On some days, the sun just seem to shine all day, everything goes on smoothly, everyone gets along fine, the world is at peace and the birds are perched on the tree outside my window humming their chippity tune. On other days, the Glaswegian rain pelts on torrentially, bringing along a horrible onslaught of biting cold winds, gloomy grey skies and brewing bad temperment. Yes, I for one, strongly believe that people's moods are influenced by the weather.
Bad weather --> potential Bad day?
I hate sounding all cynical and pessimistic there. But, realistically speaking, will the sun come out tomorow? It never fails to in Singapore (and freakin' hot for that matter), but over here in Glasgow, you can never tell. Sun here, Rain tomorow. And I never quite considered this possibility until I stepped foot from an aseasonal to another unpredictable seasonal continent.
I hate sounding all cynical and pessimistic there. But, realistically speaking, will the sun come out tomorow? It never fails to in Singapore (and freakin' hot for that matter), but over here in Glasgow, you can never tell. Sun here, Rain tomorow. And I never quite considered this possibility until I stepped foot from an aseasonal to another unpredictable seasonal continent.
I'm starting believe in the possible physiological connection between sunlight and mood that I even resorted to Light therapy, after a self diagnosis of Seasonal Affective Disorder. My pals thinks I'm nuts but I recently bought a LightBox online. Some peeps call it the ''Jesus Lamp'', because when you flick the switch on, the 10 000 Lux beam illuminates the whole room, that when you stand from outside, you practically see a white rim of glowing light emanating from the door's edges, its almost like God is speaking to me, so hence the nickname. I think I need the light box to keep me awake while I'm doing my work because I've been feeling increasingly lethargic nowadays. And my excessive sleepiness has been taking its toll on my studies --> which invariably affects my performance at my current General Practice attachment --> which affects my mood --> which affects my behaviour and actions towards others--> etc.....What a vicious cycle.
Its the end of the 3rd week of so far, so technically speaking, I'm supposed to have done what the criteria to-do list states of all medical students, that is i.e. written up 3 portfolio cases by now, interviwed at least 5 patients, performed several clinical examinations, taken bloods and given flu jabs etc....all of which I have not done. What additonally makes things not so great is that my GP practice thinks I'm a C-grader sleeping partying bum (unless I'm deluded). I can't blame them really, because I honestly do think that a whole 2 months of a brilliant chilled-out summer had successfully wiped out all remaining memories of exams and medical jargon. I have evolved into a Blogging.Under-studying.Medic and am trying my best to shake out of this slothful state.
I've stumbled a few times whenever my GP shoots me an obscure question like ''What moderate strength topical steroids are ideal for this erythematous lesion?''
She shoots me a unforgiving stern glare, then her face unexpectedly softens into a somewhat half-sincere smile, ''Its ok, I noticed that there is always a great difference between a 4th and 5th year student''
Grrr.......ok so, Dermatology isnt my forte, I'm glad that she knows it.
''So what do you do on weekends? Do you read your medical textbooks every night before you go to bed?'' Her questioning tone made me cringe, and I shook my head half-admittedly in shame.
She recently did my formative assessment form, and gave me Borderline pass for Knowledge after that first sit-in session with her. A monday morning, bad weather, and I got grilled left right centre about Dermatology, a specialty in which my previous 3rd year PBL curriculum skimmed over, covering only 3 PBLs on skin diseases. Suffice to say, I still know nuts about Dermatology, and it seriously ain't my fault that our sub-par educational system doesn't give us many clinical opportunities to diagnose abstract enigmatic skin lesions on the spot!
And I loooove my lunch time siestas. I can't live without my afternoon 10 minute naps. I need my 40 winks to revive me for the long arduous afternoon ahead. Yet somehow, the practice manager never fails to catch me snoozing off in the student library. Once she walked in on me, sleeping on a makeshift bed I had made out of 3 arm-chairs. She was amused, and cheekily asked, ''Ohhhhh Michelle, whats been keeping you up all night?''
She recently did my formative assessment form, and gave me Borderline pass for Knowledge after that first sit-in session with her. A monday morning, bad weather, and I got grilled left right centre about Dermatology, a specialty in which my previous 3rd year PBL curriculum skimmed over, covering only 3 PBLs on skin diseases. Suffice to say, I still know nuts about Dermatology, and it seriously ain't my fault that our sub-par educational system doesn't give us many clinical opportunities to diagnose abstract enigmatic skin lesions on the spot!
And I loooove my lunch time siestas. I can't live without my afternoon 10 minute naps. I need my 40 winks to revive me for the long arduous afternoon ahead. Yet somehow, the practice manager never fails to catch me snoozing off in the student library. Once she walked in on me, sleeping on a makeshift bed I had made out of 3 arm-chairs. She was amused, and cheekily asked, ''Ohhhhh Michelle, whats been keeping you up all night?''
Lunchtime at the cafeteria, I eagerly heat up my microwaveable teriyaki chicken noodles I bought the day before at M&S. My stomach grumbles and I'm seriously in need of some hot decent lunch. My GP walks from behind and surprises me, '' Ohhh Michelle...what have you got? Marks and Spencers I see....very nice...'' A harmless casual remark, subtly spoken with a hint of stinging sarcarsm.
Maybe I'm paranoid, but I have this strong hunch that she thinks I'm some rich, spoiled wild brat who goes out clubbing and partying at Viper on weekends, eats only from high-end Marks and Spencers and doesn't read give a damn about reading Oxford's medical textbook to bed every night. So thats why I sleep during lunch hours, appears blur and dazed in the mornings, and turn up 2 minutes late at the surgery and don't know the answers to every single question she fires at me.
Will she actually believe me if I told her that
I'm 2 minutes late because I sometimes can't run fast enough to catch the runaway train? Though I usually leave my house at friggin 8:15am on most mornings?
My weekends are usually busy with church and chinese school?
My life doesn't revolve around medicine...and I spend a great deal of my time listening to friend's (s) complicated problems in their complicated lives?
The last time I actually stepped into a club was 1 year ago?
I usually head to bed around 10pm on weekday nights?
I've been reading up on diseases I see in clinics?
I buy packaged lunch from M&S because I think its nutritious and I genuinely like it? Or how about the fact that I'm paying 18 5000 quid a year for my education? I don't mean to brag but I'm definetely not your typical ''poor uni student'' who lives off free booze and cheap instant meals. I'm frigggin chinese so I like to feed myself well. And if it means spending one pound more on a tasty healthy meal, I seriously don't mind.
I hope my GP doesn't throw another caustic remark at me because I will seriously turn my back around and aim a pool of projectile green vomit on her like what the possessed teenager in The Exorcist did. Grr...
Back to my books.
So................bad weather?
Will she actually believe me if I told her that
I'm 2 minutes late because I sometimes can't run fast enough to catch the runaway train? Though I usually leave my house at friggin 8:15am on most mornings?
My weekends are usually busy with church and chinese school?
My life doesn't revolve around medicine...and I spend a great deal of my time listening to friend's (s) complicated problems in their complicated lives?
The last time I actually stepped into a club was 1 year ago?
I usually head to bed around 10pm on weekday nights?
I've been reading up on diseases I see in clinics?
I buy packaged lunch from M&S because I think its nutritious and I genuinely like it? Or how about the fact that I'm paying 18 5000 quid a year for my education? I don't mean to brag but I'm definetely not your typical ''poor uni student'' who lives off free booze and cheap instant meals. I'm frigggin chinese so I like to feed myself well. And if it means spending one pound more on a tasty healthy meal, I seriously don't mind.
I hope my GP doesn't throw another caustic remark at me because I will seriously turn my back around and aim a pool of projectile green vomit on her like what the possessed teenager in The Exorcist did. Grr...
Back to my books.
So................bad weather?
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