The Daily Adventures of the Island Medic

What's the nicest thing someone's ever done for you?

2010-06-28T22:45:00.001Z

my mother gave birth to me. thats pretty nice.

Ask me anything

formspring.me

2010-01-28T11:27:00.001Z

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/joelbrown

Help for Haiti

2010-01-21T14:43:00.000Z

HELP FOR HAITI! on Facebook

Are you looking to rent a property in Bradford?? AWESOME 6 BEDROOM PROPERTY AVAILABLE - REALLY SUITABLE FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS OR MATURE STUDENTS

2009-11-07T21:07:00.002Z

19 Granville Road Full Advert

I'm back! 4th year now baby!!

2007-09-17T16:37:00.000Z

It has been a while..i know. i am now in the 4th year of my studies. can you believe it?? Just this year and 5th to go and i am a doctor! I am really looking forward to starting my life as a junior doctor! I am currently on a psychiatric rotation in airedale and i am enjoying it...infact i am currently working on my case report on a very interesting patient...i start primary care in about 2 weeks and i cant wait! there is so much going on but please give me some time to get my act together! i will try and post something at least once a month as it is now a whole lot easier since this integration with gmail! so speak soon and thaks for supporting me continually!

Here I am once again..

2006-12-15T11:10:00.000Z

I have had a very difficult first term as the work load has been very heavy. I have written over 25,000 words of assignments, given 10 presentations, and sat 2 exams. I am tired, stressed and i neeed a holiday. I take a short trip to Spain for a week in december with my family and i hope to be able to unwind. The last project of this term was quite enjoyable; I went as part of a small group bowling and evaluated the facilities and how the organisation worked. We did video footage which we showed in a presentation today. I have to finish off the rest of my assignment before the deadline at 4pm this afternoon. Out side of medical school....

In music: On Dec 5 i sang at Love so Amazing 2 and led the song Above All. I look forward to seeing the dvd of the whole performance. I am constantly trying to find the time to write more music and perform. but you can go to my myspace at www.myspace.com/joelbrownmusic an check out my music. i will post later once i have rested awhile.

Peace

Joel Brown Off the hook nov 2006.mp4

2006-11-28T11:08:00.001Z


I performed at Club Geisha @ Bar d-fusion on nov 5 2006. The first 3 songs are my originals and the last 3 are covers.

Joel Brown Off the hook nov 2006.mp4

2006-11-28T11:08:00.000Z


I performed at Club Geisha @ Bar d-fusion on nov 5 2006. The first 3 songs are my originals and the last 3 are covers.

Reflecting on my life as a medical student

2006-04-24T12:15:00.000Z

The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot.
-- Michael Althuser

It is amazing to think that I am already coming to the end of my second year at medical school but as Mr Althuser expressed it so succinctly in the quote above, it is only I that can determine where I will allow time to take me. Since I have begun medical school I have gone through many experiences but I will share about one particular one that has seriously affected my personal and academic life.

The month before our first year integrated summative examinations I was on the way home from church on a Sunday afternoon and my Dad had a look on his face which I will never forget. He seemed so calm yet I could tell that thousands of thoughts were galloping through his mind. We got home and I was having my evening meal and he called me to my room. This was unusual for him to call me to my room so already I was concerned. He was standing with a very calm look on his face and looked on me with very empathetic eyes and asked me if I remember Chester (named changed to protect his identity). I replied confirming I had only been speaking to him 3 days before. He then told me he was killed earlier that day and that the police was still investigating the circumstances. I looked at him with surprise and could only find myself with my jaw fixed in unbelief. I had just heard the news of the death of one of my best friends of whom I had known for several years and were planning to work on music together. Time must have halted for eternity within the time my father gave me the news of Chester’s death and the time I fully understood what my father had said. In that eternity I flashed back to when I just met Chester and I saw a picture of him in my mind. Now under a strong belief that men shouldn’t cry I truly struggled to let my tears flow despite how strong the urge felt. I went to bed that night and I am sure that was the longest night I have ever experienced.
The next day I found out that Chester’s death was actually a murder and the police was questioning several suspects some of whom I knew. When this news that his life was snuffed out by a brutal and deliberate act I broke down and the tears flowed. For the next few weeks I was so confused. I couldn’t concentrate on my studies as I was always trying to find out the latest on his death, who was the killer and what justice would my friend Chester receive. I was so besotted with grief that I felt I needed to see the academic sub dean as it was threatening my ability to study on the run up towards the first year integrated summative examinations. The subdean was very supportive and provided me with his personal mobile number in case I needed to contact him urgently.

As time went by I was able to get myself together and started studying for my exams and even though Chester’s funeral was about 2 weeks before the exams I was able to complete them within the standard allotted time.

Personally, this experience has taught me so much about the importance of tenacity and courage during times of difficulty and not allowing a negative situation to completely steer me off the course towards my destiny.
This attitude will certainly help me through my studies and career as I could face potential difficulties such as institutional discrimination due to my size and colour, failure in exams, or even formal inquiries and complaints against me but I need to maintain a resolve in the midst of these trials and pull through.
However, on the other hand if it wasn’t for the support from my family, my church and the university I would probably have not passed those exams. This exemplifies the importance of knowing what support is available and utilising it and I plan to make sure my patients in the future are made fully aware of what services and support are available to them. This experience again reminded me of Dr. Tracey Jackson’s experience of surviving breast cancer and how she could have given up during those points when it was difficult. I posted in my reflective journal how much I admired her courage and the extent to which her story inspired me to believe that my grandmother would get better when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. It is also important to point out that this experience I faced is one that patients’ relatives often face when the patient dies and it is important that doctors share the news of bereavement with sensitivity and empathy. According to the Good Medical Practice booklet by the GMC they say it is vital that doctors share to the best of their knowledge, the reasons for, and the circumstances of the death to the patients partner or close relative unless they have reason to believe that the patient would have objected.[1] This experience has confirmed to me that bereavement can have a detrimental effect on one’s life and so it is important we as doctors follow the guidelines but support patients relatives as much as we can when our patients die.

[1] Point 23 on page 9 in the Good Medical Practice booklet by the GMC issued Sept 2001

YOU MIGHT BE JAMAICAN IF...

2006-04-03T09:04:00.000Z

Seen as I have not posted in a while let me use this opportunity...Firstly, I recorded the video last night after church......the one i will be using on the interview..so thats sorted. I wanted to share with you something i got in email today...its quite funny yet true in so many respects:

YOU MIGHT BE JAMAICAN IF...

You point with your mouth

You express disgust by hissing your teeth

You 'cut yu yeye' when you are upset with someone

You distinguish between 'good clothes' and 'judging clothes'

You don't wear a dress, you wear a frock

You don't wear sneakers, you wear 'boogas' or ‘crepp’

You refer to fancy shoes as 'boot' (as in "fetch di boot nuh missis!")

You have ever had cold patties and hot drinks for lunch

You refer to all soft drink beverages as 'drinks'

You stir the ice in your drinks to make it colder

You take the ice in your mouth and spit it back into the glass while drinking

You eat the ice loudly when your 'drinks' is finished

You refer to vegetables, yams, green bananas, etc as 'hard food'

You refer to poultry, beef, mutton, pork as 'meat kind'

You strip sugar cane with your teeth

You challenge someone with 'say feh!'

You refer to any traveling distance as "jus' roun' di corner!"

You have a lamp with a 'home sweet home lampshade' somewhere in the house

You never throw any leftover food out, no matter how small the portion

You pronounce the name 'smith' as 'simit'

You derive your words of wisdom from 'miss lou'

You use words twice for emphasis (fool-fool, pyah-pyah, fenke-fenke, so-so, big-big)

You refer to saturday as 'satday day time'

You refer to the lord's day as 'big-big sunday mawnin'

You have ever told a 'horse-dead-cow-fat story'

You instigate a fight by saying 'touch a button!'

You clean the house and have soup for dinner every 'satday day time'

You cannot enjoy sunday dinner without rice & peas

You differentiate between 'spinners' and 'cartwheel dumplings'

You refer to both male and female as 'him'

You call all cute female children 'pretty likkle girl chile!'

You call all rude female children 'facety likkle gal pickney!'

You refer to all stubborn children as 'hard ears pickney!'

You refer to anything of a sexual nature as 'slackness'

You don't go to see a movie, you go to a 'show' or a 'flim show'

You don't develop photographs, you 'clean' them

You refer to any compulsory act by saying 'had was to' (mi had was to go to di doctor)

You have a BOAC bag somewhere in the house

You go to the bathroom to TIDY.

You can't get your "h's" in the right places.

You carry Carib Carbolic soap to the beach.

Your suitcase stinks of the combination of roast breadfruit, ackee, fish and white rum.

You have yellow tint, shag carpeting, 2 crown air fresheners,2 Lion Kings,

2 nodding dogs and a Garfield in the back of your Lexus.

You eat too much and then you feel Clyded.

Somebody asks you the time and you tap your watch and listen to it to make sure it's working (even if it's digital).

Your family's living room set is still upholstered - after 20+ years.

You're male and your name ends in “roy” (Glenroy, Leroy, Fitzroy, Ezroy,Delroy, Troy, Gilroy) or “ton” (Linton, Clinton, Ralston, Welton, Everton,Barrington)

You're a girl and your 'pet name' is Petal, Cute, Rose or Lily

Your nickname is Bunny, Reds, Junior or Frenchie

Your name is Oliver, Clement or Oswald and everyone calls you Tony.

You drive a Legend, a Cressida, a BMW 2002 or any old Beemer, Maxima,Camry, (pre 1994), Accord or Nissan Sentra.

You use knife and fork simultaneously.

Your parents don't understand school terms like "grade" or GPA"

Your father asks how old you are.

You meet your half brothers/sisters for the first time in your teens.

You have Dettol, Milo, or Horlicks in your cupboard.

BONUS

Real Jamaican men:

Carry face towels in their back pockets.
Can stand with arms akimbo and still look cool!
Wear "Ganzi's" under shirts.
Call every Chinese person "Missa or Miss Chin"
Don't drive Yankee cars.

Top Ten "Stereotypical Jamaican" Male names (not in order).

If you see a black man with one of these you can have 90%confidence he's

Carribean.
1. Danavan (Donovan)
2. Patch-ik (Patrick )
3. Dennis
4. Chevva (Trevor)
5. Mikey (Michael)
6. Devahn (Devon)
7. Desmahn (Desmond)
8. Bobby
9. Fitzraay (Fitzroy)
10. O-rayce (Horace )

Most Common Young Female Names.

You can be secure that all of you have a sister, wife, girlfriend, or

cousin with one of these names.
1. Patrice/Patricia
2. Sheron (Sharon)
3. Karen
4. Michelle
5. Daahn (Dawn)
6. Claahdine/Claahdiah (Claudine/Claudia)
7. Marie/Marcia/Marjorie
8. Caahleen (Carlene)
9. Charmaine
10. Jackie
11. Paahlett (Paulette)
12. Peta-Gay

Top Ten Yard Granny Names:
1. Pearl
2. Cintia (Cynthia)
3. Gloria
4. Merle/Merkle (Myrtle)
5. Mabel/Mavis/Madge
6. Winnifred/Winsome
7. 'Ellen (Helen)
8. Rose
9. Hegniss (Agnes )
10. Heeditt/Hettell (Edith/Ethel)

Top Five Aunty (even Moms) Names:

1. Doreen
2. Joan
3. Beaulah
4. Hivvonne (Yvonne)
5. Karrall (Carol)

Take one!!

2006-03-27T16:24:00.000Z

You seriously will not believe when I tell you what opportunity just landed in my lap over the last few days!! Basically, my allegiance to myspace.com has finally paid off big time!! I have been just faithfully complimenting and supporting the music of many independent and signed artists on the website over many months and now someone who has heard my music decided to do more than just compliment!! A TV presenter of a channel in England approached me via myspace mail saying she was really interested in my material and wanted to bring me on for an interview!! Did you hear that right there....

For the visually impaired:

I HAVE AN INTERVIEW ON TV! CHANNEL 765 SKY DIGITAL ON MONDAY 10TH OF APRIL 10:30-12AM

This is clearly only the beginning but I will never despise a small start...I mean, who knows? Something real could come out of this! So I look forward to attending that interview down in London. For those of you that have supported my music I just want to thank you as I feel this is your success as well! If you have SKY digital then please tune in to watch this interview!!

Blessings!

PS For people outside the UK : As far as I am aware SKY network is limited to the UK so unfortunately you will not be able to tune it....but guess what...and I make no concrete promises..I will try and an audio copy of the interview and upload it to my website at www.joelbrown.co.uk where you can have a listen!! I will also let everyone know how it went!

Free at last

2006-03-24T15:40:00.000Z

I am free!! I am on holiday for the next couple of weeks, i cant promise to be very regular in that time but i will try. I had a good day, and now i am gonna unwind by watching a few films or something... laters.

Deadline

2006-03-22T12:09:00.000Z

Doesnt everyone dread the end of a term where everyone is going crazy trying to complete assignments due in the last week before a holiday...well i am afraid that time is upon me as i type this post! I have an essay to hand in for thursday afternoon and I just started it yesterday morning...bad idea. But i guess i will be fine. right? I mean how hard is it to write an essay on how the voluntary sector contributes to achieving public health policy...errm. I will finish it tonight. I hope.
Yesterday i discovered something about my personality that i didnt realise was there. This is something i would be quite willing to share openly on this blog but unfortunatley it involves other people and so i woudnt want to embarass anyone else. Just remember that self-discovery never stops...i am unswervingly convinced even when i am 85 i will still learn new things about myself....positive and negative. I know that seemed a little random but i had to throw that in...My afro has become sooo unbearable...I havnt cut my hair since last august and its starting to look a mess. I have been getting my sister to twist-plait my hair for the last few months but she becomes more and more unwilling to do it as she has other things to do....yeh. So if something doesnt change rapidly i am gonna trim it off!! anyway for the last few days i was walking around the house with one messy bush on my head..it was clean though!! And my mum got fed up of the messy head that she gave it a wash and conditioning and decided to comb it out and braid it..... it was quite funny as this is exactly what happened with my sisters when they were younger....a bit like the picture to your left!! lol...Am i retrogressing? My mom combing my hair? Well i didnt mind....It looks a whole lot better and its in cornrows at the moment....only8 of them though...not a massive job.
Thats all for today as i better go finish these essays i have...Enjoy the rest of your week and remember you never walk alone!!

Music industry....where is it going?

2006-03-19T22:53:00.000Z

I was browsing myspace and I came across this profound statement. It simply expresses such truth about the state of....21st century commercial music:

Music right now is like that car packed full of familiar faces everybody shouts out "hey come quick...there's lots of space!" Like a fool you jump in only to ask one question..."So where are we going?"...in confusion they all repeat out loud.."we don't know!"...

I fully agree...Where are we going? Sometimes I am not very sure to be honest? Are we even close? Are we there yet? Many questions seem to be appropriate but I guess the main idea it communicates is that music...or any other interest needs to have direction. Without vision and direction, the people/industry will perish. This was a short more philosophical type post...Hope that was food for the mind.

Peace

The Death of Money

2006-03-18T13:01:00.000Z

Remember in my last post I said I worked on some music in Leeds after the cancelled tutorial at university...Well Ken my producer whipped up a funky tune with a heavy bass line so we searched our heads for an idea to write about. An hour later we had no idea and were just about to call it a day when I realised I did not have any money on me to get something to eat. So I thought...If I was dying and needed to eat and had no money what would I do? So there! An idea was birthed for a song...Think about it; this is quite a difficult topic to write about unless you are an overly philosophical person. Anyway, I kinda started it and came up with these words...but it sounds more like a poem and it isn’t jovial enough for a funky tune...its serious man!!?? If you think it is a concept worth developing then you can come up with some ideas and email me them to mailto:theislandmedic@gmail.com

any way...here it is:

What if there wasn't any money in this world?
Love of money is root of all evil, as we see in today's politics
would politicians still take bread from our plate?
or will they become thieves & criminals?
Everyone living on the even ground,
even the Queen will have to work for her meals.
Mindless society will be no more, materialism will fall,
food will become the diamonds of today.

To listen to music that I have written and co-produced with Ken you can visit this website:

http://www.joelbrown.co.uk

Hokey Pokey

2006-03-17T22:16:00.000Z

My wonderful mum just informed me today that she has read my blog and really likes it...I was pleasantly surprised to be honest, but its great to know she likes it as I know that means the blog doesn’t have any 'dodgy' or shady information. These last few days have been royally annoying..a bit like a hokey pokey day...in and out of leeds..twisted upside down, I had my first driving lesson at 11:30am on Thursday 16/03/06 which didn’t go to badly; but the day was so hectic...You see..I had an assignment due on that same Thursday but at the time I booked the lesson I was under the misguided understanding that the assignment was due at 4 in the afternoon. On the Thursday morning of the lesson I discovered the assignment was due at no later than 12noon that day so I had to quickly catch a train into Leeds and a bus up to the campus to hand in the assignment...to make matters complicated, the trains and buses are pretty unreliable and I had a very short window in which to go to university, hand in my assignment, collect the results of the formative exam I sat on Monday and get back home in time for my lesson. So I panicked! Lol...because I really did not want to be late for my lesson...the all important driving lesson. So I set off on a 007 mission and I arrived at the university in good timing only to discover that the assignment had to be handed in some special room that I had never heard of...after chasing around the building I eventually found the darn room and handed in the assignment. On the way out I nearly forget to get my results but I read the notice board and noticed some interesting data... (I passed it btw....a third of the year failed it as they just didn’t really give too hoots about passing it).
I got home in time for the driving lesson and that was as exciting as snails. We sat in the car for ages talking about what a hand break is and a few other slightly more important things...lol ok, it wasnt that bad, the guy could teach but he wasnt the greatest teacher. I reckon he wants to over charge me though...crook. After the lesson I paid him the money he required and booked an appointment for this Thursday. I then went back to university to attend a lecture and its corresponding tutorial....the lecture was absolutely boring but I came in with the intention to attend the tutorial after the lecture only to discover the lecture was cancelled!! Annoying!!! So picture this...I went to Leeds from Bradford, came back to Bradford, then now I went back to Leeds and the tutorial is cancelled! Apparently an email was sent around that confirmed it was cancelled but I didn’t check it...my BAD! So after the lecture I went around to a friend’s house to write some music to diffuse my frustration. You would think after a long day I would have gone home and gone to bed. nooo...my good ole buddy ole pal from back in the day when I was back at sixth form college was having a birthday celebration at 7pm @ Nandos in Bradford. So I left Leeds at 6pm and got to Nandos at 6:30pm...I thought I would be waiting for 30 mines before I saw anyone....yeeeah right!... 1 hour later the first few people start strolling in...tut tut...well here is another twist...some friends in Leeds invited me to Nandos and a movie in Leeds at 7pm at the same time as this party in Bradford so my idea was to show my face at the party then leave at about 9 to watch the film with my friends in leeds....so that would have been the 3rd time back to Leeds in one day!! the party started quite late so my initial idea of going to Leeds for the movie was crucified. In the end the guys decided to watch a film in Bradford after the party at Nandos...a rubbish film actually...called Final Destination 3....rubbish...predictable.....the other group in Leeds watched the hills have eyes...which I am kind of glad I missed..tbh. Now most of the guys at the part were from Leeds and by the time we finished the film the public transportation back to Leeds was not in operation so the lift I had arranged to my house which was in Bradford was probably going to take loooonger because the driver decided it would be best to drop the guys in Leeds then drop me home....imagine...going back to Leeds again. Noooooo. Unfortunately I didn’t have to and I was dropped home. The day was not the worst at all really but it was loong drawn out and eventualy caused me to have a bad day today! I was late for my clinical teaching at St James Hospital in Leeds...Can you believe they wanted me in for 8:45...they have the nerve..lol well the motto of all this is...convenience crucified the cockroach, keep your powder dry...ok...none of this is making any sense...i will go to bed now. night

Curry Wonder

2006-03-14T12:05:00.000Z

The exam was very hard. I now know how much work I need to do for the real exam in June. Had some lunch with JACK and BOB (names amended for confidentiality), two medics in my year at spice mania and we had some interesting discussions about music video industry being essentially commercialised prostitution because the women are essentially selling their bodies sexually for guys to think all kind of thoughts...of course they disagreed and felt it wasn’t a big deal but we did agree that many of these women may do it because they have little self esteem and make it through each day because they know they have guys drooling over their bodies... Anyway, the curry was delicious I must admit...Chicken korma, vegetable samosas, fried rice of some sort. Afterward we went shopping in Leeds...it’s not a bad shopping experience! BOB looked desperately for a gift for his girlfriend...one that would impress her obviously...we went to about 4 jewellery stores and coudnt find anything that stood out!! Eventually BOB decided to buy a pink lacoste polo shirt that costed 50 quid so he can look 'pimpin' on his holiday in Africa in 2 weeks! Not something I would do I admit...pink is nice...but a 50 quid pink shirt? Maybe not...lol... but it suits him! Here is the great part...after all the shopping I went back to BOB's house and we worked on a Stevie Wonder Classic called 'I just called to say I Love You' where I sing the main vocal and he plays the guitar and harmonises on the chorus! It is sounding great so far we just got to tighten up a few bits but I really like what how it is sounding! We plan to perform it sometime, somewhere on campus and it should be fun... Right. Well I came home and just got up to nothing really but I had a chat with my special friend till late. I miss her so much! I miss you baby!

Peace out

Saturday Morning Blues

2006-03-11T11:13:00.000Z

I woke up this morning with a plan to immediately start studying for this exam on monday only to realise that i have quite a few chores to sort...yes i still live in my parents house..hopefully not for much longer(i love them dearly, they know that) So i dont think i am gonna get much studying done today...anyway, i plan to revise the anatomy from last term which consists of upper limb and head and neck..then i am gonna revise a little pathology from last term with sprinkles of genetics.. so i better go and get my head into it. speak soon.

2 years later..

2006-03-10T12:40:00.000Z

I have not posted in over 2 years now and I know it’s pathetic but I am going to attempt to rejuvenate this dead hobby. I did quite enjoy doing it and I guess it’s a good way of expressing my feelings, thoughts, frustrations, joys....ambitions? What do I want to achieve today? Well I just want to get through this day alive, I had a really good night at Mine @ Leeds union last night as I had an opportunity to minister Gods love in song with my long time friend Bekizulu one of the most talented musicians I know. We sang Be magnified by Fred Hammond and it was well received. Now I am just about to leave out to attend a lecture on gastro-intestinal history which I don’t really want to miss to be honest. But before I run off I will just say that I need to sort a few things in my life...I feel like I need to go on a fast, to draw closer to God. Hmm, I know he is always calling...so will obey that voice. I also need to sort out my academic life...I have grown a little lazy, so bear with me...I have a formative examination on Monday morning at about 10am...formative means on Sunday night I could watch movies until 4 am Monday morning and still sit the exam without worrying about what grade I will get...that’s right, it doesn’t count, its practice. There is however a golden rule at medical school:

Don’t fail anything.

It is better to get just get straight C's than to get A's, and F's. You make the academic sub dean happier and medicine will seem a whole lot more bearable. This weekend I will try and study stuff from last term which I have not looked out at for quite a few months. Right, I have rambled way too much now, have a fab weekend.
Later

arrrrrghhhhhhhhhhhhh

2004-01-16T21:13:00.000Z

arrgghhhhhhhhhh i am soooooooooooooo sorry. life has been soo hectic time alone will tell when i shall be back

london here i come

2003-11-27T19:51:00.000Z

i wil be down in london this weekend attending a conference. back on saturday night...later

sorry

2003-11-20T20:44:00.000Z

Hey people. sorry for taking so long to update. u will be surprised how hectic life can get..i am still doing great. thanx for reading

A really good reason for sending me your money

2003-11-01T09:39:00.000Z

Money can buy you fame not happiness, Blood not life.
Money isnt everything and often causes pain and suffering.

I tell you as a friend.

Send me your money and i'll suffer for you.

Cash is fine.

I sincerely apologise for my prolonged absence!!!!

2003-10-25T09:22:00.000Z

Words cant full express how extremely busy I have been in the last 3 weeks at my new job! My job really consists of dealing with customer's queries on the phone and promoting company products and services that are relevant to the customer. The challenging part of the job is that every call you receive, (and even those you make!!) are recorded and assessed against thorough criteria. These are known as quality assessments and make the difference between losing your job and keeping it, having a nice manager or one who hates your guts, or a fat bonus or nothing more than your basic salary.... the basic is good however I might add :-). The last three weeks of the job have consisted of an intense training program where I have to learn how to navigate about 6 different software packages, learn and develop sales techniques, further develop communication skills to be able to handle impudent apes who often wake up on the wrong side of the bed and you are the first person they call in the morning. What I can never understand is why some customers are so ridiculously insecure they have to insult my colleagues and myself when we are trying to help them. 99 out of a 100 times we don't know the customer on the other end so I think its quite pathetic for a customer to be rude to someone who doesn't really care about what they think...anyway. I have calls from smart alecks like this...a customer calls to query about his electricity bill. My computer systems were down at the time however I still need confirm a few pieces of data with him by law (data protection act). So I proceed to ask him to confirm his name, address and telephone number. As I asked him for each piece of data he rudely interrupts before I am finished giving the data. By the time I asked him to confirm his telephone number, he insolently and sarcastically asked...'what do u want next? My blood type?.... well its rhesus positive!' to be honest I started to giggle on the phone but it was no longer funny when I told him the systems were down and I needed to arrange a time to call him back when the systems loaded...he then said 'well you are not much use then' and he hung up. Now bearing in mind that you are already feeling a little stressed and you answer on average 35 calls a day, a call like this can ruin your morning. But thank God it didn't for me...I guess I am quite a hardy person. Well to summarise everything in a nutshell... my job is great yet has it points when you wonder why am I doing this!!!

For those of you who are wondering why my posts often don't have medical information. I literally start medical school in 10 months. So when I actually start at medical school the blog will be more medically focused, but for now it's focusing on my personal life while in this gap year. There will be snippets of medical info from time to time during the 10 months...like I need to start doing my hepatitis C immunisations ASAP. I think this might be the longest post I have conjured up in the longest while....sorry for rambling.

Have a good day, be inspired, live life to the fullest!

2003-10-18T11:16:00.000Z

> PAY ATTENTION TO THE P.S.
>
>
>
>
>
> Letter From the Devil
>
>
> This can really make you think. It actually made me mad
>
>
> while I was reading it, but I had to send it because of the
>
>
> P.S.
>
>
> This is deep... and I wasn't going to share it,
>
>
> but that last line... you'll see.
>
>
> A LETTER TO YOU FROM SATAN
>
>
> I saw you yesterday as you began your daily chores.
>
>
> You awoke without kneeling to pray. As a matter of fact, you
>
>
> didn't even
>
>
> bless your meals, or pray before going to bed last night.
>
>
> You are so
>
>
> unthankful, I like that about you. I cannot tell you how
>
>
> glad I am that
>
>
> you
>
>
> have not changed your way of living, Fool, you are mine.
>
>
> Remember,you and I have been going steady for years. and I
>
>
> still don't
>
>
> love
>
>
> you yet. As a matter of fact, I hate you, because I hate
>
>
> God. I am only
>
>
> using you to get even with God....
>
>
> He kicked me out of heaven, and I'm going to use you as long
>
>
> as possible
>
>
> to
>
>
> pay him back.
>
>
> You see, Fool, GOD LOVES YOU and HE has great plans in store
>
>
> for you. But
>
>
> you have yielded your life to me, and I'm going to make your
>
>
> life a living
>
>
> hell. That way, we'll be together twice. This will really
>
>
> hurt God.
>
>
> Thanks to you, I'm really showing Him who's boss in your
>
>
> life with all
>
>
> of the good times we've had.
>
>
> We have been watching dirty movies,
>
>
> cursing people out,
>
>
> stealing,
>
>
> lying,
>
>
> being hypocritical,
>
>
> fornicating,
>
>
> overeating,
>
>
> telling dirty jokes,
>
>
> gossiping,
>
>
> being judgmental,
>
>
> back stabbing people,
>
>
> disrespecting adults,
>
>
> and those in leadership positions,
>
>
> no respect for the Church,
>
>
> bad attitudes.
>
>
> SURELY you don't want to give all this up. Come on, Fool,
>
>
> let's
>
>
> burn together forever. I've got some hot plans for us. This
>
>
> is just a
>
>
> letter of appreciation from me to you. I'd like to say
>
>
> "THANKS" for
>
>
> letting
>
>
> me use you for most of your foolish life.
>
>
> You are so gullible, I laugh at you. When you are tempted to
>
>
> sin, you give
>
>
> in HA HA HA, you make me sick. Sin is beginning to take it's
>
>
> toll on your
>
>
> life. You look 20 years older, and now, I need new blood. So
>
>
> go ahead and
>
>
> teach some children how to sin.
>
>
> All you have to do is
>
>
> smoke,
>
>
> get drunk or drink while under-aged,
>
>
> cheat,
>
>
> gamble,
>
>
> gossip,
>
>
> fornicate,
>
>
> and live being as selfish as possible.
>
>
> Do all of this in the presence of children and they will do
>
>
> it too. Kids
>
>
> are like that.
>
>
> Well, Fool, I have to let you go for now. I'll be back in a
>
>
> couple of
>
>
> seconds to tempt you again. If you were smart, you would run
>
>
> somewhere,
>
>
> confess you sins, and live for God with what little bi! t of
>
>
> life that you
>
>
> have left. It's not my nature to warn anyone, but to be your
>
>
> age and still
>
>
> sinning, it's becoming a bit ridiculous.
>
>
> Don't get me wrong, I still hate you.
>
>
> IT'S JUST THAT YOU'D MAKE A BETTER FOOL FOR CHRIST.
>
>
> P.S. If you really love me, you won't share this letter with
>
>
> anyone
>

Sorry for not replying...

2003-10-09T21:09:00.000Z

been very busy at new job....its been great, losts of work, lots of fun

Installing L.O.V.E. Quite amazing

2003-10-09T20:53:00.000Z

INSTALLING LOVE

Technician: Yes, Ma'am, how can I help you today?

User: Well, after much consideration, I've decided to
install Love. Can you guide me through the process?

Technician: Yes, I can help you. Are you ready to
proceed?

User: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm
ready to install now. What do I do first?

Technician: The first step is to open your HEART. Have
you located your HEART ma'am?
User: Yes I have, but there are several other programs
running right now. Is it okay to install while they
are running?

Technician: What programs are running ma'am?

User: Let's see, I have PAST-HURT.EXE, LOW-ESTEEM.EXE,
GRUDGE.EXE, and RESENTMENT.COM running right now.

Technician: No problem. LOVE will gradually erase PAST
HURT.EXE from your current operating system. It may
remain in your permanent memory, but it will no longer
disrupt other programs. LOVE will eventually overwrite
LOW-ESTEEM.EXE with a module of its own called
HIGH-ESTEEM.EXE. However, you have to completely turn
off GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM.

Those programs prevent LOVE from being properly
installed. Can you turn those off ma'am?

User: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell
me how?

Technician: My pleasure. Go to your Start menu and
invoke FORGIVENESS.EXE. Do this as many times as
necessary until GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM have
been completely erased.

User: Okay, done. LOVE has started installing itself
automatically. Is that normal?

Technician: Yes. You should receive a message that
says it will reinstall for the life of your HEART. Do
you see that message?

User: Yes I do. Is it completely installed?

Technician: Yes, but remember that you have only the
base program. You need to begin connecting to other
HEART's in order to get the upgrades.

User: Oops. I have an error message already. What
should I do?

Technician: What does the message say?

User: It says "ERROR 412 - PROGRAM NOT RUN ON INTERNAL
COMPONENTS. What does that mean?"

Technician: Don't worry ma'am, that's a common
problem. It means that the LOVE program is set up to
run on external HEARTS but has not yet been run on
your HEART. It is one of those complicated programming
things, but in non-technical terms it means you have
to "LOVE" your own machine before it can "LOVE"
others.

User: So what should I do?

Technician: Can you pull down the directory called
"SELF-ACCEPTANCE"?

User: Yes, I have it.

Technician: Excellent. You're getting good at this.

User: Thank you.

Technician: You're welcome. Click on the following
files and then copy them to the "MY HEART" directory:
FORGIVE-SELF.DOC, REALIZE-WORTH.TXT, and
ACKNOWLEDGE-LIMITATIONS.DOC. The system will overwrite
any conflicting files and begin patching any faulty programming. Also,
you need to delete VERBOSE-SELF-CRITIC.EXE from all
directories, and then empty our recycle bin afterwards
to make sure it is completely gone and never comes
back.

User: Got it. Hey! My HEART is filling up with new
files. SMILE.MPG is playing on my monitor right now
and it shows that PEACE.EXE, and CONTENTMENT.COM are
copying themselves all over my HEART. Is this normal?

Technician: Sometimes. For others it takes a while,
but eventually everything gets downloaded at the proper time. So,
LOVE is installed and running. You should be able to
handle it from here. One more thing before I go.

User: Yes?

Technician: LOVE is freeware. Be sure to give it and
its various modules to everybody you meet. They will
in turn share it with other people and they will
return some similarly cool modules back to you.

User: I will. Thanks for your help. By the way, what's
your name?

Technician: You can call me the Divine Cardiologist,
also known as The Great Physician, but most call me
God. Most people feel all they need is an annual
check-up to stay heart-healthy, but the manufacturer
(Me) suggests a schedule of daily maintenance for
maximum efficiency. Put another way - keep in touch.

I GOT A JOB!

2003-09-30T21:05:00.000Z

I got a job as a customer service rep at the british gas! so i can finaly leave the factory....

New design!!

2003-09-28T19:00:00.000Z

I felt that my web page was just toooooo much! i decided to have a little change in its appearance....a little on the dark side..., but more professional

The longest email address in the world is owned by my friend

2003-09-27T09:41:00.000Z

The longest email address in the world is:

smileforevercozjesuslovesyouandhewontstoplovingunomatterwatuvdun@hotmail.com

Yes, he is a bit of a jesus freak, but so am I!. He has refused an offer of £200 for this email address!

I have a hectic week ahead of me!

2003-09-27T08:28:00.000Z

Monday- Interview at 10am-12pm, work from 12:30pm-4:30pm psychology class from 6pm to 9pm

Tuesday- Interview at 9am, work from 12pm to 4:30pm, choir practice from 7:30pm to 9:30pm

Wednesday- Work from 8:30am to 4:30pm, psycology class from 6pm to 9pm

Thursday- Work from 8:30am to 4:30pm,

Friday- Interview at 10am, Work from 12:30pm to 4:30pm, SLEEP FOR 15 HOURS DUE TO EXHAUSTION!

Well thats what next week will bring, quite daunting yet exciting! I jus pray i dont lose my marbles :)

Qualities of a good doctor.

2003-09-25T20:49:00.000Z

Patients must be able to trust doctors with their lives and well-being. To justify that trust, we as a profession have a duty to maintain a good standard of practice and care and to show respect for human life. In particular as a doctor you must:

· make the care of your patient your first concern;
· treat every patient politely and considerately and truthfully;
· respect patients' dignity and privacy;
· listen to patients and respect their views and beliefs;
· give patients information in a way they can understand;
· respect the rights of patients to be fully involved in decisions about their care;
· keep your professional knowledge and skills up to date;
· recognise the limits of your professional competence;
· be honest and trustworthy;
· respect and protect confidential information;
· make sure that your personal beliefs do not prejudice your patients' care;
· act quickly to protect patients from risk if you have good reason to believe that you or a colleague may not be fit to practise;
· avoid abusing your position as a doctor; and
· work with colleagues in the ways that best serve patients' interests.
In all these matters you must never discriminate unfairly against your patients or colleagues. And you must always be prepared to justify your actions to them.
Versatile, flexible and sensitive professionals clinically competent, and thus doctors must be able to understand scientific method and principles. open-minded, comfortable with uncertainty, free of preconceived views and capable of recognising and responding to ethical issues.
· recognise and work within the limits of your professional competence;
· be willing to consult colleagues;
· be competent when making diagnoses and when giving or arranging treatment;
· keep clear, accurate, legible and contemporaneous patient records which report the relevant clinical findings, the decisions made, the information given to patients and any drugs or other treatment prescribed;
· keep colleagues well informed when sharing the care of patients;
· provide the necessary care to alleviate pain and distress whether or not curative treatment is possible;
· prescribe drugs or treatment, including repeat prescriptions, only where you have adequate knowledge of the patient's health and medical needs. You must not give or recommend to patients any investigation or treatment which you know is not in their best interests, nor withhold appropriate treatments or referral;
· report adverse drug reactions as required under the relevant reporting scheme, and co-operate with requests for information from organisations monitoring the public health ;
· make efficient use of the resources available to you.
You must treat information about patients as confidential. If in exceptional circumstances there are good reasons why you should pass on information without a patient's consent, or against a patient's wishes, you must follow our guidance on Confidentiality: Protecting and Providing Information and be prepared to justify your decision to the patient, if appropriate, and to the GMC and the courts, if called on to do so.
· respect the skills and contributions of your colleagues;
· maintain professional relationships with patients;
· communicate effectively with colleagues within and outside the team;
· make sure that your patients and colleagues understand your professional status and specialty, your role and responsibilities in the team and who is responsible for each aspect of patients' care;
· participate in regular reviews and audit of the standards and performance of the team, taking steps to remedy any deficiencies;
· be willing to deal openly and supportively with problems in the performance, conduct or health of team members.

I am aware that people are still applying for medical school hence.....

2003-09-25T20:44:00.000Z

Interview tips and techniques!

The interview will normally be conducted by two senior staff, one of whom will be a member of the Admissions Committee and will act as lead interviewer. The chairperson should introduce the interviewers to the candidate and try to put the candidate at ease.
The Interview will involve:

1) Questions about the depth of:

Motivation-eg I have experienced the work of doctors which has resurrected hope and brought sparkle to the eyes of friends and relatives who have undergone traumatic injuries. This has birthed in me a passion to give as many people as possible the best chance to enjoy a healthy life. My motivation to pursue a medical career springs from my desire to understand human epidemiology enabling alleviation of patient discomfort.

Insight into a medical career-eg. I have sat in several GP consultations, visited hospital wards and keenly watched how doctors handled their patients. Doctors shared that keeping people healthy is mentally and emotionally rewarding. However, patient deaths and ungrateful persons are sometimes painful.

Interest in medical topics- eg. Multiple Sclerosis, Oncology, Asthma
a. Focus on areas of highlighted in the assessment process:
Academic ability- Be logical
Communication skills- Fluent, coherent speech
Personal attitudes and attributes-
Fitness to practice as a doctor

Asking for questions from the candidate- I might ask something medical like- Having thoroughly looked at the prospectus and on this universities website, I am now aware that this medical research faculty specialises in â€¦â€¦â€¦As a medical student here, will I be able to get deeply involved in the research of this topic?.. as it is one I am very interested in.

Forming a view on:
1)Personality
2)Communication skills

After the candidate has left the interviewing room the chairperson will complete the report form. The interviewers will decide on the basis of information gained by asking questions as above to recommend that the candidate is worthy of an offer:-), or - should be rejected:-( So dont worry, be happy! just apply before october 15!

Question-answer on the ethics of pre-implantation testing.

2003-09-25T17:51:00.000Z

What is pre-implantation testing and how is it done?
Pre-implantation testing is a genetic test carried out pre-embryos created via the IVF procedure to determine whether abnormal genes are present before the embryos are implanted in the uterus. Pre-implantation testing is possible because the creation of embryos via IVF allows cells to be removed from pre-embryos. These cells are undifferentiated thus they have the potential to develop into any tissue or organ and can be examined for defective genes. Pre-embryos that contain abnormal genes will not be transferred to the uterus but will be discarded.

What is the disadvantage of this type of testing?

This test has one major disadvantage and that is it relies on IVF, a very expensive and highly unsuccessful technique to create these pre-embryos for testing.

Who has to consent to these types of testing?

The embryo has no ability nor will to consent to being tested upon at this stage and therefore relies on the consent of the sperm and or egg donor (the parents). As expressed in the article, this raises the problem of the extent to which the parents’ decision is driven by self-interests rather than concern for the embryos welfare. This is a heavy moral burden on the minds of the parents as on one hand they have to make moral decisions that are socially acceptable and the other make decisions that they perceive is best for themselves and the embryo.

What are the potential problems with this type of testing and subsequent destruction of embryos?

The potential problem is expressed in questions such as: Where do we ‘draw the line’?
What genetic conditions would warrant the non-transferral of embryos to the uterus? It is agreed that some genetic diseases are incompatible with life after birth and any rational person would agree that it would better off if the child was not forced to live in such agony. However genetic disorders such as Down’s syndrome which are not immediately fatal might become a reason for non-transferral of the embryo. Deciding whether a particular genetic disease is too much for the potential child to bear could be determined by the severity of the disease, degree of physical and emotional pain and suffering, time of onset of symptoms, availability of cures, life expectancy and impairment to quality of life. To what level of pain will the potential child have to suffer that will determine whether the pregnancy will be allowed to progress?
Other problems include the discrimination against poor people who can’t afford genetic tests. This could cause a widening of social divisions as the rich will be genetically perfect while the poor will have all the genetic diseases passed on from generation to generation. This would be an injustice to the poor.
One major problem would be the slippery slope to eugenics where parents could wish for genetically perfect children and used genetics to eliminate certain traits like large lips, large eyes or large noses. Another problem is the idea of designer babies who have ‘improved’ genes for characteristics such as colouring, height, intelligence and athletic ability, chosen according to parental preferences. This is an unacceptable interference with nature.

What is the difference between genetic testing and designer babies?
Genetic testing is the use of different techniques to determine whether genetic defects are present in human DNA. While designer babies is an application of genetic testing where unwanted genes are removed and wanted ones are put in.

For further information on this visit

this site

YAY! I AM LISTED ON THE YAHOO DIRECTORY

2003-09-24T22:45:00.000Z

Well my website has been listed on the yahoo directory
so more people will be able to read my journal....well i have to now write more often :)

http://dir.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/World_Wide_Web/Weblogs/Health_and_Medicine/

Update

2003-09-18T20:16:00.000Z

Well I just had an interview at the Bradford Royal Infirmary for a job as a trainee health care assistant. The job is quite exciting and is perfect experience for the rigourous years of medicine that lay before me. right.....the interview went well so i hope to hear positive news in the next 2 weeks.

Later people

Job hunting is quite a challenge!

2003-09-13T12:11:00.000Z

Have you ever searched tirelessly for a particular job that pays you a particular salary only to end up not finding it, or finding one for which you lack the qualifications.....'DUH' is the answer i hear most of you echoing and i cant blame you for that. But i have just had my first experience of this and i find it quite challenging. So what I have done is ventured out into the exciting world of temporary manual labour until i find that job. yep! I work in a factory that pays me peanuts but hey, a mans gotta do what a mans gotta do until a man gets what he wanna do....do ya getta what i mean?(I got a little italian blood and its shining right through:-)) So as soon as i get the job in the hospital, or a job in an office i will be lifting boxes, inhaling dust and hearing constant swearing and dirty talk. Believe me when i tell you that factory work is not for everyone, but for very tolerant people, it is so hard and you have to stand all day and everyone treats you like the soft mushy stuff you might step in on farm land. It has taught me a thing or two about perseverance and humility.

Right, thats enough about that, Have a good day!

True Courage

2003-09-11T09:00:00.000Z

I believe it is only a few times in human history that human beings have exhibited remarkable and exemplary courage that affected a large amount of people. Exactly 2 years ago the crime of the decade was committed against one of the most powerful countries on the planet, where often people there think they are invulnerable to attack. New York was in ruins....but what was awesome was the bravery exhibited by the doctors, firemen, business men and even ordinary pedestrians as they fought the flames, dust and blood-curdling screams in an effort to save lives. This is what life is about....i dont want to be a mediocre doctor sitting in an office staring at trophies and certificates of my achievements...i rather get out there and make a real difference in peoples lives. This is a challenge for all of us whether you are a student, employee or employer, we should always live our lives looking out for our fellow man. The kind of courage exhibited by those firemen and paramedics exists deep down in our hearts...unlock the door to your heart and start loving your neighbour as you do yourself

Rest in peace to all the paramedics, firemen and the victims of the 9/11 attacks and my most sincere condolences to the families left behind.

I know some really cool people!

2003-09-07T19:31:00.000Z

I just had a friend over my place who is just such a really cool person. We just have a click! We just have a few things in common like a passion to enter the medical profession, both asthmatics, both going to leeds university, both christian among other things. We both met on a chat forum for people applying to do medicine and we have now developed a strong friendship that i believe will last for a very long time. I am just saying all this to say we should really appreciate all of our friends because they are really gifts from heaven to make life on earth that much more enjoyable. Look out! A friend is on the way!

www.festivalmanchester.com

2003-09-01T17:25:00.000Z

Hey guys! i just returned from having a blast at one of the biggest parties in north manchester! i went to festival manchester for the week august 25 to august 31 and camped out in heaton park and played a part in making a huge impact on the less fortunate people of manchester. the week was really tough as it invloved clearing of gardens, tidying of fields, painting, witnessing and ofcourse, we coudnt have done without camping, smelly toilets, dirty socks...and the works! i had an opportunity to have rap battles with professional rappers...which reminds me, i completely demolished an eminem wannabee. i had an opportunity to meet other christian people and i even was famous for singing the nonsense blues....lol!

For those of u getting ready for uni all the best..
later folks

Results

2003-08-14T15:06:00.000Z

Well i just thought i would post my results on my journal not to rub it in anyones face but so that people can see and rejoice with me. I would like to thank all my readers as you are the main reason i write my journal. i also thank all my wellwishers for your encouragement and prayers.

Biology A
Math A
Chemistry B
General Studies B

I got into leeds university, my first choice.
Congrats to everyone who received their results

Thursday 14th August 2003

2003-08-14T00:28:00.000Z

In a few hours the results will be published! yayy!

41 years of freedom and our culture has become so 'smutty'

2003-08-08T00:13:00.000Z

I read this epinion (internet opinion) today and I found it very interesting:

PERMIT ME to express my rising discontent and dismay at the existing moral decay in our society. Jamaica, land we love, has become a hotbed of gambling and promiscuity.

At any time of day that one watches television or listens to radio, one is bombarded with overt or thinly-veiled messages of instant gratification through quick money or easy sex.

How can we wonder when our children (as young as nine and 10) take the messages seriously and act out the scenarios we place before them?

The massage parlours openly advertise for young attractive girls to pander to the lusts of our "dirty old and young men" and the so-called decent citizens among us sit by under the guise of minding our own business, and the idea of not violating people's freedom to choose.

Hypocrites that we are, we keep a law on our statute books which states that the age of consent is 16 years, yet we argue that seeking to uphold that law and to demand from the young that they do not willingly expose themselves to the violators of that law is an invasion of their privacy.

We wring our hands and wash them in innocence by proposing the distribution of condoms rather than the education of our young in the benefits of abstinence and the dangers of unbridled sex.

True, there are some organisations spreading the good news but their voices are muted by the strident tones of the promiscuity peddlers among us.

It is time the decent, law-abiding ones among us who have the good of this country at heart speak out against the dirt, grime and crime in our society. Let us hail the legitimacy of hard work, ambition and moral rectitude.

For those of you that dont know, Jamaica just recently celebrated 41 years of independence....but was it really something to celebrate about? Since independence in 1962 the currency has declined rapidly, crime has spiraled to ridiclous altitudes, our morality has vanished and our economy is a sinking ship. We need some change and we need it fast...then we will have something to celebrate about.

Today is a new day!

2003-08-06T12:15:00.000Z

Well duh! Listen folks, August 14, 2003 is the most significant and important day since i have lived in the UK.....yes you guessed it right..its the Annual A-level Results Day when thousands of 17-19 year old students cringe and bite their fingernails as they open the package that reveals their results. Some people cry, some scream for joy, some even faint! Peoples' futures are determined by simple sheets of paper. I too will have to face those sheets of paper and will discover whether i will be a doctor in 6 or so years! yes i agree it is an excrutiating experience but whatever you sow you will reap...if all you remember about sixthform is the cutest girl or boy in your class then you might have a slight problem on results day.. :-) But i am sure that you, my scholastic readers, were diligent academics and passionately pursued your maximum potential in your studies ;-) God speed and all the best!

Time to share a few of my experiences in Florida

2003-07-27T00:24:00.000Z

Well, as soon as i arrived in Miami i was approached by Will Smith and his wife as they performed..'Welcome to Miami'....It totally rocked!! Maybe not....Infact, my holiday did not start with a BANG!....i spent the first week of my holiday doing absolutely nothing...but watching tv. but believe it or not, that week was very good for me as i got alot of rest and mental preparation for the hectic time in the weeks ahead. i then transfered to another location where i spent the majority of my trip. My vacation consisted of a few house parties, meeting some really cool people, going swimming in pools and beaches, buying new clothes and 'discovering myself'. you are probably wondering.. 'what on earth do i mean by discovering myself?' Believe me when i tell you that spending 4 weeks of your life in a whole new country with an entirely different culture of people can either (1) drive you to insanity or (2)teach you things about yourself. i think i got a taste of both slices of the pie! I really learned alot on my trip to florida, and i would like to thank all the people who made it possible. Another thing i would like to stress....If you have family on either your mothers or fathers side that you dont know ensure you get intouch. while in florida i met about 20 people who are related to me whom i have never heard of for all my life till i was 18. it really grieved my heart to be cut off from such a wonderful set of people. knowing your family gives you a sense of belonging...get to know your extended family, u wont regret it.

I have returned home!!

2003-07-24T22:26:00.000Z

Sorry for not writing much on my blog....i got a little carried away ;-) well i am back safe and sound and had the time of my life in florida!! i will come back later....i am tired i jus arrived today!

I am in florida!

2003-06-28T02:47:00.000Z

Hello evryone, i am in the land of milk and money...not quite...I it so hot here!! i am not used to this weather as i have been living in england for awhile. i have been here for a couple of days and i am really enjoying myself :-) my holiday has consisted of basketball and watching dvds....and some other interesting things ;-)....cya later

Go Joel its ya birthday we gonna party like its ya birthday...

2003-06-19T23:04:00.000Z

happy birthday to me..wow i am 18...no difference...life goes on..

I finally got a comment system up!!

2003-06-19T17:51:00.000Z

YESIREE!! I have set up a means for you, my beloved readers to post comments about my blog....say what you want! If you have something negative to say about my blog please show me how to improve; i.e. only constructive criticism please!! If you have something positive to say about my site, well thank you:-). I know i dont really have to say this but please dont abuse this medium...i am open to anything but i would rather not have to read expletives....i think you get the picture

Enjoy

ThE eXaM fEvEr Is OvEr!!!

2003-06-19T16:36:00.000Z

I jus dropped the pencil in the last exam i will sit for at least a year! The exam went well but i am just glad it is all over...now i need to start packing my suitcases! and the thing is that we are also moving house so i need to get all my stuff into boxes!! Its gonna be a busy night people....

I just thought of something!

2003-06-19T08:40:00.000Z

It would be selfish of me not to tell you all how to start a web journal like this one for FREE!! simply go to http://www.blogger.com and sign up!! when you sign up for one the process is straightforward but you can always email me if you are stuck...my email address is jojochillin@hotmail.com

Good Morning everyone!

2003-06-19T08:03:00.000Z

Well its the morning of my last exam! I am studying the transport system in animals right about now...The exam starts at 1:00pm so I am going to study for a couple of hours then i will go and sit my exam. Please remember me at that time and wish me all the best. The next few days will be so hectic for me! I will have to do so many things in order to prepare for my trip to florida.

For those of you who don't believe in angels....This morning I was doing an omelete on the stove, and i was just about to finish when i heard a popping sound and a fragment of food from the frying pan came flying towards my face! the fragment hit me about half-an-inch below my left eye!! Now listen carefully....If that had hit me in my eye on this exam morning I could have been injured and worse, blinded thus unable to attend my exam. So its my theory that an angel protected me!:-) .....Think about that
CYA

A new design! Tell me what you think!

2003-06-19T00:45:00.000Z

I spent a considerable amount of time redesigning the website....certain people felt the design was a little plain..so plz email me with your comments about the new design!! as you see i have tried to give an 'islander feel'

contact: jojochillin@hotmail.com

People have asked me: Why take a year out(gap year) before starting medical school..here's why

2003-06-18T19:08:00.000Z

I have elected to defer my entry year to 2004 because a gap year seems to be the opportune time to consolidate my experiences and garner resources which will enable me to grasp opportunities that will arise during my medical studies. A deferred entry onto the medical course will ideally suit me because I plan to get a well paid job that will both improve my financial independence when starting my course and instil in me an increased sense of maturity. I also plan to coordinate my own community based project in order to raise money to donate to asthma research. I have chosen asthma because my sisters, my father and I have suffered from the devastating effects it has on the respiratory system:-( and I feel that it would be worthwhile to contribute financially to finding its complete cure. I also plan to apply for a post at my local hospital on the temporary nurse register where I will have the chance to continue shadowing hospital doctors and interacting with patients on a personal level. By 2004, I hope to have broadened my outlook on life so as to perform more efficiently at medical school and to continue thereafter to practice good medicine.....and thats it really!!

bye 4 now... contact: jojochillin@hotmail.com

Guess whose BiRtHdAy is just around the corner ;-)

2003-06-18T17:39:00.000Z

Yes....I am getting old, but then again, thats relative because it really depends on what one perceives old to be. My Birthday is on June 20th. You are probably wondering why i am telling you this from now...well, like every normal person, you expect that people will not only congratulate you on your 18th birthday but will also send an e-card as they recognise the milestone one has reached on their 18th year! So i am telling you two days in advance so you will have no excuse...$-) Did you know that you can now send money through email...;-) hint hint..i am only kidding! I just would appreciate a e-hug or a e-'pat.on.the.back'

In the 'morrows..

Oh and another thing.....

2003-06-18T17:20:00.000Z

When i arrive in Florida i will make sure to tell you all that I am safe! Please pray for my safety as I travel accross the deep blue ocean. Remember people...always F.R.O.G.!For those of you who dont know what that means...Fully Rely On God!:-)

Ok later people.

Chemistry is finally over.....what a nightmare!:-[

2003-06-18T17:13:00.000Z

The chemistry exam I was moaning about has finally come to an end! It was extremely challenging no doubt...The first paper was called 'CHAINS RINGS AND SPECTROSCOPY'..what a mouthful! Well as the name suggests it was filled with your familiar organic compounds and techniques used to identify particular functional groups etc...The second paper could be considered the synoptic one as it encompassed several aspects of chemistry and was called 'UNIFYING CONCEPTS'..anyway enough about that; results day is in august. i have another biology exam tomorrow [my last i might add] so i will have to be heading towards my textbook right about now:-). THIS WILL SOON BE ALL OVER!

I have been addressed with a problem concerning my blog...noone can leave any comments! So hear me out...if you feel you have something worth saying about my site...whether good or bad, just email me at jojochillin@hotmail.comwhile i sort out a comments page.

Thanks alot,

Why do i really want to do medicine?

2003-06-17T18:34:00.000Z

Throughout my life as a secondary school student, I had enjoyed the prospect of becoming a medical doctor. I was intrigued by aspects of my academic curriculum that involved understanding how the human body worked and why it worked; but I never really knew why I wanted to study medicine. I remember the first day someone asked me the most feared and frequently asked medical interview question: 'Why do you want to be a doctor?' I scratched my head and searched deeply into the recesses of my mind and could only mumble a few trite words. I was so embarrassed that day that I decided to set out to find out why. I dug up some medical school prospectuses and began to really examine the structure of the medical degree and I was surprised at how I felt the course suited me. I then decided to get some work experience that would confirm whether medicine was for me or not. Therefore, I attended the a medical conference held at in Nottingham. This was an introductory course to medicine and I received lectures from doctors from varied fields of medicine who all came to share their personal and professional experiences as medical doctors. The conference really opened my eyes to what medicine was truly about which is simply the wholehearted caring of ill people despite how frustrating it can be sometimes. After this conference I started on the road to completely understanding what medicine was about. So I spent time shadowing a general practitioner at a medical clinic in Wakefield. Upon permission from the patients, I was allowed to sit in 10 consultation sessions in which I watched how the Doctor dealt with the range of complaints that the patients shared with him. I learned very quickly the importance of patient confidentiality, humility and compassion; essential factors that form the foundation of a successful doctor-patient relationship. Another essential truth I discovered is simply that most patients are scared-to-death when first approaching a GP, as they dont fully understand what his roles and objectives are. I am prepared to be a GP that will be able to be compassionate and as understanding as I possibly can and act professionally in assuring the patient he or she is in safe hands.

I want to practice medicine because my heart and mind are fixed on the unique experience of being trained in the healing arts and the responsibility it gives of applying remedies thus improving the quality of the life of ill people around me. In my humble opinion, medicine provides me the best avenue to utilise my talents while fulfilling my passion for improving the quality of life of others around me. Upon receiving a medical degree, I should love a career as a General Practitioner or a Neurologist. Thanks for listening to my long waffle...i shall get back to my chemistry!

Chemistry is not so bad...but surfing is awesome!

2003-06-17T10:24:00.000Z

i am currently studying for a chemistry paper i have in one day! the material is not very difiicult to understand...its just that i would rather do so many other things right now...like surfing the beaches on the coast of florida..hint hint ;-)! i cant wait! i welcome any form of support and encouragement with regards to my exams...infact, you can email me at jojochillin@hotmail.com just to say all the best! later peeps

Florida here I come!

2003-06-17T08:05:00.000Z

When i think of England i usually think of three words.... 'let me out!' the place is generally great and the people are awesome but the climate is quite terrible i think. After 2 years of living here in England i think i deserve a holiday in paradise....FLORIDA!! i will be going for about 4 weeks for some sun, fun and to come back tired as ever. this is the only serious travelling oportunity i will have for my entire gap year!....so buckle up florida...this islander is heading straight for the capital...evrything is irie :-)

My outdated web profile

2003-06-16T20:45:00.000Z

www.faceparty.co.uk/doctorjojo

2003-06-16T20:42:00.000Z

i thought i would be nice...here is my profile..i haven't updated it in awhile but it reveals a little more about me.

In the beginning....

2003-06-16T20:32:00.000Z

Wow...my own blog! Can't you feel the love in this room?.....you dont really have to answer that. I am a medical student, well i actually start medical school in 2004 after a glorious gap year!....which means i will eventually get paid to look up ur rectum, among other unsightly things.....I truly love what doctors do. i believe it is an honour to be a doc-in-training..i am no better than anyone else but everyone can agree that the job, which can be really tiring, is pretty awesome and rewarding. In this blog i will attempt to tell you about what i get up to during my year out before i actually start medical school. Today has been dreadful...i just started the blog and i have no readers...i should really be studying now, but i love u all so much I thought i would share my life with you. I am a black male...large in fact. i am as straight as an arrow...and i enjoy taking long scenic walks in some park somewhere...thats all u need to know for today. i am going now but remember...i will be back.