Hello all,

Fascinating thread.
I just have a question- where's the best place to buy medical textbooks around the kl/subang/sunway/pj area? The reason I ask is because I'll be going back for a short holiday before med starts, figured I'd save a wad of cash and buy books back there instead.
Thanks heaps

Thanks for that. Now to test whatever knowledge I have of KL roads again. They seem to morph everytime I go back.


Meanwhile, alot of you discuss the methods employed by the selection committee in determining who gets to do med. I don't know what the interviewing process is like elsewhere, but when I had to do mine, we had 8 mini one-on-one interviews (~10 min each) that aimed at uncovering different aspects of our character, thought processes, etc. The interviewer was not so much interested in your answers (there weren't right or wrong answers to the situations presented) as he was in HOW you come to each answer and WHY. It tested your observation skills, listening skills, communication skills, leadership skill as well as how well you presented an idea or an answer. Also, this made it fair for all the candidates as everyone was interviewed by the same interviewers and the results tallied. This is obviously a step forward from the good 'ol days of a panel of 2 or 3 interviewers asking "So why do you wanna become a doctor" and the student happily replying "I've known since I was born that I wanted to be an oncology radiologist".

Which brings me to my next point- What about the students themselves? How do they decide they want to do medicine? I think it's safe to say most med students agree that med school was nothing like they imagined, and nobody could've prepared them for it. I believe the merits of even the best selection committee is lost on unprepared students who don't understand what a huge commitment medicine actually is. Which brings me to my last point- there isn't enough information for wannabe med students out there. To educate them on their choices, I think, would mean to see a reduction in applications, and thus better 'performance' from a selection process and ultimately, fewer dropouts.

After all, you can't just wake up one day 3 years later and realise you don't like what you're doing. You come away with nothing.

oh WHAT? ah crap. I can get in trouble here for using pirated books. I'll be having a look anyhoos. Thanks heaps

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Added on March 25, 2008, 10:21 amYup they're pretty similar. The curriculum itself is almost the same, since unis that just opened a medical faculty essentially 'buy' the curriculum off other more established unis. Also I've got friends doing their clinical rotations with students from other unis and they're pretty much on par with each other.

(I'm in Queensland, Australia)

This post has been edited by lagrima: Mar 25 2008, 10:23 AM

Nah I'm not from IMU. I'm postgrad (did a previous science related honours degree here), but I'm enrolled in an undergrad med degree.
Queensland has both undergrad and postgrad entry, depending on the uni.

jcwhat?

Yeah I had an issue with that too when I was accepting my offer here. Nobody actually told me they'll be demanding a FULL YEAR's tuition fee together with your response to offer form to confirm your enrolment. Mind you I had all of two weeks to come up with the cash, and had issues even explaining to them that I'd need more time since it involved transferring large amounts of cash from Msia. It all worked out for the best in the end. Just a heads up to those applying anywhere private, always ask beforehand so you can make the necessary arrangements.

In other news, thanks guys for telling me about Kamal's bookstore, I saved alot of money, and the place seemed pretty legit too. They had everything, including the obligatory drunk man sprawled on the sidewalk in front of the coffeeshop next door. I'll be going back there to get more stuff, since all my baggage allowance was taken up by books on the flight back.
All the money I saved has since been put to better use. Like nice shoes. LoL

wonderful, thanks for asking. its very, very cozy.

Really? That's surprising, considering they recognize degrees from dodgy sources overseas, you would think they'd recognize a course where only 80 students are accepted per intake with personalised teaching, and access to some of the best facilities and lecturers in the field. On the one hand it's cool that I get one-on-one time with anybody I want, from the admin people right up to the dean, on the other hand it sucks that I can't skip lectures. Grrr.

No, I wasn't paid for all the above. Just had to do right by my alma mater. Haha.

Anyways I won't be going back to Msia anytime soon. Family's here and I love this place.

Bond in Australia

spare me the James Bond jokes too

well there's griffith as well. bond does it with more semesters in a year, unlike other unis that have crazy 2 or 3 month breaks we get about 3 weeks in between sems. i finished a previous degree, incl. honours, in 3 yrs. contrary to popular belief, it doesnt feel that hectic or intensive at all.

man, i should get paid for this.

what do you do, limeuu?

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Added on April 24, 2008, 6:57 ami've got another question for you guys-
when you accepted your offer for a place, did the uni give you a whole stack of forms to fill? Mostly regarding immunization schedules, to be filled in by your GP? Criminal health checks? Privacy act agreements? Anything of the sort?

This post has been edited by lagrima: Apr 24 2008, 06:57 AM

Yup my bad, it's postgrad, but it's got provisional entry or something of the sort for school leavers.

This post has been edited by lagrima: Apr 24 2008, 03:06 PM

speaking of which, i've always wondered how school leavers (essentially 17-18 yr olds) manage studying medicine. I mean take Bond for example, because it takes slightly over 4 years, they graduate as doctors at 22 or 23. 23! Dyou think that's a lil young? I do. I look at some of them and wish all med programmes were postgrad.

true, but what about admitting someone that young? considering how tough studying medicine can get, and how long it actually takes, i wonder how 17 year olds make such a huge decision, at that age. i mean seriously, 4 years down the line you change your mind and go 'ah crap, i really don't think i wanna be a doctor', you drop out and you're... nowhere?

i suppose that's where the interviews come in? i've described the very different interview process at my uni some posts back, where they try to level the playing field by eliminating bias and adopting a method that investigates the thought processes of the candidate, as opposed to the usual "why do you wanna be a doctor" questions. to an extent that reveals how much of an informed decision the candidate made when they applied for the course in the first place. they ask questions about future plans and possible challenges WHEN you're a doctor but what about challenges faced during the process of becoming one? and like you said limeuu, no full independence upon graduation, so essentially its another 4-10 years on top of the 6 or however many years they spend at uni.

at 23 or whatever age- do they know that it gets tougher? that graduating doesn't mean it's over and you can settle in comfortably in a job?

most importantly, do they realise that all social gatherings from here on end will involve lots of champagne and conversations beginning with "oh doctor? i have this pain/ache/lesion/ulcer/discharge...."

any 20 yr old third years with regrets out there?

p.s: limeuu- you wouldn't happen to be single and cute.. ?

i rest my case?





This post has been edited by lagrima: Apr 25 2008, 03:03 PM

hang in there dude, we all know what the waiting game's like. dyou have a backup plan?

*refrains from making nursing jokes*

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Added on April 26, 2008, 10:11 amnaw. i swing for the other team, if you catch my drift. the dating a doctor thing is just a front. i have one here, figured i'd need one back there for my family in msia

This post has been edited by lagrima: Apr 26 2008, 10:11 AM

I didn't give a $%#@ about spm. I never liked school to begin with. Pre-U was a different issue though, that was fun; I loved it and excelled.

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Added on April 27, 2008, 1:46 pmYes, aren't doctors hot. mmm.



This post has been edited by lagrima: Apr 27 2008, 01:46 PM

ohmygod. nobody told me that. what's going down and why??

*contemplating dropping out. wonder if uni gives refunds*

oh so i'll only get proposals from men who are confident and successful and want an ambitious woman who's doing well in life in return??


perfect.


having said that, i completely disagree with you. maybe its true there in msia, but what i've seen at uni and around here, not true.