India, here I come

Assalamualaikum dear readers:)

Seems like it has been pretty clear that YES I AM HEADING TO BELGAUM, KARNATAKA, INDIA. In a sudden, however,  this morning around 11 something, Puan Salina, who happened to be an officer at Faculty Of Medicine, UiTM called me. I was so happy to see her number on the phone's screen, eagerly took it up and answered it with calm.

"Dayana, ni Puan Salina. Kalau ikutkan, kami hanya mampu ambil semula pelajar yang dapat merit CGPA 3.89 sahaja, tapi dengan syarat tidak mendapat tawaran kos perubatan di mana-mana IPTA. Jadi, dukacita saya maklumkan, rayuan Dayana gagal. Maaf ye"

The heart pounded hard. I failed to gain admission to the place I have been dreaming all day long to go. Just because my CGPA wasn't enough to make it through. Thanks UiTM for all the memories during Pre-Medicine, you have turned me down. But that's okay.

Then again, I must be absolutely thankful and grateful to have a second option. Thank you MARA for calling me the other day. And I was happy and over the rainbows to be selected among those who applied. Seems like all the adventure was worth a try. I am also relief that I made the decision to attend to the interview. Thanks a lot to dad for accompanying me all the way to Kubang Kerian, Kelantan too :) AlhamduLILLAH.

Genuinely, both Malaysia and India have lots to offer, provide pros and cons. So to make them crystal clear why I have been ranting to study medicine in the country and why I made my decision to fly to India, I listed the following reasons:

MALAYSIA

Advantages

1. High requirements for admission to medical courses in local universities. So once you are in, you can be considered as superbly good. But, guess I am not. HeheheXD

2. Provide local lecturers aside the foreigners. Better understanding, when you find it slightly difficult to converse in English. *Be real Dayana. This is the sign that you will be able to brush up your English*

3. Problem Based Learning is implemented, especially in UiTM. Thus provide better way to understand cases and relate them with the symptoms and signs. *eemm...I am pretty sure there will be PBL too in USM-KLE*

4. Family lives here. What is even better than having to stay close to them? Maybe I am sounded a bit childish and bratty, but here's the fact. Family washes away your inferiors and also sometimes, tenses.

5. No need to worry on money currency. Been living almost 2 decades in the country, been shopping around with Ringgit Malaysia. Easy breezy shopping is indeed a pleasure for those who manage to study here.

6. No worry on food. Halal food is everywhere.

7. Can celebrate yearly occasions with family members. Again I sounded bratty.

8. Can drive here and there. And building up more fat in the adipose tissues thanks to lotsa nearby fast food restaurants. Added up to the fact, there are tonnes of drive-thru...

9. UiTM offered AMS (Advanced Medical Science) degree if you completed your second year with honour. It could be an added up basis for you as a medical student and as a doctor in the future. Guess, I won't have to dream about it now though...

10. New campus in Sg Buloh (UiTM) which alike Puncak Alam, is superb. But this is not a major problem since hostels at KLE are of five class standards too.

11. Friends are abundant. Yet, life is about adventure, in every phase, find yourselves new troops of friends. Build up networking, Dayana. Don't be too narrow minded.

12. Clinics are located everywhere, in case you need to see a doctor. In India however, I am not quite sure, if I were to have my bronchitis back, who should I ask for help? My room mate?

13. They got JPA sponsorship. RM 5600 per semester if I am not mistaken. They will be instantly rich brainiacs. Bounded 10 years to the government, and Voi'la you don't need to pay back. And do you think 10 years is lengthy?


Disadvantages


1. Less experience on life. No opportunity to cultivate yourselves to other people's culture unless you are going to the Borneo.

2. Small and poor ventilated rooms with bathrooms outdoors. Misery I tell ya.

3. Quite unhelpful when it comes to possess English as the medium of interaction. Mostly, students will talk more in their native language thus, would be bad for their learning process in a long run.

4. More expensive medical books.

5. Hot and timid climate almost a year round.

6. Small space lecture halls. Not conducive.

7. Mosquitoes breeding farm. They are handy to give you sleepless nights.

8. High chance to become a bit racist especially when you are surrounded with MALAYS all the time.

9. Inadequate cadavers to provide students with hands-on experience doing dissections and knowing every little details of the human body.

10. Couldn't learn to cook or brushing up cooking skills, since food are provided on your 'doorsteps'.

So now, lets move on to why must I go to India ??

Advantages:

1. First amazing collaboration between Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and a well-established medical institution in Belgaum, KLE. Who doesn't wanna be a part of this incredible giant medical school?

2. Obtained a M.D degree from USM after you completed the course. This is just super amazing because USM has been established so well in the country, so no one would question whether it is accredited or recognized.

3. USM KLE is located in Belgaum, where there's 4 seasons and by this September it would be winter. Sorry to say, there's no snow, but it will be super cool to be in low temperatures.

4. Superb five star accommodations. We can choose to have single bed, or twin bed. With bathroom attached.

5. Superb five star facilities in the campus.

6. Dedicated lecturers. By the end of the class, they will surely ask again where do we don't understand, not just swift away and leave us blurred.

7. Meals provided  by MESS

8. Abundant cadavers...

9. Cheaper medical books, very cheap...

10. AMAZING FOOD. My friend who went to Karnataka for a holiday, said the food was marvellous, and they get to eat at lavish restaurants since the price are so cheap. *macam mana nak slim ni haih*

11. Super fast Internet connectivity, but can't browse through Youtube. *DANG*

12. Enable to learn multi-dialects of Indian languages, Kannada and Hindi. Thus, they would be pretty handful once I returned to provide my service in local government hospitals. :P

13. Cheap phone-calls rates.

14. Nice venue to shop for more clothes, that I can ask the locals to tailor. I heard they are good doing baju kurung, we'll see then :)

15. No over-crowded lecture halls.

16. Tip-top computer labs.

17. Get to feel the incredible India, and what not to experience living in other country. To go to Taj Mahal is also in my head. It is time to be independent. Hahhaa.

18. Gotta save to travel to Kashmir, or to China or to London. HEHEH.

19. Took only four hours to reach Karnataka from Malaysia, so it won't feel that much of a jet lag...and besides, return tickets are cheaper compared to those in the European countries. I am certainly blessed:)

20. Going to be the second batch at USM-KLE. The second troop of pioneers, so it would be great having the chance to be a sort of ambassador bragging about it, hehe. InsyaAllah.

21. Small groups of students thus, I see this bright chance that everyone will mingle so well with each other, to create one big happy family, insyaAllah.

22. One difference of USM KLE compared to USM KK is that, in India, there will be held dissection classes whereby lecturers will guide us to do dissection for one to two hour. I am very excited for this one. But better take it slow and steady. Over-excited leads to bad luck, sometimes.

23. Have the chance to learn how to save like an adult. Got to pay back 20% of the loan by the end of this course. So better keep the money rolling into the piggy bank!

24. Fast Internet speed, but inaccessible to YouTube. Sorry Youtube, you might have to say bye to me in 5 years to come. Ahaks..!

25. It's chilling, but dry. But chilling keeps you excited and comfy...

26. We would be provided with cleaners to tidy up our rooms, with no charges to pay, but seniors advised us to at least give them some tips. Do kind to them people!

27. For girls, there's laundry service available, with rate as low as RM7 per month. Hehe.




Disadvantages:


1. Gotta be super tired with 6 days per week classes. But it would be fascinating.

2. The English pronunciation from the Indian lecturers could be quite tedious to understand sometimes. So, I better did some earwax removal before boarding off. HEHE.

3. Will have to adapt to the food at first. But, adaptation can be cultivated.

4. Dry climate, will cause lips to 'merekah'. Indeed, according to Bro Erwyn, need to bring lip moisturizer.

5. Of course, groceries would be different than what we could find here in the country. So, yes, another adaptation is required.

6. Far from family teach us to be strong.

7. Need International Adapters for electrical appliances.

8. Fully English must be conversed. Problem? NAAAHH

9. Super duper tough examination questions. What do you expect dayana? You are pursuing degree in medicine right? ahaha.

10. Nothing else I can list.


So yeah, my parents are now eagerly enthusiastic about this one. Biasalaah, anak sulung kesayangan. *Cough*

And thank you for modernity, Facebook HELPS a lot in the sense of connecting some of my future coursemates and what not with the seniors. Blogs also come in very handy. Credits to Kak Chick (Ruben) for her time answering my Questionaires. And also other seniors like Aidil Yusof and Erwyn Ooi.

>>p/s: nak beli henfon apa eh? that is worth the price and come in handy?<<

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