UPDATES ON KKB

Well, it's about time I update my experiences in KKB... But there's juz so much to say, I dunno where to start! So let me try to divide them into points...

1. KKB is a surprisingly cool (small) town
From the way the seniors describe KKB, I was expecting something really ulu and underdeveloped, with the houses in a really dilapidated state and all. I couldn't have been more wrong. It turns out that KKB is actually quite a charming town, and like the chinese proverb 麻雀虽小,五脏齐全 (Although sparrows are small, they are complete with all five senses), the shops around the area are rather well-stocked too, making life very convenient for us all. I guess we shouldn't believe everything the seniors sez after all... Heehee... But there's 1 thing that they've said that's really true: The enviroment there is not very inducive for studies... It felt too much like a vacation! Lol.

2. Medicine is learned by the bedside and not in the classroom (Sir William Osler)
I've been briefed that this KKB trip will be really educational to us, but I nv thought it's so effective... I love everything about bedside teaching, espeacially the case presenting part... It's really interesting to know wat diseases the patients are suffering from and what has been done to treat them, as well as their family background and personal history. But I guess I have to practise more on my social skills though... I dun really built rapport well with the patients I have!

3. Effective communication is vital in medical practice
One of the best way to build rapport with the patient is to speak the language or dialect he or she knows best. I'm having quite a lot of problems in my history taking bcuz I can't speak BM fluently, and I know won't do much better if the patients only speaks Cantonese either. Seeing Dr. Lim conversing effortlessly in Tamil was quite a sight. About time to learn some dialects and maybe other languages as well Thom! ;)

4. There's still a lot that I've yet to know...
Which is why I have to stop blogging now and finally start my long overdued studies. Can't believe that EOS 3 is juz about 20 weeks ahead! Yikes!