Thursday, October 17, 2013

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 1st year to 5th 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 4th 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!