I.I.IV TURBULENCE Okay, I’m gonna start this off with a little disclaimer. This part’s gonna be about toxic professional relationships. You might feel as though someone else is writing this – a spiteful, evil little Grinch spewing all kinds of negativity. But it’s part of my story. And as one-sided and biased as this might sound, I do realise everyone […]
Trial By Fire
I.I.III TRIAL BY FIRE I was one of the lucky few to have my first on-call shift at the end of the week. This way, I had a glimpse of what I could expect from fellow colleagues who recounted their tales. Judging from what I had heard, I should’ve been scared crapless before my first one. Some had to deal […]
Head Start
I.I.II HEAD START As I figured, my classmates-now-colleagues were pretty much in the same boat. We definitely weren’t in Kansas anymore. Some got off on the wrong foot with their firms, some couldn’t quite find their footing, and some would put their foot in their mouth at every given chance. Basically, feet weren’t on our side when we started off. […]
Emergency Surgery – First Day
I.I.I FIRST DAY Emergency surgery… my first rotation ever. Ah, what a time that was. One of the best and worst periods of my life, I gotta say. After two weeks of shadowing the other house officers and trying to learn as much as possible about how the hospital works, it was finally time for them to move on and […]
FOREWORD
FOREWORD Welcome to my mind, all you crazy, beautiful people! Are you ready for round 2? I wrote this journal during my days as a Foundation Doctor from 2020 to 2022, recounting my tales in and out of hospital. This is about how I started my medical career, but it’s also about coming to terms with the many life lessons I was forced […]
AFTERWORD
AFTERWORD I sit here writing this journey’s last few words. It’s bittersweet really. It truly feels like the end of an era. An era full of highs and lows, ups and downs, happiness and sadness, but most of all, love, adventure and wisdom. These five years have changed me in more ways than one. So much so that I feel […]
Today
V.II.II TODAY Today… Today I am a doctor. Today I sit here, incredulous and in disbelief as I write this sentence. Today, I am a doctor. Against all odds, despite all the obstacles, today, I am a doctor. I was surrounded by my best friends when the results came out. I wasn’t emotionally overwhelmed or particularly excited. I mean, don’t […]
Tomorrow
V.II.I TOMORROW Tomorrow marks the start of the end. Tomorrow I start my finals. Some seven years ago I decided I wanted to become a doctor. Five years ago I took my first step. Five years of hard work. Five years of learning and studying and practising. Five years of adventures, five years of growth. Five years. All leading to […]