My first OSPE.

Just so you know. This is a 3 month due post.

On 10th of January 2017. That's the day marked for my last exams for my 1st year 1st semester. And the first for my OSPE.

If you don't know, OSPE stands for.. Idk. Haha. But somehow it's a practical exam where have 10 statio.  The stations are basically tables with a short piece of paper with an a part of a dead body. Either on a slide on a microscope, or on the table inside a basin of formaldehyde? I forgot what the solution called. And all the tables are rounded in a circle.

I was very nervous, mostly due that I'd no experience (and the fact, I didn't get to come for the gross anatomy revision clas).  But the worse had already passed where the last written exam was the day before.

On that day, all 113 students of 1st year pharmacy students gathered in the museum at KOM. Where we cannot go out except the toilet. And with our phones get confiscated until our exam turn came. We are divided to 10 students per group according to one list name. And my group was the 2nd last (supposed to).

But then after 3 hours, the three last group somehow got a little jumble up and I was kicked by the boys to another group. After 3 hours with only your notes and a few friends. Your mind will be so exhausted. That the only thing you can think is when is this going to end.

And then the time comes. Our group of 11 students (2 boys, 9 girls) got our turn. Inside the room where we had ours class where we touched dead body was our exam hall. We got an extra one empty table with no questions to accommodate our group of 11 instead of 10.
G

There were only 3 tables left when I mistakenly didn't sit down on the nearest one I get. Seeing the empty table, made me rush to the table which had the questions. And after we all seated down, the OSPE begins.

On our table, there's paper with 2 short questions inside an envelope. With the specimen we needed to identify. Some of the questions was what is this? Some where about the location, function, And for the microscope, some are to guess the organ. And give similar tissue with same cell and so on. Some question were unexpected. But with only 2 minutes per station. I only write my first thought. And some of it was totally different from what the question ask. Which I realised after I jotted the answer. Luckily, I managed to have time to change the answers with the little time. But guess my answer wasn't pleasant to see. With the crossing out answers here and there. And not so neat handwriting.

One thing I really hated that time. Was the bell. After every 2 minutes, they will ring the bell. Which sounds like the counter bell, the silver one which goes 'ting' when press. It literally made my jump on my chair everytime.

Another few things that I would like to point out is that, the tags of strings can be messed up at the point, slides not in right focus, waiting for the other person to finished when the time is already up,  and having to used your left hand to meddle with the slides and specimen when you are used to using your right hand, but needed it to write.

All in all, the question where easy with 2 subquestion which I think are kinda out of syllabus. And most of it I could have answered by just looking at it.

And guess what? I got an A for the subject. So I guess my OSPE did turn our well.

Now I'm actually thinking, did I or did not. Actually written this post before.

Dearie me,
The Girl in A Hood

Interview Pharmacy Degree UIA : Part 1.

Hashtag #relieved.

Alhamdulillah. I'd done it guys! I'd finally pass the interview session. (Still, we don't know the results so... #krik2)

For me...

Mine was not bad, but not good either.

Still a have little regret of it.

But still really grateful for not having a break down during the interview. Haha.

So here are some tips and tricks + experience (mine) for those who are going for an interview at UIA especially Pharmacy.

I'm going to talk about my experience first (plus the tips along the way).

2-3 weeks (or is it a month?) before the interview, if I'm not mistaken early March, we were required to attend a briefing given by our study advisor, regarding the interview of our course. Mostly regrading, the CGPA pointer and exchange of courses in UIA.

To take a Pharmacy degree in UIA, you must at least score a 3.50 to get the interview. Lower, than that, you are required to take a second application for Allied Health Science for backup if you didn't get into Pharmacy's course.

But sometimes, even you have a pointer below than 3, you may still get the opportunity for the interview, (it depends of the Faculty's decision).

And if you want to change for example to Medic and Dentistry, you must have at a CGPA of 3.75, but this is still due to the decision of the Admission department of the respective course, if they have availability and etc.

You can also change to other courses, but still there are certain procedures to be taken.

This interview is very very important, as even you have a good result in your CFS, you still may fail to get the course you want if you fail the interview.

So please be prepared, if it's something you really really want.

Plus, not all in UIA have a compulsory interview, which is as far as I know, Medic, Pharmacy, Nursing, Dentistry, Allied Health Science have an interview. Biosciences and Physical Science doesn't have an interview.

After that, I started researching about most related pharmaceutical issues and etc.

The day before (yesterday), I went to my classmate's room which is going to take the same course as I am (tu pon lepas dah kacau roommate sendiri (yg semuanya medic) untuk help preparing my interview. Mian~~) .

We discuss the possible questions ask and all (which I will list down later)

So the next day...

At 8 o'clock we had to gather for a briefing of introduction of our panels, which are a total of 10, We were divided into 5 groups. So 2 interviewer for each group. It was an individual interview where we face 2 interviewer : 1 students. According to the name list, we had 24 students per each group, so we had a total of 120 students applying for the course.

There were some students (around 15-20, I guess) for other courses in PJ which were either invited (I'm not quite sure of this, as I really didn''t remember to ask them) or managed to apply for the Pharmacy course.

But the one thing, I pity them, coz most of them had never been to Gambang, so it is a little worrisome for them, coz they don't really actually know the venue of the interview.

Anyway, I think they did just fine. :)

We also had 2 session, the morning and afternoon session.

I got the afternoon session. Alhamdulillah. (I'm the last one. Haha.)

And...

Me. Being me, something did happened today, the day of interview.

To be continue..

(I promise this time. That is I will write the Part 2.)

Never been so relieved,

The Girl in A Hood.

NGANTUK1? GO AWAY!

Assalamulaikum wrb.

Staying up is a struggle. Whether in class or even late at night (to study, usually). I don’t know if you know this but, It’s a real struggle man! It’s a war a battle! Okay, maybe I’m over reacting. But

But one weird thing, when I started to think about it. I noticed that only now I started to get sleepy in class. (Which I rarely do in the past. Or absolutely not at all.)

So here are some tips that I heard (and practiced. Well only some. But people are created different from one another, so maybe some work for me, and some may work for you. So I try to give as much as I remember, okay?)

TIPS TO NOT BE SLEEPY (in CLASS) by The Girl in A Hood (or still in A Blanket?)

1.            Get enough sleep. This is maybe the hardiest to do, but still it’s the best way. And… Just a thing I found, (not sure that it is scientifically proven or not, that ‘enough’ sleep to people varies. For some, it maybe 5 hours a day is more than enough (I knew a friend that only needs 4 hours of sleep.) For me, myself, I need 8 hours, so that I would not feel sleepy at times I don’t want, especially in class. (Don’t laugh, it’s real. TT.TT) So as you know your body better, try to find the suitable and sufficient amount of sleep for you. As sleeping too much and too little, can both be a reason.

2.            Sleep early, wake up early. As simple as that. It’s better that way. Btw, it’s advantage for students, cause (if I’m not mistaken), studies shows that study early morning is much much better outcome than studying late at night. But still, it’s just an overall view, so don’t be angry at me, if you prefer late night studying. Aha! Other, than it benefits for students, it also an advantage for muslims too. As you can perform Qiam. And Qiam has loads of benefits if you manage to perform it, and one of them, is lowering the rate of heart disease. So saying, killing 2 birds with 1 stone. Huh? (Pity, the birds.  L)

3.            Get enough Oxygen and Glucose. As you know, if you learn Biology, respiration needs Glucose and Oxygen to respire. You know, to wake up the tired eyes of yours. So, it’s a good idea, to walk to class, as it increases the amount of Oxygen in your body, besides helping you getting a healthier body (and the ideal body that you want. *winks*). Other than that, you can also practice the 7-3-2 (Is that what it’s called? I forgot. LOL. But something around that, I suppose.) breathing technique, drinking water, and eating sweets or snacks to help the sleepinesss to go away. Also, another thing I discover is eating something that requires you to munch, is better at getting rid of the sleepiness that something that requires you to not.

4.            Try looking at something green. This is what my teachers said when I was in secondary school. It kinda help me. So I would recommend try doing it. Try looking at the trees through the windows(if you actually have one, in your class. Haha.)

5.            Do something that can surprise you. This is also hard. But this so far effective (most I can say). When you feeling sleepy and something or someone sergah2 you. I assure you definitely will not fall asleep after that. You can also ask a friend to massage your neck quite hardly not softly (the back, not the front. Karang mati, aku tak tangungjawab.3) . I helped me so why not?

6.            Pinch yourself as hard as you can. Most recommended at the tip of your finger, cause that is one of the places that have the most receptors. But if you bleed, don’t bother searching me. Haha.

7.            Last but not least, recite a taawuz and prayer (like a really sincere one, not just the usual routine one), before you start the lessons, or during you feel sleepy (and also an Istigfar to that, if you like.) to scare away all the Syaitaan and to ease your way through the class.

In A Mission,

The Girl in A Hood

P/S : And, one more thing. Being sleepy and get to sleep is a gift. When I was little, I heard a story about an aunt to doesn’t feel sleepy, and doesn’t feel the need to sleep. Maybe she had some sort of illness perhaps? But, still pity her. Cause sleep completes our daily cycle of life. It’s there for a reason.

2^nd P/S : My food went cold, while writing for you guys. You better pay for this. Huwaa. *cries*

Word reference :

1- Feeling sleepy.

2- Surprise you.

3- If you die, I will not be responsible for it.