctor (obviously), but I wonder just how much medicine can actually help schizophrenia nowadays. I wonder if these people can actually live a reasonably comfortable life these days with the aid of medicine, by way of medication and/or the assistance from mental health professionals....

A little self-reflection

2007-10-05T19:05:00.000-07:00

I like my voice. I think it can command respect. It's not one of those whiny, shrilly voices that some women have. I just think that I need more confidence in myself to back my voice up. Then I can move up in the world. LOL

Motivated

2007-10-03T19:14:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling particularly motivated this evening! I was going to pop in a dvd and watch Blood Diamond, but instead I'm quite keen to get started on working on a few odds and ends that I've been putting off for a few months now - ironing, my taxes, finish off a few novels, to start with. :) Obviously I can't get them all done tonight, so I might just work on putting my papers together for my tax return, and get some ironing done. And I'll bring a novel with me to read during the commute to and from work.

There are only two times - NOW and TOO LATE.

Long weekend

2007-10-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

It's the Labour Day long weekend in Sydney! Hurrah for public holidays!!! :D

Although unfortunately this will be the last public holiday until Christmas rolls around. But can you believe just how close we are to Christmas already?? Sheez, how time flies....

Rude & Selfish

2007-09-26T23:55:00.000-07:00

One thing that still sh#ts me to no end are people on buses who just refuse to MOVE DOWN THE BACK OF THE BUS. I don't know what it is about the back door, but as soon as some people see the back door, they just refuse to take that one step further past it. It's as if there's this bad smell emanating from the back of the bus somewhere that my olfactory senses just aren't picking up.

There was one guy on my bus on the way home today that stood right by the back door and literally stood guard, preventing anyone else from moving down past him. And there were empty seats down the back! Not that anyone up the front would have known that, since there was an idiot just standing there blocking everyone's way.

I just find it so rude and inconsiderate that people do this. The bus could have taken more passengers, if it wasn't for this jerk who was blocking all the other passengers from moving down the back of the bus.

And I'm pretty sure I've mentioned the 'aisle seat' taker, who lets their imaginary friend take the window seat, while there are REAL passengers standing around them. (See Pet Peeves) OMG. The sheer selfishness of people is astounding.

Dance on TV

2007-09-26T17:03:00.000-07:00

Do I just lead a really boring life? I just don't seem to have anything happening at the moment that is worthy of an entry.

Dancing with the Stars started last night. It's the second series this year - do they normally have two series each year?? Or is it just that popular now? (Not that I'm complaining...) I reckon Mrs Bert Newton is going to be a serious contender this series. :)

And So You Think You Can Dance also started a few weeks ago. I'm always keen to have dancing on tv; I personally can't dance enough LOL and watching it on tv is the next best thing. :)

Not much else interesting happening in my life, unfortunately. Perhaps I need to go out more....!

Nobel Peace Prize

2007-09-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

I was watching Oprah the other day, and she had Dr Muhammad Yunus on her show to talk about the work that he had done, helping millions of people out of poverty in his hometown in Bangladesh. I was amazed and moved by his actions, showing that there are still kind and giving people like him in the world. He didn't start out seeking the Nobel Peace Prize, he just wanted to make a small difference to even just one person for just one day. I am just so inspired by his generosity and humanitarianism. True philanthropy in this ever-greedy world. Congratulations Dr Yunus.

Insecurities

2007-08-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

Well first off, let me just update you with my application. I got the "thanks, see you next year" letter from ACER. I'm disappointed, but not surprised. So that's the end of the application road for me for the year. Now I have to decide whether I want to go through it all again next year. But I'm still doing some soul-searching, and I'll provide an update on this another day.

Now on to my current "real" life. I'm starting to have doubts as to whether I can do this job, this new job that seemed oh-so-wonderful just a few short weeks ago. All these terms crop up at work that I don't remember back from my uni days (mainly because I hardly studied during those formative years... LOL), so now I'm going to have to whip out textbooks and what not to figure out what my manager is actually talking about during our team meetings! ** sigh **

I shouldn't be so hard on myself. I've really only just started, and everyone says (including me, but not when I'm talking about myself of course) that it'll take months just to start getting in to the swing of things at a new job. And the work is completely new to me, so I have that to take in to account as well, and not just the new surroundings. I'm pretty much starting from a zero knowledge base. I feel like a graduate, almost, which is why I'm starting to doubt whether I can do this job....

I'm sure that I've already started to draw on my past experiences and applied those skills in my current role, but they're probably so ingrained in my thought process that I don't even realise that I'm using them. Well, that's what I'm hoping, anyway.... :) And surely I can add much more value now than a graduate can in the same amount of time. Surely! LOL (And by graduate I mean a 'normal', run-of-the-mill graduate - not one of those freaks who scored 100 in their UAI and breezed through uni with a High Distinction average, all the while being involved in multiple extra-curricular activities on the side.)

So I just have to be more confident in my abilities, and give myself the time to absorb all the new information in my new role, and not beat myself up over not perfectly understanding everything right from the get go.

Easier said than done, of course.... But I'll try....

Grumble Grumble

2007-08-22T00:06:00.000-07:00

I don't get how messy this house can get. There's just B and me, no kids, no parents, no flatmates around, and yet our house is always in this constant state of clutter. We somehow seem to fill the laundry basket up to the brim over the space of a few days. And the ironing basket is NEVER empty. Heck, it's hardly ever 'just' full, it's constantly overflowing with clothes. We accumulate junk, and the junk just seems to pile up until either B or I reaching our breaking point and we actually throw most of it out.

I don't understand how other people can keep their house sparkling clean. I'm envious.

Going fine, but at a personal crossroads

2007-08-18T22:15:00.000-07:00

My new job is excellent. The work is much more interesting compared to my old job, and the people (in general) are much much nicer! The hours are fantastic, generally 9 to 5, and the others in my team have told me that the stress levels are really low. No regular deadlines, however there may be the odd day each week where a few things need to get done, but in general, work is pretty laidback.

My dilemma now is - do I really want to leave this to pursue an entirely new career?? A career that is much more stressful, with much longer hours, and one that will take many more years to specialise??

I know people go in to medicine for a myriad of different reasons, one of which is being unhappy and unfulfilled in their current career. But for the most part, this doesn't apply for me. Most of the time I enjoy what I do, and it's only when I start getting down, when I start looking for 'meaning' in my work, is when I start to think about going down a different career path like medicine, where I am almost positive that I will find this.

I think I'm going to continue reading as much as I can about medicine as a career, reading med students' and doctors' blogs, as well as blogs like Hoover's medschoolhell :) and do as much soul-searching as I can over the next few months.

If I do land an interview this year (which I'm highly doubting at the moment, but who knows with this whole process), I'm going to continue with it. I have nothing to lose. :)

Excuses, Excuses

2007-08-05T22:19:00.000-07:00

I was particularly slack last month, I know. Not that it's been a busier month, more that I've been sick for about half of it, and the internet has been down at home during the other half. And internet problems are still persisting, unfortunately.

But I promise to try harder this month. I have a new job (yay!), so hopefully I can post some interesting anecdotes on my new work environment real soon.

Oh, and I've also found another good blog read: Panda Bear MD. He's an ER resident somewhere in the USA, and is very opinionated on a number of things relating to medicine (training, cost and residency are the three main themes that quickly come to mind). It's a good eye-opener, although I wonder how close the American system is to the Australian one. I might have to find some good Australian doctors' blogs for a better comparison.

And speaking of the Australian system, interview letters are supposed to be coming out sometime this month. I'm assuming this means sometime towards the second half of the month. Maybe I'm just too cynical nowadays, but I've pretty much given up on the entire process and the chance of anything actually happening in a timely manner. Or perhaps just too much Panda Bear…?? :-)

It's mid-July!

2007-07-15T19:50:00.000-07:00

Where did the first half of July go??!? I've been quite busy the past few weeks - a few family get-togethers with B's family, spending some more time dancing, and getting ready for my new job! :-)

Sarah

2007-06-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across Sarah's blog through my web surfing. Sarah had (yes, had :-( ) Stage 3 malignant melanoma when she started her blog, which eventually progressed to Stage 4. She was using the blog as her way of venting her frustrations of living with the disease. It is written from the heart, and is very personal. It is a very sad story, especially since you know how it ends, and I found it especially hard to read when her husband Derek started writing entries on her behalf because she was too ill and weak to write herself. My tears started flowing when he wrote "After fighting like no other, Sarah is going to die." I can't even begin to imagine how he must have been feeling when he wrote that. My heart just went out to the two of them.

I am truly grateful to have been given the opportunity to share in her story of battling cancer in the last year of her life.

More open windows

2007-06-25T21:34:00.000-07:00

I can't believe this - I have a 2nd interview with Company 1; an 'informal chat' with Company 2; and a third recruiter would like to meet with me to discuss a potential role with Company 3!! I have never been so popular (in the job department) in my life! It is all very strange. I know the job market is rather buoyant at the moment, but still, I wouldn't have expected it to be THAT buoyant.

Or perhaps it is my unique skill set that is appealing to the recruiters/employers. Or perhaps it is just the lack of suitable candidates at this point in time, so it's just good timing on my part. Or perhaps a bit of both.

Either way, a few more opportunities have opened up for me so I'm quite happy. It's nice to have options. :-)

I'm looking for a new job

2007-06-21T16:00:00.000-07:00

I think that's reasonable. I'm not particularly keen on staying in my current role. The work isn't all that interesting, I don't feel challenged. Sure the pay is great, but that won't sustain my interest in the long-term. Plus my skills are slowly wasting away, since I'm barely using any of them to do my current job. I've spent about 90% of this week either surfing the net or reading blogs. Rather a waste of my time, if you ask me. I still can't believe that someone is willing to pay me as much as they do for doing very very little work.

In complete contrast to my previous job where I was constantly staying back late, as the work always came in faster than I could get it out. Now, I'm getting paid almost double (about 1.7x more, to be exact) for less work and less stress. Everyone says that's pretty much a dream come true (to get paid more to do less work), and sure, I relished in my newfound freedom when I first started in this job, but now the novelty is really wearing thin.

The problem that I'm faced with is the sheer uncertainty of the med application process. I don't even know if I'll be offered an interview later this year, let alone a place at one of my chosen universities. I may have to suffer through the entire application process again next year. And because of this, what am I supposed to do in my current field? I can't abandon it completely, in the unfortunate chance that med doesn't go through (which is a complete possibility). So I want to continue developing my skills in my current profession.

So let's say I do land a new job, and all is hunky dory. Then the good news arrives (from my point of view, that is!) and I get offered a place at one of the universities. What happens to my new employer? I end up working for them for a few months, and then have to leave again to go back to uni. I don't think that's very fair on any employer to have to go through the entire recruitment process, only to have the successful candidate bail out on you after just a few months.

But say the news on the university front isn't so rosy, and I end up working for at least another 12 months for my new employer while I go through the whole application process again. That ain't so bad for New Employer….

B's opinion is slightly different to mine, though. He thinks that I should stick it out in my current job and wait until I find out whether I am offered a place. He reckons that over the next 18 months, I should put 100% of my energy in to landing myself a medical place, and then if that doesn't work out, then I can re-focus once again on my current field. I only have next year left to give medicine a shot before that 10-year rule kicks in, so he figures why not just focus on getting in while I still have the chance. And save as much as I can now in my well-paid and rather cushy job, before I revert back to being a poor uni student once again.

Perhaps I have the "grass is greener" mentality, expecting that a new job will offer me something more. Am I chasing an elusive dream job that doesn't really exist? And why am I chasing that job in my current field, when perhaps I will have changed to medicine in six months' time?

You know you're Australian when...

2007-06-20T22:40:00.000-07:00

And this one I can properly cite my source. :)

Again, oh so true!!

You grew up in Sydney if...

2007-06-20T22:15:00.000-07:00

-You've never done bridge climb, and you're never planning on it.

-NIGHTRIDE!

-You went on multiple school camps at Narrabeen

-You haven't been to the zoo, except on a primary school excursion where you threw stuff at the animals. (or alternatively.. zoo? what zoo?)

-You've never seen Kings Cross in daylight.. unless its on your way home. Same goes for Taylor Square and that stretch of grass near the fountain, otherwise known as "Trash Island". And the adjacent fountain, "The Communal Douche"

-A trip to Mt. Druitt warrants a pillow in the car

-You don't like Bondi, but would choose Tamarama, Bronte, or any of the Northern Beaches any day. Maybe not Cronulla if you're anything other than Anglo-Saxon.

-You know that the "Bra Boys" are anything cross-dressers.

-You know what "Glamarama" is actually the name for. And you know why.

-The sight of drag queens does not phase you.

-If the train is expected in ten minutes or less you figure CityRail is having a good day!

-The beauty of the harbour does not surprise you

-Riding the ferry is not for leisure, but a mode of transport.

-However...You don't even use the ferry as a form of transport because its too frickin' slow.

-You know what tzatziki, baklava, hommous, yum-cha, pad thai, dolmades, tabbouleh and pide are and you've eaten all of them.

-You know how to say hello (and possibly some swear words) in at least one language other than English. Most likely Croat/Serb/Bosnian/Macedonian, Greek, Arabic and possibly Indonesian or Chinese.

-You've ever "studied" for exams at the State Library

-You wanted to kick that stupid man dressed in a donkey suit in Pitt St Mall.

-You laugh at or console anyone who's ever lived/had to live/from/been to Canberra.

-You truly think Sydney should be the capital. And rightly so. Furthermore, you grew up in Sydney if you don't give a F**K about the Sydney/Melbourne debate, because unlike Melbournians, we don't feel the need to justify our city's worthiness...we just know it's the shit.

-You see a guy wearing pink, and don't automatically think he's gay

-You know straight men can drink soy lattés, too.

-You treat Baristas like they are your dealer. Coffee is your drug.

-You've heard the following uttered from a dog statue: "Hello my name is Ivan, I was once the dog of the great Queen Victoria........If you toss a coin in I will thank you. Thank you. Woof Woof!" "-

-You NEVER catch the monorail and think it's a useless, expensive-to-catch piece of crap. "Class A" waste of space. After all, it's not an episode of "the Simpsons", is it? ("Monorail....Monorail....MONORAIL!"). Monorail= so 80s

-You know it might be quicker to walk from Central to Circular Quay at any given time than catch a bus down George St or a train

-You know where all the 24-hour drinking establishments are.

-You're scared that when you walk past Town Hall steps at any given time, two dozen emo children are going commit mass suicide, declaring "It's a cruel, cruel world, maaaan"

-You think: what is it with P-Plated Subaru WRXs on George St Friday and Saturday nights. And Industrie shirts with the collars up. Puke.

-Fireworks just don't get you excited anymore. (Come on people, we have them for ANY thing). And just in case anyone is thinking of doubting this fact, here's a short list of the occasions for which the City of Sydney has/ has had fireworks.
-Australia Day (Granted)
-Anzac Day
-NYE (times 2)
-The Sydney Harbour Bridge's birthday
-Queen's Birthday
-ANZAC Day
-When the QE2 departed Sydney Harbour (yay, let's fanfare a bunch of people who could afford $100,000 + for a cruise and spend taxpayers' money doing it!)
-Easter Show last night
and, my all time favourite reason for fireworks,
-The Australian Idol Grand Finale (EVERY YEAR!!!).
-Football Games (mainly Origin or Finales)
If anyone can think of any more occasions, please let me know!

-The Easter Show is something that s only okay to go to until you're 16, and only after that if you're taking your OWN kids.

-You think Showbags at the Show are a waste of money

-It's not called the Underground, the metro, the tube or the subway, but it's just called "the train".

-"God's Country??" What is this, like a Lord of the Rings film or something? Please, Shire, you make us weep with pity.

-You've been to at least one "Big Day Out"

-You drank in Hyde Park, underage,on at least one year of the Mardi Gras.

-You know it's pronounced Circular "Key" not "Kway"

-You hate the State Labor Government, but somehow they still keep getting elected. They promise change; it doesn't come. Then they get re-elected.

-You wear a scarf/gloves/beanie/puffer jacket when the temperature hits below 18 degrees.

-You've accepted the (annoying) rule that no thongs are allowed to be worn into clubs. But you'll always try to sneak in anyway. Or beg.

-You have just accepted that all bouncers are pricks.

-You laugh when people say they're from "The Shire"

-You think people from "The Shire" are inbred, parochial freaks.

-You know what I mean when I say "The Shire"

-You say "Wog" and don't think of it as derogatory. And neither do the wogs around whom you say it.

-If you live in the Western suburbs, a night out in the City is a big deal. So much so, that you're forced to get a HOTEL room in which to stay the night...hahaha.

-If you live in the City, you'd never go into the suburbs.

-The word "Westie" is used as an insult.

------------

I copied this from Facebook, but I can't seem to find the page any more so I can't properly credit the author. Sorry. :(

But it's so true!! :D

"More Hips"!

2007-06-18T18:18:00.000-07:00

I just finished a bit of dance practice at home. Not quite the same as practising at the dance studio - the floor at home isn't anywhere near as nice as the dancefloor at the studio, and there is a much smaller floorspace here. But nonetheless, I made the most of what I have here at home. :)

I focussed mainly on Bota Fogos and Samba Walks, and then tossed in a few Rumba basics at the end. Oh, and "more hips"! Apparently I don't do enough hip action. Both my (male) teacher and partner have bigger hip actions than me. Now that is pathetic! As the girl, I should be doing twice the amount of hip action as they do put together! LOL So obviously I need to work big time on my hips. Go Shakira!

Cute!

2007-06-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Awwwww....

Day 14

2007-06-16T17:26:00.000-07:00

btw, I have worked 14 days straight now. Today was Day 14. And thankfully, tomorrow is my one day off!!! I can't believe how thankful I am for having this one day to myself! The past few weeks has really made me appreciate my weekends.

The 'other' interview

2007-06-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

The interview went quite well, despite my nervousness and the expectation that I was going to interview really poorly this time.

The recruiter who had set up this interview had built up a number of my expectations about the interviewer. At our previous meeting he made a passing remark about how the interviewer was a prompt person. There goes Expectation #1. She was around 5 minutes late to the interview.

Expectation #2: She is a very quiet, soft-spoken person who won't show you her cards. "You're doing well if you can make her smile", the recruiter pretty much said. Well I did that. On at least 3 occasions. There goes Expectation #2.

Expectation #3: "She will hammer you with questions, one after the other. And none of the behavioural fluff. She wants to know if you can do the job." This was partly true, she was asking questions one after the other, but I didn't feel at all hammered. She was asking relevant questions:

"Tell me about your previous roles."
"What have you learnt from your previous roles that you believe you can bring in to this one?"
"How much experience have you had writing reports and other correspondence?"
"Why did you move from your previous role to your current one?"
"What interests you about this role that you are applying for?"

And she didn't make me feel like I was beneath her, or judging me on my career decisions so far.

Expectation #4: She is immaculately presented. So I was expecting one of those women who always has her hair done, her nails painted, and her make-up flawless. When she arrived to greet me in the reception area, she looked neat and professional (as one would also expect an interviewer to be) but she wasn't completely done up as I was picturing her to be. She actually had one lock of hair that was sticking out to one side a little too much, which I kept staring at throughout the interview because I kept thinking that this lock of hair was just so out of place for this person who I had just built up in my mind to be perfectly presented at the interview.

And man, can I rant at interviews! LOL I'm a naturally quiet person (as I have described in my profile), but at interviews, there's no stopping me! Maybe it's because I go in with the expectation that I will need to talk about me, and so I'm in a totally different mindset. Ordinarily I hate talking about my life with others. Even the slightest hint that the topic is steering towards me, I will start devising ways of steering it away again. :-)

So after asking me the above questions (and probably a few other ones that I can't remember now), she went on to tell me about the role, the organisation, and how I and the rest of the team fit in to the grand scheme of things. And I asked a few questions along the way, I adopted the obligatory "look as if you are absolutely fascinated" pose. Although I don't have to put it on, so to speak, I am genuinely interested about the role and the company. And I think my genuine interest appeals to the interviewer, the positive signals that I subconsciously send are probably being subconsciously read by the interviewer also.

She also mentioned that she would like for me to meet her manager and that she'll contact the recruiter to arrange this, hopefully for sometime next week. So I think that's a positive sign that the interview went well!

So we finally wrapped up the interview, and as she was showing me to the lifts, I commented on how nice their office is. That's when she decided to show me their office canteen/cafeteria area, pointing out the coffee machine from which I can get FREE coffee whenever I wanted. My jaw dropped (I am an avid coffee drinker) and half-jokingly said "well you've tempted me already!", which is when I scored another laugh from her. More positive signs, if you ask me! :-)

Maybe that's why I do well in interviews. I'm prepared, I go in with a confident and open attitude, expecting the interview to be a two-way street where both parties are there to learn more about the other. Even if I'm not the right person for this role and this opportunity doesn't proceed any further, at least I had the chance to practise my interview technique in preparation for the med one! Which fingers crossed will happen later this year...

I've got an Interview!

2007-06-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

No, not a med interview. An interview for a new job in my current industry. I'm surprisingly quite nervous, actually. Normally I'm looking forward to finding out more about a potential new role and company. But this one has left me feeling a little queasy. It's as if I feel like I need to perform well at the interview for the recruiter's sake or something. I know that sounds pathetic, as it is ultimately my job and my future, but it seems like there's more at stake here. It's such a weird feeling.

Type A Personality

2007-06-11T21:51:00.000-07:00

I've read in a few med student blogs now about how the med students (including the bloggers themselves) are all Type A Personalities. So I've started to wonder if I am also a Type A Personality, and whether I will therefore fit the description of a typical med student.

I found this quick quiz to help me figure it out.

On a scale of 0 (Totally Type B) - 100 (Totally Type A), I scored a 44, and this was the brief description offered:

"You seem to be in the middle between the Type A and Type B personality. In this case, the middle ground is good. Your attitude to life is more of the "smell the roses" kind and you know how and when to relax. Nonetheless, you realize that picking up a challenge and competing a little bit for your place in the sun can add some spice to your life. The equilibrium is important, so don't let your hostile, aggressive, and competitive alter ego take over too often. Generally, you are easy to be around, and people tend to feel relaxed and comfortable in your presence. Yours is a very healthy attitude towards life."

Woohoo! I'm a balanced individual! But will that therefore make me a poor fit in the med student world...??

Counter

2007-06-10T21:43:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking of adding a counter on the side bar there on the right, but I have nothing that I want to keep a count on! LOL How about: movies I've seen this year? Items of clothing that I've bought? Number of times B & I went out for a nice lunch or dinner together? Number of jobs I applied for? Number of interviews I was invited to?

OK, my mind is just wandering now, and I'm probably just ranting here because I'm so tired, so don't mind me... :-)

Missed Deadline

2007-06-10T21:26:00.000-07:00

I missed the application deadline for the 2007 UMAT! ARGH! I've been so busy with the graduate-entry medicine application process (not to mention work - see previous entry) that I inadvertently missed the UMAT deadline!

ACER will still take late applications up until Friday 15 June, but of course at an additional cost. And in this case, it's an extra $55. Do I want to pay this, just to have the opportunity to sit an exam?? It's my own fault for not being more aware of the deadline. It's the price I have to pay for being slack.

13-Day Fortnight

2007-06-10T21:07:00.000-07:00

I've only had one day off in the last fortnight. Surprisingly, I'm surviving better than I thought I would. My current routine: I go to work, go home, jump online briefly, and then it's off to bed. And before I know it, it's back to work I go...

I had to cancel my lunch arrangement with my girlfriends last week (and I was so looking forward to it, remember?!), and we were supposed to meet up again sometime this long weekend, but I had to take a raincheck this time 'round too.

I wonder if this is what it'll be like as a doctor, if not worse. Would I really want that? Although I hope I'll feel that my work as a doctor will be more meaningful, and putting in all those hours will be worth it. All I see coming out of working these hours at the moment is the extra cash in my next pay. Not very meaningful in my books. :-/

I'll be hitting the sack soon, to kick off yet another day at work tomorrow. While the rest of Australia enjoys their long weekend.

**Sigh**

Dance Aspirations

2007-06-09T23:07:00.000-07:00

This is my favourite couple to watch on the dancefloor. They are unbelievably awesome. I aspire to look as good as her on the dancefloor.

It's Done

2007-06-07T18:57:00.000-07:00

I have sent my applications to both ACER and UND(S). It cost me $10.40 - I sent both applications by Express Post, each of which cost $5.20. The price bought me Guaranteed Next Day Delivery, and with the 8 June deadline, I'm hoping it will be all worth it!

Submitted

2007-06-04T22:11:00.000-07:00

I have finalised my online GPA calculation - I completed it as accurately as I could, so it's now up to ACER to correct it if they think it's required.

I have also completed my UND(S) application form. I have pretty much finished my Personal Statement, and now just need to work on the presentation of it. And finally, I just need to confirm with my referees tomorrow if they're ok for me to put them down as contacts.

Now I just need to sort out where I need to send my applications to.... So I'm almost there, it's the home stretch....!

What I ended up buying...

2007-06-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

OK, so I didn't quite buy those Dance Naturals... But only because they didn't have them at the store. These were the best pair they had. They look better in real life. Trust me. :)

New Shoes??

2007-05-31T10:15:00.000-07:00

Still on dancing, I want to buy these shoes for my next pair:

Don't they just look awesome??!? :D (even just the one shoe without its other half looks stunning LOL)

A Quote

2007-05-31T09:45:00.000-07:00

I found this quote on a dancing website, which rings very true to me:

"I will say that since I have got the dancing bug there is no stopping me from going dancing whenever I want to. It's like escaping from everyday life and letting all worries and cares just disintegrate into the air the moment I am on the dance floor. I definitely come alive! It is freedom, it is expression and in a really great dance it is the connection with another soul, where every move seems to flow. I am there for the pure joy I get out of dancing."

It is amazing just how powerful dancing can be. I guess as with other sports, you can really immerse yourself entirely in to dancing and lose track of time, and forget your problems in your non-dancing life. I love being on the dancefloor, I stop being self-conscious and just totally focus on my dancing. It is like a completely different me out there. :)

Progress Update

2007-05-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

1. ONLINE APPLICATION FORM

I submitted my online application form (and forked over my $70, ugh). I listed my preferences as I had said in my previous entries:
1. USyd
2. UND(Sydney)
3. None

Although now I'm starting to regret it and I'm thinking that maybe I should have put UND(S) first, since it is the only university that I really want to go to anyway!!

Preference #1 will be rejected anyway, but still, putting UND(S) first would probably have increased my chance at an interview.

Oh well. It's done now. All I can hope for now is an interview place at either uni!

2. ONLINE GPA FORM

I've also filled in the online GPA form, but still yet have to finalise it. I'm still unsure about how my GPA will be scored, I have a few things that I think are a little out of the ordinary:

- My course was originally a four and a half year degree, but I extended it to five. I was never officially part-time, but my total units in each of the last four semesters were not the maximum units for a full-time load. So how do I group my subjects? Where do I draw the line as to which subjects to include and which to exclude from the GPA calculation?

- I did a combined degree, and almost all my subjects in the last three years were 2nd and 3rd academic year levels. How does that work for the Weighted GPA? Or does it not matter? Probably not. But what would happen if I didn't take any 1st academic year subjects during the last three years of my degree? Would they then just give me a GPA1 of 0?

- In addition to my transcript, I might have to give ACER photocopies from my old handbooks (my first one was from the mid-90s, I can't believe I still had them!) . Some of the subjects that I took are no longer offered (or are now under a different name) so any additional information sent to them will make their jobs that much easier, and hopefully that will mean less error in their final GPA calculation for me. (OMG, I went to uni before the internet was even born. That's insane!)

3. PERSONAL STATEMENT FOR UND(S)

I still haven't had the chance to work on my Personal Statement since last weekend! Tsk tsk! I might work on it now... I don't want to have to leave it until the last minute, and not have the time to re-work it, which it will undoubtedly need.

When will this process end....

** Sigh **

A Real-Life Medium?

2007-05-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

I have recently found out that one of my friends, Dotti, could possibly be a real life Alison Dubois, the lead character in the TV show Medium. I don't normally believe in that sort of thing, but when she rattled off all these different scenarios where she seemed to have 'influenced' or predicted what was going to happen, it sounded like it just happened way too often for it to all be mere coincidences.

She denies it all of course, but I think deep down she thinks it may actually all be true, and probably uses her denial as her form of protection from it. Which I can completely understand. If you knew - or even had an inkling - that bad things were going to happen to people you know and loved or cared for, you're not going to want to have that sort of responsibility hanging over you. Good things are of course nice, but it's the bad events that will haunt you.

So yeah, they're all coincidences Dotti. :)

Preferences

2007-05-27T21:42:00.000-07:00

I've decided on my preferences:

1. USyd
2. UND(Sydney)
3. None

I have pretty much Buckley's chance of getting in to my first preference, but as I've mentioned in previous entrries, I don't really know if I want to go there anyway. It feels like it's only there for the prestige factor of going to that university.

I really want to go to Preference #2. My gut instinct tells me that I would really enjoy my time at UND(Sydney). I'm currently in the middle of writing my Personal Statement for my application to this university. But because of my mediocre GAMSAT and GPA scores, I'm pretty much preparing myself for the worst...

And since I'm not willing to relocate (or travel too far, as is the case for UWoll), I've left Preference #3 blank.

I've also decided that I will sit the UMAT (have I already mentioned this in an earlier entry?). I wouldn't mind going to UWS either, that would actually be my third preference if it was a graduate-entry course. But the guys on Pagingdr have mentioned that entry via this alternative route is tougher than it seems, so again, I'm not expecting too much.... :(

Am I being too pessimistic? Or is this really an accurate depiction of my chances??

Tea at Ten

2007-05-27T21:33:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, M&2S made her blog private. :( I can understand why she's done that, but it's still sad to hear that her blog will no longer be available to the general public. Thank you to Tea at Ten for allowing me to enter your blog space over the past few months. You were one of the people who inspired me to create a blog of my own. :)

Lunch

2007-05-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

I organised lunch for next weekend with a few of my girlfriends. I don't see them as often as I like anymore, I guess that's what happens when you get older. :( So a get-together is worth an entry these days! LOL

Oh, lunch is with CC and Prada and their respective partners. Prada I haven't yet mentioned. I'm not as close to her as I am with CC, DKNY and YSL. But she's still a great friend to have around, and I've known her for almost as long as the other 3.

I'm looking forward to the lunch already! :)

UND (Sydney)

2007-05-23T20:20:00.000-07:00

I went to the information session held tonight at UND Sydney. It was very informative, and am now more than ever very keen to go there! The Dean of Medicine herself gave the talk, and she came across as a smart yet very down-to-earth person, which I really admired.

I love the fact that it's a small uni (I'm assuming the Darlinghurst campus will be similar in size to the Broadway one where the session was held tonight), and that the staff and teachers can pay individual attention to its students. Plus, because the cohort will be smaller in number, no doubt the camaradie will be much stronger at this uni, which I believe will be very important for a demanding course such as medicine.

They place a lot of emphasis on practical experience, and during the clinical years each student is essentially taken under the wing of Dr X, and you follow them around for the duration of your placement. So you end up seeing Dr X's patients right through from beginning to end - you see first-hand this "continuity of care".

One downside to this uni though (for me) is the fact that there is the chance that you will be placed outside of metropolitan Sydney for Years 3 and 4. The Dean mentioned that half the students will be placed in Sydney, but that still means the other half will be placed outside of Sydney. I don't want to be away from B (and my own home) for such a long period of time. It would be a little different if I was still in my early 20s, still living at home or renting. But I'm not, and I'm pretty much established in my personal life. I wonder how flexible the uni would be with personal attachments like this....

But overall, it was a very promising talk and I'm very glad I went! :)

Fading Hopes

2007-05-18T20:43:00.000-07:00

I'm once again fervently reading pagingdr whenever I can, after successfully fighting my obsession with the site about 4-6 weeks ago. Now I can't get enough info on all things to do with 2008 medical student places at Sydney universities.

But of course pagingdr is comprised of numerous other threads. And it is in these other threads where I have slowly (ok, maybe not that slowly LOL) come to the realisation that my Overall GAMSAT Score is probably not going to be as competititve this year as I would have liked.

So now my thoughts are currently revolving around the following themes (in no particular order or frequency):

- I probably won't even get a chance at an interview at USyd. Should I drop them down to 2nd preference then?

- Do I even WANT to go to USyd? Even before the results came out, I was already leaning towards UND(S), as I felt my own values and preferred learning structure/environment sounds like it will be more synonymous with this uni (based on the information that the uni has on its website). To be honest, I feel that I am only applying to USyd because of its well-established name.

- But UND(S) is brand spanking new. No one has even heard of the university. Although is this even going to really matter in a few years??

- There are soooo many applicants this year; no doubt a vast majority of them in Sydney. Simply only because it's the largest city in the country. What chance do I have at an interview, based on my mediocre Score??

- Should I continue putting in the time and effort (and $$!) in to my current career, if I am absolutely determined to get in to medicine?

- I'm pretty sure I'm going to sit the UMAT in July this year, so I will at least have the option to go to UWS. (Or UNSW I guess, but I doubt I want to go there for 6 years. I'm no spring chicken and time is slowly becoming a more and more valuable asset to me...! LOL)

- Do I really want to put all this energy in to all of this??!?

My initial happy feelings from yesterday's results is slowly withering away... :(

Official GAMSAT Results for 2007

2007-05-17T22:51:00.000-07:00

Section I - 58
Section II - 60
Section III - 58
Overall - 58

Initial thoughts on reading my marks:

Section I: What?! That's pathetic! I expected a much better mark than that!

Section II: What?! 60?? I thought I wrote pretty good essays, I was expecting low to mid-60s at the very least!

Section III: What the?!? 58??!? WOOOOOHOOOOOO! I passed the Science section!!!! :D

So basically, my expectations were totally way off mark. But I'm pretty happy with my results, given that it was the first time that I'd ever sat this exam.

My overall mark isn't crash hot, my percentile ranking was roughly around the 55% mark. Pretty average, really. So I'm not sure if I'll score an interview. I'm almost positive I won't be asked to come in to interview at USyd (my 1st preference), so hopefully my 2nd preference will take me in (University of Notre Dame Sydney). I'll still apply to both, despite my so-so GAMSAT results. I've gotta be in it to win it, right?! :)

So I guess we'll have to wait and see what transpires over the coming few months. Hmmmmm... Now one wait is over, and the next one starts.

The others

2007-05-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

I'm looking at other people's results that they've posted up in pagingdr, and everyone's done so well! What chance do I have??!!??

Still working up the courage to check.... I'm getting there.... :)

The Results are OUT!!!!

2007-05-17T13:05:00.001-07:00

But I'm too nervous to check them!!!! My palms are all sweaty, and I can barely type.... I'm trying to distract myself by doing some actual work, but it ain't helping. :-/ Should I look before or after lunch? I don't think I can eat in my current state. I have to check my results before I can eat anything.

Just thought I'd post an entry now to remind myself of this awful feeling that I'm currently experiencing! LOL I'm feeling so stressed and nervous, in fact, pretty much the same feeling I had right before I walked in to the exam.

**sigh**

**deep breath**

I'll let you know the results as soon as I muster up the courage to look!!

Tick Tock Tick Tock...

2007-05-17T00:33:00.000-07:00

I visited pagingdr earlier today, and there was discussion on how Acer had e-mailed everyone advising that the results will be released "later this week". But I haven't been able to check my e-mails in the past few days, nor can I log in to my personal e-mail account at work, so both the wait and the limited access to my e-mails is adding to the stress of it all! ARGH!!

Although I still wonder why I'm stressing so much about it all. It's just one lousy exam, after all. It's not the end of the world if I don't pass / get the required marks. I'll still be the same person as I was before the results came out, the world isn't going to come crashing down around me. I can sit the exam again next year. And besides, I also still have the UMAT option. It won't be the end of the world. :)

But despite this - I'm still freaked out!!! ARGH!!!!

Small World

2007-05-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

I ran in to an old work colleague today, someone whom I hadn't worked with in almost 6 years! He was there for a meeting with us (my employer, that is) representing his current company, and he just happened to be walking by my desk when he saw my name tag above my workstation! It was great to see him again. We had a sentimental chat about our old employer and he got me up to speed with the current structure over there, who was was still around and who had moved on.

Our little chat just made me realise that even li'l ol' me can make an impact on someone's life without even knowing it. And never to burn your bridges behind you. You never know when you'll be working with these people again. (Little Boss should take note. Oh wait, I haven't introduced her yet, have I. That'll have to wait until another time.)

A New Look

2007-05-13T00:13:00.000-07:00

I've had this blog for about 3 weeks, and I've changed the look of it already. How fickle am I.

The Wait

2007-05-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't been able to check my e-mails (or write entries in here, for that matter) for a few days, and I was getting rather anxious when I went to check my mail this morning. This wait for my GAMSAT results is loooong, and not a particularly pleasant experience either...!

So is it going to be a daily dose of anxiety each day from now until the day the results actually arrive? And what if the results are bad anyway? All that nervousness and anxiety for nothing? People say the wait for the GAMSAT results is just the beginning: you have the wait to hear whether you scored an interview place, then you have the wait to hear whether you scored a place at your chosen university.

Is it all character building? Well right now, I certainly don't feel like I'm building anything except my anxiety!! LOL

A Mini!

2007-05-11T11:28:00.000-07:00

B&I hired a Mini Cooper for two days! A cute orange convertible. We went on day trips up the coast, but surprisingly, the Cooper didn't handle the trip too well. B drove the entire time, and he was saying that the accelerator was a little sluggish, as if the car was a little too heavy for the Mini (hehe, a double entrendre?) engine.

We were travelling up and down winding roads during the two-day hire, and around the tight bends, the tyres were screeching! We weren't even going that fast, but the tyres couldn't handle it anyway.

B also complained about the poor location of the speedometer. He couldn't see the car speed too well, and distracted him from concentrating on the actual driving. Rather dangerous!! And when using the manual (the car was Tiptronic), he also couldn't see clearly the dial showing which gear he was in.

And can you believe it - after only a day, we noticed there was a chip on the windscreen. Already! We hadn't noticed the chip prior to signing the rental agreement, so we're not sure if the chip actually happened during our rental period. But either way, it wasn't on the sign-off inspection sheet that we signed when we drove out of the rental car park, so I guess we'll be slugged for the cost of fixing it. :(

So perhaps the only plus about the car - the fact that it was a convertible! Not much else was going for it, really... 3 out of 10 for me.

Sunburnt

2007-05-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

B&I went to the beach today and now my arms are sunburnt. And I have a t-shirt mark. Ugh! We walked around in the sun for a few hours before we settled on the beach, and I didn't put on any sunscreen until we actually found our spot on the sand. Tsk tsk. Goes to show you should always slip slop slap whenever you're out and about, not just when you're on the beach. Especially so for someone like me who burns after only 5 minutes in the sun! :-/

(I'm lying on the beach feeling the sun's rays penetrating me. And instead of enjoying the warm, relaxing atmosphere on the beach, I'm there thinking: "oh no, the sun's rays are probably contributing to my getting skin cancer. I can almost feel the cells multiplying... Did I put enough sunscreen on? Maybe I should just go sit in the shade to minimise the effects of the sun's damaging rays... But it's too cold in the shade, I need the sun's warmth...". Not a very good mindset to have when you're trying to enjoy your day at the beach!!)

TV and Movies

2007-05-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

THE NUMBER 23
B & I went to watch The Number 23 with Jim Carrey yesterday. It was a pretty good movie, despite the fact that I spent almost the entire time adding up various names and places to see if anything summed up to 23! Hmmm... I guess that would make more sense if you've seen the movie....! :) I'd like to add up a few names now actually, if you don't mind (I didn't get the chance to do the sums during the movie!)...

Walter Paul Sparrow
= (23 + 1 + 12 + 20 + 5 + 18) + (16 + 1 + 21 + 12) + (19 + 16 + 1 + 18 + 18 + 15 + 23)
= (79) + (50) + (110)
= (7 + 9) + (5 + 0) + (1 + 1 + 0)
= 16 + 5 + 2
= 23

YEAH!! :D (Although expected)

King Edward Hotel
= (11 + 9 + 14 + 7) + (5 + 4 + 23 + 1 + 18 + 4) + (8 + 15 + 20 + 5 + 12)
= (41) + (55) + (60)
= (4 + 1) + (5 + 5) + (6 + 0)
= 5 + 10 + 6
= 21

Awwww... Not 23.... :(

Casanova's Park
= (3 + 1 + 19 + 1 + 14 + 15 + 22 + 1 + 19) + (4 + 1 + 18 + 11)
= 95 + 34
= (9 + 5) + (3 + 4)
= 14 + 7
= 21

Awwww... Not 23 either.... :(

OK, that's enough maths for one day, even for me!

DANCING WITH THE STARS
This year's Dancing With the Stars has been the best season so far. The dancing calibre of this year's celebrities has been absolutely amazing (OK, apart from Farmer Dave... LOL), and the playing field was a lot fairer than in previous years. I'm glad Kate and Fifi were in the Grand Final, they both deserved to be there.

Prior to last night's episode, I actually didn't mind who won the competition. But after watching Fifi's improvement last night, I would have probably preferred her to win the overall competition.

Kate's performance was good, as always, but she seemed to have plateaued, which showed in her dances last night (and in her slightly lower scores, minus the Freestyle). Her Jive was pretty much the same as it was in Week 2 (or whenever she first performed it). It was a great performance, don't get me wrong, and it was probably her best dance all season (hence probably why they chose this particular routine for the Grand Final) but it didn't show any improvement in her technique.

Fifi's repeat performance on the other hand (Salsa) showed a clear improvement in her dancing. She was a lot sexier this time around, a lot more fluid in her movements. And the "Chicken or Beef" didn't look like "Chicken or Beef" at all the second time 'round! :) And her Rumba was very well executed too, a much harder dance than Kate's comparable dance for the Grand Final (Salsa).

But in the end, they both gave it their all, which should be applauded. And it's all for a good cause, which makes it all the more worthwhile. :)

(PS - I love my dancing, can you tell??! LOL)

Self-Doubt

2007-05-02T10:22:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to have doubts as to whether I really want to study medicine. My current concerns:

1. I'm the biggest procrastinator. I'm going to have to fight that big time if I'm going to study med. It's a course in which I definitely cannot leave my studying until the final few weeks before the exam.

2. It's a tough course. It sounds like my life is going to consist of only studying and sleeping for months on end. Do I really want to sacrifice all my time in this way?

3. Am I smart enough? I'm going to be surrounded by all these highly intelligent people. Can I even keep up, without having to spend 18 hours a day studying? Or would I have to be studying 18 hours a day anyway, even if I was the smartest person in the course??

4. My age. I'm older now, my ability to absorb new information takes a little longer than it used to.... I may have to study the 18 hours a day anyway just to keep up with the 20-year olds that will be studying with me.... Then there's the other aspect of not being able to practise medicine for as long as some of these kids. Granted, I'll still get 25+ years even if I graduated from uni at 40 years of age. But that still won't stop me from dwelling on my age... :)

5. I'll be a poor uni student again. For four years. And let's face it, it'll be a few years after graduation before I even start making the same amount of money that I do now. This is the financial sacrifice.

6. Lifestyle. Stemming partly from 5., I've grown accustomed to a number of things in my life - the time and money for dance lessons, the time to watch as much tv as I currently do, having discretionary money to buy almost anything that I want... Am I willing to sacrifice all this as well?

7. Is it really the course for me? Would I truly enjoy it as a career? Is my personality suited to medicine?

Or maybe these doubts are only coming out now because I know that the GAMSAT results are going to be released very very shortly, and my goal of obtaining a place as a med student may be that one step closer in just a few weeks, which will turn my life as I currently know it upside down....

Another Dream

2007-04-29T11:12:00.000-07:00

I had another dream last night about my GAMSAT results. My scores were 24/34/67 in the respective Sections (at least these scores are better than those in an earlier dream where I scored 0/0/18!). What the?! I would have expected higher scores in Sections I and II, considering my non-science background. Anyway, despite these shocking scores, I still managed to score an interview with USyd (yeah!!).

The structure of the interview was bizarre as well. There were 80 of us in this arena, and there was one main interviewer who threw questions at each of us in turn. When it came to me, I answered his first two questions quite well, and then he asked me what other skills I had that I can share with everyone there. I replied and said that I could do a really sexy Cha Cha - so he asked if the group can get a demonstration!

I got up to dance (in spirit with the whole interview process) - and ended up doing a really BAD Cha Cha, probably the worst Cha Cha I've ever done in my life! I think it was partly due to my shoes (which weren't made for dancing), the bad flooring in the arena (also not made for dancing), and the fact that I was juggling a cup of coffee and some papers in my hands! LOL

I finished my demo, everyone applauded my pathetic Cha Cha, and was about to sit down when the interviewer came up and said to me: "You shouldn't have done that. You should have asked if you were allowed to dance in here, before going ahead and doing so. You'll be deducted points for that performance." I was so upset! I needed all the points that I could get, and now he was going to take some of my hard-earned points from me for doing something that he asked me to do in the first place!

Needless to say, I was visibly upset when I woke up this morning! :-/

Ahhh... It's Friday...

2007-04-27T19:14:00.000-07:00

It's such a nice feeling knowing that the weekend has finally arrived... :)

We got a letter in the mail today about our "faulty benchtop", and to contact the company (who sent the letter) to organise the renewal of the "faulty benchtop" at no cost to us. I wonder if everyone in the apartment complex received the same letter.... I didn't think there was anything wrong with our benchtop, but I wouldn't mind getting a brand new one.... ;) In any case, I might check with the Strata Committee to make sure the letter is legitimate, before contacting the company.

Oh, and B got some onions last night, on his way home from work. I'm happy again. :)

Onions

2007-04-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

We have no onions in the house!! How could we have run out of onions and not notice??

Pet Peeves

2007-04-20T18:39:00.000-07:00

1. People who don't offer their seat to the elderly on buses.
2. People who fumble for their wallet when boarding the bus, knowing full well that they have to pay the bus driver as soon as they board.
3. People who don't move down the bus when it's full, and there are obviously passengers waiting (trying!) to get on.
4. People who walk at exactly the same pace as me so I can't overtake or pull back.
5. People in customer service roles who do not possess any customer service skills.
6. Nosey people.
7. Arrogant people.
8. Rude people.
9. Exploitation of workers in third-world countries.
10. People who sit on the aisle side of the seat on a bus (or place their bag next to them), when there are clearly no other available seats for the standing passengers.
11. People using their umbrellas as parasols on a clear, sunny day. It's a freaking umbrella, there's no rain, so put it away! If you want to shield yourself from the sun's harmful rays, buy yourself a good pair of sunnies and a hat, and slap on some 30+ sunblock! Or buy a PARASOL!
12. When four buses all going the same route show up one after another (so three of the four buses are virtually empty); while other bus routes are denied extra buses, so passengers on these other bus routes must make do squeezing in on the existing buses on offer, resulting in jam-packed buses during peak hour, with many missing out on a spot on the bus and are forced to wait 20+ minutes for the next one.

AHHHHH.... It's nice to have a place to vent my frustrations!!!

While I wait....

2007-04-20T18:17:00.000-07:00

I just realised something today that I have conveniently forgotten about - I don't even have my GAMSAT results yet. I've been thinking so much about what university to go, how the interview process will go, and reading other med students' blogs, that I haven't even thought about that dreadful exam and the fact that I haven't even received the results from it yet!

I had a dream a few weeks ago that my scores in each Section of the GAMSAT was 0/0/18. How devastating would that be if they were my actual scores??! Needless to say, I felt absolutely awful when I woke up that morning! LOL

I wonder what this Blog will be like in a year's time: whether I'd be a few months in to 1st year med at USyd (or UND, I haven't decided which one to put as my 1st preference yet, or perhaps UWS if I totally bomb out in the GAMSAT and choose to sit the UMAT instead), or if I would have just sat the GAMSAT for the 2nd year running, with my stomach in knots waiting anxiously for the results again. I'd love to be able to look back on this entry to remind myself just how I was feeling at that time about my uncertain future. :)

No matter what happens though, I can't neglect my current career. I need to continue to develop my skills and experience in my current field, should my medical aspirations not proceed any further than sitting the GAMSAT/UMAT. At this point in time, a medical career is just a dream, and I will continue to pursue that dream as best I can over the coming months. But I can't let my life stay stagnant while I wait for my GAMSAT results, I need to look at what else is out there for me in my current field. I need to be more pro-active.

So I think I'll step up the job-hunting this weekend, and hopefully come across a few promising roles in the process.

Characters

2007-04-19T22:25:00.000-07:00

I guess I should introduce a few main characters in my life, who will no doubt pop in to my entries time and time again.

B - The love of my life. He's my rock, my support in good times and in bad.

YSL - One of my close girlfriends. We've known each other since university.

CC - One of my other close girlfriends. We've known each other since high school.

DKNY - Also a close friend from high school.

Mum & Dad & Brother - Pretty self-explanatory.

I'll elaborate more on their characters another time. It's time for sleep now. Good night! :)

Nudie

2007-04-19T22:10:00.000-07:00

There was a man (or woman) dressed up as Nudie in Martin Place this morning. They were being helped across the road on to the other side of Elizabeth Street. Quite an amusing sight! They must have been giving out freebies. I didn't get any though, unfortunately.

I meant it, I really did! (NOT)

2007-04-19T21:46:00.000-07:00

Magical Dots. Abbreviation is MD. Doctor of Medicine. Which is what I plan on being in a few years' time.

What a coincidence! I saw the relationship during one of my trips to the ladies' toilets today. The best ideas come at the most unexpected of times and places.

First entry!

2007-04-18T22:05:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! I have finally set up my blogspot. It took me ages to find a name that hadn't already been taken, but finally, here I am. After all that effort though, I now have nothing to say! Hopefully the words will flow soon enough.