Tips for the "Fresh Meat"

Welcome ASMPH 2017!! <3 ASMPH 2016
Photo credit: Jonnecker Kingsu

It truly is a risk that we might have taken to choose ASMPH since it is only this year that we will be taking the boards. But we believe, strongly believe at that, that our Pioneers will pass 100% and even top the boards. Just like our Orsem's Theme: Taya! Tayo ay naniniwala sa pamantasang ating pinili. To welcome our fresh meat to the ASMPH family I hope this post will help in your adjustment into medical school.

How will be the best way to course through first year medical school? 

We all know that med school is hard. It will suck out all the happiness in you. It will give you eye-luggage and not to mention you will be popping in your uniform due to all the stress food that you will be eating. 

Here are some tips on how most of us debunked the statements above:
1. Attend lectures!
No matter how boring the class or lecturer may be don't miss class. Some lecturers get their exam questions from their lectures. They give out tips for the exams! So make sure that you attend! Also, it would be to your advantage if you take down notes during class :)
2. Read in advance
May it be transes or books, make sure to read before the lecture. Although I am guilty of not doing this, I am sure, 100%, that this will help you cope with the fast and bulky lectures. Knowing concepts in advance would help you fully understand the topic and maybe some terms which sound alien to you.

Reading tools (BOOKS and others)

• Anatomy: Moore - most recommended by professors; Snell - more concise but helpful; (Atlas = Netter)
• Physiology: Berne and Levy
• Biochemistry: (I really didn't make good use of my biochem book since our exam questions for the module "Cell" were mostly taken from the lectures): Lippincott's 
• Histoloy: Wheater
• Neuro: The Human Brain by John Nolte
• OB: William's (although there are only a few chapters that will be tackled for the first year, I recommend that you buy this since this will be used until you take the board exams)
• PE: Bate's and DeMyer
• "Accessories" which are necessities: Book stand (like the ones used by the priests hihi), Clipboards - this will be used for every lab exam (just not sure for the following batches since during the latter part of our first year, we were already provided with clipboards)

3. Be artistic! aka mark your transes, books, and other lecture notes
Make sure to write down your own notes. This will help you in remembering stuff for the exam - photographic memory is what they call it! It will help you in the exams fosho! Remembering how your notes / side-notes looks like will help you with testmanship come exam days since it will always be in multiple choice (except for anatomy exams). Familiar words / phrases will help you eliminate other choices! This is most especially helpful when you are a crammer like me! :D
Some helpful tools for your "art" lessons:

Lots and lots of Highlighters
Retrieved from penciltalk.org

Colored pens for your side notes
Retrieved from edwud.com

Handy ballpens!! 
Retrieved from officesupplies-b2b.com

3. Basic medical stuff that you'll need

• Stethoscope
• Tuning fork
• Neuro hammer
• Pen light
• (You can get the opthalmoscope/otoscope set since this will be used in Head and Neck, and in Neuro) 

4. Sleep on nights before the exam

I am a crammer ever since but I make sure to get a good 4-hour sleep the night before the exam. It may sound impossible but it is possible (except maybe for some modules haha). Sleeping would help you go through the exam better. If ever you were not able to review everything, your refreshed neurons will be more alert in remembering stuff from the lectures and maybe your readings before. Sleep is one of my ultimate savior during the exams -- if you don't know the answer, testmanship is the way haha. 

5. Stay away from temptation

Temptation aka the internet. There are a lot of stuff that you need to get from the internet especially for PH and for SGD cases but you have to set a limit for yourself or else haha. Make sure you're far away from the internet when studying :) 

6. Exercise and Socialize

Although it's true that our social life will be "damaged" haha but it will not be totally lost. There are so many social activities that different organizations offer. Also, so as not to accumulate unwanted fat, join the varsities! They don't require skill or excellence in a sport, it just requires heart. It may sound demanding but it actually is not. The training schedules are very flexible and are designed so that it won't affect your study schedule! (Opiates are released when you exercise so this will keep you more awake when you study!). This will also give you a chance to meet upper class men and interact with athletes from other med schools or even from other MBA schools :) 

JOIN THE BADMINTON TEAM!! 

AGSB TEAM (Left: Basketball, Right: Volleyball)

Inter-MBA Championship Game vs La Salle

Our lovely ladies :)

7. PRAY!

This will be your most important tool! Never ever forget to ask for guidance and strength because it will definitely be a hard year adjusting. Pray that He might help you get through the adjustment period and make you a stronger person for an even harder road ahead.

WITH THIS ENJOY YOUR YL5 EXPERIENCE!! 

SALVATION SUNDAY: Different Windows on The Ang Lahi Academy

Today, we attended the service led by Bro. Patrick with a testimonial from Coach Eric (Alumnus of The Ang Lahi Academy - Batch Labaw Donggon). It was again one of those Sundays where they emphasized that the Ang Lahi Academy, Meridian, and the MTM program are the only hope for our struggling country. But I think this Sunday changed my views about the academy. 

Side note: I decided to write this because at some point, I feel that I am the only one at home who thinks this way. Kudos to online journal writing! ^_^

My past view
The first batch definitely awed everyone by how the curriculum of the academy was prepared. Every single teenager may have had that thirst and envy to be part of The Ang Lahi Academy Batch Namwaran. Even my parents wanted to enroll my brother there. It showed us how we really need discipline in order to be part of the solution to the country and most importantly how the hearts of the young Christians have changed after attending the academy. However, the first challenge for this first batch was: With that short period of time, given the intense hardships that they may have gone through, were there hearts really fixed? Will they still be the same after they go out of the academy?
The answer: Extend the training period and intensify the exercises = Batch Kalipulako. Even more, the Church prepared for a longer and more intensified curriculum = Batch Labaw Donggon or what they have planned as Formula 8 (representing 8 months of training). 
With these in hand, I still really didn't see why they had to point out that this is the only answer to our country's cry. Here are other challenges that it may pose: 

How about the youth who have great thirst for a deeper relationship with the Lord and who have sincere and deep love for our country? Can they not take part in this future movement for our country because they failed to join the Academy? 

Who can qualify to enter the academy? Only those who have created strong ties in the Church? Or those who can afford? How about those who are silently listening to the testimonials and badly want to join but cannot because of financial problems or maybe because they feel that they are at a disadvantage since they are really not that active in the Church? 

Truthfully, it always made me cringe when I hear our Church leaders say that this is the only answer to our problem. Despite of my many flaws like 1.) being lazy most of the time; 2.) lacking fire in my heart to persevere and achieve greater heights, and achieve not only for me but for God and for our country; 3.) not having the resource/time to enroll in the Academy since I am attending medical school. It personally hurts me because I too have a dream for our country and a deep sense of eagerness to be part of the movement which will change our system. ...


...but this Sunday, I was reminded that there have been many people who left the ministry because they are hurt by the preaching extended to us every Sunday. But this is the exact  point why we attend Church - to be constantly reminded of what we should do in order to be worthy to be called Christians...


My present view
It may be true that the Ang Lahi Academy together with Meridian and MTM is the key to our nation's revolution, but I also believe that what "Ang Lahi" really means is to have a burden which will always remind us, that we have a much greater responsibility other than fixing ourselves and our family. We should always remember that we have our whole country to carry in our hearts and offer daily to our Lord. 
What the Ang Lahi imparts to us, those who have not been part of the academy, is that there is no easy way to becoming a great nation. The cadets of the Ang Lahi Academy goes through hardships patterned according to the hardships that our countrymen, here and especially those abroad, feel. Thirst, hunger, loneliness, pain, removal of all human rights and all other things which would equate to suffering - they all have gone through it. Although we cannot say that they have really gone through the feeling of "isang kahig, isang tuka", I must say that 8 months of experiencing the same kind of training and suffering would definitely change you - give you a different perspective. 

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. - Romans 5:3-5 NIV

With this we gain comfort. We know that something will be great if we have worked hard for it. We know that something will be great if it has broken our hearts that it leads us to thirst for new knowledge and for God's guidance. If we really give all that we can - blood, sweat, tears, and even our life - for the country that is just waiting for its people, only then can we rise up just as how other countries like Singapore and Korea has risen from poverty because they have learned that only through suffering will they gain prosperity. We will rise up when we are all able to answer Rizal's call:

"Nasaan ang kabataan na naglalaan ng magagandang sandali, ng kanilang mga pangarap at kasiglahan alang-alang sa ikabubuti ng kanilang bayan? Saan naroroon ang handang magpakamatay upang hugasan ng dugo ang napakaraming pagkakasala? Upang karapatdapat ang pagpapakasakit ito'y kailangang malinis at busilak. Nasaan ang kabataang may lakas na tumanan na sa aming mga ugat, ng kalinisan ng diwa na narumihan na sa amin, ng apoy ng sigla na patay na sa aming puso? O kabataan, kayo'y aming hinihintay!"

For my remaining years in medical school, I will push harder, aim higher and be the best doctor that I can be for the greater glory of our nation and for our one only Savior. It will be tricky and it will definitely be hard, but I need to sacrifice a lot of things in order to achieve this goal. This is the path that we have been taught several times to take - the path of the Ring bearer. Only then can I, together with all the Filipino youth, answer Rizal's call to the youth to build a great nation.  


Have a blessed week ahead! ^^

Walking SEOUL Part 3 (Last)

CHANGGEYONGGUNG Gate

The last part of my first Korea exploration! Days 3 and 4 are basically a tour of Seoul and some suggestions on what other places since we were not able to go to some places due to time constraint :( I will definitely check them out on my next trip there!

DAY 3 (April 5) 
This was our Seoul City Tour Bus Day. It only costs 10,000 won and you can ride the Seoul City Tour Buses for the whole day! There are a total of 35 spots you can go to if you ride this bus however I don't recommend that you go down and visit all the spots haha. We were only able to go down at 5 spots and it took us around 5-6 hours to go to all that 5 spots haha THERE'S JUST SO MUCH TO SEE!!

1st Stop Changgyeonggung (Changgyeong Palace)
If you want to visit a palace that's not too big and too crowded, this is a good palace to visit. According to the audio in the bus, this was a palace where the queens usually stay. It would also be better if you be able to visit the Changdeokgung (Changdeok Palace) since it is a UNESCO Heritage site :) Changgyeonggung and Changdeokgung are just adjacent to each other so it wouldn't be so much of a hassle to go there.

Not-so bloomed Cherry Blossoms :( 

2nd Stop INSADONG
This is a very nice place especially if you want to see and buy traditional Korean stuff. There are lots and lots of traditional shops and restaurants. I think they also have some street shows but we were not able to see any :( THIS IS DEFINITELY ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES in Seoul :)

Photos don't do any justice to the niceness of the place 

 For lunch we entered one of the streets and chose one of the many traditional restaurants that are found in the area :)

Me and my brother's order: Beef dish (forgot what it's called)

My parents ordered a raw crab dish it was kind of eeky to try at first but it was really good and the crab was very fresh! Our family friends ordered the same beef dish, bossam, and another dish which I forgot hihi. I suggest that you order the Bossam and the beef dish that we had :)

3rd Stop Cheongwadae and Sarangchae 
The Blue House - The Presidential Residence. You can tour the compound of the Cheongwadae  however we did not anymore since we wanted to see more places other than this one.

 4th Stop Gyeongbokgung (Gyeongbok Palace)
This is the biggest and grandest palace. This is I think 4 times bigger than the Changgyeonggung. If you have no time to visit any other palaces, I suggest that you visit just this palace. You will be able to find a lot of things here, however we did not tour the whole palace. You will find royal palace guards all over the place. At certain times there is what they call the changing of guards ceremony and also some times you can witness the re-enactment of the royal wedding!

Before heading to our next stop, the tour bus had to stop at the Gwanghamun Station since this is Station number 1 on the tour. Gwanghamun Gate is also one of the tourist attractions in Seoul. Here, my mom and I walked towards 2 of King Sejong's statues. I really think that this is a "must-picture-zone" when traveling to Seoul haha.

5th Stop N Seoul Tower 
In this area you can also visit the Namsan Botanical Garden and the National Theater of Korea. On your way up to the tower, you will see jogging paths. So if you want to have a refreshing morning or afternoon you may want to jog up to the tower :) At the N Seoul Tower, you can go up to the observatory, you can check out the padlocks (featured in many Korean dramas as well hihi <3) and of course you can find one of the Teddy Bear Museums.

This Teddy Bear Museum tells the history of Korea. The entrance fee is only 8000 won and you can already enjoy the 2-part museum. If only all museums are this fun! The set-up is very nice and organized. Definitely everyone will enjoy learning about Korean history through this museum. To be more believable and interesting, the bears in each diorama are moving!! It is definitely a fun place to visit. This will also give you an idea on what places you might want to check out on your tour! :)

Dongdaemun / Gwanghamun Gate (?)

Insadong <3

My brother found his bride!!

Outside the you will see various restaurants, cafes, and souvenir shops. If you'll be travelling during early spring a tall cup of hot beverage would be your weapon when going down to the bus stop.

Coffee prices range from 3000 won - 5000 won :) 

N SEOUL TOWER
Had to give up fashion for the warmth of another layer of jacket haha

 N Seoul Tower wraps up our 3rd tour day. We went down at the Shilla Hotel to go to the nearest subway station. The Shilla Hotel is also a tourist attraction. In the compound you can find the Lotte Duty Free Mall.

Day 4 (April 6)

It is our last tour day and we really didn't where we wanted to go. We were supposed to find 3 cafes but ended up with only one. We were supposed to look for Hello Kitty Cafe, Coffee Prince Cafe, & Charlie Brown Cafe all are located in Hongdae. Also, it was my meet-up day with my old Korean classmate! 

Hongdae is a "youth" place especially for gimik nights (aka Friday or Saturday nights). There are lots of clubs found around the area and yet another one of the many fashion districts in Seoul! :) So we started to look for the Hello Kitty Cafe after lunch. It was easy to find! From the main street, you need to turn right before the nearest 7-Eleven store. Then just go straight and if I remember correctly, you need to turn left on the 2nd alley and you will immediately see the store! :) 

Photo by Dayan Pau

Photo by Dayan Pau

Cafe Latte

Cafe Mocha

After going to this cafe we tried to find the Coffee Prince Cafe but we failed >.< So we just took a look around the area and bought some things. We bumped into a cafe with cats which my brother loved so we went in and just asked if he can carry some cats haha it's called the Cats Living Cafe. 

After this we decided to go to Seoul Station since my mom really wants to check out the biggest station (?). Although the mall really didn't interest me since the items were much pricier than those found in Myeongdong, Hongdae and Dongdaemun.

Seoul Station

On our way to the Seoul Station we rode the airport train or the ARex. It was a really nice train. I think it really is a very economical and convenient way to go to the airport. Seoul Station was really big and it makes my heart sink once again. Korea definitely has leaped one billion steps ahead of the Philippines when in fact we were ahead of them back in the 50's or 60's. Oh well going back to our lovely trip haha. After our trip to Seoul Station, we went back to our hotel since I will be meeting with my former classmate and our family friends still had to do some shopping in Myeongdong and have dinner with their cousin. My family went with them while me and my friend went to the following:

MYEONGDONG CATHEDRAL
Aside from the shopping area in Myeongdong, this is one of the places featured in the Seoul City Tour Bus.I think this is also featured in some Korean dramas and movies.

The Korean Tourist hahaha 

DONGDAEMUN Fashion District

Here we saw the Dongdaemun History and Culture Stadium under construction. Also, the Dongdaemun Gate was also under construction at that time. So there are lots of things to look forward to haha. It was in Dongdaemun that I found my "authentic" Korean backpack haha. We also got to see 2 street performances :)

 

Dongdaemun History and Culture Stadium underway! Definitely a must see in the future!!

CHEONGGYECHEON STREAM

After looking for my backpack we went to the nearest part of the super long Cheonggyecheon Stream. Although this was not the main part of the stream, it still looked picture-worthy. The main attraction of the stream is found near the City Hall area, so be sure to visit that part to be able to see the lights show :) 

Cheonggyecheon Stream

This is what we we're supposed to see if we went to the right area haha

After this we had dinner at a nearby Japanese/Korean restaurant. It was a yummy and very affordable place

 to eat at I just forgot the name and was too shy to take pictures haha. I ordered Omurice and it was really yummy!! After dinner I went back to the hotel and had to wait for an hour since my family and family friends went out for dinner.They ate dinner at a Korean restaurant.

Ssamgyupsal 

That wraps up our 4-day Korean trip. Here are some other places you might want to check out in Seoul. Most of these spots can be seen when you ride the Seoul City Tour Bus. :) These are other places that are "must-sees" (only in my opinion) :D

National Museum of Korea 

I think this is one of the places that we should have visited since this would have shown us what made Korea what it is now. From previous reviews and stories, I heard that this is a very remarkable and a very huge place. So it will be worth your money and your time! You can visit this place via the Seoul City Tour Bus but if you opt to commute your way there, you can visit the link below for more information regarding transportation, and the museum itself.

Here's a link for more info: http://www.museum.go.kr/main/publish/view.jsp?menuID=002001001001

Cherry Blossoms (Seen only during the Spring time so make sure to plan your trip mid-April): Yeouido Park or Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival

Yeouido Park is nearer to Seoul compared to Jinhae. But if you want a more activities to do aside from seeing the beautiful blossoms, you might want to opt for the Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival since there are shows scheduled as well. I think there are some idol groups which also perform in this festival. 

For more information on how to go to Yeouido Park click on this link http://parks.seoul.go.kr/

For Jinhae Park, I think it's best to take this route: Ride the subway going to Masan Station. From Masan Station / Masan Intercity/Express Bus Terminal take bus #162 or 760 then get off at Jinhae station. This would take approximately 40-50 mins. For more information click on this link http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/

Bukchon Traditional Korean Village

This is the village featured in City Hunter. There are also plenty of traditional restaurants found in the area 

Drama Tours (If you're a fan like me this is something you shouldn't miss!)

The major TV Stations are located near Yeouido Park so if you want to catch shows like Music Bank, MNET, and others, you might want to go near that area. Also, there are drama tours available. Here are some of the tours you can choose from: Winter Sonata Tour, City Hunter Tour, Full House Tour, The Moon Embracing the Sun Tour, and many more.

If you're a fan of historical dramas, it would be nice if you could visit MBC Dramia. This is the set that MBC uses every time they shoot their historical dramas. The latest drama that was shot there was The Moon Embracing the Sun. Some other dramas that were shot there were Jumong and Dong-yi among others. 

Lotte World

This is a combined theme park and shopping mall. I think this is a more kid-oriented theme park compared to Everland but it would still be on my must-see list. Also compared to Everland this is much nearer to Seoul. Here's the subway map on how you can reach Lotte World. 

Map retrieved from lotteworld.com

 For more information click on this link: http://www.lotteworld.com/

Han River 

The Han River is the also known as the Miracle River as this represents the lifeline of Korea. This spans a very long strip and is indeed also very wide. Due to its great width and length, they built numerous bridges which by themselves are tourist attractions. I think the best bridge to visit would be the Banpo bridge. This bridge is especially beautiful at night as it features colorful fountain. It was really a waste that we were not able to see this :( If you want to know more about the Banpo Bridge, click on this link http://www.sharewonders.com/tag/banpo-bridge/

Photo from sharewonders.com

Aside from the bridges, there are also restaurants and cafes found along the riverbank. A Han River cruise is also available. I think this River cruise was the one featured in the drama My Girlfriend is a Gumiho ^^.

Jeju Island

This is also one of my dream destinations. I would like to climb the famous mountain (among Koreans at least hihi) - Halla Mountain. 

This ends my first Korea exploration posts. Also don't forget to get a taste of their traditional cuisine! 

그렇면, 잘가요! 만나서반갑습니다 서울!!