a death in the medical family

today, there was sad news.

a fellow doctor from my tiny little island has died, from massive haemetemesis, postulated to be due to intractable ITP. much else is unknown.

i didn't know him well, but i do remember the few kind words he had for a despondent medical student struggling through her OB/GYN posting, convinced she was never going to make it.

he wasn't the most stellar of characters, granted, all of my countryment probably knew him by name due to his notoriety and the circumstances in which he achieved it. but he struck me as a good person, innately. i could have been wrong, of course, and biased.

but i will remember those kind words, and how they pulled me through a horrible day.

he may be gone, but the kindness i received will long stay with me.

may you rest in peace.

awww shucks.
i have just realised that when i wake up in the morning, i will be a final year student. SO NOT LOVELY.

i should be in a blind panic, but thankfully, i'm not. all thanks to the lovely dean's office, which has decided to start my one-third of the class with a 2 week study break! which equates to extended vacation so now i have time to meet my friends who've just flown home from all over the world where they're studying. how lovely :D

then again, you have to wonder just what the administration is thinking when we've just had 4 months of lovely slow-paced electives, coupled with 3 weeks of holidays, who the heck needs to start with a 2 week study break?

but i'll rant about that when i start sub-internship in 2 weeks time!

ahhhh, procrastination ;)

PHOTOS! :D (part 1)

from top (left to right): our train compartment (and yes, that's my pink bag there, the bagpack is under the seats);

the train station at 4 am in the morning with people sleeping on the floor;

one of the lovely nurses showing us the way to our rooms (check out the white cap!);

the gen med consultation room at night (it has 4 or 5 tables inside and 2 examining beds);

mine and my friend's room;

and cupboards (v messy argh);

the main street in town;

one of the sari shops where i bought punjabi suits/salwaars;

during a political rally!

1. goat!

2. buffaloes

3. sunset over the main road

4. gloves washed and hung out to dry before repowdering outside the ICU

5. the ICU

6. view of the hill from our hospital

7. the circus we visited (the outside) at night

8. nurses hostel with their laundry hung out to dry (things keep getting blown off!)

9. medical library :D

1. during a typical gen surg outpatient clinic (4 doctors around 1 table)

2. the most adorable little boy who sells mangoes outside the hospital - i gave him quite good business i'll bet

3. medical library!

4. relatives sleeping outside the wards

5. in the OT (2 beds in 1 theatre, and there are power cuts. HORRORS)

6. outside the outpatient dept

7. where we were :D

8. main town at night (an hour away from the hospital)

9. our train!

(on our weekend escapade from the hospital)

1. a pretty hotel (sadly, we could only afford to eat there, not stay there :( poor!)

2. chocolate! :D not as good as it looks though :(

3. pretty scenery that we had to inch our way down a slope to get to - the boys went but we girls stayed higher up

4. suicide point!

5. a cow that decided to lie down right in front of our parked car

6. horses for riding! (no, we didn't go)

7. a lake where we went paddle boating

8. a pretty church (why is my photo cut off at the top???) where we went for sunday service

9. a family that miraculously appeared when i whipped out my camera to take a photo of their cute youngest son (half hidden behind his sister) - they're definitely not camera shy!

more will be up later! :D

anndddddddd i'm homeeeee!!!!!! :D
on my sunny little island after 2 months of nomadic wandering and living out of a suitcase.
i've plenty of stories to tell, and i've really discovered my love for this profession i've chosen. :D i couldn't ask for more! :D

it's not a life changing experience, but it's definitely something for the memories.
photos will be up (after i've blurred my face out of them hahaha) soon hopefully!
and i will blog. but for now - time to sort out my shopping (i managed to shop 20kg worth of stuff from india, don't ask me how!) and my books (they're super cheap over there, i must have bought a tonne - maybe that's how i hit 20 kg worth of shopping! oops)

in the meantime, here's 7 songs i've been listening to this week!

1. no one but you - queen
2. i hate myself for loving you - joan jett
3. always - bon jovi
4. i want to break free - queen
5. chasing cars - snow patrol
6. 100 years - 5 for fighting
7. kokomo - beach boys