Offcially done
Although the commencement was on Tuesday, I only felt that I am finally finished with school this afternoon when I finished up all my work in the hospital. I know that they appreciate my level of commitment because, well, they tell me so. It felt good to be appreciated. Even more so when you know that you've put in a lot of effort, done things to the best of your abilities and that someone else acknowledges and appreciates that. It is odd because I feel a lot more attached to the hospital than to the school. It felt a lot like my undergraduate in England when I felt closer to the patients and colleagues that I had in my internship than with my school.
I've learned a lot in the research center, things that I doubt I would have had the chance to do so back in Singapore. I still remember the first day when I had my interview with the doctors in the research center. I was nervous because I was an inexperienced, yet-to-graduate masters student. One of them asked me point blank if I have the guts to give it a go anyway. "You have nothing to lose. We do cos we're taking a chance on you." And then I found out that I became the evaluator to provide the primary outcome of the study. Basically if I screwed up, I'd have screwed up the results for the study.
Thankfully, I did not. The studies are still going on strong. I've found a replacement for myself, taught him whatever it is that needs to be taught and handed over the set of office keys to the beautiful office that I have that overlooks the University and the rest of the city. This is one of the very few times when I am pleased with what I have accomplished. Knowing that I've contributed to the best of my abilities (at least for now) to the pool of research in the field that I am interested in, I left the hospital, headed to 5th Avenue to do some shopping and am back home now, eating sushi and listening to KD Lang.
I've learned a lot in the research center, things that I doubt I would have had the chance to do so back in Singapore. I still remember the first day when I had my interview with the doctors in the research center. I was nervous because I was an inexperienced, yet-to-graduate masters student. One of them asked me point blank if I have the guts to give it a go anyway. "You have nothing to lose. We do cos we're taking a chance on you." And then I found out that I became the evaluator to provide the primary outcome of the study. Basically if I screwed up, I'd have screwed up the results for the study.
Thankfully, I did not. The studies are still going on strong. I've found a replacement for myself, taught him whatever it is that needs to be taught and handed over the set of office keys to the beautiful office that I have that overlooks the University and the rest of the city. This is one of the very few times when I am pleased with what I have accomplished. Knowing that I've contributed to the best of my abilities (at least for now) to the pool of research in the field that I am interested in, I left the hospital, headed to 5th Avenue to do some shopping and am back home now, eating sushi and listening to KD Lang.