Year 3 - a reflection

Tomorrow will be the first day of Year 4 official learning day. Two days of briefing last week gave me some idea of what to expect in this year 4 (damn, I'm actually into the fourth year being a medical student). It feels more challenging in terms of the amount work you have to do than Year 3 and it demands a more mature 'me'. It therefore creates an opportunity for me to reflect on Year 3.

I must say in the first two years of being a medical student, I lack the clear focus, which I then regained in third year. After learning it through the hard way in second year, I improved my approach in studying medicine. However, it took a great amount of time for me to improvise and tailor it into my own style, and hopefully this will improve in Year 4.

First, I would need to improve on my prioritisation skills. I love to do a lot things, other than doing medicine. However, I sometimes made unfair compromise to many things and ended up losing the grip for all the things that I want to in life. I need to learn how prioritise things - 'being effecient is knowing how to do thing wells; being effective is knowing well when things should be done'. That said, this would include procratination. If that superseeds above all, then my priority in life is not right, and that creates a lot unnecessary strains on myself.

Second, I must be able to see to bigger picture more frequently. Last academic year, I was frequently commented by my consultants in all (but one) of my firms that I lack this ability. I lack the skill of thinking of situations hollistically, and I instead just vomit out (silly) answers as soon as the issue is posed towards me. Most of the time, I got the answers wrong, or partially correct. I should have realised by now that medicine is about breadth first, then details. I should be able to categorise 'causes of chest pain' rather than just regurgitating the answers. Besides that, if only I see the big picture of the clubs and societies that I joined, I believed that I could do so much more for the organisations.

Third, explore life more. Get involved with the community more, go traveling, form stronger bonds with friends, not settling for mere monotonocity and do a lot more. Makes life more interesting when you have a lot of interests.

God willing, if I can learn to master these skills, I would grow more.