Medical School Interview #2 : Newcastle University, Malaysia

So here comes the second part, after a long long while.
I really do hope I still remember the process clearly hahaa.

I would say the application process for NUMed Malaysia is relatively simple compared to the other universities, save from the fact that NUMed requires the most from you; a 47 line personal statement as well as a reference from your mentor. But the process of submitting the documents and application form is the simplest, not to mention it's free whee!

I was really curious as to whether I would be going for a Skype interview or if I had to go down to Johor for the interview in person. Luckily, I didn't have to do either of those (my house wifi sucks ttm) because the interview panel was coincidentally in KL for some education fair one weekend so they arranged it at a hotel in the city centre.

My interviewers were both British (assuming from their accents), one guy and one lady professor. I was the last candidate for the day, so there was no one waiting with me outside except for the admissions lady, AND the door/wall was very thin so it was relatively easy to hear what was going on in the interview room as the candidate before me had his interview. The previous candidate drew a lot of laughter from the interviewers, so that added to my nervousness.

When I went in to the interview room, I didn't realise it at first but my throat had dried up. Like literally cannot speak dried up. Although I drank water before going into the room, I think it was because I wasn't talking to anyone or anything at all for an hour before my interview, so that probably played a role in it. I couldn't answer even a few words when my voice got caught, and the lady professor offered me water and even poured it for me omg i was so embarrassed (I should've poured it myself but i was too blank alr omg).

Anyway, they asked pretty standard medical school interview questions at first. But I felt they were sort of nitpicking my personal statement. Like, as I had wrote about going for a mission trip to the orang asli kampung, they kept asking me questions about the trip like, 'how did you get to go on this trip?' and 'what did you learn from it?' although I did already elaborate those points in my personal statement. Of course I prepared to answer questions about the mission trip, but somehow I was so flustered that I kept mumbling about my answers and didn't sound confident at all. Luckily, I found my footing again after beating about around the bush lol (the lady professor didn't look amused. She looked bored, even, until I sounded confident again) and they seemed pretty happy with my answers.

Some other notable questions (apart from those concerning my personal statement) I remember being asked were;
1. If your friends were to say something about you, what would they say?
2. (follow up from previous question) would they say anything bad about you?
3. If you could change something about the Malaysian healthcare system, what would you change?
4. Any questions? (Don't ever ever not ask anything. Just ask about the student life / campus if you really don't have any other questions. Leaves a good impression!)

The final minutes of the interview wasn't an interview at all, it was basically them casually talking and low-key promoting their uni haha.

All in all it took about 20-25 minutes. It was really a two-way conversation sort of interview, so there was really nothing to be intimidated about. Although I felt that they were really scrutinizing my personal statement in the earlier in the interview, the later part was quite enjoyable and the interviewers were friendly.

P.S. I was apprehensive about getting an offer from them as they didn't respond to me as warmly as they did to the previous candidate (less laughter) but hey I got it like, barely two days after my interview haha! So lesson learnt: sometimes what people show outwardly does not reflect what they think inwardly. Just let time tell.




NUMed efficiency 100%

things i would tell you #3

i know what you're going through now isn't easy.
i can't say i've been in your shoes, but i do understand the dilemmas and uncertainties you face.
but bro, you are not alone.
you are not the only one facing difficulties and difficult times in your life.
you're busy, i'm busy, everyone's busy and having a million things on their minds too.
we're all at very important crossroads in our lives, no doubt

seeing friends would probably be the only perk or 'break' time from our hectic schedules, so why bring it down with negative vibes all the time?
i understand it is important and healthy in a friendship to have serious conversations but LOL BRO you dont even have conversations with us anymore.

its tiring and painful to see you be like this.
i really dont think these are your true colours.

learn to count your blessings and see what you have, rather than always looking to beat a certain someone in something/everything.
its healthy to have a mindset of not being satisfied, im not asking you to be satisfied to be where you are right now, but i hope you also find the little joys in your hard-earned merits.
only these two together will serve a balance in your motivations.

i sincerely pray that one day you will be able to find a deeper meaning for living, that life isnt all about the successes you achieve, or the career you will have, or the girls you date, or the bars you visit.

i miss the old you
i miss the person i could message late at night with whatever dilemma im having
i miss my bro

im going to miss you even more when you physically leave me

but maybe not as much as i thought i would


since not much of you is with me now anyway

Medical School Interview #1 : Perdana University (PU-RCSI)

*waves* 

Hello, haven't been around much lately. 

I recently attended 3 interviews for 3 different medical schools and while preparing for those interviews, I found that reading accounts of other people's experiences were helpful and somewhat comforting. So, since I am trying hard to relax right now after two consecutive days of tests, I've decided to blog my experiences and share it with you, my non-existent reader. 

(it's also great for me to look back at my old posts myself to see how much i've changed over the years ahaha)

SO, 

my first interview was for Perdana University (PU-RCSI for short). They are working hand in hand with the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland to provide an international degree whilst still being affordable and easily accessible for Malaysians. The degree awarded at the end of the 5-year medical course would be awarded by RCSI with a slight modification to it's location of study (it'll say PU-RCSI, Malaysia rather than RCSI, Ireland). At least that was the information bombarded on me by their marketing executive when I went to visit their campus to submit my application. 

Come interview day - my interview was scheduled at 2pm on a Friday, but I was advised to be there an hour earlier. I had classes in the morning and my mom had half day's work till 12pm. I can't drive when I'm nervous for something lol as I'll get stomach cramps and a little light headed, so my mom had to rush back from work to pick me and then rush to Perdana.

When we got there at 1pm, however, the reception lady gave me a funny face when I told her I was there for an interview scheduled at 2pm. And the marketing exec assigned to me was nowhere to be found. So, my mom and I sat on a couch and chit-chatted for a good hour and a half before the panel was 'ready' for me after a 'typically longer friday lunch break'. 

Anyway, moving on the actual interview. My panel of interviewers consisted of an Irish lady professor (teaching microbiology) and a male professor (teaching epidemiology) of a foreign nationality (I was never told where he was from lol). They were really friendly and nice and gave me plenty of time to think of my answers and I could reply them without rushing. The lady asked most of the questions and the guy was writing alot on a piece of paper and that made me more nervous haha. 

Some questions I remember them asking were

1. Tell me about yourself.

2. What do you know of the curriculum here?

3. Do you like Chemistry? (as i got a B in chemistry for my forecast results lul)

And then they even asked some science-y knowledge questions (totally not prepared for this)

4. What do you think is the difference between Physical Chem and Organic Chem?

5. Give an example of a chemical reaction happening in our bodies right now.

6. What enzyme digests protein?

7. Is Chemistry important in medicine?

I felt like I was being tied to a pole and being prepared to be set on fire for getting a less-than-A forecast grade in chemistry. Next was the situational questions.

8. If you were a dean at a medical school, and you got to know that a student is abusing drugs. One day this student even turns up to take an exam under the influence of drugs. What would you do?

9. If you were working with a colleague attending to a patient one day and he hands you a syringe for the patient. However, when you are halfway through administering the injection to the patient, he tells you that he has given you the wrong medicine. What would you do?

It took about 45 minutes in total but it felt to me like it dragged on forever.

Honestly, I think I botched this interview. I didn't answer with confidence even for the 'tell me about yourself' question. I also answered the second situational question somewhat 'wrongly' albeit honestly, and they really pick up on the questions you are less confident with and drill you with more questions on that subject, putting you on the spot if you had lied or are not firm with your decision.

Overall, it was a challenging interview and a good experience to help me prepare better for interviews in the future. I have not heard from Perdana yet, and I have a feeling that I would not get accepted due to my performance in the interview, but I still gained much from the experience. 

On to #2!

Count blessings only.