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March 29, 2024, 02:37:16 am

Author Topic: TheAspiringDoc's Year 12 Journey Journal  (Read 1803 times)

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TheAspiringDoc

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TheAspiringDoc's Year 12 Journey Journal
« on: December 30, 2017, 01:58:48 pm »
+13
Hi Everyone.  ;)

I thought I should do a Journey Journal once weekly so that I can always make sure my quieter (holiday/non-SAC) weeks still have a recordable purpose.
I've been on AN since year 8, and I admit that my use over the past year hasn't been as high as I'd have liked. I think this can mainly  be attributed to long travel hours with no internet connection combined with getting FB and messenger, meaning that I tended to just message my Facebook contacts for help with questions.
I think I'll do a post every Saturday.

I'll leave a little bit about my past year here for background
Spoiler
Why I picked each of my subjects:
Biol - Being one of the few 3/4s my school let us accelerate, I thought it would be a good way to get an extra subject done before year 12, plus I'd say I'm scientifically inclined as opposed to something like BusMan
PE - I had done 1/2 as a random year 10 subject and done quite well, so I thought 'yep it's fun and I'm decent at it' and didn't worry too much about the downward scaling
English language - although some say it should not be seen as 'scientific', I looked through the past papers and got the impression that Lang is easier to study for in a methodical and technical way than lit or mainstream
Spec - I've always done well in things like the AMC (prize/HD/D) and find the more 'abstract' concepts very fun
Methods - pre-req for everything I would consider + I don't mind it
Chemistry - "..."

Why I want to be a doctor:
I was hospitalised for some time throughout grade 6, and at one point in the emergency department I was visited by two different nurses. I was in a lot of pain at the time, and the first nurse was very gruff and non-empathetic, taking little time to listen to my complaints. The second nurse had a much softer bedside manner, and took the time to give empathy but also to go out of his way to chase down doctors to ask if I was allowed a higher morphine dose.
As simple as it was - just one nurse going out of his way - I was touched by his kindness and inspired to one day help relieve people's suffering in a way so delicately and meticulously as he had.
After being convinced for several weeks that I wanted to be a nurse, I realised that being a doctor might be more engaging for me, as I was already at the time keen on science, and I could use those skills to assist those who are suffering by adding extra dimension to my work. 

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At the end of year 10 I 'discovered' long distance running and took it quite seriously, and it was always the highlight of my day to run. It was great to balance out the start of year 11 (doing 3/4 bio and PE) with regular runs.

I enjoyed my 3/4s last year, as well as 1/2 methods as I found it quite doable.
I found that my 1/2 spec, chem and Lang teachers were demanding a lot of home-study, which frankly wasn't much of a priority, so I didn't have the same buzz going into these classes.

Stupidly, I ran a bit too much and made a mess of my Achilles, knee, hamstring and calf and so I have been unable to run, cycle or walk with ease for the past 9 months. I also hurt my shoulder so haven't been swimming.
I think it is because of that that I became stressed about my body and became somewhat of a hyperchondriac, thinking that everything always hurt. This lead to too much focus on hand cramps when writing, so I basically stopped writing much three months before the 3/4 exams.
I picked up writing again 2 months before exams, but after a period of detraining, the rapid increase in load resulted in a more legitimate hand pain, so I only ended up doing 5 practise papers per 3/4.
My advice is for you to gradually increase the amount of writing, and avoid backing off completely, as then retraining can take some (precious) time

 

Most importantly, I hope this Journal can be of use to other Victorian students, and also not just those wanting to get into medicine (although I'm sure I will write about that a bit!)
« Last Edit: December 30, 2017, 02:21:13 pm by TheAspiringDoc »

clarke54321

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Re: TheAspiringDoc's Year 12
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2017, 02:01:26 pm »
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Fantastic! I’m looking forward to watching you complete your VCE journey, TheAspiringDoc  :D
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prickles

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Re: TheAspiringDoc's Year 12
« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2017, 02:13:31 pm »
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Your story of how you realised you wanted to be a doctor is beautiful - really touched me. I've had a similar experience where I was in hospital for an extended period of time and there were heaps of very sick/dying kids around me. Made me realise how important the nurses/doctors job was and how blessed I am to be alive.

Watching your journey with interest, see you around!

cookiedream

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Re: TheAspiringDoc's Year 12 Journey Journal
« Reply #3 on: December 30, 2017, 04:18:28 pm »
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Really looking forward to your updates!! Best of luck with VCE, uni admissions and just life in general :)
VCE: (click the links below to view my guides)
2016: Methods [44], Psych [48]
2017: Bio [50], Eng Lang, Chem, Spec
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2018-2022: Bachelor of Medical Science/Doctor of Medicine @ Monash University

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