Research

So I've been in contact with the fairly young research and evaluation department (R+E Dept) at my work. I have been thinking for awhile I should try and get involved in some sort of project and preferably have something published to help boost my job potentials for when I'm a newly-minted doctor. The R+E Dept was extremely helpful and have encouraged me to do my own little project! Eek! The lady I spoke to also suggested that I use the project as the one I need to do to complete my Masters next year. I thought the gap was too long, but when I started reading through all the paperwork and deadlines for research grants etc, it's really not at all. I'll keep you posted with how I go and what I'm going to look at, but I think I have a pretty good idea how to tie in my three worlds of ambulance, in-hospital medicine/primary health care, and international health. Exciting!

Another thing she said is that there are 17 people in my ambulance service currenlty doing their PhDs! Holey-moley! It was about 2 years ago the first EVER paramedic got his PhD in a paramedic-related field. Boy, how things have changed since we transitioned into university-based training (for the old on-the-job model). This is encouraging news for an academic that likes to remain clinical like myself. Geez I'd love to be a doctor in the ambulance service....

Other update - my boss quit. I am now the longest serving member of my ambulance station at just 3.5 years, and the most experienced paramedic at 4 years. Geez. I don't have to worry about any big bosses reading this when I say I do not want to take over the newly vacant position. I'm already studing med, my Masters, I'm the Health and Safety Rep, and, oh yeh, sometimes I do have something that looks like a LIFE! The position does indeed pay well/better but it would annihilate my downtime and that wouldn't be good for my studies.

What else? Minimal study yesterday but I got a fair-few things ticked off my to-do list, some of which were imperative like paying my tuition fees! Now that was an effort! The bank lady made me repeat at least 8 times the amount I'm sending and each time it really hurt.

A Guide to Working Abroad for Australian Medical Students and Junior Doctors

A Guide to Working Abroad for Australian Medical Students and Junior Doctors

Masters grades are in

I got my grades for that Masters subject I did and they are good.  I'm so relieved.  I wasn't sure how I'd go because I wasn't happy with my work, but then again I'm never happy with my essays.  Whew - one less stress.

I also looked through my transcript and that subject I "failed", well I think I should have been given a "withdrawal - late" grade instead so I've emailed about that.  They gave me "fail - insufficient" instead.  Cause that grade is a real bummer.

I have one more "easy" subject of Masters, Ethics, so I'm now considering doing it - hahahaha.  Now that I'm on the other side of the pain of juggling Masters and med school and basking in the glow of achievement.  After that easy subject comes two research subjects and two research projects.  Yuk.

Well back to studying med.  I have this new routine where I reward myself for completing a reading by doing housework!  I think I need a doctor.....

Overdue

My masters assignment is now one day overdue.  It just didn't get finished yesterday.  It's now 7.30pm in the evening and I've only just started looking at it now.  It really wont take long as I only have the referencing to clean up, checking the 1.5 line spacing and correct font, and finding the coversheet etc to go.  Should be done in an hour.  A day late is about -5% I think.

I spent the earlier part of the day mowing my lawns (got a new lawn mower yesterday!) and installing my washing machine (got a new washing machine finally today).  I also had much fun doing the "preliminary"pack for my trip which is where I lay out everything I'd like to take, and then secondary pack is where I divide the preliminary number of clothes by two. 

Things are getting more exciting now as I was checking the weather in Kathmandu, Lhasa, and Paro.  I already know Taiwan is hot and humid (yay), I wasn't sure about Kathmandu (average of 23oC in September) and Lhasa and Paro are fairly mild at about 18oC.  Of course I got Mt Everest Base Camp which I can guess with much accuracy will be cold to very cold.

I'm also trying to hook up with a fellow ambulance person in Nepal as he has much to do with a few clinics over there despite this trip supposed to be being a "tourist-only" trip as I haven't had a pure "for pleasure" holiday in three years due to study and volunteering.

Writing assignments

So I have to finish writing this assignment for my masters by tomorrow.  Tomorrow I want to just be referencing, proofing, and submitting so I want to finish it today.  It's much more difficult than I first thought due to all the statistics I need to find.  I'm at work today and tomorrow.  I only just came back on from my fatigue break at 12.15pm as we were out until 2.15 am this morning.

Anyway, seeing as I have so much to do I must go now.

I other news, I went to a city hospital last night for work and there were about a dozen small children in the ED and I thought to myself that I really want to do paeds, which is another reason to be pursuing the US residency path as you can go straight into paeds there, but in Oz you do Internal Medicine first then a fellowship (I believe).

Emergency paediatrics with a sub-specialty in tropical medicine would be my ultimate.

Op-shopping and my life update

This post is so massive it needs sub-headings.....(I need to lay off the RedBull....)

Op-shops, animal welfare, and the environment
So I've been getting into op-shops lately (that's "opportunity" shop which is like a charity or thrift store for all you foreigners).  I was so stoked today to find a long black down-filled jacket for $3.50!  At first I wanted to get a North Face one for over $500AUD.  Then I was horrified to learn they are only $250 in the US and I couldn't get a new one online and sent to me.  I saw some on ebay a little cheaper - around $200-250.  Then my friend just got back from Tibet and she scored one for about $30AUD.

I got a good new silk-blend sleeping bag liner from ebay for $12, so even if I have to hire a sleeping bag I will feel ok in my liner.  I'd love to buy a good -20oC one though cause I get so cold and I want to do some camping this Summer - I already have a light one and a medium one, so a heavy one would be great (I know -20oC sound too wam for Summer, but for me it's a real comfort knowing I wont be too cold).  I also need a new swag, but that's for another adventure.

Other things - I also picked up a pair of cargos, a short skirt and short shorts (for over legging), and a longer, flowy skirt for my modesty especially in Nepal - all were less than $3.50 each.  Apart from saving money, time, and recycling (well, reusing I suppose, but anyway...), I'm mainly most happy about the down jacket because I've been battling a moral dilemma bout it.  I normally avoid leather, silk, and sheep skin, and I only eat meat once a day - and only free range chicken, beef once a week, and some seafood (mainly fish and mainly the ones which aren't being over-fished which you can find a guide here for Aussies, and here for worldwide), avoid dairy, I only get pets from the pound etc etc.  I try and consider the animals in my choices.  I'd love to be vegan but it's really impractical and quite difficult to make sure you diet is full of the essential amino acids and omega-3s etc.  Anyway, I am happy I could at least get a recycled down jacket - those little geese didn't give up their bodies for nothing.

My upcoming trip
So my trip is finally coming together.  It looks like I have most things if not everything already.  I hope to tread lightly as possible and eat locally.  Mainly backpacking so the souveniers will have to be minimal and thoughtfully chosen.  My last leg of the journey is thorugh Bhutan so I;m hoping to pick up a traditional dress.  Through Tibet I wouldn't mind some prayer flags, althogh you can get them here in Australia quite easily.  Those spinney prayer thingys (I just Googled it - they are called hand prayer wheels) will be good too.

Medicine
Now, study.  I have requested that OUM transfers me into the MD program.  I am currently in the MBBS, designed for Aussies and Kiwi following the traditional Commonwealth model.  The difference is only a matter of a few weeks extra clinical placements in which I would do a sub-internship, hopefully in the US and hopefully in emergency, family, or paediatric medicine.  However, recently OUM has decided to examine MD students on the basic sciences separately as they were finding students were having difficulties in the USMLEs in these areas.  So, seeing as I want to sit the USMLEs, I asked to go into the MD stream which is apparently more difficult, and is definitely more expensive.  Some people would avoid these two things like the plague.  Not me!

Personally, I feel I am most lacking in the basic sciences so I kind of like the idea of being pushed more in this area.

I had been considering residency in the US since the get-go, and with recent developments in Australia it seems like IMGs are going to have a hard time getting internships.  I am also fond of the idea of internship in Samoa, however I didn't realise until yesterday that the wage for interns is only AUD$15000pa!  That's less than 10% of what I earn now.  It's really only a problem in I have a mortgage that needs contributing to, or other Australia-life commitments.  At least it is a good incentive to get my finances well-and-truely in order by then.  So, that new car I was thinking about getting is not going to be got.

I am friends on Facebook with an American OUM student and she told me the US OUM grads have been really successful at gaining residency.  I must ask her in which discipline.  The OUM curriculum advisor told me the sub-internship clerkship is really important for getting one's foot int the door for matching into their residency programs.  I think I will be good at this after going through the paramedic clinical placements and then graduate program - be super-dooper friendly, seem intelligent and thoughtful and competent but not over confident, work your butt off, be the first to arrive and the last to leave, have no other life outside of the placement/grad work, offer people drinks and food and make their life easier not harder, and most importantly, did I mention food?

Masters
Yep, so I'm supposed to be finishing my assignment right now (I'm at work again) which is why I drank the RedBull but instead I sewed buttons and holes up on my new opshop purchases, made a healthy lunch (to try and prepare myself for the diet of lentils coming up), discussed MoH things with my sister, and chatted to my work partner for today who is an IT guru about using my mobile phone as wifi for my laptop at work (we only have one PC and it can be inconvenient) and using wifi instead of internet roaming data stream while overseas.  Whew.  Oh, and blogging.

Ok must finish this essay.  I've done 1100 words out of 2500 and it's due in 2 days.  Wish me luck!

My bosses got the sack

The executive board of my ambulance service got the sack today by the health minister.  Initially I thought this was a good thing until I realised the CEO has remained.  I don't want to get the sack by expressing my thoughts here, but in my opinion I'm not happy with the way the current CEO has steered us since coming into power.  The word "service" was literally dropped from our name, and the ambulance business model as been attempted to be implemented.  I might be a bit of a tree-hugging hippie, but even the extreme right-wingers must see running the public health service as being fundamentally different than that of running a profit-making business.  I'm confused.

Anyway, today at work I got stuck into my masters assignment.  If I can make that kind of progress every day this week I'll be very happy.  Now I'm getting into it, I'm getting into it.  I think I might even be learning something valuable for my future career and life's education in general.

Still no reply in regards to my missing term grades from med school.  Still my happiness factor cannot be measured.

Status quo and spark of motivation

Yes, same ol', same ol' here.  Just working, enjoying freedom from med school, looking forward to holidays, got lots of social plans on my days off etc.

I think my brain is already on holiday.  I don't want to do overtime, I'm finding every excuse to not do my Masters readings, and what PT course?  My house is looking tidy though and I've been flicking throough House and Garden magazine, and I have heaps more energy at work.  I feel sorry for my work colleagues as I've been operating in a constant state of  half-dead, but I didn't really notice that until now.  It's funny how you accept that because you're a med student you just automatically have no other quality of life.

I've been reading the Mothers In Medicine blog a bit lately.  Not because I'm a mother (unless you count my dog and cat), but because other blogs link back to interesting articles about juggling home life and work, choosing the right partner, and some other interesting aspects of being a female that is successful in the workforce.  Anyway, it's given me a bit of much-needed inspiration.

Just had a really sick acute pulmonary oedema patient.  I haven't had a full-field APO for ages.  It was good to do someone that was actually so acutely and time-critically sick.  I was sure he was about to arrest.  Thankfully he didn't and our treatment brought him back in the right direction.  We picked him up from the bush nursing hospital where they rarely do sickies and the staff need a lot of paramedical direction.  I was the treating officer and it kind of felt good asking the other paramedic to do this, the Div 1 nurse to do that, the nursing student to grab me this, and the doctor (GP) on scene if it was ok for her to give a drug that we dont' carry but he needed.  It went smoothly, efficiently, and I caught myself mid-IV cannulation drawing parallels between that situation and what it would be like to be an ED doc running an arrest or similar.  I really think emergency medicine is for me.

And it was just what I needed.  More motivation to continue studying this long, long (and expensive) journey through med school.

Masters

I started studying for my Masters yesterday as soon as the exam was over.  I think I'm addicted to studying.  It is much easier except for those pesky assignments.  One is due before I go away and the other while I'm away, so I'll have to do both before I go.  Shouldn't be too difficult.  Will probably take about a week each.

Today I spent the day at work and getting my life back on track.  I organised a new fence for my house, cleaned out my inbox, organised dishwasher and washing machine repairs, documentation for the new mortgage refinancing and holiday visas.  New keys cut, pets registered with council...etc etc.  Some things are quicker in a small country town (no queue at the council office) and some things are trickier (like organising a friend's ute to take my dishwasher to the repairer in the big town).

That is all.  Life is good  Organising other fun things like social events, holidays, and buying beauty products :)  Today I've also started eating better again.

Polymorphs

So, the word I woke up with in my head this morning (at 4.30am) was "polymorphs", which is short for polymorphonuclear leukocyte which is a type of white blood cell and are elevated in inflammation or infection.  I think.  I'm still learning this and it might be why it was laying down memory in my sleep (before the process was rudely woken by my phone alarm and 5am lecture).

This morning I just enrolled in a Masters of International Health subject - STIs and HIV an International Perspective. Despite my repeating pattern of biting off more than I can chew and then nearly choking, I can't let go of the MIH for some reason.  Hoping seeing as it's only one unit and it's not statistics that I should be ok.

Anyway, I'm getting a little bit sick of my 2-minute noodle diet and I have been thinking about what I want to do in Nepal (I have a week there with no plans before going to Tibet and Bhutan) and maybe a mini-Annapurnas trek would be good.  That is in two months.  I also have a high school reunion and my work annual ball in the same week in about 5 weeks time, so I hope to use that as motivation, although the majority of my brain is saying "just wear black!"

5am lectures

The 5am lectures on Thursday mornings are very difficult for me and my terrible habit of needing to sleep occasionally.  At least they are not interrupted by inconsiderate patients having emergencies.

Well, I have seemed to have lost a good portion of today so I must stop blogging and start learning about calcium homeostasis, microbes involved in osteomyelitis, and other such areas of this week's learning objectives which I seem to be deficient in.

Oh, before I go, a quick mention that today we were talking about imaging and MRIs and I asked "What if you don't have access to MRI?" and I found myself thinking about working in Samoa.  If not Samoa, then Cambodia, or Rwanda, or somewhere exotic and remote where you need to improvise and rely on your clinical judgement.  I'm so excited, I seem to have gotten an extra boost of motivation lately thinking that I might actually one day do this big dream I have for working for Medecines Sans Frontiers (or similar organisation).  You know that nice feeling that rarely happens when a dream starts to morph into a future possibility?  I'm there right now.

Mid-Masters crisis

I just withdrew online from my Masters units.  I'm so disappointed.  I can't do it right now.  I've been sitting at my laptop all weekend looking at this stuff I have to do and I can't do it.  I'm exhausted from work and the med degree and being sick and ....everything! 

The bad thing is I missed Census date by a week, and I don't want to think about the money I've just wasted on fees - I really don't.  The good thing is I just got sent my Graduate Certificate of International Health certificate and academic transcript, as I've completed enough for that cert so far.  At this point, I kind of feel happy to have a loose end tied up if I ended it here.  I'm not sure when I'll go back to the MIH.  It may even be after the MBBS, or it might just be next semester but only one unit.  The point is it's all a journey and this Voyager needs a break before the next mountain.

Right now is one of the first times I feel I can actually relate to people when they say "Oh, I could never go back to study - I've done enough!".  I actually feel slightly traumatised in my study room from this med degree.  I think I need to rearrange all the furniture in here before next term to move the stale energy around a bit.  At least I have spent the first week of annual leave (before I got sick) spring cleaning my house which I think will make a big difference next term in being organised and therefore staying on track.  Too bad I have not started in the study yet.

I want to grieve the loss of this Masters dream right now, but I know I shouldn't feel sorry for myself because I need to get my shit together and focus on getting this med degree.  It's not just the study-load and the stress of studying medicine, it's finding the money for the tuition fees and now after a year I'm starting to resent how much it is eating into my lifestyle.  For some reason all I want to do atm is go shopping and get my hair done and do the most superficial stupid stuff that is possible in this world. I can only put it down to my brain (or ego or whatever it is) just going "Enough of this serious stuff already!  Read more Famous magazine and less New England Journal of Medicine!"

Actually, I did get a hair cut last week - the first time in 2 years.  I was sitting in the salon chair thinking "I want to be a hairdresser again!"  And then I started thinking about if I should work casually as a hairdresser instead of as a paramedic when I do my clinical modules.  Seriously!

Sometimes I question why I'm doing this to myself, and I feel right now I need to take the next two weeks I have left of annual leave and really find that motivation again.  After being only one year into this 5 year battle, this is starting to scare me a little.

Anyway, I apologise for the tone of this post because it sounds so self-centred and superficial, but it's an honest reflection of where my head it at right now.  You would think after getting a lovely email update from New Hope about my sponsor family in Cambodia about how the 3 eldest children have moved hours away to find work for $1 a day, I would be able to put things in perspective, but, no.

I'm back

I'm back on board after being so so sick this week with mega tonsillitis.  It has been going around the town, and as an ambo who normally gets tonsillitis at the drop of a hat, it wasn't hard to predict this was going to happen.

I'm fairly resilient against flu and gastro, but tonsillitis is my Achilles heel.

So I couldn't even be bothered blogging, much less studying.  Today I decided to have a look at what Masters stuff is due, and OMG, something was due yesterday, another thing is due Monday, and then another is due on the 11th.  I don't really want to spend my holidays studying.  Id' much rather be sleeping, eating, exercising, and drinking, but seeing how much more difficult it was to work and study med only a few weeks ago, I know I can easily do this and still sleep, eat, exercise, and drink.  Oops, I almost forgot my other favourite holiday pass-time - shop.

Here's uan update on my life:

• Work - none!  I'm on holidays and loving it.
• Study - see above.  Can't wait to go back to studying med next term.  Kind of wish I had more spare time/energy/motivation to revise respiratory properly, but oh well.  Still gald I' doing the MIH as I keep thinking of my dream goal to work OS.
• Marathon - no run for a week due to illness.  Walked the dog slowly today and did yoga.  Thinking run on Monday.  Will reassess fitness and everything next week.  I didn't make the 5km x-country on the weekend.  I was so disaapointed about that, but what can you do.
• House - amazingly clean thanks to holidays. Garden needs help.
• Lovelife - still no comment.
• MoH - we're doing flowers now after sorting the wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses.

One good thing about getting sick though, is that I've kicked most of my caffeine and sugar addictions, and virtually all dairy.  Yay.  I wanted to anyway but when I got sick I couldn't stomach anything really, so I detoxed my guts a bit and am trying really,really hard to put only good "clean food" in my mouth.  Feeling much better for it.  My favourite is soda water with lemon juice, green tea, roast chicken (no skin, obviously), brown rice, and green salad with olive oil, lemon juice and black pepper.

Metalicus

So right now I'm addicted to http://www.metalicus.com/ clothing.  They are basic, well tailored, and fit perfectly.  They go with everything and I've owned many over the years.  They last really well and you always get your money's worth.  If I had to sum up my style with one line of clothing, Metalicus would be it.

As I said in my last post, I just splurged on some new tops.  Well, I've just done it again with a new dress and another top and leggings and an under skirt.  I'm pretty tight with cash atm due to med school fees, but I would have to say the number one reason I'm studying at OUM and not a "traditional" medical school in Australia is due to money and lifestyle.  I want to maintain my lifestyle as much as possible.  I work so friggin hard and sometimes I think it's necessary to stretch the budget for yourself.  Don't tell OUM but I would seriously consider deferring for up to six months if push came to shove.  I want to keep my house (mortgage), to buy the nice organic foods, and to dress not like a student, but as a sophisticated woman.  I'm 32.  I was a student forever (it felt like) before ambulance.  I absolutely love medicine, and really really want to be a doctor.  But the present is so important to me.  It always has been, even before I was an ambo.

Apart from all that, I just connected my Wii to the internet.  I don't need an lovely Mac afterall.  I havent' sussed out how you save files etc, but most of my online time is not spent with saved files, it's with reading data.  A lovely big plasma screen will make things so much more enjoyable.  I also just traded in 8 Wii games for Zumba for Wii.  Good trade, I say.  The games I traded were rubbish, like Grey's Anatomy The Game - rubbish.

I'm now watching perhaps one of my favourite episode of ER - "A Long, Strange Trip" from the final season.  It has a character in it which was instrumental in developing trauma centres and modern Emergency Departments. I like it.  He is also aged and has dementia, and diagnoses cryptic TB.  Nice.  It was World TB Day yesterday.  I'm pretty obsessed with TB.

So.... how's my Masters going?  It;s not.  Geebus!!!  what am I going to do?  I don;t know yet, but whatever it is it wont happen until Monday now.....

10/10

Yes!  I finally got a 10/10 on my weekly quiz.  It was the easiest so far because it was clinically and physiologically focused, which are my strong suits, and the questions themselves seemed more straight forward.  It's good to get one 10.

Six hours later.....I just did my pimping session, which went for 6 hours, with one 5 min break, which I was unprepared for!  I thought it was on Friday.  Ooops.  Luckily my question was on PE which I luckily know something about through paramedic practice.  Then straight after that I did my presentation (picture shows notes/new scrap paper).  It went ok.  Sooo glad that's out of the way.  I'm just getting used to the pimp sessions now and the term is nearly over.  Oh well, I think there will be more of it to come in my medical career....

Life update;

Res exam - starting to think maybe I know more than I think and I was just comparing myself to last term, expecting to be more advanced.  I hope res is not considered an "easy" module, or I'm screwed.

Med - looking forward to the next term off to revise everything so far and get myself back to the level I want to be at.

Masters - still think I'll try and do it on my break.  I still want it and I don't want to have to wait until I'm 55 to be able to do the sort of work I want to do overseas.  Need to double-up and make up for lost time.  Got my welcome email a few days ago.  Need to quickly have a look at that and get some folders ready to hit the ground running after the exam.

Marathon - stupidly put my run off to the afternoon yesterday and it never happened.  Going to have a nap now (only had 4 hours sleep) and have a run before I go an meet my mentor tonight.  Have to do it today.  Plan this week is to maintain my 2.5km with 3 runs and beat my time on Sunday if I'm not on a call-out with work, or Monday morning.  4.5km starts next week.

Travel - Still only have my September trip planned and to look forward to.  Maybe some hiking during March break for a few days only.  As for next year, I'm considering doing a cruise with my friends that goes to Christmas Island and Indonesia!  Looks great.

Love life - Not going to mention it on this blog.  Sorry.  Private.

Social life - Maintaining it.  Just.  Thankfully I have a few friends that don't take it personally when I ignore them for periods of time.  Have a girls dinner tonight.  Trying to socialise once a week.

MoH (Maid of Honour) - I'm also getting used to the organza, satin, and sequins and have another wedding dress try-on with my sister next week.  This time one store is a place where I would even consider myself if I was shopping for big white dresses.  The dresses there are vintage-inspired and made of gorgeous silks and Chantilly lace.

Work - Going good.  Can't believe how many res patients I'm having this term.  If I do repro next term I will be sure to deliver a baby.....

Getting my act together

So, I think I have finally got my act together, and it really couldn't have happened sooner.  I'm actually enjoying studying again and am sad I have wasted so many weeks.  I am glad I will have next term off to revise because I really want to study harder now!  LOL  How things change. 

Right now I'm reading about lung surfactant and finding it way cool.  I also need to attribute some of my turn-around to another fellow classmate that emailed me.  Even though she is in the US and not my study partner, she offered help and gave morale support and that really goes a long way to build the confidence to stop that little voice in my head that likes to tell me I'm going to fail.  When meditation failed me, an unexpected friendship and small show of compassion went a long way.

I still haven't decided about the MIH (Masters of International Health), as I mentioned in my last post, because I so want to take my medical studies into that field eventually.  Afterall, it is international health that pushed me into med in the first place.  Census date is still some time off so I don't have to make any decisions now.  I might even just cut back to one subject per semester, but again I'll wait and see how I feel after I finish this med term.  It's funny after studying med I think MIH subjects will be so much easier.  I'm also hoping that as time goes by I will be able to keep a more even keel in med studies because I know that when I start my clinical placements that there will be little room for "off days".

Good news - I finally got my new phone after my last one was destroyed on a job in the floods.  I feel like I've rejoined the 21st century!

Motivation

It was my experience in Cambodia which motivated me to go to med school, and now I hope to draw on that experience now as I have a lack in motivation.

Studying for an exam isn't as motivating for me as studying for a future patient that may need my help and has no-one else to help them.  Volunteering in the clinic I had only a local Khmer ex-Army doctor to help me.  It was frustrating to not have more ability and be limitied by only my paramedic experience (which doesn't really help much in the area I was volunteering in).  Now, in the final few weeks of the term, I hope to take this attitude with me to the books and try and resurrect this resipratory module.

9/10 is not good enough

I've never done anything before where scoring a 9/10 was disappointing.  I just got my weekly quiz results back and got 9/10.  I am a little relieved becasue 8/10 would have been really disappointing.  And anything below that = depressing.

And it's not just me. That's the way the lecturer feels we should be performing in lead up to the end of term exam, and then ultimately the medical licencing exams.  True - the quiz questions are what you would call "easy" compared to medical licencing exam questions, which is why we need to do so well on them. They're not what I'd call "easy" in comparision to anything else I've done before, but that is all part of the attraction to medicine.

Aiming for perfectionism is all part of the mentality I suppose.

Today's agenda - well, I'm working so I always try and refresh myself on my work guidelines (protocols) everyday and then make sure I'm up-to-date with any work related administration before I use my downtime to study medical stuff.  It's my 3 year anniversary today working for this ambulance service :) - it has gone so fast.

I have the WHO TB manual for medical students to look through, which is fantastic and helps answer a lot of the case study tasks.  I'll be keeping it on me today so if we are at the hospital, or wherever, I can flick through it. I can't help thinking about the people back in Cambodia where I've volunteered as there is a lot of TB there.  This is good as it helps me focus and realise I really need to learn this stuff as I might (will probably) need it to save someone's life some day.  That's pretty motivating.