LAST PBL!

Today marks the last day that i will ever have to do PBL (problem based learning)
pre-clinical years are FINALLY up!
(and hopefully i wun have to repeat yr 3 again)

Medical school was in a flurry; people taking photos of each other, lots of hugs, drinks, food, saying our goodbyes to PBL tutors and stuff. the whiteboards, instead of being filled with cool mechanisms and details of diseases, were stuffed full of silly drawings and bets to when priya (poor girl, was caught in a car accident) would arrive for PBL today.

Priya arrived at 9.27, the winner went to Allison (she betted 9.29), and she's the girl who bakes yummy muffins and is capable of making a mean fat yummy chocolate cheese cake. I will remember her by the cute tub of vanilla yoghurt that she must have, followed by the cup of green tea that sits by her side, smelling ever so fragrant and exotic.

Danny, the guy who LOVES to scribe on the board. he is terribly enthusiastic about learning and is highly motivated. He makes yummy ham and cheese croissants and he cracks funny jokes and brings us off tangent all the time. Jim the tutor will always go "Danny, you had your restless moment already.."

Laura is the quiet one with a pretty face. she is sweet and smart, but abit blur at times. Plus, her handwriting is unique and neat - makes it such a pleasure to read the notes when she is the notetaker.

Clara is the one who wears pretty clothes to school all the time. She is a fellow Cresentian! *whistles* She is also terribly smart, and contributes both food for the brains (wisdom) and food for the soul (muffins and cakes)

Andrew sits by the side, always listening attentively and absorbing knowledge like a sponge. he is really into rural health and all, being in the rural society. and he turned up for PBL today high from champnage, which made him alot more comical than usual.

Priya, although sometimes turning up late, is soft spoken and funny. she told us she had polio as a kid. and in turn, we taught her how she could catch the free bus to uni and actually arrive on time. she normally walks 30mins to uni - not a smart move when you are running late.

and of course, there is Alex(andra) who caught glandular fever 2 weeks back. she was pale, with enlarged spleen and lymph nodes. she lives on a farm an hour's drive out of the city, but she mostly hates the animals. Her sister was premature, her mother has pancreatitis and her friend is undergoing chemotherapy. (cases we did this semester) Empathy is her forte - she's a queen at being the 'compassionate and kind doctor everyone wants to see'

oh! how could i forget Victor, the one i fight with all the time. He always try to outdo me; come up with a better mechanism, research on more topics, read more widely. It's hilarious how our tutor asked us 3 weeks into the semester, "daphne, are you close to victor?".. We blushed and our group members spent a good minute laughing. of course he is good member, he lends me notes when i don't do my work, and he confirms any doubts that i have. haha

Last but not least, there is Jim.
A tutor who is like a father figure, who insist on knowing our learning strategies, our living circumstances and what we like to do in our leisure time.
He is also environmentally friendly - he walks to uni! He enjoys our jokes and silly conversations, and he is a positive contributor all the time, bringing into the group the years of experience that he has got.

So guys, there you go. My pbl group in a nutshell. *tear drop*
Probably one of the best group that I ever have, and might ever will have.

I make it sound a little like a 'graduation'. Maybe it is.

Somehow or another, 3 years of med school has flown by.
Friendships were forged, alcohol was drunk, homemade cakes and food were baked and eaten, PBL was not done (until the last minute before the exams) and coffee kept us awake through it all. to witness the pleasure, pain and horror of being in medicine.