planningthemedlife

[planningthemedlife]

WELCOME BACK!

So... it's been a while hey?

Oh god, I look back on my page and it brings me so much joy to see how studious, passionate and hard-working I used to be. Having this blog, and having all of you to create posts for, really kept me on track with my goals and my motivation. I want to firstly just come out and let everyone know how grateful I am for this page and this folllowing, and that you are the reason I was able to stay on track with uni all those years ago.

I know it's been a hot second, and I promise to update you all on what's been happening soon. But for now, the jist of things are that I am currently approaching the end of my third year of medicine and I am working hard towards finishing some upcoming assignments and starting to study for my end-of-year exams.

If you are still interested in my studying journey, and are keen to see some more of what I've been up to - then welcome back! And if you are new here, hello! This community has always been so welcoming and kind, and I love seeing everyone succeed and progress together towards each of our goals. I hope I can upkeep my own part in all this, and hopefully provide some inspiration to a few of you here :)

Have a good day, and keep an eye out for more posts from me!

[planningthemedlife]

I started a YT channel, please go have a look at my first video! I’m sorry if I am really bad at filming and editing, I hope to learn more as I progress, and hopefully achieve better quality videos by the end of the year :) The focus of my new youtube channel is to do DITLs, Study with Me videos, study-related videos, medical student videos, etc...so if you are interested in that sort of stuff, please consider subscribing! Thank you so much guys :D

[planningthemedlife]

Hey friends I haven't posted in so long! It's been a really busy couple of months, and right now, I'm in the middle of studying for a pharmacology mid-sem exam. I feel a bit nervous, but I've been caught up with so much work recently, that I feel so unmotivated...ahh it happens to the best of us, I guess I just need to push through!

Anyways, it's great to be back :)

[planningthemedlife]

when you’re stressed and anxious and you have exams to study for and essays to write, it’s really hard to see all the good. this week I’ve been forcing myself to journal either my intentions for the day in the morning or what I’m proud of/grateful for in the afternoon. I take this time to be with myself no matter how many tasks I have to get done that day, because ultimately, I think we all could use a little more love, light, and positivity.

if you haven’t already done so today, go for a walk outside. dance around to your favorite songs. journal. get coffee at a place you’ve never been to before. cut off your hair. make someone laugh. and then, go back to studying and doing what you have to do. just make sure you do one thing today that defeats the idea that life has to be a chore. one bad day does not equal a bad life.

[planningthemedlife]

Day 7/50 《18/04/2019》

Been super busy with exams and assignments, but I've also been spending an unhealthy amount of time on Netflix 😬

I've discovered a k-drama called Sky Castle which has taken over my studying, and I have been procrastinating a lot over the past couple of days.

Mid-sem break starts soon, and I am planning on using the week to catch up on all my skipped lectures and tutorials, and so I got started with some of it today. I finished writing up notes for an entire module for one of my courses, so as a treat, I'm going to go buy some new stationery 😍

Thanks for reading friends, I hope you have a great day ♡

[planningthemedlife]

Day 1/50 《12/04/19》

Restarting my productivity challenge *whoo whoo*!

So as some of you have probably noticed, I have been incredibly inactive on Tumblr. I've had a rough few weeks, and it's led to a gradual loss of motivation, both for school/studying and just generally in life.

I've been picking myself up slowly over the past few days, and I've got mid-terms coming up, so I'm pretty much always in the library anyways, so I thought I would jump back on Tumblr and restart my productivity challenge.

100 days is a bit much for me (seeing as how sudden I can fall into a depressive hole), so I thought I would halve it and aim for 50 days! :)

Today, I came to the library bright and early, there were probably 5 people in the entire library when I arrived, and I'm planning on staying late. I've got an exam tomorrow, so I need to make sure I get a good night's rest, but until then, I'll be grinding ~

[planningthemedlife]

the medical students'network

I haven’t seen an active network for medical students (and pre-meds) internationally, so I decided to create one!

What is the network for?

The medical students’ network is a place for students of medicine worldwide – to support each other, to share tips, to discuss and to grow as future professionals. Having a good supporting network is one of the most crucial steps in improving your university experience, especially in a subject as stressful and demanding as Medicine. It can also work as an additional factor of motivation! 

How do we communicate? 

Through Discord or another instant communication platform, a poll regarding that is included in the membership application. We will also have a separate blog/website for the network. 

Who can apply?

Anyone who is currently studying medicine or on the so-called “pre-med” track. All nationalities are welcome, seeing medical education from an international perspective is so interesting.

Where can I apply?

You can find the application form here.

Application are open until the 5th of April.

Good luck, I’m very excited about this!!

[planningthemedlife]

02/03/2019         Day 7/100

Started the day off really late (I woke up around 10am), but hit the grind after a few minutes on Tumblr surrounded by heaps of motivational studyblr posts. There was a small assignment I had to complete, which I had been dreading, but I managed to slug it out and ended up completing it 3 days before the due date! I went to uni in the afternoon to print out some anatomy notes and spent the rest of the day doing some anatomy revision (I know, revision already in the first week!). Anatomy is a subject in which we learn so much content each lecture, and during each lab, and so I’ve decided that every weekend, I’m going to take out some time to revise that week’s content, and to make some revision flashcard for future use. That way, I’ll be keeping up with the course, whilst getting a head start on my revision :) 

03/03/2019         Day 8/100

Did HEAPS of anatomy revision. I used resources such as CrashCourse, Anatomy lectures on Youtube, Textbook images, and Anki to study Osteology and Arthrology (including the Skull) and I’m pretty happy with what I’ve managed to learn today. I pretty much spent the entire afternoon making notes on paper for anatomy (mostly spending time on drawing anatomical features...I suck at drawing so...) Anyways, I enjoyed today’s study session :)

04/03/2019         Day 9/100

Had a long day at uni today, and I am definitely worn out- both mentally and emotionally. I spent most of the day with new people I met, and for an extremely introverted person such as me, it was quite hard to keep up the smiles and be engaging in conversation. I honestly just wanted to run away to some quiet library and study o.O But I challenged myself to stay with the group, and I’m glad I did. Even if social situations make me uncomfortable, it is important for me to get accustomed, and to be able to take charge when needed (I’m defs not there yet, but will need to step up in the future if I ever want to be a GOOD doctor). Anyways, productivity-wise, didn’t accomplish much today, but I am super motivated to get back on the grind tomorrow!! 

[planningthemedlife]

First Week Back At Uni <3

《27/02/19》 Day 4/100

Not as productive as I would have liked, but I still managed to complete everything I had to do for the day. I’m quite excited because I start my first anatomy lab tomorrow, and after looking through the worksheets and the lecture slides, I can see that tomorrow is going to be a very interesting lesson!

《28/02/19》 Day 5/100

Had a very busy day at university today. I made a couple of new friends today, which is a massive achievement for an introvert such as myself, and I’m so proud of myself for getting out there! I also visited my friend’s dorm during my lunch break, so ofc, no work was accomplished then. Once I got home though, I was thriving, and I was able to bash out a lot of content-heavy, time-heavy work that I had planned for the day. I had my first anatomy lab today, and WOW, anatomy really is like learning a new language! Learning so many new scientific terms, and having to be able to apply them all to real-life specimens in such a short time really is challenging, but I really enjoy this subject, so I definitely won’t find any trouble putting in a couple more hours of effort into learning as much as I can from this course. 

《01/03/19》 Day 6/100

Had an early morning lecture that killed me, but once I had some caffeine in me, I was back on my game :) I only had 2 lectures today, between which I had a 5-hour break, so ofc, I went to the library to do my daily grind! I did so much anatomy-related work today, focusing mainly on learning new terminology, and being able to identify structures within real-life specimens. I’m so lucky to go to a university that has the second largest body donation program in Australia, and that has such extensive access to real specimens which we can interact and learn from. As helpful as photographic atlases are, being able to physically hold and see certain body parts helps with kinesthetic learning, and the interactive element makes learning anatomy a whole lot more enjoyable. I’m really looking forward to the semester to come, and I’m looking forward to what I will be learning throughout this course!!

[planningthemedlife]

《25/02/19》 Day 2/100

It was the first day back at uni, and my day started out with a lab! Had a few lectures, but ofc, since it was only the first day, we didn't really learn much content. I'm not complaining though!! I was also really happy to see my friends again ♡

《26/02/19》 Day 3/100

Made some kimchi fried rice (seen in pic) because I only have 1 lecture today, and it's at 2pm. Spent the morning working out and organising all my worksheets and resources for my courses.

[planningthemedlife]

《24/02/19》

Day 1 of productivity. I've seen so many 100DoP posts since the start of 2019, and it's made me so excited and motivated for when university starts here in Australia. Using all this inspo, I've decided to challenge myself to 100 days of productivity, and ofc, I'll keep track of my progress here ♡

It's the night before the new university year starts, and I am so pumped!! All the courses I am taking this semester seems really interesting, and I've just spent the last 3 hours preparing all my class material for tomorrow.

Current progress: Day 1/100

[planningthemedlife]

An important lesson for all future medical and health care practitioners. Whilst ensuring a patient’s overall health, it is also important to take into account their wishes for care. 

Definitely will take this message to heart once I start practising, thank you for sharing <3

A doctor discovers an important question patients should be asked

This patient isn’t usually mine, but today I’m covering for my partner in our family-practice office, so he has been slipped into my schedule.

Reading his chart, I have an ominous feeling that this visit won’t be simple.

A tall, lanky man with an air of quiet dignity, he is 88. His legs are swollen, and merely talking makes him short of breath.

He suffers from both congestive heart failure and renal failure. It’s a medical Catch-22: When one condition is treated and gets better, the other condition gets worse. His past year has been an endless cycle of medication adjustments carried out by dueling specialists and punctuated by emergency-room visits and hospitalizations.

Hemodialysis would break the medical stalemate, but my patient flatly refuses it. Given his frail health, and the discomfort and inconvenience involved, I can’t blame him.

Now his cardiologist has referred him back to us, his primary-care providers. Why send him here and not to the ER? I wonder fleetingly.

With us is his daughter, who has driven from Philadelphia, an hour away. She seems dutiful but wary, awaiting the clinical wisdom of yet another doctor.

After 30 years of practice, I know that I can’t possibly solve this man’s medical conundrum.

A cardiologist and a nephrologist haven’t been able to help him, I reflect,so how can I? I’m a family doctor, not a magician. I can send him back to the ER, and they’ll admit him to the hospital. But that will just continue the cycle… .

Still, my first instinct is to do something to improve the functioning of his heart and kidneys. I start mulling over the possibilities, knowing all the while that it’s useless to try.

Then I remember a visiting palliative-care physician’s words about caring for the fragile elderly: “We forget to ask patients what they want from their care. What are their goals?”

I pause, then look this frail, dignified man in the eye.

“What are your goals for your care?” I ask. “How can I help you?”

The patient’s desire

My intuition tells me that he, like many patients in their 80s, harbors a fund of hard-won wisdom.

He won’t ask me to fix his kidneys or his heart, I think. He’ll say something noble and poignant: “I’d like to see my great-granddaughter get married next spring,” or “Help me to live long enough so that my wife and I can celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary.”

His daughter, looking tense, also faces her father and waits.

“I would like to be able to walk without falling,” he says. “Falling is horrible.”

This catches me off guard.

That’s all?

But it makes perfect sense. With challenging medical conditions commanding his caregivers’ attention, something as simple as walking is easily overlooked.

A wonderful geriatric nurse practitioner’s words come to mind: “Our goal for younger people is to help them live long and healthy lives; our goal for older patients should be to maximize their function.”

Suddenly I feel that I may be able to help, after all.

“We can order physical therapy — and there’s no need to admit you to the hospital for that,” I suggest, unsure of how this will go over.

He smiles. His daughter sighs with relief.

“He really wants to stay at home,” she says matter-of-factly.

As new as our doctor-patient relationship is, I feel emboldened to tackle the big, unspoken question looming over us.

“I know that you’ve decided against dialysis, and I can understand your decision,” I say. “And with your heart failure getting worse, your health is unlikely to improve.”

He nods.

“We have services designed to help keep you comfortable for whatever time you have left,” I venture. “And you could stay at home.”

Again, his daughter looks relieved. And he seems … well … surprisingly fine with the plan.

I call our hospice service, arranging for a nurse to visit him later today to set up physical therapy and to begin plans to help him to stay comfortable — at home.

Back home

Although I never see him again, over the next few months I sign the order forms faxed by his hospice nurses. I speak once with his granddaughter. It’s somewhat hard on his wife to have him die at home, she says, but he’s adamant that he wants to stay there.

A faxed request for sublingual morphine (used in the terminal stages of dying) prompts me to call to check up on him.

The nurse confirms that he is near death.

I feel a twinge of misgiving: Is his family happy with the process that I set in place? Does our one brief encounter qualify me to be his primary-care provider? Should I visit them all at home?

Two days later, and two months after we first met, I fill out his death certificate.

Looking back, I reflect: He didn’t go back to the hospital, he had no more falls, and he died at home, which is what he wanted. But I wonder if his wife felt the same.

Several months later, a new name appears on my patient schedule: It’s his wife.

“My family all thought I should see you,” she explains.

She, too, is in her late 80s and frail, but independent and mentally sharp. Yes, she is grieving the loss of her husband, and she’s lost some weight. No, she isn’t depressed. Her husband died peacefully at home, and it felt like the right thing for everyone.

“He liked you,” she says.

She’s suffering from fatigue and anemia. About a year ago, a hematologist diagnosed her with myelodysplasia (a bone marrow failure, often terminal). But six months back, she stopped going for medical care.

I ask why.

“They were just doing more and more tests,” she says. “And I wasn’t getting any better.”

Now I know what to do. I look her in the eye and ask:

“What are your goals for your care, and how can I help you?”

-Mitch Kaminski

Source

[planningthemedlife]

actual goals <33

1℃⛅️

100/100 days of productivity

Challenge accepted. Challenge completed.

[planningthemedlife]

Studyblr Asks (pt. 1, Q’s 1-20)

01/02/2019~

Thank you @stylizedstudying for creating these questions <3

How long have you had your studyblr?

Almost 7 months!

2. Why did you decide to make your studyblr?

To motivate myself in my studies, and to keep track of my progress throughout university :)

3. Do you have any other blogs besides your studyblr?

I do...but it’s a kpop fanpage (specifically for EXO’s Kai)...it’s currently inactive.

4. How did you venture into the studyblr community?

I remember going through a tough period in year 10 where I was just so unmotivated to do work, yet I still wanted to achieve well at school. The studyblr community was just beginning to get popular on youtube, and after going down that rabbit hole, I fell in love with the community and started following a lot of blogs on Tumblr. 

5. Did you have good study habits before making this blog?

A few? I would say most of my study habits were pretty bad (I was a master procrastinator- I once completed a chemistry assignment which we had 5 months to do, in 2 days :( I would say I got through high school mostly by fluke, and my natural intelligence. I am quite lucky in the sense that I am able to learn concepts very quickly, which is why I don’t see too many negative consequences whenever I procrastinate. 

A great habit I developed during my first year of university, was to write out my notes the day of the lecture. That ensured all the information was still fresh in my mind and so I could revise and summarise the content effectively. 

6. Have you made any friends through your studyblr?

Yes, I have made a couple, and I hope to make many more :)

7. What do you think about the studyblr community?

I aM sO pRoUd Of ThIs CoMmUnItY.

aha no for reals, I am so grateful that this community exists. It has motivated me so much throughout the years!

8. Do you do your homework as soon as you get home or late at night?

During high school, I would usually come home and rest for a few hours before getting into my homework. School in Australia ranges for 6 hours, but it took me an hour to travel back home, so by the time I got back, I was usually very exhausted. Now that I am in uni, I tend to get work done as soon as possible, whether that be during a free hour in between lectures, or whether it means I get stuff done as soon as I get home.

9. What is your favourite stationery?

Grey Mildliner- I don’t use mine for highlighting notes, but rather for outlining my subheadings/important questions. Grey is a very neutral, mild colour, so it works in a lot of different cases. 

10. What is your favourite piece of stationery you own?

My mildliners, even though they are quite expensive (+ shipping, because Australia is in the middle of nowhere apparently!)

11. What kinds of pens do you prefer?

Black gel pens, but they can be a bit expensive...I try to write out my notes in black ballpoint, and I write revision/summary notes with my gel pens. 

12.  Favourite book you’ve read for school?

Lord of the Flies by William Golding. 

13. Favorite studying apps?

Forest (i think now there is another similar app called Flora). I started using it during my final year of high school to prevent me from getting distracted by my phone. You can add friends and compare how productive you were compared to your friends- this was the main reason I used it so often, because I would see my friends study for hours and become motivated myself!

14. What advice about studying changed your life?

To try out active recall more. I would say my studying style already consisted of many active recall techniques, but once I learnt about the science behind it, and hence the benefits, I fully incorporated it into my study routine. 

15. What quote has impacted you the most?

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” -Albus Dumbledore

16. What do you do when you’re feeling unmotivated?

I TRY to force myself to get even 10 minutes of work done. The key word here, is TRY- most of the time I end up procrastinating, but once in a while, I am able to pull myself through and get shit done.

17. Have you ever felt not good enough?

Definitely. Imposter syndrome is a real thing, and I have often found myself feeling guilty about my marks. Compared to my friends, I am nowhere near as hardworking, but I have the ability to learn concepts and memorise facts so easily, and this often means I am able to score higher on exams as compared to them, with only half the effort. I often feel guilty about this, and I have always felt that I don’t deserve such marks, or that I am not really good enough. It’s taken time for me to just accept this fact- because if anything, I should be grateful for such gift, and I should make the most of it! 

18. What is your organization system for school?

Notes are typed out or written on loose leaf paper. These are stapled according to topics or “weeks” at uni. They are filed into a binder that stays on my desk, along with worksheets, practical notes and extra problems I may have done throughout the semester. 

As finals approach, I go over the entire binder, and make summarised notes on some paper (say I had about 100 sheets of lecture notes, prac notes and worksheets- I would condense this all into 10-20 sheets of paper for my summary). I would study from these for finals. 

19. How has having this blog changed you?

It has made me more conscious about the appearance of my notes. I would like to point out that a negative consequence of starting this studyblr, is that I have spent a lot more time trying to make my notes “pretty” or neat. I don’t think this is an essential feature of what makes you a good student, rather I feel as though in some cases, it can be kinda unproductive? Nevertheless, it is one way I like to relieve stress, and it helps me be a more active citizen of this community, so it doesn’t matter all too much for me...and I definitely revert back to my messy style of note taking if I am time-poor, or if finals are coming up soon :) 

20. Do any of your friends from school know you have a studyblr?

No, and I don’t think I’ll ever tell them. The main thing I love about this community is that while we are all close, none of you actually know me in real life. I’m quite a private person, and I share a lot of personal/deep stuff on my blog, and I feel at peace knowing that none of you can trace that back to me :) Keeping myself anonymous on this platform can ensure I be as open and honest with you all as possible, without having to be embarrassed or worried about the implications in my actual life. 

~Well, that’s it for Part. 1 of this Q&A~

 Again, thank you so much for @stylizedstudying for creating these questions. 

Keep a look out for Part 2, coming soon! <3

[planningthemedlife]

<333333333

general study tips

this is just a quick list of study habits that work for me, as a straight a’s student

1. even if it’s not in your teacher’s presentation written on a slide, if you hear your teacher mention a fact, WRITE IT DOWN. you might need it later for a test.

2. when you’re rewriting your notes/compiling a study guide, pretend you’re making it for someone else. include everything, even if you think you know it. (unless you’re low on time, in which case, just write what you don’t know)

3. when you’re trying to learn a new concept, pretend you’re teaching it to someone else. this is a form of active learning, and the act of breaking the concept down into steps that you can teach will improve your understanding of the concept. (for the longest time, i actually didn’t even know this was an actual study technique, because i’ve always done it subconsciously!)

4. don’t over color your notes!! if you really need a key for all the colors, then you’re using way too many. try to stick with 2-3 pens/pencils. for me, i write most of my notes in black ink or pencil and i write the important concepts i might need to find quickly later (such as vocabulary) in red or blue pen.

5. have your water bottle next to you (so you remember to stay hydrated; this makes focusing easier as well), as well as any other things you might need during a study session so you don’t have to keep getting up to get stuff (which is pretty distracting for me as i’m easily sidetracked).

6. make it a habit to write lists of everything you need to do by the end of the weekend (or the end of that day, depending on how much work you have). this’ll help you familiarize yourself with your tasks so you have a clear plan of what needs to get done.

7. (not really necessary, just something i like to do!) learn to eat with your non-dominant hand so you can eat and take notes and turn pages w/out ripping them instead of scrolling through social media. keep in mind that sometimes, meal times are for taking your mind off school so unless you’re really pressed for time, it’s not a huge deal if you spend this time w/passive reading, texting friends, etc.

8. when you’re assigned a research project, COME UP WITH A THESIS FIRST so you know what to research. try to get all your research done within the first two days or so, to have more time to plan out how you’re going to structure it. then get your draft done (something is better than nothing) so you can revise at your own pace instead of rushing at the last minute.

9. prioritize your homework!! as someone who spends hours fencing and even misses school for fencing tournaments, is part of symphonic band, and on the robotics team (build season is suuuuuper busy), i can’t express how important this is!! if you have math first period, get that done first, whereas if you have math last period, you can do it at lunch and spend your time working on something that’s due in the morning. don’t do this all the time, but if you need to, know which teachers are more strict with due dates so if you really do need an extension, you’ll be asking the least strict teacher and will have much better chances of getting said extension.

10. if you study at home like me, change into new clothes (comfy clothes, but not pajamas) before cracking open your textbooks. it’ll help make you feel more refreshed and ready to start your homework, but not confined to uncomfortable uniforms from school. tie up your hair, if it’s long. try to study at a table/desk rather than in bed (for sleeping not studying) or on the floor (bad for your posture).

11. check out this post for productive things you can do when you aren’t studying, but still want to be productive!

hope these helped some of you!!

xoxo, sal

[planningthemedlife]

<33

stop being afraid of what could go wrong, and focus on what could go right ✨

insta: studie_ss

[planningthemedlife]

My responses if anyone was curious :)