Firstly, my last blog post had the most views any blog post I have ever written has had before! I have no idea why specifically, but the kindness I have been shown on twitter since deciding not to give up on medicine has been unreal. I feel very blessed to have such support from strangers and virtual friends - so thank you all so much.
My other half is pleased I have decided to keep going with my dream, not least because I will now watch Grey's Anatomy again i'm sure, but because I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I am subsequently so much happier. Even if I don't make it for 2016 entry, I actually have plans in place to keep going until I finally learn how to do well in the UKCAT(!!!). I'm a lot more optimistic about the future and although I know this is going to be a tough year to get back into the medical state of mind in time for the exams, to afford the exams, the a level entrance fees etc whilst still finding time to volunteer, it is totally worth it to feel like me again.
If I don't get to be a doctor in the end then I want to sit back and know I gave it my all for a prolonged period of time! In the meantime I am trying so hard to work on my maths for the QR section as it was my weakest section last time. Overall a couple of things seem different about the UKCAT this time around, but I am giving it a good go, using various prep materials.
This blog was mainly to serve as a thank you for your support and to say that I am making progress in not being stuck in the eternal graduate-not a medic limbo I seem to have found myself in. So, thank you! I will try to keep this updated with my ramblings and let you all know how I'm getting on!
Showing posts with label happy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label happy. Show all posts
Tuesday, 8 September 2015
Friday, 19 July 2013
Graduation
I finally did it, I finally graduated! I'm a mature student so this feels like a particularly large life goal completed, I was however more excited when I had my results than I was on the morning of graduation. I knew it was a big deal but I didn't feel over the top excited about it if that makes any sense at all?! So when I arrived in the blistering sunshine, I was more concerned about passing out than I was about graduating! I was given the robes and then dressed, and it started to feel slightly more important (although I did feel a little bit like an extra from Harry Potter).
I wasn't nervous about graduating per se, it reminded me of being in school and going up to receive an award in assembly a little bit, aside from the robes of course. I was however extremely nervous about the fact that we had to walk down steps after we had been on stage....the steps were in the middle of the stage leading back down into the audience. Let me say that again, steps in the middle of the stage + robes + my very very useless ankle = potential recipe for the most embarrassing moment of my entire life. Fortunately, it wasn't, it was very pleasant and quite emotional. I think it was about 10 mins before the end of the ceremony that it hit me that my degree and my time at the University I have grown to love very much over the last 3 years was over. I am leaving very dear friends, I'm moving away from my dad and family again and we're off to start new adventures at a new University. I have a BSc, but I have a lot more than just that (I know it sounds like a cliche but its true). I have learnt that I'm able to follow something through and not only follow it through but do well at it! I'm still completely and utterly in love with medicine, I still want to be a doctor and hope I will get there eventually too. I have volunteering experience and work experience which will continue throughout the next 12 months at least and I just feel like I've really made the most of what was in part a difficult 3 years.
After we graduated we went and had photos done, of course the obligatory throwing the hats up in the air shot, jumping up and down in the robes looking elated etc. Then we went and had a small school reception and reminisced about how wonderful the last 3 years have been. We're all off to do exciting things and we have plans to meet up at least once a year altogether which I really hope we stick to over the years. But I did feel sad, which was completely unexpected to be honest.
We have found a house and contracts etc are all signed so we're definitely off to London in the summer! I'm so very excited about this as I adore London, although I'm slightly dreading packing up our home! We've accumulated a lot of books over the last 4 years in fact we're going to do a car boot sale on the weekend just to try and get rid of some of the stuff we just haven't really used. As much as I'm adoring the weather I do wish it would perhaps just be a little milder whilst I'm moving, I don't particularly relish the thought of unpacking in 30 degree heat!
Anyway, whatever you're all doing in this wonderful sunshine I hope you're all having a great time (and using suncream!). To other graduates of all degrees - congratulations!
I wasn't nervous about graduating per se, it reminded me of being in school and going up to receive an award in assembly a little bit, aside from the robes of course. I was however extremely nervous about the fact that we had to walk down steps after we had been on stage....the steps were in the middle of the stage leading back down into the audience. Let me say that again, steps in the middle of the stage + robes + my very very useless ankle = potential recipe for the most embarrassing moment of my entire life. Fortunately, it wasn't, it was very pleasant and quite emotional. I think it was about 10 mins before the end of the ceremony that it hit me that my degree and my time at the University I have grown to love very much over the last 3 years was over. I am leaving very dear friends, I'm moving away from my dad and family again and we're off to start new adventures at a new University. I have a BSc, but I have a lot more than just that (I know it sounds like a cliche but its true). I have learnt that I'm able to follow something through and not only follow it through but do well at it! I'm still completely and utterly in love with medicine, I still want to be a doctor and hope I will get there eventually too. I have volunteering experience and work experience which will continue throughout the next 12 months at least and I just feel like I've really made the most of what was in part a difficult 3 years.
After we graduated we went and had photos done, of course the obligatory throwing the hats up in the air shot, jumping up and down in the robes looking elated etc. Then we went and had a small school reception and reminisced about how wonderful the last 3 years have been. We're all off to do exciting things and we have plans to meet up at least once a year altogether which I really hope we stick to over the years. But I did feel sad, which was completely unexpected to be honest.
We have found a house and contracts etc are all signed so we're definitely off to London in the summer! I'm so very excited about this as I adore London, although I'm slightly dreading packing up our home! We've accumulated a lot of books over the last 4 years in fact we're going to do a car boot sale on the weekend just to try and get rid of some of the stuff we just haven't really used. As much as I'm adoring the weather I do wish it would perhaps just be a little milder whilst I'm moving, I don't particularly relish the thought of unpacking in 30 degree heat!
Anyway, whatever you're all doing in this wonderful sunshine I hope you're all having a great time (and using suncream!). To other graduates of all degrees - congratulations!
Wednesday, 26 June 2013
Result: First Class Honours
I thought I should announce that after 3 years of hard work, I have the best result I could have possibly hoped for - First Class Honours. To say that I am over the moon would be an understatement. I'm absolutely thrilled.
My final exam was also a first which means that my lowest mark for all of my third year was 2 marks off a first, the rest were all firsts! I never imagined it would go as well as it did and I feel really enthused and excited about moving onto my MSc in September (which has also since been confirmed as unconditional). I have my voluntary work in the new location lined up ready to start in the summer. The house is on the market, all in all everything is slowly slipping into place. I feel very lucky indeed.
Graduation is soon, followed by the graduation ball which I'm really looking forward to and then a summer of UKCAT, GAMSAT awaits! As well as moving etc too.
Sorry this is short and sweet, but I wanted to share my good news with those who have been kind enough to read my blog over the last three years! Onto the next chapter of it.
My final exam was also a first which means that my lowest mark for all of my third year was 2 marks off a first, the rest were all firsts! I never imagined it would go as well as it did and I feel really enthused and excited about moving onto my MSc in September (which has also since been confirmed as unconditional). I have my voluntary work in the new location lined up ready to start in the summer. The house is on the market, all in all everything is slowly slipping into place. I feel very lucky indeed.
Graduation is soon, followed by the graduation ball which I'm really looking forward to and then a summer of UKCAT, GAMSAT awaits! As well as moving etc too.
Sorry this is short and sweet, but I wanted to share my good news with those who have been kind enough to read my blog over the last three years! Onto the next chapter of it.
Wednesday, 20 March 2013
Dissertation work
I'm nearly at the end of my third and final year. So far my marks have been really high this year, my lowest was just 2 marks off a first, I don't know whether my overall final grade will be, but either way I'm over the moon with how this year has gone. Its been hard work, but I couldn't have asked for better marks. I'm in the middle of writing my dissertation, I'm actually really enjoying it (mostly) although I have my days where I would rather be doing almost anything else (as I'm sure most people do), overall I'm finding it really interesting and I definitely picked the right topic.
Then I have my two final exams. I'm actually REALLY nervous about these, I haven't finished my dissertation so I'm not dedicating enough time to my revision yet, which is frustrating as there are a lot of topics to cover. I need to get my head in gear really and have my dissertation finished by the beginning of next month so I can plough head first into my revision. I think I am also overthinking my dissertation a little, perhaps I need to concentrate more on writing words on the page rather than making sure everything I write is absolutely perfect. This is the largest piece of work I've ever done and I think it is good practice for my MSc, hopefully it will go well and I will get a good mark.
Other than that I can't really think of anything to report, getting the house ready to sell still, we've planned where we're going to be living and my other half is getting ready to become and Undergraduate at the same uni I'm going to be doing my MSc. Overall everything is slowly slipping into place (fingers crossed!).
Hope everything is going well for everyone in their final year (and every other year of course), not long to go now!
Then I have my two final exams. I'm actually REALLY nervous about these, I haven't finished my dissertation so I'm not dedicating enough time to my revision yet, which is frustrating as there are a lot of topics to cover. I need to get my head in gear really and have my dissertation finished by the beginning of next month so I can plough head first into my revision. I think I am also overthinking my dissertation a little, perhaps I need to concentrate more on writing words on the page rather than making sure everything I write is absolutely perfect. This is the largest piece of work I've ever done and I think it is good practice for my MSc, hopefully it will go well and I will get a good mark.
Other than that I can't really think of anything to report, getting the house ready to sell still, we've planned where we're going to be living and my other half is getting ready to become and Undergraduate at the same uni I'm going to be doing my MSc. Overall everything is slowly slipping into place (fingers crossed!).
Hope everything is going well for everyone in their final year (and every other year of course), not long to go now!
Thursday, 3 January 2013
Happy New Year
First of all, Happy New Year! I hope that 2013 brings you all what you are dreaming of! I've had some good news to start the year, I've been offered a place on my first choice MSc course! As I want to remain anonymous I'm not going to declare what course this is but I am so happy to have had an offer. I've got to get a 2:1 in my BSc, but I'm confident that I should be able to do so, so fingers crossed I'll have a new start in September.
I had previously been feeling pretty rubbish about not getting into medicine (or even applying this time around) but now I feel like this was definitely meant to be, I love the sound of the course and I believe it will really benefit my medicine application in the long run, be that for 2014 or even 2015 entry - I will keep trying until I get where I need to be. For now I have exams coming up at the start of the new term essays, a dissertation and more exams standing between me and my MSc offer, but I'll get there.
So for me, so far the start of 2013 has been a positive one, for that I am very grateful!
Wishing you all a happy new year, and lots of luck for those with medical school interviews/postgraduate applications.
I had previously been feeling pretty rubbish about not getting into medicine (or even applying this time around) but now I feel like this was definitely meant to be, I love the sound of the course and I believe it will really benefit my medicine application in the long run, be that for 2014 or even 2015 entry - I will keep trying until I get where I need to be. For now I have exams coming up at the start of the new term essays, a dissertation and more exams standing between me and my MSc offer, but I'll get there.
So for me, so far the start of 2013 has been a positive one, for that I am very grateful!
Wishing you all a happy new year, and lots of luck for those with medical school interviews/postgraduate applications.
Monday, 9 July 2012
Catch up
Hi everyone,
Sorry I've been AWOL. I've been going to lots of open days and I've had lots going on! The project I've been involved with in the last 12 months had a really exciting development last month - won't go into it but I've been really happy about it. The open days have been brilliant, I've really enjoyed myself. I really loved the unis I've been to, but it has also been really interesting as some of the schools I was almost 100% sure I was going to apply to, I've decided I'm probably not going to, and schools that I was on the fence about I've really loved and feel that my qualifications suit the admissions process much more than I thought they would and the style of teaching at certain schools suits me so much more. So it has been a really useful few months, well worth the planning.
I've decided to start swimming more often, I have to watch to not increase the pressure doing exercise, and I can't run or cycle etc because of my rubbish ankle (thanks last summer!) so swimming is the ideal sport for me. I used to swim a lot, I was on the school swimming team competing in galas etc, but aside from on holidays etc I stopped swimming properly a few years ago, so it is going to take a while to get back into the swing of it, especially seen as I was fighting fit back then and now I have one ankle which doesn't do hardly anything these days! But it'll be worth it 100%.
Anyway, I'm off to do some revision, then a quick coffee in town with my other half after work finishes, and finally a swim. Have a good afternoon/evening everyone, I'll try to blog more often :).
Sorry I've been AWOL. I've been going to lots of open days and I've had lots going on! The project I've been involved with in the last 12 months had a really exciting development last month - won't go into it but I've been really happy about it. The open days have been brilliant, I've really enjoyed myself. I really loved the unis I've been to, but it has also been really interesting as some of the schools I was almost 100% sure I was going to apply to, I've decided I'm probably not going to, and schools that I was on the fence about I've really loved and feel that my qualifications suit the admissions process much more than I thought they would and the style of teaching at certain schools suits me so much more. So it has been a really useful few months, well worth the planning.
I've decided to start swimming more often, I have to watch to not increase the pressure doing exercise, and I can't run or cycle etc because of my rubbish ankle (thanks last summer!) so swimming is the ideal sport for me. I used to swim a lot, I was on the school swimming team competing in galas etc, but aside from on holidays etc I stopped swimming properly a few years ago, so it is going to take a while to get back into the swing of it, especially seen as I was fighting fit back then and now I have one ankle which doesn't do hardly anything these days! But it'll be worth it 100%.
Anyway, I'm off to do some revision, then a quick coffee in town with my other half after work finishes, and finally a swim. Have a good afternoon/evening everyone, I'll try to blog more often :).
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
More to life
So I've been revising (almost) constantly lately. We've had a few lovely "date nights" as we call them, we have another tonight, a mid-week one to break up the stress of work/essays/revision etc which will be lovely. However, I was procrastinating earlier and came across a blog that I once read from start to finish (and sobbed, literally sobbed) the whole way through. In a nutshell, the blog was written by someone who married a young lady who battled with cancer for 5 years, but sadly lost her fight in 2011. It is about their life together during their fight and there is another blog attached describing life as a widow. It breaks my heard as the age gap is the same as the gap between my other half and I. We always feel so lucky to have met each other when we're still young, but this blog serves as a cruel reminder that youth does not mean longevity.
It got me thinking about how I would cope if I was to become a medic and I was faced with a young couple in a similar situation to the couple in the blog. I concluded that I would probably go home and cry, lots and lots. I can't imagine that I'm the kind of person where death would not affect me over time, I think no matter how long I was lucky enough to practice medicine I would still hurt every time, I would probably just become more experienced in processing the emotions.
This young couple went through so much together, I would be beyond devastated if that happened to me and my other half. It is not just what they have already shared that is lost, but also the loss of the promise of forever. (Did I forget to mention that I'm a hopeless romantic). I think that when we get caught up in the whole revision and work malarky, we forget what is most important in life, the little things that may not change the world, but will always stay with you. So when I'm sitting here in meltdown mode over my exams, I think I'll try my hardest (and it will be hard) to remember that there really is so much more to life than a perfect grade.
Little deep for a Wednesday perhaps, but I thought I'd share what I've been thinking. Now I'm going back to revising about the joys of thrombosis in pregnancy. Have a lovely day everyone, make the most of it.
It got me thinking about how I would cope if I was to become a medic and I was faced with a young couple in a similar situation to the couple in the blog. I concluded that I would probably go home and cry, lots and lots. I can't imagine that I'm the kind of person where death would not affect me over time, I think no matter how long I was lucky enough to practice medicine I would still hurt every time, I would probably just become more experienced in processing the emotions.
This young couple went through so much together, I would be beyond devastated if that happened to me and my other half. It is not just what they have already shared that is lost, but also the loss of the promise of forever. (Did I forget to mention that I'm a hopeless romantic). I think that when we get caught up in the whole revision and work malarky, we forget what is most important in life, the little things that may not change the world, but will always stay with you. So when I'm sitting here in meltdown mode over my exams, I think I'll try my hardest (and it will be hard) to remember that there really is so much more to life than a perfect grade.
Little deep for a Wednesday perhaps, but I thought I'd share what I've been thinking. Now I'm going back to revising about the joys of thrombosis in pregnancy. Have a lovely day everyone, make the most of it.
Tuesday, 3 April 2012
April Already
This year is flying by, in fact the last three years have flown by. Three years ago I moved in with my better half, since then we've bought a house, been to the Maldives, got married and I've (almost) finished two years of my BSc. It literally feels like yesterday that I applied to study for my BSc and applying to med school was a distant ambition, now it is a very real, current, task. I had an email from my course director last week saying we need to start thinking about our dissertation topics through the summer, which will make me a 3rd year!!
Whilst lots of exciting things have happened, I've also had some negative things, I've injured myself and been rather poorly (as you may have read at the start of the year). I'm still not 100% better, but I'm 100% better than I was on the 1st January this year. However, we were watching "Hospital Sydney" last night and there was a man on there with multiple brain tumours having surgery to stop him from being paralysed for the last few months of his life. He and his wife were so happy to find out that his prognosis was for 3-6 months rather than a couple of weeks and it just made me feel a little sad. I was lying in bed watching this, and it made me think, yesterday was the 2nd April, on the 1st January I had a low pressure headache due to a pretty gnarly lumbar puncture and I was lying in bed doing exactly the same as I was last night (with added pain of course), 4 months ago, yet like everything else it feels like yesterday! I lay there and couldn't help feeling sad that in the short space of time that has passed between me being so poorly and me getting back on my feet again, essentially the man on the TV would have exceeded the lower end of his life expectancy scale.
I don't take my life for granted. I'd love to go to medical school, but my life won't end if I can't. I have so many wonderful things going on in my life for which I'm grateful for everyday, but every now and then it amazes me just how fast it all goes by. Life is a bit of "blink and you miss it" sometimes and I've noticed how many people don't appreciate how lucky we all are to be here.
Anyway, I'm just grateful for everyday I have and even when it is cloudy or rainy outside, or something doesn't go your way, remember it could always be worse.
Whilst lots of exciting things have happened, I've also had some negative things, I've injured myself and been rather poorly (as you may have read at the start of the year). I'm still not 100% better, but I'm 100% better than I was on the 1st January this year. However, we were watching "Hospital Sydney" last night and there was a man on there with multiple brain tumours having surgery to stop him from being paralysed for the last few months of his life. He and his wife were so happy to find out that his prognosis was for 3-6 months rather than a couple of weeks and it just made me feel a little sad. I was lying in bed watching this, and it made me think, yesterday was the 2nd April, on the 1st January I had a low pressure headache due to a pretty gnarly lumbar puncture and I was lying in bed doing exactly the same as I was last night (with added pain of course), 4 months ago, yet like everything else it feels like yesterday! I lay there and couldn't help feeling sad that in the short space of time that has passed between me being so poorly and me getting back on my feet again, essentially the man on the TV would have exceeded the lower end of his life expectancy scale.
I don't take my life for granted. I'd love to go to medical school, but my life won't end if I can't. I have so many wonderful things going on in my life for which I'm grateful for everyday, but every now and then it amazes me just how fast it all goes by. Life is a bit of "blink and you miss it" sometimes and I've noticed how many people don't appreciate how lucky we all are to be here.
Anyway, I'm just grateful for everyday I have and even when it is cloudy or rainy outside, or something doesn't go your way, remember it could always be worse.
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