[update] MD3 semester 1 over!

The GP rotation is over, and semester 1 this year is now over! For reasons inside and outside of medicine, this semester was more dramatic than I hoped it would be. But I have made it through, and it is now done.

The GP rotation was my favorite rotation this year so far. Right now, although GP is not my top preference as a future specialty, I think it is a viable option for me. Apart from the coughs and colds, most of the other things in GP land are varied and interesting. GPs are at the front line of cost-effective preventative medicine in Australia. It is also a better lifestyle choice compared to other specialties.

However, the main thing making GP a less attractive option is that it is not as well supported financially compared to other specialties. Furthermore, even now the federal government is trying to cut money to Medicare and charge the GPs a co-payment for "bulk-billing". Unfortunately, this will serve to make it an even less attractive option!


Meanwhile, I am happy with the results of the MCQ progress testing for this semester so far. I have not done as well as towards the end of last year, but I still have one more semester left. I am more concerned about how my OSCEs will go compared to written exams.

We should be getting our scholarly selective (research) supervisor details on Monday. I am hoping to get a cardiology project. Why? I believe that "if you are not interested in cardiology, you have no heart". Well, not exactly, but I do think that cardiology is interesting.

Well, now I have a week break, and then we will have the MD student conference. I'm looking forward to the food, and to the research presentations that this year's MD4s will be giving about their research.

End of UniMelb medicine interviews, 2013 entry.

Today was the last day for UniMelb medicine and physiotherapy interviews for prospective local students for 2013 entry. Some other universities, such as ANU, have also finished interviewing locals for their medicine admission processes, while other universities will be finishing their interviewing processes soon.

Anyway, since UniMelb have finished their interviews, that means that MD1 students will be back to uni next week (which is the same as undergraduate students at the university). I have been reading some of my pathology textbook, although I also decided to refresh my mind about history taking and examinations. Although PCP1 is only worth 12.5 credit points compared to FBS 81.25 credit points, I still shouldn't neglect it...

[update] Semester 2 midsemester break (MD1 2012). Unimelb interview week. GAMSAT UK today.

I've finished class for today. Now there is a one week break before the rest of first year medicine at Melbourne. I'll be using the break to catch up on rest, revising lectures and hopefully reading more of the pathology textbook.

Meanwhile, the interviews for 2013 entry for Melbourne medicine onshore applicants are also coming up next week. Good luck if you're a prospective Melbourne medical student with an interview!

The GAMSAT UK is also today. Good luck for anyone taking it!

[update] Half the midyear holiday is over already. End of exam period for UniMelb Undergrad.

Tomorrow marks the half-way point of my winter recess for Medicine. Unlike undergraduate courses at Melbourne, we only get two weeks of holidays between semesters. Ah well. If it was too long, maybe I'd get too bored. Last year it didn't feel that the holidays were long because of the time preparing for the USyd interviews, but before that I probably felt that the uni holidays were a bit long.

Today is the last day of the exam period for UniMelb. If you have recently sat an exam, I hope you have done well. For UniMelb, the undergraduate results for the semester are scheduled to be released by Friday 6 July in two weeks time, although many will come out before that date. Results generally come out on the Study Plan on the day before they are out on the Results Service page, and the results going onto the Study Plan coincides with the subject coming off the enrolled subject list on the portal homepage.

[update] MD1 midyear break! 방학이다!

It's now the midyear break for MD1! There will be two weeks for us to rest. I am not planning to do that much study, but I think I might still do a bit of reading of the pathology textbook since it's been an area of weakness.

After two weeks, there is a Student Conference that UniMelb MD students have to attend for 4 days. There are some compulsory aspects, but on each day there is a section to select between 3 different symposiums. I think I'll be enrolling in some of the more research type symposiums. I noticed one symposium on the Thursday about Mental Health though which involves learning Yoga, African Drumming and Creating Teddies though which I'm considering joining for the experience haha.

It seems like the conference is also a way for us to learn more of the social science/ethics/law/professional practice side of the course. I was surprised initially that the course didn't seem to have it throughout the year, but it seems like they're putting a lot of it into the conference week.

As I said before, the conference is assessed as pass/fail. According to the handbook, I'll have to do a 1000 word report on one of the keynote presentations. Hopefully it should be OK...

[update] One month until mid-August: USyd offers and GEMSAS interview offers

In about one month, it will be mid-August. That is when the USyd the main round of domestic medicine and dentistry offers are released, and when the GEMSAS/ACER interview offers will be released. Of course, I am hoping to get an offer at USyd, and I would be a bit disappointed if I didn't, but after all my first preference was always Melbourne. Either way, it will give me an indication of how much I must practice before the Melbourne interview which may turn up.

Anyway, semester two is just around the corner in a week an a half. Mid-August therefore lies in the fourth week of the semester, although if things are a bit early we may get the USyd offers and GEMSAS interview offers late in the third week.

That wasn't much of a break really. It was filled with interruptions due to interview practice and having to go to Sydney to interview. That said, it was an experience that I think was invaluable. On the other hand, if the break was too long, I might have become bored with not much to do, which has happened in the past.

Ah well. One and a half weeks to semester two, and about a month until USyd offers and GEMSAS interview offers, which hopefully will be a University of Melbourne one. After one and a half weeks, there's going to be study and interview practice ahead!

[update] Going to apply to USyd!

So today I just found out that the University of Sydney is conducting its medical school interviews on 4-8 July this year (intersemester/midyear break) instead of in the midsemester break of semester 2 like most unis (USyd pulled out of the ACER system this year and now require direct application). After my parents said they don't mind paying the extra cost, I decided it would be good interview practice to have before a Melbourne interview. Also, it opens up another option to study if I do get in.

Now I'm a bit nervous having an interview for medical school so early though! I only expected to have one interview this year, in the midsemester break of semester 2. Add to that, this interview is worth 50% instead of 33% for Melbourne! USyd seems to ask pretty tricky scenarios sometimes too, so I'll have to somehow work out good responses to them. But more practice can only be a good thing. If I get into USyd it will be quite a confidence boost, but if not, I know I'll have to work harder on interview skills before Melbourne's interview. Well, that was assuming offers come out before other unis' interviews, although the medicine offer date for USyd is yet to be decided.

It's been more than 10 years since I've been to Sydney. When I'm there I'll have to visit the Reserve Bank of Australia like my introductory macroeconomics lecturer told everyone to do, since he used to work there. That's the place which controls our interest rates in Australia, in order to control inflation (and to reduce output gaps in economic downturns).