Say what? Theatre?

Whenever I saw a medical student on campus, I'd always recognise them as they were the one that got in. They beat x amount of applications for that space at university, they're probably very confident and excellent communicators, had a string of A*s, and it sort of intimidated me to approach them because I wondered what they had that I didn't, which sounds incredibly naive and stupid now that I'm writing this. And so, I don't think I really gave myself a chance to learn a lot of valuable experiences from them when I could've. I should've acquainted myself with them, and I think this internship has changed my perspective on approaching medical students and just getting to know them!

During my internship, the medical students have been really lovely hard working people and I've appreciated how helpful and approaching they are, too. I didn't really have anyone to teach me how to do the work whilst on my internship except them. Unlike all the other interns who had training by managers and supervisors, I had to be a med student's problem, and whilst they had their own research to do I was asking umpteen questions and bugging them if I'd done it right or not. So they had a lot of patience and that was something I really appreciated. Over the next few days they really got to know me and I got to know them despite the piles of paperwork and I enjoy the friendship that I've struck up with them. I got to ask questions about their life in medical school, and life outside of it and how they like to relax. I showed them a few of my sketches and they were really impressed, which was really sweet. 

Oh and the other day, one of them wanted to ask the upper GI surgeons if she could witness one of their surgical procedures and pop into theatre, since she's doing a research paper on it.  And she casually suggested I come along and witness it for myself, too. SAY WHAT? I replied "Are you serious?" "Yeah, why not!"

I'll keep you updated if it goes ahead!
All in all a good week.

Lots of love.

My Littlest Patient so Far

Today I was back at the old hospital I've been volunteering in since January 2014. For the past two weeks I've been temporarily moved to the neonatal surgical ward due to maintenance going on in my regular ward, but I certainly didn't mind a new environment.

I spend the entirety of my shift with one very very little patient. An adorable, four month old patient suffering from spina bifida. They'd come in with an infection and when I entered the ward, they were all by themselves, so I immediately went over. The nurse suggested I pick them up in my arms, and asked whether I'd like to feed them a bottle of baby milk. Through the coughing and spluttering, the baby eventually managed to finish the whole bottle. I played with them, and eventually tiring them out, the little one fell asleep in my arms sound asleep. Since all my siblings have grown up, it's been a little while since I've held a baby, and I've definitely missed it.

Whilst I was there I got to know the nurse who was in charge of taking care of this patient. She was every so friendly and incredibly open to my questions, so all in all, a good day so far. I have work in a while and so I'll be napping to catch a few hours. After work, it'll be followed by some UKCAT revision later in the evening!

How's your day been?

Lots of love

First Day as a New Volunteer

At around 3:00pm today, I made my way onto the hospital grounds I’d be volunteering in for the first time. My shift would start at 4:00pm and finish at 6:00pm, but I was in a little earlier because I had a little paperwork to do beforehand. It turns out, that by the grace of God, I've managed to secure an Internship post for six weeks, and in the final stages of recruitment I had to fill out some forms and bring in the relevant documents before my start date the 17^th of August. (I’ll discuss my internship in a later post)

As I enter my ward, I'm looking for my Line Manager. She’s offering to show me around once more but I’m willing to get stuck in and figure things out myself. I previously visited the ward the week prior during my induction and had to take in just how big the ward actually is compared to the one at the previous hospital I volunteer in. There’s 36 beds, the majority being single roomed to ensure maximum comfort and privacy for the patients.

I spent the first half an hour getting to know all the nurses and allied staff, who were very welcoming! As it was in the middle of a mealtime, I helped out taking orders and giving out meals to all the patients, whilst getting to know the catering staff and finding out what their day to day schedules were like. I was also entrusted with collecting a prescription from the ward below, and when I’d got back with the medicine in my hand, the line manager was impressed I’d got an entire bottle. It probably didn’t mean anything to anyone else, but to me I felt trust and rapport was being built between myself and my manager at that point.

Following the lunch round and tidying up the used trays, I then decided to help the nurses on a tea and coffee round. I think I spoilt the patients a little, by offering biscuits and cake whenever I had the chance!

After that I sat down next to one of patients and really got to know his story. He’d been on the waiting list for a double transplant, and was a regular face on the ward. I loved how he introduced me to the patients opposite his bedside, and I appreciated the little friendship that had just grown between these three patients and myself. The second patient was also on the waiting list for a transplant; they'd been born with a genetic mutation that had translated into a debilitating condition which had sped up the aging process of this liver, so this middle aged patient unfortunately possessed a liver which could have belonged to a 100 year old. As for the third patient, they asked me how old I thought they were, and I replied middle twenties? They were actually ten years older, but because their incredibly thin, 6 stone frame, I underestimated their true age.

The first patient had told me he’d deactivated his Facebook in case he wouldn’t make it. By the end of us getting to know each other and listening to each and every one of their stories, including me sharing my own story, all three had exchanged names and the first patient had said he’d reactivate his Facebook account as soon as he’d get home. That day I’d felt I really did achieve something as a volunteer, it probably wasn’t something tangible, but within myself I felt a sense of understanding and ease in the presence of these patients. They were just people, often with hard struggles and suffering who could potentially feel a little bit better if someone listened.

Thanks for reading.

New Volunteering Post!

Hi everyone,

As I mentioned in my previous posts, I was and still currently am a volunteer at my local children's hospital. It's something I've proudly managed to continue since January 2014 and it's still going strong despite studies and maintaining a part-time job on the side. I mean, one of the most important qualities a medical student can have is the ability to manage their time? So I sure hope this is a good sign!

On top of this however, I've now secured a new position as a volunteer at a second hospital. It's right on the doorstep of my university which'll make things convenient during term time. For a couple of years I've had my eye on it, feeling keen on organising some experience there - but since they only accept 18+ volunteers it's meant I hadn't been able to secure anything during my A-Level studies. My reasons for a new volunteering experience was to essentially experience and compare a different patient dynamic to what I've witnessed in my previous experiences, which primarily involved working with much younger patients - at the same time, whilst giving back to such an amazing hospital that has also served both my mother and father recently. At least with adult patients, I'll feel able to carry mature conversations and relevant discussions in regards to their care and comprehend the inspiring stories behind their visits to hospital. 

It's a gastrointestinal ward, and my shift will last for two hours each Monday evening.
Wish me luck!

E-Mentoring

So I've had two practicals this week, one of which was involved IR Spec and the other, a Proteins and Enzymes Urease practical. Thankfully both have been carried out decently (courtesy of an awesome lab partner!) and I've still got loads of time to hand them in. But I would like to hand the chemistry one in soon before deadline next Wednesday (love submitting assignments early!) just to get it out of the way and concentrate on more pressing matters approaching. I'm referring to my Alpha-galactosidase poster, preparing for my Oral presentation, an SAQ exam approaching in a few weeks time and studying what I've calculated to be roughly 40 lecture handouts of last semester on top of this semester's material and counting. And I think it's just under 90 days before the supplementary exam period begins? I'm just taking it one day at a time I suppose, because when the going gets tough, it's about priorities!  

E-mentoring has also started again this year! I've briefly discussed this in an earlier post because I carried out this duty in my first year at university, too. But on top of my part-time job I'm an E-mentor with my university. Twice a week over the course of about eleven months I'm mentoring seven A-Level students and offering guidance and support alongside their applications to university. It's great because the hours are so flexible and work around my unforgiving timetable and I feel it's a sweet little bit of extra money coming in. It means I don't really have to dip into the wages for my "real" part-time job and save it up later. But all in all, it's off to a good start. I've said my introductions and gotten to know them all (seven very enthusiastic girls who want to study biological/medical courses, woop!) and they're so lovely. I'm excited to also meet them all when they come down to my university next month so it should be good. 

Apart from that, I don't think there's anything else to really cover. I'm on the hunt for a backpack? My current bag really isn't living up to carrying textbooks or anything apart from a couple of notebooks. Superdry have a pretty range at the moment so I might just pick something up from there. 

And what's on the agenda tomorrow? Well, you guessed it. A 9 o'lock lecture, followed by a four hour free and another lecture. I'll probably E-mentor in that gap, and my friends want to get some Mexican food at our university restaurant so I'll tag along. Should be good! :)

How's your week been?
Lots of love,

Card Games at Volunteering

So for just over a year now, I've been volunteering every Saturday on the wards at my local children's hospital. I might have briefly mentioned somewhere in my blog that I'm a volunteer, however I haven't yet reflected in depth about my experiences and I think it's important for myself to look back on it. In doing so, I hope maybe a few others will find this useful, too.

The process of organizing a volunteering placement can be quite laborious and difficult to organize. And maybe when you do start you might not learn something immediately from your first day. At the same time the organizing involved, making the phones calls, researching and finding the time to apply is a transferable skill in itself. Organizing mine took the best part of three months, from the application form, to CRB checks, occupational health forms and inductions - but stick to it, it can be worth it! 

I originally begun my volunteering placement way back in January 2014 and myself admitted I probably wouldn't stick to it for any more than six months. This was also the minimum period of time they also requested for me to volunteer. My plan was to probably change and find a new placement elsewhere at a different hospital/clinical setting and continue this cycle, stacking up almost a "portfolio of experiences". Later on however, I began to realize the importance of sticking to something for more than the minimum and instead of seeing it at "ticking a box", I began to enjoy and learn from my experiences more than anticipated and decided to do something important: commit! 

Yesterday was a Saturday, so that meant in the early morning, I was volunteering. Later on in the day however, I'd also have a shift at work from 3pm - 8pm. I'd taken the previous four weeks off work as paid holiday and used my weekends to get back into studying since Semester two of university started. Quite simply, I wasn't looking forward to returning back to work! I figured I'd be extra tired having just finished volunteering.. My swipe card to access the ward had also stopped working so it wasn't the best start to the day, having to wait five mins until a cleaner would swoop by and open it for me. But something lovely happened..

I usually start off my volunteering with like a mini "ward round", and generally just greeting all the new patients, letting them know of my presence if they need anything. I've had requests from simple cups of tea, milkshakes or a simple chat, to one patient's parent asking if I could sort out a new wheelchair for their daughter. Obviously I have my limitations! I also ask the nurses if they need any help with errands, from things like making the beds, putting laundry away, ordering the afternoon lunches/suppers and etc. Nothing spectacular here!

But yesterday I met a very sweet patient. She was all by herself as her parents weren't with her. She also looked awfully bored (Jeremy Kyle on the TV screen, so *yawn*) so I thought I'd say hello. We spent the best part of an hour playing cards, from Go Fish! to Snap (I don't know many card games, forgive me!) and simply just talked. Talked about school, what she wanted to do when she grew up (a nurse) and she asked questions about me, too. We didn't at once discuss why she was in hospital, and I think that was the most important thing. She looked like any other happy, smiley girl despite the cannula attached to her arm or the doctors at her bedside. And I think that's why it's crucial for volunteers and their contribution in hospitals, they can bring with them a sense of normality to an experience which might not be considered normal. I was sad when my shift was over and my time with her had to come to an end, but we left on good terms (in the form of a hug!). I felt happy that I'd possibly have made a small tiny difference to her stay.

Anywhoo, I went about my day with an extra spring in my step :) My work shift later on was better than I anticipated, simply because of my feelings on volunteering in the morning! Moral of the story, volunteering is definitely worth it if you're thinking about it, and more often what you take away from it is much more than you expected from the outset!

Lots of love, x 

Midway into Semester One

Wow, have the weeks flown by! My last post was discussing the first week back at university, and already I'm coming up to the end of my seventh! 

My sincere apologies for not getting back sooner.. I didn't have much time to slot blogging into my timetable, but I do hope I can change this! My only days off are Sunday, and even then, I'm E-Mentoring and tying up the loose ends from the week, and as for Saturdays I have volunteering followed by work.. My weekdays, they're just lectures and practicals - so a lot of work needs to get done unfortunately! 

So my week started off with a few lectures on Monday morning, followed by a 40 min Exam Style Essay question, on LDLs. It wasn't assessed, but the purpose of the exam was for us to get a feel for the sort of question difficulty we might get. We haven't been assessed with ESQs before (even in first year), so it'll definitely prove useful in the long run. I also thought I gave it a good shot, but fingers crossed! I get my feedback in a few weeks time. On Tuesday, I had some more lectures and a workshop on Restriction Mapping as part of my Molecular Biology module. Wednesdays are off for me, but I did have some E-Mentoring to do. What else.. I also finished off my application for the Unilever R&D summer placement! 

I've carried out some research into their placements, and I just loved the sound of it. I shan't bore you with the details, but I attended their careers talk and I felt it was the perfect way to gain some experience in industry over the summer, so I went ahead and applied. It's not in tune with my long-term plans of a medical career, but it interested me so much and I figured the experience would be absolutely amazing if I did manage to secure it. I thought the application form went off to a really good start.. until it got to last question which I really, really needed to work on to formulate my best answer. The good thing is, it's out of the way now, and it feels so good! Even if I'm unsuccessful, I'll be pleased knowing I tried. :) Alhamdullillah. 

Wednesday also opened up to movie night, and Interstellar was the choice. Amazing film! Highly recommend it, especially for science students like myself! The end though, just wow! 

My Thursday budged some more room with no lectures, but I had to write up a painfully long Redox practical, as well as arrange a meetup with my tutorial group on Friday. We're working on a group video about cancers, and for the first time I feel like I'm really beginning to connect with my tutor group members! All in all, a good week for me. 

As for university overall so far, it's been rather hectic. Yes, the contact hours are a little less compared to last year, but I'll tell you, it's compensated by thicker, more info-packed lecture slides and longer practicals! Nearly every handout is new territory and it'll be exciting going over them again.. some day. Just not yet. Right now, it feels like it's a case of staying alive through the week and getting into the safe harbor that is known as: the weekend. I don't know who I'm kidding, it's not as if my weekends are even free so I don't really know what I look forward to. It's this false sense of security that's keeping me going, but if it's keeping me going - I don't care if it's false!

I haven't had a good day off properly since October. It's 20:56 and I'm not ready for the nine o'lock start that awaits me tomorrow.. 

Take care everyone!
Lots of love!

Semester One

I don't know about you, but my week has been pretty busy! University started this week, and already the revision's been piling.. So far all my lectures have been pretty good, but I'm particularly loving the Medical Biosciences module and the Membranes one, too (have an awesome lecturer for the latter!)

It's been a bit difficult maintaining university with the schedule I had during the holidays (work, volunteering, and e-mentoring) but I've gotten into the swing of using my planner to the absolute maximum. So far, it's been awesome! I can just dump everything onto paper and not worry about it at all. I'll admit I've also been on a bit of a staitonery rampage in the form of washi tapes, stickers etc. just to brighten up my pages however I do think it's working!

Oh and for my Muslim readers, I'd like to wish you all a happy Eid, so Eid Mubarak! May all your prayers be answered, wherever you are in the world. Our house is filled with the smell of food at the moment and it's divine!

How's your week been? 

Lots of love!

Student Plannerisms

Anyone who knows me personally knows I love stationery, particularly good looking products! And with a new university year around the corner, I figured some new stationery was in order - and I was especially on the hunt for a new planner. 

With its striking yet intricate cover, I had to pick up this beauty! It's the Silver Filigree Paperblanks 2015 diary in Blush Pink, priced at £16 in Waterstones. With a week to view, two silk bookmarks and a memento pouch at the back, it's definitely got a luxurious feel to it and is the perfect companion for my studies!

Please sit with me and relish at the pattern on the front. Okay, thanks, and bye!

Lots of love!