med school mumblings...

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Of Ethics, Hong Kong and M4

our class received an email on friday evening, stating that to fulfill the requirements of the ethics component of our course, we either have to hand in our case study by next month, or sit for an ethics vignette test at the end of this year. it's going to be an hour long test, and we need to be able to identify and argue the ethical and legal aspects of several cases. it's funny how they like to change their minds on stuff like this, but somehow i'm not as put off by the test as i thought i would be. the case study seems rather tricky to me, in terms of getting a case and looking for a marker, so the test sounds like a hassle-free way to clear the requirements. bioethics is very interesting, but is not often raised during clinicals. it should be taught in depth, especially given the type of headlines such issues are getting (eg the organ transplant fracas at the old hospital, separation of the iranian siamese twins, stunting the growth of a severely retarded little girl). but it can get very emotional, as one professor warned us during his ethics lecture. ethics reveals a person's perspective in life and involves his religious views, but having the chance to explore all the possibilities deepens our understanding of the issues at hand. won't that be great?

i just got back from hong kong. spent quite a bit of time visiting relatives who seldom come down to singapore. one is about ninety years old but still climbs the hill behind her block every day at five in the morning! amazing. i managed to shop a bit, and got some clothes. also ate like a pig, especially when we were forced fed by relatives. heh.

had an extremely unpleasant experience while on the half day city tour though. as with most tours, we traveled around by bus, and most of us do not really expect to sit in the same place after every stop do we? well, one gentleman on our trip did not, and when we sat in his seat because someone else had taken ours, he yelled at us and waved his hands in front of my mom. then he turned around to berate the poor tour guide, claiming that he was a guide in singapore too and that he always makes sure that people go by his rules. i mean, sure, we all would like to have the same seats throughout the journey, but if it isn't the case, then you shouldn't be taking it out on everyone. we were coming down victoria's peak then, and it was only after we had completed our descend that he had finished with scolding the tour guide. imagine! a fine example of an ugly singaporean indeed.

anyhoo, hong kong was hot hot hot, but the train stations and shopping centres offered some relief. i won't mind going back for another few more days, but not so soon. still, i love the fact that my mother tongue is spoken everywhere over there. that was quite an experience. heh. hope to put some pictures up, when i've figured out what's wrong with my wire.

and mumbler is going to be a fourth year soon. wow. i've got one year of clinical experience under my belt, and there's going to be much more to come.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Of Misinformation

there's some bits of misinformation given in yesterday's straits times. in the article about the middle-aged man who died while running on the treadmill, it was stated that resuscitation measures were taken and a defibrillator was used. the purpose of the machine was given as "to jumpstart a stopped heart". this is wrong, and only happens in the movies. the machine is used to shock the heart when its rhythm goes haywire but cannot help to restart a stopped heart.

i was pretty surprised to see such an error in the papers because if you google it, the excellent wikipedia article (read it here) comes out at the top of the list. i know it's a pretty common misconception, thanks to the hollywood folks, and i myself was none the wiser until i rotated through emergency medicine. perhaps the reporter knew this but decided to simplify the article, i don't know. still, it's the responsibility of the mass media to publicise crucial and correct information that will not confuse or mislead the general public.

mumbler is off to the fragrant harbour for three days. tata!

Friday, June 15, 2007

Of Romance

it's the day of my cousin's wedding dinner, and i've just stumbled upon this great facebook page. it's entitled " There Are Just Some Things Every Guy Should Do For Every Woman" and contains a list of thirty-eight things that women appreciate in a guy. to all the men reading this blog, read it!

for the benefit of those not on facebook yet, here are a some of the things listed:

1. Open doors, whether it be to a building or a car, that's just a given.

6. Find out what her favorite flower is & buy them for her randomly. Good rule of thumb: a single rose says more than dozens of anything else.

31. Always do everything in your power to keep her as happy as you can. And cheer her up in any way possible.

and the most important one:

34. Sometimes you have to take the initiative. Don't always wait for her to come to you, because if that's how it always is you're going to lose her.


there's also one for the women, so as a pre-emptive strike against any feminist accusations, let me list a couple of them here too. heh.

1 As much as you want to talk about past relationships, keep it to a minimum, unless he asks. You don't want him to feel like he's in competition with anyone.

2 Every guy has a 'geeky' side of him. Whether it be video games, DVD, WoW, anime, football among other sports, or whatever. Don't make fun of him if you don't like it, either tolerate it, or learn to like it. DO NOT try to change him. If he's constantly ignoring you for that hobby of his, tell him.

8 Any time your guy gives you a compliment, don't just roll your eyes. He means it, and you should smile and say thank you.

9 Guys are pressured to take the relationship to a "deeper level". Stupid society. Anyway, if you dont want that in a relationship, tell him before things get too complicated! You can compromise too. If you are uncomfortable with something, STOP.

couldn't have put it better myself.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Of Dance Exams and GE

so yes, i'm done with my dance exam. finally! after one year of taking crap (read: open, non-syllabus, jazz mixed with ballet) classes all over the place (three schools before i found this one) and another year of regular, consistent lessons, i've gotten some sort of dance certification. when i first started, i couldn't do a proper turn. now i can do almost two full jazz turns and the wee bit more complicated jumps and turns in ballet. nothing spectacular, but i'm so glad to have done it. heh. will now have to ponder about next year's exams, since they'll probably clash with my electives and sub-i.

and what could be worse than taking an exam? well, taking an exam and having ge at the same time! that's right, i came down with a sudden bout of vomiting on saturday night. my parents drove me to chalet hospital at my request (cuz it probably has the shortest queue around!) the staff at the door said i had a fever, so i was made to wear a mask and sit in an area cordoned off by a glass box. managed to see a doc in half an hour, who gave me a jab and sent me to the observation area. was there until five in the morning, and even as i left the hospital i was still feeling nauseous. fortunately i was much better before my exam today, though i've got no idea why i managed to kena food poisoning when i eat the same food from the same place every saturday. argh.

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Of Pirates, Holidays and Crazy Posting Schedules

yesh! the hols are finally upon us, but i can't quite believe it yet. i can wake up at nine, take my time with my breakfast and the newspapers and then think to myself, what shall i do next? ooh, the luxury.

managed to catch the third installment of pirates on the last day of school after the ortho written paper. (warning: some spoilers ahead!) as it was with spiderman, having watched the previous movies made me raise my expectations, since i preferred pirates 2 to pirates 1, and especially so that chow yun-fatt is in it. the storyline was too convoluted, the way the will turner-elisabeth swan romance turned out was terrible, and the lack of screen time given to jack sparrow was disappointing. there were some laughs, but not as many as in the second movie. not really in the mood to give my full review; i give it 3 stars.

am one week away from my jazz dance exam. i really must get into the whole broadway thingy to do well in it. wish me luck!

and the latest news just out: i'm doing short postings when the new year starts. what does this mean? paediatrics and ob-gyn back to back. what an awesome combination it is, to have the two most intensive rotations consecutively for four months straight. whoot.

just gotten a recipe for mushroom ravioli that's rekindled my urge to cook. heh. here's to a great hols.