Bliss is....

...checking in into a hotel, ordering room service and knowing that you REALLY don't have anything to do but to take it easy.

My friend said, he went home after getting the results, (he had passed by the way) and felt empty because for once in a long while, he didn't have to hit the books and make sure he knew the differences between the three types of muscles. It had actually felt weird. I, for one, (call me strange) had wanted to keep on studying!

The exams had been pretty straighforward. Unlike the exit exams which would require the candidate to have read beyond the recommended text, the entrance exam (we call it Part 1) basically tested how much you know the fundamentals. I had dreaded Anatomy - for the life of me, I still can't tell the difference between the intrinsic muscles of the hand! One takes one hand for granted; until you work in a hospital which is a Hand centre and you will never look at it the same way.

With hindsight - despite all the tears and frustrations and threatening to quit 'once and for all' - it was all worth it, just to say 'I passed' - and there had been MANY times when I came this close to throwing in the towel. If not for my wonderful wonderful colleagues, I think I would have done it. Just knowing that someone else felt the same way was enough.

To all future candidates, I cannot stress enough how important having a study group is. If I had to write it a million times, I will. It isn't just the studying, but the support system it provides. Just knowing that other people too felt crap was comforting. Of course, it helps heaps if they turn out to be the best group in the world. Seriously, I wouldn't have wished for a better group of mad mad people.

Mad because we had actually voluntarily put ourselves through it! Mad!

However, jokes aside - with everything now water under the bridge, I am glad I persevered. I wouldn't have been able to look at myself in the mirror if I had chickened out and quit before I knew how far I could go.

I know this sounds like a cliche, but SERIOUSLY, if I made through it, then ANYONE can.....