A year ago, a year ahead.

Last week was fairly standard for me as a 3rd year medic in the middle of psychiatry placement. (Many of you know my less than adoring thoughts toward psychiatry, but that's not the purpose of this post).

For the second year medics it was ESA 3 time, the pre-clinical exams that had me and my housemates and friends so wound up and frantic 12 months ago now seem like a delightfully hazy memory. The in-depth physiology and theory has no doubt mostly slipped from my memory in the year since then. Many medics on our course say that the pre-clinical exam is actually the most difficult we sit on our course, by the time we get to finals the questions are more general and clinically relevant. Perhaps I should brush up any way just to be safe!

Whilst 1 year ago I was sitting exams, the year above us found out this week what foundation schools they have got into (ie, where they will be working in their first jobs as junior doctors come August). This is quite exciting and also a reminder to me not to rest on my laurels. Job applications will be around before we know it and hopefully by next year I'll have a doctors job lined up too!

But for now I'll just get back to finishing off my Psychiatry portfolio, revising for Thursday's test and praying to the weather and travel gods that my flight to Canada for Christmas isn't delayed/cancelled!

Merry Christmas!