And back to work again...?

On Tuesday I had my first meeting with my SSRS project co-ordinator/supervisor; I finally found out what my project was actually about (although the title "Perivascular Pain" was, in the end, a surprisingly good summary for the project) - essentially investigating a cause for migraine, more specifically a hypothesis regarding how nerves suddenly activate themselves to send pain signals during a migraine attack. It got me pretty fired up - I was reading a few papers he gave me, and it seems that there hasn't really been a breakthrough in understanding migraines for the last...15 or so years (papers dated from 1994-2004, no difference). I'm supposed to do some 'light' reading so that I can understand the project better, and I really want to, but once again, procrastination calls, especially since it's the holidays and (rightfully) I feel like doing absolutely nothing (constructive). Had quite a few friends come over since the start of the hols, they're all from high school so I haven't seen them for a while. For some reason though, my parents are still annoyed at me playing computer games. During. The. Holidays. WHY? WHYYYYY....
Anyway, MedBALL is tomorrow! It's a ball (i.e. formal/dance thing, not a round thing you kick) organised by our awesome UWS Med Society, with the theme 'masquerade'. I went to Lincraft (craft store) of my own accord for the first time ever; bought some cloth, and devoted yesterday night to stitching, and periodically poking myself with the needle. I think I'm getting quite good at threading the eye (of the needle) - a very useful skill to please elderly people :) Now all I need is a way to get to the venue...and what to eat for dinner. Big thoughts.

SQUUEEEEEE

And so begins my long-awaited holiday for the year :) Exams overall were fairly solid; we had four written exams and one anatomy spot test; the four writtens included an MEQ (mini-essay question 10-20 marks/question), SAQ (short-answer question anywhere from 2-10 marks) and 2x MCQs (multiple choice question, 1 mark each) tests; they were pretty difficult compared to first semester, and I'd say a fair bit more difficult than HSC exams (speaking of which, everyone finishing up secondary education in NSW this year should be done with exams - hoorah!). There was a significantly increased clinical/diagnostic focus in the written exams this semester, which may or may not have caught people off guard, but I was happy with the general gist of them. What was disappointing was the reuse of questions from multiple choice - leakage of questions to some students and not others by means of connections meant that some were aware of a few questions (and answers) that were in the exam, and some were not. I doubt it can be avoided, since it's only natural for upper years to leak exams to lower years, but nonetheless.
The anatomy spot test was, in my opinion, fairly difficult - not particularly because of the level of detail required, but more because of the rather... disfigured cadavers/specimens being used in the exam. I struggled to identify a pancreas that looked like it was cut in half and strewn across the tray; only by looking at the only organ attached next to it (a spleen) and the texture of the organ was I able to realise what it was. Ambiguity regarding the level of detail was another hallmark of the test, although not entirely foreign to us thanks to a formative anatomy test prior; a label would indicate a heart valve, but may be closer to a particular cusp of a valve; what to write down was an internal debate in itself. Despite this, the use of models did help those who had little experience looking at cadavers (i.e. most of the cohort) and more experience looking at diagrams and illustrative atlases - and apparently the pass mark for the spot test is going to be below 50%. Hmmm.
A post-exam party/bash at either the city or the beach concluded the final day of exams; and goodbyes were said as we looked back at our first year of medicine; and look forward (hopefully) to our second. And by look forward, I don't mean, 'be eager to undertake' - thanks to warnings from a notable third year, half our grade is now planning to study in our holidays, including myself. *sigh*
Farewell, first year. May I never be associated with you again.

Sorry for no update

Hey guys, I'm taking a little siesta from blogging, as my exams start on the 9th, and I find that anything on the net causes me to lose concentration - in fact, almost anything related to a computer. See, I may do a blog post, which might take 10 minutes, and that's fine. But then I'd feel restless, and go check forums. And then check other blogs. And check my mail. And waste a good ol' hour or so laughing at the wittiness of several blog writers. And then go to all my random sites, and check my mail, go to facebook, laugh and comment at a few things, go check my mail, go to more random sites, check my mail....

And in the end I've lost most of the day. So I'll be back on the 20th, which is when my exams finish. Also, congrats to all those Year 12s/13s/Final Secondary School Year People for finishing your last year of secondary education - and for most of you, all your tests as well; if you still have them, good luck :) And good luck to everyone else who may have tests (or interviews) during this period.

Peace,