I found out yesterday that I got accepted to my Surgery rotation in Brunei! The University of Queensland has a clinical school out in Brunei, whereby a small number of selected students can do complete core rotations there. The rotations that can be carried out are: General Practice, Surgery, Medicine, Paediatrics, and Obstetrics & Gynaecology (the latter two can be done in 4th year).
This year my Surgery rotation will be from October 1st - November 23rd. Because of Ramadan, I will be going to Brunei two weeks after the onset of the rotation. The selected students that are going were told that during Ramadan there would be very limited exposure and things for us to do. So, the School of Medicine and the RIPAS (one of the two major hospitals in Brunei) have agreed for us to do the first two weeks in Brisbane and the last 6 in Brunei.
In years prior, students didn't always know the others that went. However, this year, some of my closest friends are going to Brunei with me! Pat, Lou, and Anna (three superstar girls from my study group last year) and two blokes - Matt and Cohen will be going as well! There are a few others that are going that I don't know but this will be an awesome time to get to know them.
There are plans in place to do some travelling after the rotation is finished. Knowing full well that I doubt that I would be in the region again, I would love to see the rest of Borneo, and maybe perhaps take a trip to Myanmar. I know that some people (you know who you are) are also interested. I reckon that for the time being it is too early to tell what the plans will be; here's to hoping for some interesting ones.
Apart from Brunei, things in Brisbane have been going well. The Mental Health rotation has been pretty cruisy in terms of the number of hours we are present on the wards (as compared to the hectic hours of those on Surgery and Medicine rotations). However, the stories and voices that I've heard from the patients have been bizarre and incredible. In fact, I've even had a little cry after a couple of patients - to hear such sorrow and abuse was mind blowing.
I can't believe that almost the 3rd week (out of 8) has almost passed. Only 5 more weeks till our exams. I can recall from last year that 5 weeks prior to the exam, I was already into the books like a fat kid on kit kat.
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Don't go to Myanmar. Seriously don't. I'm not saying that for you, I am saying it because Aung San Suu Kii requests that Western tourists shouldn't come to Burma - tourism fuels the military there ... except Westerners think its 'adventurous' and 'kitchy' to go to Myanmar. That's why alot of human rights people protested Lonely Planet - because they put a travel guide to Myanmar on the market. Bono and I would be very disappointed if you went to Myanmar. But Brunei, have a great time!
oh, sorry Veevs, I am finding alot of things to complain about in your entry today. but I also should mention - as a former 'fat kid' I hated the stereotype that made people think that I overindulged in food (ie: kitkats). In fact, with my friends would all eat the same stuff ... but I would be the only one that would gain weight ... and then I would be so so so shy to eat in public, because I assumed that people would be thinking that I was overeating or 'pigging out' it was horrible.
Hey Anita,
As for the trip to Myanmar, I have had a friend do it on a social conscious. What does that mean? It means that the travelling that they did didn't support the current government. In fact, all the places that they frequented were by the opposition. Besides, I doubt that I will have time at the end of the year to go to Burma, especially considering that I need to be in Calgary around the 1st week of December.
More importantly, I do apologise for the fat kid reference. I used to a be a large kid myself (well, larger than all my cousins). I will refrain from making those sorts of comments even though I am only making statements of previous personal experiences.
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