Gap Year Diaries #2 – An Update

 

Long time no type! Things have been crazy around here lately, but I thought it was time to post an update. Since the last post I have been to a plethora of medical school open days, sat two admissions tests and found a volunteer position – and that’s just on the medical side of life! I have also spent some quality time with family and friends, taken a jaunt to Germany, several shorter trips around the UK and found out I’m going to be an auntie at the beginning of next year.

Despite all that has happened since I last checked in there is still a whole bunch of stuff that I need to do in the coming weeks. Completing and submitting my UCAS form, getting as much volunteering experience as possible, working towards the BMAT exam and continuing to learn to drive as well as trying to maintain a work/life balance and work on my mental health.

Although that sounds like a lot, and the last couple of months have been a complete whirlwind, I am looking forward to what comes next. I am excited to start my ward based volunteering next week, and hopefully checking in here more often, although with the way things are going currently, I make no promises.

Until next time,

fractureafemur

Gap Year Diaries #1

Here’s what happened in my first week as a graduant.

Monday. This morning I sat my final exam of my undergraduate degree. I am now no longer a student, but a graduant. I’m not sure if the exam was a terrific success, but it honestly feels so good to have completed my degree. After the exams had finished we all headed out to town to celebrate with food and cocktails in the sun. All in all it was a pretty great day!

Tuesday. Today was a strange one, I started the day off with a lazy morning, then a trip to everyone’s least favourite type of medical institution – the dentist. After a quick check up I headed out for the evening to see a violin recital – for more about my theatrical outings, see my ‘My Month in Theatre’ series, the latest of which can be found here.

Wednesday. The day started off with a driving lesson, and then a group of us from uni headed over to a friend’s house for girl’s night. It was so nice to spend some time with my favourite people without worrying about the clinical manifestations of trinucleotide repeat disorders or how to draw a pedigree analysis. We spent the evening chilling out and generally putting the world to rights, plus my friend made us a lovely dinner – we very much felt we were living up to our new adult status.

Thursday. After a lie in and some interesting concoctions of pancake toppings the girls parted ways and a friend dropped me off on her way home. I thoroughly enjoyed having some proper girl time. When I got home I managed to catch up with my best friend from home, and as I couldn’t make it down to visit next weekend for a special occasion I was convinced to plan a visit for the following one, which happens to be the date of their ball, so I’m super excited to go to that!

Friday. Friday was pretty uneventful. Apart from a driving lesson, which actually went really well, I didn’t do much else apart from chill out and watch too many YouTube videos (is there such a thing?).

Saturday. On Saturday amongst the unavoidable life admin I managed to get out and see American Idiot whilst it was in town, and I really enjoyed getting to hear Green Day music again, as I have been on more of a musical kick lately. It was also a beautiful day, something I don’t say often as a Southerner in the North East, so it was a great opportunity to take a walk around town.

Sunday. It might have been a bank holiday weekend, but my Sunday was taken over by adult jobs like cleaning the kitchen, laundry and meal planning. Life’s all about balance though, right?

I have to say, it’s been a pretty weird week. I don’t think it’s sunk in that I’ve actually completed my degree. Next week I hope to make some progress with my plans for the upcoming year and enjoy a weekend catching up with some of my favourite people.

Until next time,

fractureafemur

Gap Year Diaries: An Introduction

This week I sit a genetics final, the last assessment of my undergraduate degree. After that I will embark on 16 months devoid of formal education, before hopefully starting medical school in the Autumn of 2017. As a self confessed planner that sort of terrifies me, but it’s also sort of exciting! I have been in education for the last 18 years, and although I definitely know I want to go back, and enter a career which is built upon lifelong learning I think it will be an interesting venture.

Despite loving a good list, I am excited to cultivate my creativity and concentrate on self development over my gap year, as well as applying to and preparing for medical school. Over the next few months I have a few exciting things ahead, such as grad week, a city break to Berlin with some friends and a fair few open days. Of course I’ll also be trying to get some clinical experience, taking some admissions tests and learning to drive, plus a whole load of other stuff I haven’t even thought of yet.

I hope to document all of this in a series of blog posts, creatively named the ‘Gap Year Diaries’. Catchy, right? I don’t know how often I’ll be posting updates just yet, but as well as leaving some memories on this blog, and maybe even being of use to future gap year aspiring postgraduate medics, I hope this can be a source of inspiration to me to make the most out of my gap year!

As well as posting the occasional gap year update, as my course is very much winding down I hope to be posting some more relevant content, as I feel the medical side of this blog has been neglected in favour of extra curricular and lifestyle type posts, not that there is anything wrong with that, but I now feel ready to get my teeth into some more medical posts as the science side of my brain will no longer be being fulfilled at university.

Until next time,

fractureafemur