Results: AMK's, ISCE's and Progression Decisions

So I have been my usual big stressy ball self recently. I've been saving my results post until I knew the outcomes of all my exams - I really didn't need to share my neuroticism and what if's with the whole of the internet. I think you get enough of that from me normally! We sat the final AMK, which I thought went quite well, but everyone else came out saying 'that was awful', which worried me somewhat. I answered more questions than ever and felt really confident. The results came out a couple of weeks ago now. I'm super happy to say I passed. I got 42.3 which is my highest score yet and still in the top half of the year. I got 60 right, 30 wrong, they binned one and I didn't answer the other 34. I'm pretty chuffed with that. It would have been nicer to be a little higher than my apparently fluke 41 in the first test of the year, but I really can't complain, it's a good score.

ISCE results were due out at 10am on the 5th July. At 9.45 I thought I would throw up. I couldn't concentrate on work, I was shaking, I had palpitations, I was pretty stressed. This was all that stood between me and passing the year. Mr had a couple of days off the weekend of the 7/8th but I wouldn't arrange to go and see him in case I'd failed as there was only 4 days until the re-sits from results day. He wasn't too impressed. By 10.05 only the professionalism judgements were out, not the clinical results. I called the admin office who asked the assessment database team who apparently had no idea there was supposed to be another bit of the results. By 10.45 all the results were up and I passed! I got a satisfactory overall and satisfactory professionalisms with one excellent. I was so over the moon I nearly cried, big sop that I am. In the breakdown of the results there's a real mix of borderlines, satisfactories, low and high excellents. I was a little annoyed at the respiratory lady who said I seemed like I was distracted and I wasn't in the room, after she was so off putting. She also said I didn't sign my peak flow document, which wasn't true, I know I was completely anal about signing everything. At the end of the day, I passed and that's all that counts.

I got the email yesterday to say that the Progressions Board had judged me and decided I could pass and progress through to year 3. I still can't quite believe it. I wasn't going to apply for a third time, and now look, I'm actually not bad at it, and I'm a third year! It's my half way ball next year. Half way! Wow. I used my leaving present money from the GP surgery to get the Oxford Handbook of Clinical Diagnosis and I'm going sale shopping this weekend for some short sleeved shirts that fit as mine are long sleeved and much too big now.

In home life I have 6 weeks left a work and 7 at home. I'm back in my element as an Excel geek at work making spreadsheets to interrogate data and provide management information. Unfortunately mr got the longer posting that is closer to home but comes with a leave ban so we've had to cancel our holiday which is beyond rubbish. We had it all booked and paid for, and he'd had the leave approved. We had no idea he'd be called to do this posting. It's been a really hard year and I was so looking forward to a week in the sun being a normal couple to have a break from everything. He gets a couple of days off every 15 or so, but most of his are week days when I'm at work. I'm looking for a two night city break for the end of August some time when I have a week off work to pack and he has two days off, and in a few weeks I'm going up to visit him when he has a weekend off.

I filled my memory box where I keep all our tickets to things and business cards of places mr and I have been and things we've done. Well it has been nearly five years. I've started scrapbooking them now. I've also started making the Christmas presents for family in the evenings: one done, six to go. They are getting decopatched notepaper block holders with paper and a pencil. They're looking really good and it'll leave me with just mum, dad and 4 more cousins to buy for as mr's is sat put away in a drawer already. Organised or what?! :) Now I just have to find a job in Plymouth, preferably something outside of normal working hours to fit it in with studies. It's a bit difficult though, I can't really say 'Hi, I'm bean, I'm good at admin, data mining and fixing problems. I can't work many hours and I have to be super flexible as I don't know my timetable and I'm a clinical years medical student but I will work hard for you when I can. Please hire me.' I don't know how to market myself, or what sort of thing to look for. I though a Devon Docs admin/phone answering person would be ideal but they don't have vacancies without me having to drive for 40 minutes get there, which really isn't practical. Any ideas greatly welcomed.

So that's about it. I hope your Summer's going well despite the despicable weather.

Bean
(3rd yr Medical Student, Peninsula Medical School)
*Runs around the room, screaming, whooping, cheering and doing a happy dance*

PS.  Also, happy 100th post to meeee!