Vampy's Weblog - Life of a Medical Officer

Growing up sucks! I can now understand why people say that. I never could understand why being an adult is bad. But now that I'm about to start a REAL JOB, I'm beginning to realise that I'm really an adult. I can't say I like that feeling. Yes, the money that comes with a job is nice. Having said that, my hourly pay is $22 only - I earned more than that when I was a part-time university tutor almost twice the amount! The bad thing about a job is that you have to be there 8-5 regardless of whether you like it or not. Worse you have to grit and bear with pompous little super-egoists. Growing up means that you have to plan your finances and seriously my finances is in dire straits. I have to take up loan to set up my new life even before I start earning. How sad is that?!

Of course things would be better if I had stayed and work back in Singapore considering the fact that I would not have to buy a car (at least for the next 2-3 years) which means that I can actually save up some money first. Also, I will not have to pay any rent. Even if I were to pay all the utility bills that would have been at most $300 per month compared to $1600 excluding bills. But this was my decision - I'm not saying I made a wrong decision but I guess realizing that financially I'll be rather strapped for the next few years do put quite a damper on my spirits.

Anyways, I'm back in Sydney now and trying to "grow up" in the next 48 hours or so. Wish me luck!

2008 is gone and 2009 is here. 2009 is in many ways a new beginning for me. It's the first time in my life that I'm actually fully-employed, working on a full-time basis. It's a beginning of my career in medicine. While I have been living in Sydney for the past 4 years as a student, but when I go back this time I'll be going back to work and on a different type of visa. It will be the first time when the patients are actually mine (okay not really, they are techinically my consuyltants' patients but to a large extent I'll be their primary carer.) It is rather exciting and yet there is a certain level of apprehension.

2009 will also be the first time when I actually have to think about financial planning. During the past 30 odd years of my life, my parents have been supporting me financially and thus I have little need to think about budgeting and planning. I'm not sure if I will be able to plan as well as I think I can. 2009 will also be the first time I will actually buy a car. Up till now, my knowledge of car is limited to: 4 wheels, 2 or 4 doors (usually) and convertible or non-convertible. Having done some searching for the cheapest car I can afford to pay, I realise that there is a lot to choosing and buying a car than I thought.

As the days draw closer to me returning to Sydney, I'm faced with an overwhelming urge to bugger it all and just stay in Singapore for my medical career. During this past month of holidaying with nothing to occupy my mind, I have noticed how much my parents have aged. I'm not sure if I'm making the right decision to stay overseas to work. Yes, it is possible for my parents to migrate with me over there sometime in the future but this future seems rather far especially in view of the fact that my parents are in their 60s'. I know that if anything were to happen to them while I'm overseas I'll be devastated. Yet, I'm unable to see myself working here in Singapore.

It isn't that Singapore is a terrible place to work in but it's just not the kind of working life/ life in general that I want to have. Staying in Singapore definitely has it's advantages - friends and family are present, no need to pay rent ($1600 per month!), food is generally better, easily available and generally cheaper, can afford to provide for my parents a pretty decent level of living and perhaps even fulfil my mum's dream of renovating the house and no need to buy a car at least for the next 3 years or so. However, pay as a junior doctor in Singapore is low, working hours are much longer, working environment is much harsher and getting into the training program of my choice is much more difficult.

Working in Australia has always been a dream for me. I liked the lifestyle there - relaxed, slower in pace and generally more friendly, pay for junior doctors are higher but that is offset by the amount of rent I have to pay. Living expenses are generally higher and I have to buy a car straight out. It isn't that cars are expensive over in Sydney, it just that when you are first starting out on your career the last thing you need to is to get a loan especially if that amount of money could be better spent like saving for the downpayment for a house.

So I'm still left with the decision should I really be going back to Sydney or stay in Singapore. I wish that I have a crystal ball that could show me the results of both scenerios.

Anyway, Happy New Year and hopefully 2009 will be a better year for all humankind.

Finally, the letter confirming my registration as a doctor arrived after taking a tortuous route through the hospital.

It's rather an anti-climax if you ask me... Where's the balloons and confetti? I have been waiting for this letter so that my visa can proceed further and I'm glad it's finally here... Hopefully my visa will get approved before Christmas although I'm highly doubtful of it due to closures of offices during the next 2 weeks in Australia...

I'm enjoying my holiday or what is left of it... It has been quite some time since I could properly enjoy my holiday without thinking about exams and assignments.

How did I spent my final day as a medical student? I went for my morning ward rounds as usual and trying to hand over the list of things that needs to be done back to my registrar and resident. Bade my final farewell to them before proceeding to the de-briefing session which is more of an excuse to have coffee and cake. (Not that I'm complaining... Bring on the coffee!)

Went to have lunch with one of my classmate, bitching about doctors that we have come across over the years and contemplate our future as intern. Went home to do some last minute packing before heading down to the city to meet other classmates for dinner and drinks. Went to a mexican place which serves passable mexican dishes but the cocktails were pretty good. Went back to my classmates home to have champagne as sown in the pics below. For larger size photos and other pics click on the thumbnails.

- More champagne
- Celebrating our final moments as medical students

Okay, I just spend 3 frustrating days trying to get my mails directed to a different address. For whatever reason that is beyond my understanding, I'm unable to redirect mail to an address that I had used previously before. The address is a bona fide address that my clinical school uses for external agencies to send mails to them which I had at one stage use to get mails and my mails were being delivered to that address. Imagine I surprise when I tried 3 days ago to try and direct my mail to that same address while I'm away, I was told that it is not possible.

WHY?! That post office delivers mail to that address daily! So I spent the past 3 days arguing with them and finally I got one of the people who works in my clinical school to accompany me to the post office and still the guy insist I cannot direct mails to that address. So the way out is for me to sent to the PO box of the hospital and then get the secretaries of the school to sort the mail out such that they can direct to mail to the clinical school! I fail to see the logic of why every other piece of my mails in the past can be sent to that address and now that I want to redierct my mails to that same address I can't! Where's the logic?

Stupidity of postal service has no boundaries!