Mistrusting the GP – DM screening

[warning - long entry]
Prior to studying medicine, J. had an incredible respect for General Practitioners (GPs). It was partly this respect he felt that physicians had that led him to do medicine. However, during this course, while rotating among the various subspecialties, he realised that many GPs were masking their inadequancies and/or were simply not [...]

Surgery SIP at NUH: Upper GI

6 weeks after the Medicine Student Internship Programme (SIP) at SGH, J. went to National University Hospital (NUH) for one month of Surgery SIP with the Surgery Department, split into 2 chunks of two-weeks duration. The first two weeks he’s spending with the Upper GI (Gastrointestinal) team, the second two weeks will be with the [...]

Coffee Culture at Coffee Bean (Guthrie House)

Having experienced Starbucks at Holland Village, J. thought he’d try a different place such as The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf at Sixth Avenue, conveniently located next to Cold Storage and Venezia.
J. ordered a double shot espresso (S$4.00).

A single shot costs $3.20 and J. figured he shouldn’t fall asleep during a subsequent dance performance he [...]

Variant Medstudentitis re: Ergotrid Acne Vulgaris

Ergotrid – Area of skin between upper lip and nose
Acne vulgaris – commonly called “pimple”,
Medstudentitis – The mild hyponchondriasis of medical students who (with little to no grounds) believe they have signs/ symptoms of illness, usually whatever they happen to have just recently studied.
Variant medstudentitis – newly coined by J., and not accepted anywhere [...]

HCI Mid-Autumn Festival 2007 – A brief note

The institution formerly known as Hwa Chong Junior College held its annual Mid-Autumn Festival (MAF) celebration on the 15th September 2007. As an alumnus of the school, it’s a reason and an excuse for J. to return to his alma mater and visit the doctors.
Of course, being several years removed from the school, J. didn’t [...]

Fourplay – Quadfac Bash

A tradition to hold a bash bringing together the three healthcare faculties – Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy – continues with the addition of a new faculty, the faculty of Nursing. This year’s bash named Fourplay (bringing to J.’s mind the Burn The Floor show Floorplay) was held at the Ministry of Sound (MOS) on the [...]

Clinical Years – The Toughest Posting is NOT O&G

It is undoubtedly Paediatrics, the branch of medicine concerned with neonates (<1 month), infants (<1 year), children (pre-pubertal) and adolescents (post-pubertal to the age of 18).
There’s a prevalent rumour going around that Obstetrics & Gynaecology is the toughest posting – with its combination of multiple 7.30am Q&A sessions (each of which contribute to the final [...]

3rd Annual SMEC

The 3rd Annual Student Medical Education Conference (SMEC) was held on the 7th September 2007 at the Clinical Research Centre, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (YLL SoM, NUS), attendence being compulsory for the 2007-2008 batch of M1s.
J. was a facilitator for the group discussion. All 5 case scenarios were fairly [...]

First Time Blood Donation at NUH

It was J.’s first blood donation. Being in school and having heard good things about the staff at the Blood Donation Centre at NUH (located near the main building’s shuttle bus stop), he decided to drop by in the middle of studying for paediatrics.
Superstitious as Singaporeans are, during the lunar 7th month’s Hungry Ghost Festival, [...]

Official Medical Library Farewell

This is NOT the little gathering on the rooftop some M5s had in April.
Before starting, let’s have a totally unrelated quote. Absolutely no link to one keg of golden ale and one of pilsner beer from Brewerkz, passed through a cooling container delivering cold refreshing alcohol drinks in plastic, transparent cups with the name of [...]