Filling in the gap

I am slightly ashamed at the length of time that has passed since my last post. Just a little over two months ago I received my offer from Warwick. I have just gotten use to the fact that I will be a doctor one day, though I still glow a bit inside when I think about it. There have been a couple of things going on since my last post namely exams and starting my project.

So exams… Throughout April I closeted myself in the library and tried to inhale as much information about the brain and nerves as possible. On the whole it worked out pretty well and the exams went smoothly a good test of knowledge acquired over the year. All except Module 3: Neurology in Clinical Practice… Seriously, it was like being trained as a chef and then being sent into war, armed only with a spatula and wooden spoon. The whole exam was an exercise is imagination, creative writing and cruelty. I think the thought behind it was to make it challenging for everyone… including the doctors, some of whom have already specialised in neurology! Why not just fulfil the purpose of a test and examine taught knowledge. Honest to God, one of the questions asked was ‘who was the founder of the university?’ Really you have me here learning about localisation, pharmacology and electrophysiology and ask me foolishness like that! The answer wasn’t even Google-able (believe me, I searched). Even the doctors, had to call upon years of training to get through the exam. At one point I had to use information gathered from a novel I once read in Year 8 to answer a question about delirium because not at any one point had we covered the topic. Well as you can imagine there was a mini uproar, in the end and the programme leader tried to assure us that the matter would be “looked into” and if there was a “general trend” the marking would be adjusted accordingly. We just have to wait and see.

Exams ended rather well, all things considered, and we immediately started our projects. This time around I am doing a lab project, which I was very keen to do. In my 3^rd year I did a history project; a case study that looked at the relationship between the government and forensic psychiatry. It was very interesting but not very investigative and I felt I missed out on experiencing real scientific research. So now I am in the lab looking after cells, running western blots and generally being clever. That’s the thing about working in the lab, it can make you feel like you know things, even though when it comes down to it you are just following steps and producing pretty pictures. It can be hard work though and slightly soul-destroying when your blots come out a smudged mess, but it is mostly really satisfying.

Oh! Most importantly my Warwick offer is now unconditional! So there should be no surprises come September. My DBS (aka CRB) certificate is complete and even student finance seems to be functioning properly. So I am slowly getting more and more prepared for Warwick this autumn. We have the offer day in just over two weeks and I am soo excited, it feels more and more real with each day. Just need to sort out accommodation and I really will be ready!