An Exam to Remember: Comprehensive Exam

Comprehensive Exam

Long delayed post but this event was something I want to remember for the rest of my life. It was not life-death event but CE of my Vet school was the magic door for a vet student to proceed to the next level of life phase. I still remember, when I first came in, i heard a lot crazy-scary ‘tales’ of CE *i am the kepoh one, so thats why, i knew about all this stuff since the first year of vet school* from the seniors. Year after year, the CE became scarier, because I know that my time will definitely come.

Last year, I was in the library, my usual spot during final exam season, i became the observer to that year CE’s candidates. Some of them were really stressed up and some had no expression on their face. I am not sure that because of too scare or just had no feeling about the CE. Yes, i could understand because different people have different ways how to express their feeling. but the best part was when they got their result, oh my goodness, when they knew they were passed, it was like the happiest moment of life and they seems relieved. After that, you will see celebration after celebration’s photos were posted in facebook.

Well, that was the story of last year. My turn it is. Since beginning of the year few of friends (seniors) advised to do the revision earlier. I was like ok2, will do. But you know, in my dictionary early revision *at least after my diploma’s years* never exist. Of course some of my classmates *there are not kiasu, just being prepared* started VERY-VERY early. Sometime I felt, “damn it, what am I doing. Can’t you see other people already started with their revision for the BIGGEST and TOUGHEST exam of Vet school?” I will question myself but that only for like a minute or two, after that nah... “Its ok.. Still have time. No need to worry”... Hahahaha... That was how ignorant I am back then. Entering the second semester of the last year, I promised myself to start to do the past years questions because to some extent (especially for the MCQ part) it will help. Hahahaha.. but janji tinggal janji... I remembered I tried to arrange weekly revision with my housemates but throughout that whole semester I can count how many days i did the MCQ with them. Sorry housies, you know who you are.. J

Final semester of vet school was full of rotation except for Friday where we had revision class, career talk and also clinical conference. It was sometime quite tiring for some of us and by the time we reached our room/house the only thing in your mind was SLEEP. But sometime, I still can watch series or movies till late morning but not the revision. I really envy some of my friends that really can concentrate on their revision and start early. But I am happy with how I handle my life, get As in exam is not really that important.. Real life is more then just those As.

Before the C begins, all the final year students were given two weeks off for revision. Unfortunately for me, my last clinical conference was postponed to that week, so less more time were spent of my clinical case *another excuse not to study :p*. While other people already almost finish with their revision I just about to start to sort my notes (from 1^st year to 5^th year).. Well like usual, i spent my time in the library during the day.. By 9am I already in the faculty and time for my precious Teh Tarik (how I started off my day back then), by 9.30am in the library in front of computer browsing and reading stuffs on the sites. The notes were ready on the table but didn’t have the FEEL yet... hahaha. By 10.30am, time for another break for teh tarik, with a friend this time and last break was for lunch. Our library closed at 6pm but by 5.30-5.45pm they will start to switch off the lights so that our cue to leave. Well, the day is still early we went out for a nice dinner somewhere near the campus. That was our routine activities during our 2 weeks revision. Level of achievement erkkk... 5-10% (for me at least because my other friends *the-library-nerds* were born genius so of course they will achieve more than I did. I tried my ‘study smart’ skill for that CE. Honestly I barely touched my notes during that period of time, I read a lot of journals and other articles on the web and I found it very very useful for oral and essay part. And when you found good articles please do share with your other mates, no point you keep it to yourself.

I wasn’t worry about the MCQ part, because the answers were all there, just you know it or not. Focuses were more on essay and oral. For essay section there is tips and tricks to answer this part (approach your senior to know the tips and tricks). The hardest part of all 3 sections. I remembered i started with preclinical section and jump straight to clinical and lastly para-clinical. 6 essays (1 essay at least 2-3pages and some even reach up to 1book) in 3hours, was lucky to have good pens with me the other day and finish before the time.

For oral we had external examiner a pathologist from Cornell Uni Prof Gerald Duhamel for paraclinical and Prof Norm Williamson, an epidemiologist/Large animal from Massey University. Wow! But for my oral exam, I really thanked myself and all the wildlife practical/volunteers that i attended. Life-saver hahaha. I was one of the first to ‘officiate’ the oral examination with preclinical, familiar faces inside the room will not help much, some more when you were the first few and still don’t know whats the pattern like. After that i waited until the 4^th day for my next oral, just gave me more time to pack my stuffs *not to revise xP* Clinical, my FYP supervisor was inside with the external examiner. Even his expertise is large animal but do not underestimate him haha.. Big and small he will ask all. Crap out all that you learnt throughout the vet school especially clinical rotation. Some of the photo might be that clear, so spend some time to look at the photo properly. Last one was paraclinical section for me.. I was the first one to start, and the last one to end 2013’s CE oral exam. My favourite, because almost all were on wildlife diseases, Mr. Experience helped a lot and one question on hemagiosarcoma, lucky me because I just finished presented my clinical conference case on tumour. Bingo!

But can’t be too confident yet because we had to wait for 8.00pm for the result to be announced by the Dean of the Faculty. But why waste the precious time, after everybody’s finished we arranged a dinner for the class, a last gathering before everybody go and leave after the announcement. Everybody ate with their heart pumping fast. hahahaha the adrenaline rush. At 8pm, all of us were called into to conference room for the result. The result was announced in such way following the class name list according to sequence of your matric number and my name was like what, #64. Really hate the feeling of waiting, but surely my turn came and I PASSED!!!! Tears of joy came out hahahaha...  Thank you God, thank you family, thank you DVM2013, thank you teachers, and thank you everybody!!!!

Moral of the story, it’s not how much time you spend on revising, but it’s more about what you know. Quality over quantity. But don’t be too last minute like I did haha... I’m just one of those ignorant bastards. But different individual surely has different ways of doing things.

The end of my Vet school! Soon will be my graduation!

Self Reflection Year 5 Vet School

Never cross my mind when i was a small girl that i will end up in vet's world. I do like animals when i was younger and in fact i grew up with all kind of animals around. When i was in Primary school i wanted to be a teacher and army. And i secondary school i changed my mind, i didn't to be a teacher anymore coz i don't have the passion to be one. I like chemistry a lot and maths and i told myself that i really want chemical engineer as my dream job. Vet was not in my list at all. But, i end up with Diploma of Animal Health and Production, i was like errk!!! ''What the hell is this course all about??" Yeah, that 3years of animal production course taught me a lot.. I slowly developed interest into vet professionalism. Thats how my vet adventure started. And that was how i end up here today. Enrolled into vet school, was one of the best things happened in my life. I really love what i am doing now. When i first entered i did not really know whether i'm doing the right thing for myself or not. First year i had zero idea in which field i want to work with. In my second year, i think i found what area suit me the best. WILDLIFE, oh gosh! My first 'work' with wildlife was 1 week practical in Elephant Conservation Center of Kuala Gandah. I fall in love with those amazing creatures on my first day of work. And that marked my interest towards wildlife medicine. After i tried to get myself involved as much as possible. And now here i am, in the FINAL YEAR of my vet school. 4years had passed, and guess what, time flies real fast. To be honest, i can't wait to graduate from vet school and want to go out and work. But the other side of me, want to spend more time in vet school, coz i'm not sure whether or not i'm ready for the 'outside' world. This is the most crucial year of vet school and the toughest of all. So many things need to be handled and settled within this one year period of time. Hopefully the sems will be nice to me. But no matter how hard it is, i love to be here, i love what i'm doing, and i just love all part of it... Every single part of it.

The amazing Elephant!!! I'm in love

Demam Babi Klasik

Demam Babi Klasik is Classical Swine Fever or Hog Cholere disease of pig. Pig Medicine was the last paper for my final exam this year and thats marked the end of DVM year 4. Thats also mean, i'm no longer DVM4, I'm going to DVM 5 when i come back next semester. Time flies! 7 papers of the semester had been successfully answered (whether meet the standard or not i don't know) for the past two weeks. And honestly this semester is the 'most relax' final exam so far even the timetable was quite packed as compared to previous years. I woke up in the morning, went to the library to study (kononnya, PC monitor --> facebook, Euro updates, emails, etc) and by 5pm i will go back to college, had dinner, watch some episodes of drama and off to bed as early as 9-10pm. Thats how my 2weeks of exam was. At night i almost didn't study at all, thanx to the timetable coz all all my second week exams were in the afternoon. Besides revising for my finals, i also busy checking on seniors who were having their COMPREHENSIVE EXAM, the biggest exam of vet student's life and the most crucial one. By just looking at them make me nervous because at the same time next year will be MY TURN! Scary really. 


See now, i have more things to think of. My clinical conference cases, which most of my mates already have at least one. Me none still, and hopefully i will find one during this holiday when i'm going out for practical. Not only clinical conference, i have to start think of my Final Year Project topic.  Hahaha.. the thinking process can wait. I shall enjoy myself before i step up to DVM 5. I have to extended my stay in college as i need to settle my pathology attachment in the faculty. Hopefully this time around i will get to see cases as during my whole year of dvm 4 rotation, my group did not get any PM case. After that i'll be off to Indonesia for volunteer work at International Animal Rescue (Primates Rescue Center). I'll be attached there for 1 whole month of July and i'm getting excited now. Hopefully everything will go just fine. After one-month-get-away in Indonesia, i'll be back in Malaysia for another event by the faculty. For this particular program we will partner up in student from France and help them around with their project. So mine will be ruminant and will be covering Selangor and Negeri Sembilan. Again, whole new experience, to work with the French.

I'll update again later. Maybe just before i start to think of my clinical conference and FYP.

They Don't Judge You, So Why Jugde 'em?!

 In the '70s they blamed Dobermans,

in the '80s they blamed German Shepherds,

in the '90s they blamed Rottweilers. 

Now they blame the Pit Bull."

When are they going to blame the HUMANS!!!

                                                                                                                         

~ Cesar Millan (The Dog Whisperer)

They Don't Judge You, So Why Jugde 'em?!

** Photos courtesy of Google Image ;)

Something Stupid

Last week i received a Volunteer Guidelines from International Animal Rescue of Indonesia. I'm so excited about it so instead of revising for final exam i went through the 34-pages manual on things that i should and should not do before i register myself at the rescue center in 2weeks time. As part of the requirement for the volunteer before they can work with other people from around the globe we have to get vaccinated against certain diseases as recommended by WHO. As Malaysia is quite a 'unique' country by itself so we do not usually compulsory to get that certain vaccination. For example, Hepatitis A and B. I can't remember whether or not i got vaccinated against those two diseases. But again, if let say i want to get vaccination against Hep B, i have to get myself checked for antibody titre. So here the story begins *what a lengthy introduction, if this is exam answer script sure my lecturer will deduct my mark for the unnecessary introduction*. So I plan to get myself checked on the next day after my paper. I had my friend of mine dropped me at the University Health Center (PKU) located somewhere near the one of the colleges. Well i did not stay anyway near the colleges, as the vet students will be placed together with students from medical faculty in 17th College, about 15minutes bus away from the main campus. So in conclusion UPM is VERY BIG! So i went to get myself checked and i can only get the result after 4working days. So, it was time for me to go back as i got nothing else to do. I stepped out of the PKU building i saw one bus coming from the opposite way and stop just across the building when i am. I saw bunch of students rushing to get onto the bus, well normal phenomena in UPM, students cramped in a bus, a bit worst than 'tin sardin'. So, i ran towards the bus without even thinking and try to get on the bus myself and competing with the students and yay, i managed to get up even i can't secure a sit. But good enough, i'm in the bus and i do not have to wait any longer for another bus which i don't know what time the next one will be. I looked around, all look very young and fresh, so i told myself freshies kot. But who cares, but somehow some of them looked at me with weird look, who cares? I don't... I played with my phone as the bus started to move. After a few minutes of ride, i noticed that the bus took a different way, but i don't dare to ask anything because me myself do not have a very good sense of direction so i thought to myself maybe it just a different way that i don't know or its just the normal way that they usually used that i don't know 'cause that the first time i used their bus. So who cares? I don't, as long as I get to my destination. As the bus went further i started to panicked as the bus went towards the highway (pass by the UPM stadium) which mean really away from the main campus (see, my sense of direction is not that bad after all). Still i refused to ask other students in the bus, but there were still weird looks. SHIT! The first thing came out quite loud as the bus make the turn into the entrance of Ladang 16, where usually i go for my ruminant rotation. HOLY SHIT! What the hell is going on here! To calm myself, i still telling myself that maybe the driver just want to drop some student at the farm and then will get back to main campus after. Ain't that a stupid of thought?! The bus stopped inside the farm and half of the group get down the bus and half still sitting there. So, with all my gut i asked one of the girl;

''Dik, lepas ni bus ni pergi mane? - Sis, where will this bus go after this?''
''Tak pergi mane-mane. Sini je la. - No where else. It'll be here''
'' Eh, tak pergi main campus ke?" - Shouldn't this bus go to the main campus?"
" Takla, ni bus khas untuk kelas kitorang" - No, this is the special bus for my class.'


Shit! I got on the wrong bus!!!!!! And on a special BUS with a group of students that are 'classed' together except ME!!! That moment i think, most of my blood was pumped up to my face *my system must be confused with what's happening* I just can't explain how i felt that point of time. Interestingly, why on earth nobody is telling me that i'm on the wrong bus, and what am i the weird stranger doing on a class-trip-bus??? Why why why???? Why you no tell me? That was the biggest joke of my life as a student so far. EPIC! So i went to the driver and asked him whether or not he will go back to the college, where i got on the bus or the main campus anytime soon. He said he will not go anywhere and will wait for the student to finish. What time that will be, 5pm?? Then, what should i do there, wait weirdly at the farm, as i am their supervisor like that. Damn it, what should i do. 2minutes later, the driver told me that he wanted to go and refill petrol, so i told him to drop me at the farm entrance and i called a friend which is kind enough to help me to pick me up at the entrance. I'm so sorry to disturb your nap time Shaqie. I'm thinking of walking back to college, but come to think of it, its quite far and very hot, 3.45pm. Thanks to this friend of mine for willingly to pick the stupid-stranger from the farm entrance.

Well from the this map, the crescent sign is the PKU, where i did my Hep B screening and I supposed to take bus to somewhere near Faculty of Food Science and Technology (North of the map) before i can get a bus to my college but that lucky day i went to you see the round about at the bottom right of the map?, just 1-2minutes in front of it is the entrance to Ladang 16, that is where my "main campus' is.

What a stupid mistake. EPIC!!!!

On the Day of Seniors' Oral Examination

On the afternoon of seniors first day of examination, 

I always study in the faculty's library as i feel comfortable there or less because too comfortable i'll be sleeping already. So same for today, woke up early and off to library. Lunch hour, it's break time. Cafe i went. Took foods, and obviously the dishes were as usual, nothing new. Paid for it and sat down. A group of lecturers came for lunch as well and they sat next to me and one lecturer well decided to talk to me.... here's the details


Dr X : Alone? Where r the others?
Me: Yes Dr. The others studying in their room i guess.
Dr X: So, hows your oral exam? Boleh jawab?
Me: *Laugh* Saya belum lagi la Dr.
Dr X: Bila? Petang ni ke esok?
Me: I'm Year 4 still la Dr. Mine will be next year. XD
Dr X: Laa.. you're DVM 4 ke, i tot you're final year already.....
Me: Belum Dr, lagi setahun
Dr X: *Laugh* Kalau macam tu lama lagi lah...


Hahaha.... thats remind me that i only have another year left in vet school. Time flies, and really fast. 

Before the Season Finale

Guess what, today is FRIDAY, June 1, 2012. What so special about Friday 1st?? Nah, nothing special, and seriously nothing at all. But is a just another Friday of my life and which is also happened to be the last day of class of me being DVM 4. Yeap, put a side the study week, i just done with all the classes for DVM 4. If it is not a vet course, i surely celebrating it right now, but i'm a vet-to-be so i have to bear for another year. I'm pretty sure it'll be pretty fast and pretty stress as well. Meaning i'm exactly 1 year away from finishing or the starting point. Am i ready, hell no! I can't wait to finish but in the same time i'm not sure whether i'm up for it or not.
For example in a case of blood donation. To donate a blood i must go some check up first before i'm qualified. Its not like you go to the hospital and simply tell the Dr that you want to donate blood and he/she will take your blood without any examination. My blood parameters must first be checked, most of the time my hemoglobin level is quite low. So, as a consequence until now i still don't have a chance to donate blood because of the hemoglobin level. I tried so many times but i still unable to. What should i do, to enable me to donate blood in the future. I'm taking supplement and now my hemoglobin almost reach the normal value and hopefully by next year i will be able to give some of blood to be shared with others. See, life is not that easy also not that difficult. 

Once a teacher told me, if you want something, work for it. Do not wait for it to come to you, because it will never be. I hope by that time i'm ready for it, but even if i'm not i'll have to be.

This semester has been good to me, good on my definition, not others. Others definition of good might be totally different than mine. Good and bad things happened and i really learnt a lot from it. Get scolded is just a part and parcel of student's life and you will somehow get immune to it. And thats how we learnt, but i'm not saying that i want to be scolded at all time in order to learn something new. Sometime someone else has to push the button to wake us up.

Haish, tthe final exam is so near, yet i still here lying on my bed and lazying in front of my lappy. How am i going to enter the final year with this attitude. Hahaha, but who cares, this is how i carry myself. I'm happy with who I am.

Coming after the final exam, 11weeks holiday will come, which is not a holiday for me. My weeks is planned in such away that i will not have any break in between. Hopefully this will help me in becoming  a better vet in the future.

Week 1: Post Mortem Practical in the faculty
Week 2 - Week 5 : Volunteer Practical at International Animal Rescue Indonesia for a month
Week 6 - Week 10 : Malaysia -France Colaboration (Ruminant)
Week 11 : Small Animal Clinic Practical

Now, after looking at this i feel tired already. And i dont know what else to be written out here...