Welcome to the 'Rat

It has been over two months since I moved to Ballarat for my final year of studies. I’m still getting used to the new location, despite Ballarat not feeling extremely rural. It gives me suburban Melbourne vibes—like a more closely knit St. Albans! One of the differences is how everything is ridiculously close. All you need is the main street (Sturt Street) and your needs are met. The Hospital? A 8 minute bike-ride. The lake? Even less time. What also contributes to Ballarat not feeling like a rural town, more regional than anything, is that Melbourne city is only an hour or so away and another hour/hour and a half, in the other direction, will get you to the Grampians in no time.

Besides settling in this regional town, placements also started, and I began with GP. Adding on to my GP rotation from last year, I got the opportunity to see patients by myself and then report back to my GP supervisor. One of the aspects I did like about GP was the variety of appealing presentations. It now feels surreal introducing myself as a “final year medical student”, signalling the end is indeed near. It was only yesterday that I was rolling my entire life in a suitcase in Sydney walking from Central Station to the dodgy student accommodation I left to organise last minute- that’s a story for another time! Anyway, in less than a year, I’ll be an intern, somewhere in Australia, starting off fresh-faced and eager to become the best doctor I can be. Maybe saying I’m a final year student helped one of the patients give permission for me to place some sutures on him. It was my first time on an actual patient and damn, it’s so different compared to the pig skin or the mushy models I practice on. This man’s skin was extremely taut, and I really had to be forceful, which I was not aware of when suturing. I did appreciate the man’s permission to perform the suturing, and he retorted that that’s the only way that doctors can learn. So I managed to close him up…who needs a wound sutured?

Besides that, Ballarat life and medical school has been more balanced. That’s the focus of this year, which was reiterated many times by our professor: balance in your final year. I also got a job as a Front of House staff at a local wine bar, and yes, it is super close by. So that makes me a medical student by day; waiter by night (only on Fridays and Saturdays). I got the job with the predominant purpose of trying to get something special and hopefully you all will see soon enough!

My lovely girlfriend, Prisca, has come down to visit Ballarat, but she didn’t like Ballarat as much. She had an ordinary experience with transport and she wasn’t able to go where she wanted. Despite that, she enjoyed the change of scenery, however I do miss her dearly. I will see her soon though, and that excites me because although I’m a medical student by day and a waiter by night, I’m doing life with her day and night, and every day!

I hope I can stop seeing her so periodically as we are currently, as I plan to move to Brisbane for internship. Yes, you read correctly—Brisbane. Internship applications open soon, and I will be applying in three states: Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. My preference is Queensland; however, I am aware of how much more difficult it is to gain an internship as an interstate graduate, but a man can hope, right?

My next rotation is Ear, Noes and Throat (ENT)/Eyes, so we’ll see how that goes.

Keep eating those pancakes, everyone.