~light of the world~

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Sounds like a weird heading, but I have my reasons.

Today's driving lesson made me feel rather depressed afterwards. I finally started on parallel parking, but I felt a lot of uncertainty on whether I wasn't turning enough or whatever, but somehow each time I finished I wasn't far enough 'into' the lot.

And this is why I hate going to 4th gear. I went to 4th gear on a 70 kmph road, and I was looking at this green traffic light in the distance, all the while thinking, Please don't turn amber, please don't turn amber, don't make me go down to 1st gear again...

And I was so happy when I saw it remaining green, I happily sped along, and didn't notice when it REALLY TURNED AMBER before I reached the last arrow on the ground, so my instructor had to brake hard for me!

Afterwards, I was to turn out into the main road, and it was a red light for that road, the line of cars stretching very far back as they were stopped. Only a bit later did I realise that this bus was halfway on the road and halfway in MY yellow box! As was the van beside in on the right-hand lane! By rights I should have the right of way to turn in.

And then the instructor wanted me to try to inch into the right-hand lane so I could u-turn, but I was apparently too slow, and got a little stuck at this 50 degree angle in the left lane as the light went red again. So I was again too slow to get in front of the yellow box in the right lane, and this minivan went there.

Then this motorbike came along and kind of blocked the other car in the yellow box, so when traffic resumed moving, I was able to go to the right lane! Thanks to the motorcyclist!

Anyway, this experience has made me question slightly whether I should be allowed on the road, if I'm not focused on the traffic signals and have slow reaction-time. Driving is practically wielding a potential murder weapon based on how good your brain, eyes, hands and feet are working. Unsafe drivers should be banned from the roads.

This is linked to medicine, because being a doctor concerns lives as well, maybe not always as serious as death, but definitely impacting quality of life. Thus, people who are unsuitable for the profession ought not be given the opportunity to acquire it.

And this is why getting into medicine is so hard, right? Being a doctor doesn't just require you to have 4 or more 'A's on your GCE A Level certificate, to show that you're brilliant at your science and math and language and a contrasting subject to boot, as well as at juggling multiple studies at once.

Of course, they want the medical students to be good speakers, capable people, not too susceptible to stress, able to constantly work under pressure and lack of sleep, confident in making decisions...etc. And I guess doctors need to have good people assessment and communication skills in order to deal with all kinds of patients. And they need to be morally upright, or at least trustworthy, so that people are willing to entrust their health to them.

How many people are there like that who want to become doctors? Yet there's more than 2000 people fighting for the 250 places in NUS medicine here, perhaps not all of whom are thus qualified.

With luck, those 2000+ will reconsider, and realise that their skills will be better applied elsewhere. Or maybe some of them will discover that they can't handle the blood and gore, and leave a better chance for me to enter.

Of course, it'll all be revealed this Friday when we get our life-changing results. And hoping is not of much use if you get 4 'C's and a D for GP.

What's the moral of the story? Leave it all in God's hands, duh. SO SIMPLE AH.

When peace like a river attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well with my soul.

xuan blogged at 9:11 PM

May your light shine...
in the darkness...