Neuro Motorist!

Today I passed my practical driving test! 

Considering that I arrived from the US a week ago where I did absolutely no driving and became quite accustomed to the wrong side of the road, I am astounded. Added to the fact that it was my first test I am in a state of disbelief, and if I’m honest a bit unprepared for the implications a full drivers license holds.

Now I know it is not uncommon to pass first time, but I am what you may call a ‘(unnecessarily) safe’ or ‘(overly) cautious’ driver so I was not expecting to pass due to either excessive hesitancy or frustrating the hell of the other motorists, especially as I hadn’t had long to practise. To be honest I got extremely lucky with my examiner, test route and day, which were friendly, easy and dry respectively. But when I heard him say "Well you have passed..." I felt manic laughter well up inside me at the pitiful joke he was trying to deliver. I managed to swallow my insanity long enough to confirm I had indeed been granted the right to drive unaccompanied on public roads... Alone.

All in all I passed with only 5 minors, which included driving too slowly beside cyclists (because I didn’t want to alarm them!) while overtaking. I am now facing the reality that I can be unleashed on my own, in a motorised vehicle, amongst other unsuspecting road users. Well, I just need to get a set of P plates, which I will most likely be using for the next 5 years, you know, while I gain confidence and the such.

Vacation

“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveller only who is foreign.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

I am almost certain I am the only one reading this blog; so I won’t make too many apologies for the long absence. The reason for the hiatus is simple: NeuroMedic was in Boston! Throughout the month of August I visited my brother, who has just moved out there for work. So instead of a holiday I was in actual fact there to be his unpaid PA/maid/cook. However, I did all the things expected from a tourist: Harvard Yard, Duck tours, Faneuil Hall etc. as well as furnished a flat and establish a working household (you’re welcome, bro).

Due to the fact that my brother was working Monday to Friday I had to acclimatise myself very quickly to the city. Fortunately it is very well connected and easy to get around so I was able to navigate and entertain myself during the day. Needless to say by the end of the month I was very much at home, which made arriving back in London quite strange. It put me in mind of the quote above, there really are no foreign lands, which is made all the more apparent when you have to acclimatised to your own home. It did not take too long though once I had gotten over my jet lag I was able to appreciate the wonders of London: driving on the left, gloriously unpleasant faces and of course the correct usage / horrifying abuse of the English language.

Quick word of advice: Do Not under any circumstances connect within the US without at least 3 ½ hours, especially with Delta, it’s a bloody joke and you will miss you’re flight (and may cry). If the only alternative is to ride a donkey to your destination then you may want to consider a non-direct Delta flight. However, be warned: They will lull you into a false sense of security with a painless and pleasant first leg then frustrate the you with incompetent and insultingly slow staff and flights that are cancelled and rescheduled for different terminals of their bloody airport (obviously I have yet to get over my bitterness).

Well it is now September; I am back in the UK and about to embark on a master’s degree. The summer is over and I am preparing to go back into education with I am actually very excited about. The next few weeks are going to be full of DBS checks, occupational health checks and forms… Well, maybe not that excited.

Reflections on rejections

“There's nothing like rejection to make you do an inventory of yourself.” – James Lee Burke

It is a gulling feeling to be told you are just not good enough. To have the door to your dream closed once again. However, it also is a fortifying time where you revaluate your choices and discover more about your motives and what you want out of life.

This will be my forth time applying to medical school. The first of course was in year 13; I was very under prepared and quite unsurprisingly rejected. The second time was at the last year of my neuroscience degree, I was at a better place in terms of maturity and had a clearer picture of where I needed to be. I made it to interviews, but nerves got the better of me and I was again rejected. The third attempt I was determined not to let my nerves or anything else get into my way, unfortunately my focus was more on the interview process than my UKCAT and I got a considerably lower score than I had the previous year, I was rejected before interviews, leaving me with yet another ‘gap’ year.

The part that most upsets/annoys me is the wasted time. There is nothing worse than doing something you know you have no business doing for a prolong amount of time without a clear picture of where you are going to be. The uncertainty and fogginess of the situation is by far the hardest part. I know I will become a doctor. It is just a matter of when. I can’t in all honesty continue on in limbo for many more years. It is ridiculous.

Which is why I'm so glad I'm doing my MSc. Instead of having another year of mind numbing employment, I should enrich my mind and train myself for a lifelong study. So I have decided to view the latest round of rejection as an opportunity to invest in my future and bolster my future prospects.

Neuro Medic

I would never regret the three years I took to do my BSc Neuroscience it was by far one of the most important things I have done thus far. It taught me so much about the area I want to spend the rest of my life in. It also didn’t hurt that I had three years to enjoy the joys of university life at one of the best student universities in the UK. However, it cemented the fact that medicine is for me.

Alas, it seems medicine has not received the memo.

So I am going on to do an MSc in Clinical Neuroscience, after a year out of education I am so happy just to be a student once more. Alongside my masters I will also be tackling UCAS and medical applications for the fourth (Yep, that’s right: the number 4!) time.

The decision to go back into study was not made lightly (£9000 is no joke). However, it is the best option for me as my main aspiration is to become a neurologist, hence this blog’s nifty name. This MSc bridges the gap between lab based sciences and medicine, and means I have the right foundation for further research.

Right that just leaves one more little thing to do: Get into medical school…

You know what they say: 4^th time’s a charm!