"...Cukuplah Allah menjadi penolong kami dan Allah adalah sebaik-baik Pelindung." [3:173]

Lost & Found....

Found this in the quaterly published magazine by medical society.

Lost : Ability to enjoy life and time to spend with friends and family.
Found : Overwhelming sense of impending doom.
Last seen : Before entering medical school.

Commonwealth Games 2006

For 10 days, Melbourne has been showered with the aura of the Commonwealth Games 2006. Winners and losers. From sorrow to joy....all of those emotions were clearly portrayed during this entire period.

There is another side of the Games that may not catch your eye if you have not been listening carefully. The Indigenous people of Australia ie aborigines have set up protest and described the event as "The Stolenwealth Games". They have been marching in front of the Queen and managed to put big posters that managed to caught the attention of the people.

The reason for their protest....the wealth that has been taken from them ever since British put their foot on Australia. Interestingly, someone has argued that the Aborigines themselves have never been able to create wealth themselves. Due to the presence of British, the Aborigines managed to see the glimpse of wealth. Hence why the protest?1

But one could argue that the definition of wealth is rather subjective and should not be measured in materialistic point of view. Possessing a peaceful mind and body is part of the wealth too ;)

more info on "Stolenwealth Games", click here.

Looking at another side of the Games, the host nation, Australia has clearly shows their dominance by capturing more than half of the medals being offered. Some of their athletes even managed to break Games and world record. Quite a massive performance by Australian athletes indeed.

One of the most interesting things that had managed to capture my attention was the effect of the advertisement. National Australia Bank is the major sponsor of the Commonwealth Games and their advertisement on mass media has attracted lots of attention. They showed this one athlete training in throwing discus in many ways. He even went to ballet class just to improve his techniques. The advertisement shows how determined he is to win a gold medal in the Commonwealth Games.

At first, I thought he is an actor since I never see him before. In fact, most Australians never know this guy before the advertisement. That guy is Scott Martin, a real Australian athlete competing in discus and shot put. In fact he is a very good and eventually managed to get gold medal in the discus. Now, that what you call as a dream comes true, truly inspirational ;) 2

The opening and closing ceremony were bizarre and ridiculous. What could be so important to show footy players when most part of the world never know that game? Only fireworks managed to save the day. Too much money being wasted in these ceremonies.

Overall, Commonwealth Games is not that successful and created lots of unnecessary problems to the locals. Even the daylight saving time is being delayed by one week.

p/s: Commonwealth....hmm, I don't think all the participating nations have the same 'common wealth' though. The gap is just rather big and keep on increasing day by day.

To make the heart tender

Narrated by Aisha;

Rasulullah said, "Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately and know that your deeds will not make you enter Paradise, and that the most beloved deed to Allah's is the most regular and constant even though it were little."

-Sahih Bukhari 76:471-

Are you good enough to be a doctor?

I guess this is the main question that will be asked by JPA interviewers to the applicants desiring to choose medicine as their future career. This year, 11 000 high-achiever SPM students applied for JPA scholarship and there are only 1300 places available and most of them are vying for medicine.

Today, in Utusan Malaysia, it was mentioned that JPA is planning to test the short-listed applicants that are hoping for medicine; by exposing them the experience of being a doctor in the hospital environment.

Exposing them to the actual world that evolves around a doctor is a great idea. Not all good things associated with doctors are true. It is not that easy to be a good doctor and many things need to be endured and sacrificed to reach that level. Though you may say that this profession delivers high salary, that is only applicable in the private arm of medicine. In truth, most students will end up working with government, at least for first few years of their career. If your desire is money and wealth, don't choose medicine as your first preference. There are many ways that are easier and quicker than this path.

You have to be empathic to the patients but in the same time does not allow the emotion taking control over you. Practicing empathy is the virtue of this profession but the reality is so harsh to bear with. The working environment is full of stress and the working hours are quite long.

Studying medicine is not just learning and grasping the knowledge. You have to be able to cope with the increasing stress and able to communicate well with many types of patient. And sometimes have to bear with angry patient too ;)

Yet, stepping into this path does note mean it is all gloomy and scary till the end. If you are sincere in choosing this journey, you will embrace the glory and beauty of the human creation. In every minute details that lies hidden in the network of cells and tissue that made up of a human being, there are enourmous signs of the Creator to be ponder upon. Even in a seemingly simple virus, lies the complexity of the creation. Subhanallah.

For those students who are choosing medicine as their future career, please contemplate deeply and consult with many people too. Life is not that easy to begin with but at the end of this struggle and hardship, hopefully all of us will be able to achieve something good out of this career. Insya-Allah.