A NEW GENERATION OF PHYSICIANS!!

Dr Edmund- future hematologist. He is getting married soon!

Dr Hanizam- future Gastroenterologist and one heck of an actor! U win the oscar for best actor in a horror movie...called "The Results"

Dr Nur Ashikin who passed her part 1! Congrats! Way to go girl!

And Dr Zanapiah, future Hematologist

Dr Sasheela, future ID (infectious diseases) specialist. She is cool, she is hip, she is SINGLE!! And totally totally fun to be with! Guys, if u are interested, drop her a line at ariantempest72@yahoo.com. Don't worry, I got her permission to write her email here! :-)

Dr Yusof- future Gastroenterologist. Congrats man! You did great!

There are a few others who are camera shy....Dr Maz (future ID physician), Dr Ramani (future Rheumatologist) and Dr Zaidi who also cleared his part 1. Congrats! I will post their pics once i can get a nice shot! Heh heh!

Third day post passing

Took some time off blogging, not by choice really but because it has been so incredibly difficult to get online using this TMNET dial up service! The pics I promised will be uploaded once I get back to work and am able to log on using the wireless broadband service there. Sigh. I still find it difficult to believe that I have passed my exam and is now a specialist! My handphone has been innundated with lots of smses congratulating me, so it must be true!

Sharing about it in church yesterday was a moving moment for me. The thunderous claps I got even before I got up to go to the podium to share about it spoke volumes to me. They were rooting for me. They all had a part in me passing. Every one of them was supporting me in their prayers. Some have even requested the specific time that I was taking this or that paper or sitting for the viva or the clinicals, just so that they can pray for me at the very moment that I was taking that exam. And when I passed, they rejoiced with me! With genuine joy! As if they had passed the exam as well! NOW, this is LOVE! This is the Family of God! This is love in action. I was truly touched. And most of all, all thanks and praise goes to my Heavenly Father who has made all this possible! Amen to that! Of course, as with all Malaysian tradition, they have also hinted (rather broadly) that it's time to have a little treat! A low cholesterol "kenduri" (a malay feast), one suggested! Heh, heh!

What did i do to celebrate? Nothing much really. I still have trouble sleeping. My brain, which has gone into overdrive during the exam, has not let up! I simply found it difficult to relax. I still feel as if I need to sit down and study! My body on the other hand is crying out for rest! Mind rules over the body and hence, the sleeplessness. But it's getting better. I was able to sleep a lot better last night. Maybe the fact that I was painting the church the whole day yesterday has something to do with it! We had a gotong royong (a get together) to beautify and clean up the church compound and the building. Perhaps the fumes from the paint sent me into a slumber last night.

I did, however, watch a few movies on DVD. I managed to catch Flight Plan (Panic Room in the air) and I thought it was a great movie. I wonder how much did the kid in the movie get for "acting". I mean, all she did was sleep. I wonder if there any jobs like that around...the civil service perhaps? I also watched "Sky Captain and the world of tomorrow". Funny title but i thought it was a great watch as well. I wonder how they managed to make the characters so "comic-like". Angeline Jolie looked fabulous there, even with an eye patch! Woo, woo!

I gotta make a note here. I have to post the pics I took of my colleagues when they got their results. I gotta write about a man named Haris! I gotta tell u about Hardip, the punjabi guy who was my room mate in India. I gotta upload some pics of my family as we went Christmas shopping! Am on a 3 day break. Words got out that we (the new specialist) will start our specialist call next month. This is a new thing as traditionally, the new specialists will have to do another month of Medical Officer on call duties before going on to specialist duties. Anyway, no complaints from me there! MO on call duties are very tough and tiring! I don't think my old bones can handle that anymore!

HALLELLUJAH!!!!

WE PASSED!!! YES WE DID!!! PRAISE BE TO GOD! I can't quite believe it! The reality hasn't sunk in yet. I have to pinch myself. Is this a dream? Yes indeed, its the culmination of all I ever hope for and all the hardship and torture was worth it. Thank You Lord! How could I ever thank You enough?!

We got our results today! We were summoned for a meeting with the head of department this morning at 11 am. Faces were filled with tension and anticipation. A few did not turn up for the meeting, fearing the worst. The "Boss" came in, spoke to each one of us in his usual gentle way, reminding us to be thankful (banyak bersyukur), that this is but the first step in a career as a physician, that learning is a life long process and that it should never end. He then looked at our marks and commented on how we did and how we could improve further. I have great respect for my boss, Prof Wan Azman, a cardiologist. You can see that he loves his work and he has great passion for his patients. His advice touched me deeply.

And pass we did! WOOOOOOHOOOOOOO! However, the euphoria was slightly dampened by the news that one of our fellow colleague did not clear the exam. It came as a shock to me. I just had tea with him about an hour before that and he was evidently worried. He did not do very well in the long case yesterday as he was assigned a man from Jordan who was not very cooperative. Apparently the man was uncooperative in giving the history of his illness and he was busy talking on his handphone as well as eating even when my friend was examining him. Sigh! Anyway, KM, I don't know where u are now, i can't reach you by your handphone but I just want to say "take heart, take time to get over this and try again in the next exam. I know it's tough but you can do it. I think you are the smartest one among us and it's just pure bad luck this time. Hang in there! We are behind u in this".

I am going home today. My dream has come through. God has given me what I have asked for. He has been so good to me. To all who has been praying for me, thanks fellas, you guys are the best! And most of all, to my wife, and kids who have been the pillar of support for me all these years. I can't thank you guys enough. Thanks for enduring the hardship with me. Things will be better now.

And now I can indulge in all the things that I so want to do.....gardening (gonna get myself some orchids!..actually it's the only flowering plant that survives under my care!), watch lots and lots of movies, maybe do something about the color of this blog (once I figure out how to do it), read, play with my kids, take them to Aquaria, go join a gym or something, enjoy LIFE!!!! :-)

I will post some pics later....of a new generation of physicians! All my dear friends who passed with me, well, at least those that i managed to snap anyways.

A physician got made today... or should I say, a physician GOD made today! A physician following in the footstep of THE PHYSICIAN.

JOY!

The exam is OVER! It ended yesterday. Was too exhausted to write about it yesterday. Ironically I slept so well the night before and almost didn't make it on time for the exam yesterday! I woke up with a start and saw that the sky was already bright and shiny (for the first time in days as the monsoon has been bringing rain almost daily). Thank God, it was only 7 am! Made it to the exam hall at 8.20 am and I was scheduled for the long case at 8.35am!

My patient for the long case was a sweet chinese lady in her early forties. She only spoke mandarin. Mandarin isn't exactly my forte but she was very accomodating. I explained to her regarding the exam and how much I would appreciate it if she could cooperate with me and help me along. She smiled and said "Ok, I have SLE!!!!". That made my life a lot easier. She then proceeded to tell me the entire history of her illness....all 20 years of it! Poor woman, she has gone through so much! Ms Yew, wherever you are, God bless you!

After an hour I was ushered into a room where 2 examiners were waiting for me. One I know as she is a hematologist where I work. The other is a Dr Leo, another Mat Salleh who stood a whole head taller than me! I presented my findings and we had a pleasant time of Q and A. I think I did fairly well.

After lunch, I went for the short cases, considered by almost all to be the crucial part of the whole exam. Here I had to examine 4 patients in 40 minutes and come out with a diagnosis for each of them based on what I find on examining them and then answer any questions thrown to me.

The first patient I saw was a complete DISASTER! Why? Because I was again being taken by Dato Kew, the one I mentioned earlier! I don't know why, but in her presence, my mind just goes blank and I couldn't think at all. I fumbled through the first case, performing worst than a medical student! I think she must be so disappointed with me. I am disappointed with myself too. The next patient was better as I was now taken by Prof Goh, a neurologist. Still, I felt I could have done better.

After a 5 minute break, I was taken by Prof Tan (a nephrologist) for my 3rd case which went very well. And finally, Prof Azmi, an endocrinologist, took me for my final case which was a breeze. And then, before i knew it, it was OVER! Took some pics of my pal, Sasheela right after the exam. You can see pure JOY! Taking into account she is at that time of the month (how do I know? Well, she told me), the smiles says it all...its just PURE JOY and HAPPINESS!

After the exam, I simply did not know what to do. I didn't have any contigency plan on how to celebrate or release tension. I was seriously contemplating going for a relaxing blind massage at Brickfields but decided against it. Instead I decided to pamper my car instead. My poor car has been neglected due to the exam stress. So I had it washed and polished. Cost me a fortune and I don't even think they did a good job. Doesn't matter, it is definitely cleaner than it used to be.

What did I do last night? I played computer games till my mind went numb and my fingers were sore. And I read all the newspapers that I could find...NST, STAR, SUN...everything. And I cleaned my room (it was looking like a tsunami hit). And I watched TV. And finally I slept. And woke up late again!

The results will be announced today at noon. My tummy has a butterfly farm in it. All fluttering away. I am praying and hoping I will clear this exam. This will be the last exam of my life! My mum has been bugging me. She said, "how long more do you want to study? You have been studying half your life away!". I think she is right. Passing this exam will open many doors of opportunities!

Oh, I have been rambling on and on about this exam. Some of you may not even know what I am talkin about. The exam is for the Masters in Internal Medicine course tha I am in. The exam that i just sat for is the part II (there are 2 parts, the first part was at the end of the first year in the course). Part II is also the FINAL exam of the course. If I pass it, then I am a specialist! The exam is held in end of the 3rd year of the course. There is one more year to go after this. In the final year, I will have to complete a thesis and also choose a field where I will subspecialise in. Right now, as it has always been, I have decided to go into Infections Diseases. I find treating and managing patients with HIV and AIDS most fulfilling. It's something very close to my heart. Sure, i won't be making money in this field but to me, money is secondary.

The minutes are ticking away....noon beckons. Lord, let me PASS!!!!!

VIVA JUST GOT OVER!

The viva just got over! What a relief! I had just about cramped my head with all the current issues like the avian flu and what not and what was I asked? Dengue Fever! Oh well, at least I fumbled my way thru in a resonably coherent manner. My examiners were a Mat Salleh (Caucasian) named Prof Frank something who is such an sweet unassuming guy with a very nice gentle voice, as all physicians should have and Dato Kew, whom I have the greatest respect for. Here is one amazing lady. I have had the priviledge of working with her as a young house officer way back in 1997 and then again as her medical officer a few years back. Her clinical skills have no equal in my opinion. I have always found her rather intimidating! The Mat Salleh asked me about a disease called SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) and it's management and complications. I think I answered rather satisfactorily. Oh ya, I decided to dress to kill (or be killed) today...being the only one decked in a business suit while others were attired in their clinical coats. I mean, if it went bad, at least I went out looking good! Heh heh!

Just for posterity sake, I shall list down the topics which were asked here so that my juniors can have an idea what to expect next time. Here goes:

1. SLE, Lupus nephritis, management, corticosteroids and it's long term side effects, osteoporosis induced by steroids.
2. Dengue fever, its serotypes, pathogenesis, management in a peripheral hospital, uses of "abate", warning signs of dengue fever, types of dengue fever presentation
3. Stroke, the latest trial, management in a young man presenting with stroke
4. Line related sepsis
5. MRSA outbreak and how will u manage it if u are the director of a peripheral hospital.
That's about it, from what I gleaned from my fellow colleagues.

Tomorrow it's D day! The final day of the exam. One final push. If we pass, we will all be physicians! Am going back now, rest a bit and start to practise on my bolster. Don't have a real person to practise my clinical skills on. Sigh!

The Theory Part Is Over!
Today's exam was most gruelling indeed. Started at 8.30 am with MEQs which went on for 2 hours. I can't remember what MEQ stands for but basically there are 2 parts. U are given a scenario based on a patient and some clues here and there and u need to answer some questions after that. Then, u drop (yes, drop) the paper on the floor (which the invigilator, who is usually a specialist or consultant, will pick up and then give u another paper, which contains the answer to the first paper's questions and a further scenario. This will go on and on till about 4 or 5 "packages" are done after which u will have arrived (hopefully) at the correct answer). I am not sure if anyone understand what I am trying to say. The second paper is similiar, only a different patient with a different scenario.
There are pros and cons to this u see. Well, it's about the only time u will ever get a specialist or a consultant to "bow" to you as they bend down to pick up the "dropped" papers on the floor next to your desk. Another pro is that u will know the answers to the questions, only problem is u know it a little too late. We are not allowed to pick up the paper that has been dropped. So one can only look at it with a forlorn and wish the correct answer was written earlier. Therein lies the "con" of the whole game. If u don't get the answer right each time, the feeling gets sicker and sicker and u will feel a knot gradually tightening around your belly (or neck) as u go along the "packages" and realise just how many mistakes u have made and know that u can't undo them! I swear whoever set the questions were sadists.

After the MEQs, we quickly moved on to the Problem Solving Part where we are given a set of 4 questions and basically we go thru them and try to get the diagnosis right in one hour. Much like how the CSI solves all their cases in one hour, with the advertisements thrown in. Had a bit of difficulty there today and I couldn't figure out some of the answers. Well, to their credit, the CSIs don't crack all their cases in one hour sometimes, they need "part II".

And then after a 3 minute break (barely enough to run to the toilet to pee and clean) we were ushered into a big hall where there are 24 desks, each with a card placed on it. On the card would be a picture or an xray or a CT scan or an ECG or whatever. It's really like musical chair. The trick is to go from one desk to another and try to answer the questions based on what the cards show. Every desk is allocated 5 minutes. So it was more than 2 hours later before I came out, terribly tired, hungry, seeing stars and desperately seeking the toilet!

All in all, I would say it wasn't all that bad. I think I can pass what I went thru today. Tomorrow will be a whole new ball game. Tomorrow afternoon, I will face 4 examiners in a viva voce. They can ask me anything under the sun; medical stuff of course. Not questions like "What's Madonna's new song called?". Btw, what does "hung up" mean anyway? I sure can identify with the beginning of the song...."Time goes by ....so slowly..." especially when u are having an exam.

On Thursday I will have an hour in the morning with a real patient where I have to take a complete history and examine him/her and later spend half an hour with the examiners discussing about the patient. In the afternoon, I will have to see 4 patients in 40 minutes and examine the patients in front of the examiners, look calm and slick, not panic and answer in an intelligent manner. I've had bad experiences in this part in the previous exams that I took. In one of them, the examiner practically threw me out of the room and shouted at me "You DON"T KNOW ANYTHING!!!! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!!!!" Oh the pain, the pain.

Now I just want to rest a while and start studying for the viva tomorrow. I wonder what they will ask....

TRUE OR FALSE?
Just finished the MCQs! MCQ stands for Multiple Choice Questions. I would rather think of them as MGQs (multiple GUESS questions! Basically there are 60 questions consisting of one "stem" per question and followed by 5 possible answers. You have to indicate whether the answers are true or false by shading the appropriate answer box in the answer sheet. For every correct answer, u are awarded 1 point. For every incorrect answer 1 mark will be deducted from the total points. I think I have answered something like 230 answers. The passing mark is 50% which is 150 marks. That would leave me a leeway of about 80 marks to be deducted! I am just hoping and praying that most of the answers that i gave turn out to be correct. I wish there is an additional box in the answer sheet for "I don't know what the answer is"! Anyhow, it's done. I am going to take my lunch, then head on home and study for tomorrow's paper.

Woke up this morning with a swelling on my left eye lid! Ugh! I've got a stye (no, not those that pigs live in...that's a sty!)! It's an infection of the hair follicle of the eye lash. I wonder how I got it. I mean, I have always been hygiene conscious...to the point of being paranoid! I wash my hands all the time. Sigh! Must be one of those episode where i got an itch in the you know where and couldn't find a washroom and subsequently rubbed my hand with all the bugs into my left eye. Sigh! I can just imagine it getting bigger and bigger and when it's time for my viva next week, I would probably have to use one eye only. But then again, the examiner might see just notice how much pain and suffering i am in and be compasionate! He he! Some how I dont think so.
2 days to the exam and I can't sleep and I can't eat. My irritable bowel acts up over and over again. Reminds me of my punjabi room mate when i was an undergrad in medical school. Come exam day and u will find him kneeling in front of the toilet bowl just vomiting away, like he is pregnant or something. Right after the exam, he is fine as if nothing has happened. Tell you more about him another time. He was one nutty character.
Got some more "tips" via sms yesterday. I think it's way way too late for tips. What I really need are the questions and answers!!!!!
Actually, time is so short, i really don't know what to read anymore and there's really nothing more I can do, except to pray. Oh Lord!!!!! Help me!

I think on a scale of 1 to 10 between a sinner and a saint, I would probably give myself a .... 2? Maybe even 1. Sigh! I dont think the title of this blog is appropriate at all. I dont think I am having much success in living up to it. A dear fren of mine gave me a CD (which he "burned") and one of the song spoke to my heart. I can't remember all the lyrics....thats the problem with "burned" CDs, they dont come with a nice jacket and lyrics. What I do remember is the chorus..

"I am, a flower quickly fading,
here today and gone tomorrow,
a wave tossed in the ocean,
a vapour in the wind...
Still You, hear me when I'm calling,
Lord You catch me when I'm falling,
and You told me who I am....
I am YOURS, I am YOURS"

Aren't the words beautiful? I think, if my results depends on my obedience and saintliness, I don't think I need sit for the exam next week; I'd downright fail. No question about it. But I will sit for it and depend on God's grace to go through it. I don't know if I will clear it but I know I won't be alone.
My batch of colleagues have the distinction in ALL failing our part one exam together more than two years ago. Yessirreee, we fellas from UM are really capable of doing things like this; much akin to slipping off the top 100 uni in the world in a mere 360 days! That particular episode has always haunted me. What if history repeats itself?
Yeah, I am depressed. Just 3 days to the exam. I guess for every mortal being, at a critical time like this, most of us will do a few things....like go get a tan and swim (which i did this morning), go berserk and panic (getting to that, on the brink in fact) and i think most of us will appeal to a higher power or a divine being. Me? I call on my Father...the Physician. "Make me just like You!, amen"

Good grief! Due to my trigger happy fingers, i posted not one, not two but THREE of my own pics yesterday! And now I have no idea how to undo the problem. Sigh! One of my fren claimed that I am full of self love after seeing three pics of me in the same frame! Oh well, I do love myself, all in moderation of course. Anyhow, it was a mistake made in all innocence, not some crass display of narcissm (correct spelling?).
Couldn't sleep last night. Sigh. My mind is just so full of stuff that I need to remember with panic and sheer terror thrown in. 4 more days to the exam and I feel like I am soooooooooooooo unprepared for it.
Was at the pasar malam (night market) near my place yesterday in seri kembangan. It's like walking in a foreign land. On my left and right are foreign nationals, all guys, all tough looking, not at all freindly. I don't feel safe even in my own country! One even had the cheek to grab the shirt I was looking at. I "ungrabbed" it back from him and promptly paid for it. So there! It's just a cheap T shirt from China. Probably will tear after a few washes, but I GOT it! :-)
Was thinking of going for a swim this morning. I mean, I was going to work on my tan. Perhaps if I can't answer the questions in the viva next week, the examiners will be distracted and impressed with my tan to ignore the lack of intelligible answers! But the weather seems rather uncooperative today. It's all gloomy and dark. Sigh. Perhaps tomorrow might be sunny....., we'll see.

Nope, no heaven-sent question papers and answers on my desk this morning. :-( 5 days to the exam and I am a wreck, complete with frazzled nerves. My only consolation is that at this time next week, I would be 75% done with the exam! Had lunch with a dear dear fren just now. Korean food at amcorp mall. Could have been a lot better if the ambience was a lot more quieter. I can't understand how a few other diners can create such a din. I mean, where is the time to actually chew and swallow if the mouth is constantly engaged in a barrage of cacophony???? My fren has just finished his exam. Lucky him! By now he is probably plopped in a chair in some cineplex somewhere watching "Chicken Little"! And tomorrow while I draw nearer to D day, he tells me he will be watching the new Harry Potter movie. I am no great fan of any hysterical chicken nor have I watched any of the Harry Potter movies (didn't want to contribute to JR Rowling's coffers..), but I had to miss out on a few movies that I truly truly wanted to watch. Movies like Flight Plan (which everyone tells me its "damn good"), Into the Blue (yeah, no story line but what eye candy....ooola la!) and Zorro 2 (Oh Catherine, why did such a lass like u marry that old saggy bum? And broke my heart..).
5 more days.....

6 days to the exams and I am so numbed, I dont really care anymore. This morning i woke up at 5 am! And stared at the ceiling, listening to the pitter-patter of rain drops on the zinc roof outside, AND trying to name 10 causes of this or that medical condition! Ugh! Am officially on study leave. My tired aching body shouts....yeah! holiday! Go swim, go get a massage, go pamper yourself! My more sober mind says, "study man....you can do it, its just another 10 days or so! Sigh! Thank God i listened to the sober side.
I am gonna post some pics just as soon as my exams get over. I promise!
Lots of "tips" are flying around...about this or that question which may or may not come out. I wish upon the star that next morning when i get up from sleep, i will find the complete questions AND answers on my desk! That would be great...but then again, i wouldnt be very happy even if i pass. Would i?
I had a great time in church on sunday. The pastor gave a sermon that touched my heart. And th elders gathered to pray for me after the service. And just before i left the altar, a kindly good fren gave me a verse...actually its a chapter! Its in Isaiah 43. I looked it up yesterday and the first 3 verses "spoke" to me. It really encouraged me and gave me the courage to face this exam. I have nothing to fear. Ironically, these same verses "spoke" to me way back in 1996, just before my final exam in the medical undergraduate studies. I know because right next to it, I had written the date and why it meant something to me then. It still mean a lot to me. God's word is like that. Its always fresh and always true and always, always...dependable.
Ok, gotta go back to my studies and read up on the TIPS i received!!!!

3rd day post call and i find myself slowly but surely recovering from the haze that has surrounded my mind. The body is less achy now, the mind a lot clearer. There was NO CSI yesterday! Arrgh! Instead they put on a new show called "Malaysian Most Beautiful" and i wasnt in the least bit interested. Its so much more exciting to see a dead beauty and the CSI team trying to figure out within 40 minutes who did her in, completely with timeline of the crime and even flashbacks. Never mind that one has to leave the brain behind to watch a show like CSI (you must admit that some of the conclusions really need a lot of imagination stretching!). Thats the pleasure of sheer mind numbing entertainment. Alas they deprived me of that and showed a lot of asthenic women in layers of Revlon. Sigh! For me, a woman is beautiful if she looks good WITHOUT all the makeover. Kajol comes to mind. Manisha Koirola comes to mind. Ok, ok, they are all indians. But they are beautiful women! My heart skips a few beats at the thought of them. Angelina Jolie is beautiful (skip skip skip...).
Oh, for those of u who are not so familiar with latin....Glutalgia Majora means "Major Pain in the Behind". A nifty word I coined myself. Word like "un-sangka-rable"...a beautiful fusion of east and west, to mean "unbelieveable".
Ok, back to my studies. 10 more days to the exam.......

Am post-post call today. Rules dictate that one has the right to be grumpy for 3 days after an on call duty. I am just SO tired. Just finished work. I bet half the population of Malaysia has had their dinner and I am still in the hospital, waiting for this darn rain to stop so that i can drive home in my rickety kancil and hope it is not swept away by some flash floods (almost did yesterday...i could already see the headline....dead physician found in a kancil 5 months later in a ditch some where in serdang....local authorities deny any responsibilities!). I have had a trying day in the ward. So many patients and not enough doctors to do the work. So many nice and gentle patients and many many many more relatives who are generally a pain. "Glutalgia Majora" i call them. Sigh! Too tired to write. Will pray for the rain to stop and then head on home and shower..........and wait for CSI!!! heh heh! That is one thing worth watching on TV!

Am post call today, so i have the right to walk around like zombie and not respond to any questions. Actually it was a pretty decent call. I actually slept thruout the night until some idiot paged me at 5 am (just when i was in deep REM sleep) and when i called back, an equally sleepy nurse answered the phone and promptly denied ever paging me. May he/she who DID page me constipate for a month! And when i was about to drift back into slumberland, another (or the same?) idiot paged me from a number i dont even recognise! When i called back, no one picked up the phone. Arrrgh! May he/she constipate for another month!
I dont know about u but for me, the last few minutes before actually waking up is what makes me day. Just to lie there in a semi-comatose state and stretch all my tired muscles (they have been tired for the past 8 years....as long as i have been a doctor) is as close as i can feel about paradise. And now its RUINED! :-(
12 more days and counting. Exam, exam, exam....may this truly be my last exam.

Am on call again today. Am praying that it will be my last call as a medical officer. Hopefully by the next time i am on call, it will be as a specialist. Exam is just 13 days away. I am so numbed now that i dont know what to read. My mind seems blank. I think i would just freeze when i am asked to examine the patients. Sigh! Oh God! Please help me clear this exam!

This is my first attempt at blogging. I had a very tiring day. Was covering the emergency department from 8 am till 8pm. It wasn't that bad as its Hari Raya, a major moslem festival here in Malaysia. Saw maybe 10 patients or so. Its an "overdose day" today. First guy took like 200 tablets of everything under the sun. Why? His two wives just found out that he has been two timing them. And he is also being hounded by debt collectors. Poor man. He is stable now but i have a feeling he might be going down hill over the next few days. The second was an elderly lady who took about 20 tablets of sleeping pills. She said she didnt feel like living anymore. Thats sad. How does one end up like this? And the last? A young indonesian girl who got involved with a Bangladeshi hunk here and ended up having an unplanned pregnancy. He didnt want her anymore. Meanwhile, her husband in indonesia found out about the affair and told her not to go back anymore. She has 3 kids there. And her employer found out about the affair and has made arrangement for her to be sent home. So, she took kerosene and malathion. Thats sad too. I wonder what would i do if i am in her shoes? What would u do? And the one that affected me most ?....a 10 year old girl who had half her face peeled off because the car she was in overturned and she wasn't wearing a seat belt. I can still hear her cries and screams. I am glad the day is over. I am tired. Need time to get over this.
My final exam is in 18 days time. I dont think i am ready for it.

At The Andaman, Langkawi. Such a paradise! But if only if u can fork out RM900 per room per night! Or....some pharmaceutical companies are willing to foot the bill!