Posts tagged relationship

Turning Twenty-Five. Year twenty-four has been a year of firsts and a year full of surprises. It has been the year I have grown the most as a medical student. It has been the year I have grown the most as a person. It has been the year I dedicated my life to be with my partner.  I would characterize that as being a good year. We will see what the next year has in store.

Turning Twenty-Five.

Year twenty-four has been a year of firsts and a year full of surprises. It has been the year I have grown the most as a medical student. It has been the year I have grown the most as a person. It has been the year I dedicated my life to be with my partner. 

I would characterize that as being a good year. We will see what the next year has in store.

397 plays

Living/Breathing by Mesita.

I will be spending today with my beautiful fiancée. The weather is absolutely perfect for a day out, and this is the perfect song to accompany me on my drive this morning. 

412 plays

From Me by Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps.

Standing by my side, taking on this life and this world together is my partner and fiancée. She is the centre that brings me peace of mind. She is the fire that warms my heart. She is the inspiration that enriches my soul. 

568 plays

I’ll Make It Up As I Go by Diana Krall.

Just came back from a six hour group study session with my friends for our next exam in a week’s time. On top of stressing over these exams, I am stressing over wedding and future plans. 

This song, not only is helping me relax but is reflecting my mindset. 

572 plays

Make You Feel My Love by Adele.

The deed is done and the break has come to an end. Today, I spend my last day together with my fiancée before I return home to prepare for my next rotation. My next break? Eight months from now.

I will be taking time away from the blog. Cheers.

My Most Sincere Gratitude

To the readers,

Thank you so much for being a part of this intimate and very happy moment with both of us. I would like to also thank you all for your support and encouragement of Tom’s Tumblr.  

As much as Tom’s Medical State of Mind might have inspired your dreams and aspirations, your words have had a similar if not bigger impact on Tom and I thank every one of you for being there for him on his journey and ours together.

Last but not least, I wish all of you a happy new year and the very best for everyone. :)

Sincerely,
“His Fiancée” 

She said, “Yes.” Let me take you back to the beginning of this story, before this blog, before medicine. Most days of the year are unremarkable. They begin and they end with no lasting memories made in between. Most days have no impact on the course of a life. September 14th was a Thursday. It began as a simple story of a boy meets girl. In the early days of freshman university, two strangers, joined through class, exchanged the first words “Hi,” and “Hello.” That was the start of our journey together. Over studying, talking, and dining, we became friends. As the year went on, that friendship blossomed into a relationship. We were young and happy, with no inkling of where our story might take us. But it did not matter. We would take the days as they came. We weathered through the gloomy days of being apart, the struggles of finding time to spend together, and the ever burning question: what becomes of us? Yet we endured. We held on. We dared to hope. For every summit we climbed to our distant destination, our bond grew stronger, brighter. December 31st was a Monday. Six years now my partner and I have been together. The direction of our story has become clear. And now we face new challenges. But it does not matter. Because I know what trials lie ahead we will face together. We are there for each other through the light and the dark. And when I am with her, I know we can accomplish anything we set our minds to. Old habits die hard: we will take the days as they come. She is my friend, my girlfriend, my partner, and my fiancée. She is all of that and more. My heart is, and always will be, hers.

She said, “Yes.”

Let me take you back to the beginning of this story, before this blog, before medicine.

Most days of the year are unremarkable. They begin and they end with no lasting memories made in between. Most days have no impact on the course of a life.

September 14th was a Thursday.

It began as a simple story of a boy meets girl. In the early days of freshman university, two strangers, joined through class, exchanged the first words “Hi,” and “Hello.” That was the start of our journey together.

Over studying, talking, and dining, we became friends.

As the year went on, that friendship blossomed into a relationship. We were young and happy, with no inkling of where our story might take us. But it did not matter. We would take the days as they came.

We weathered through the gloomy days of being apart, the struggles of finding time to spend together, and the ever burning question: what becomes of us? Yet we endured. We held on. We dared to hope. For every summit we climbed to our distant destination, our bond grew stronger, brighter.

December 31st was a Monday.

Six years now my partner and I have been together. The direction of our story has become clear. And now we face new challenges. But it does not matter. Because I know what trials lie ahead we will face together. We are there for each other through the light and the dark. And when I am with her, I know we can accomplish anything we set our minds to. Old habits die hard: we will take the days as they come.

She is my friend, my girlfriend, my partner, and my fiancée. She is all of that and more.

My heart is, and always will be, hers.

Scheduling Balance. Readers often ask me and I often talk about finding balance while being in medical school. It helps improve your learning, your productivity, and your lifestyle while preventing burn out. This is however - as I know first hand - easier said than done.  Today, I thought I might talk about one of the tools I use to scheduling balance: the calendar. We have all seen it; many of you might even use it on a day to day basis. It comes in many forms, from the large poster boards on your wall, to the agenda you carry in your bag, to the phone you carry in your pocket.  The balance I strive for is easily overcome by the demands of medicine. There is no shortage of work, calls, and rounds to attend if I was so inclined. To prevent this bias, my schedule has to be balanced by the counter argument: the personal events and interests. If there are important events or activities I would like to do, I waste no time putting them in, no matter how trivial it is. To have the calendars visible at all times side by side, reinforces the importance and interplay they have with each other. No calendar is more important than the other.  Since I am in a relationship, I have found the digital calendar that syncs between my computer and phone to be the best fit for me. Not only can I add activities and events from either device at any time, I also have access to my partner’s calendar and she mine, making it easier to plan get togethers. Scheduling balance works best when you are willing to put in the time to creating and maintaining your calendar as well as checking it regularly to make the most of your planning. Depending on how often you choose to do both, your mileage with the calendars may vary. With a calendar well stocked and at your side at all times, you can easily check before you say “yes.” At the end of the day, life balance cannot be achieved no matter what tools you use if you cannot confidently say “no.”

Scheduling Balance.

Readers often ask me and I often talk about finding balance while being in medical school. It helps improve your learning, your productivity, and your lifestyle while preventing burn out. This is however - as I know first hand - easier said than done. 

Today, I thought I might talk about one of the tools I use to scheduling balance: the calendar. We have all seen it; many of you might even use it on a day to day basis. It comes in many forms, from the large poster boards on your wall, to the agenda you carry in your bag, to the phone you carry in your pocket. 

The balance I strive for is easily overcome by the demands of medicine. There is no shortage of work, calls, and rounds to attend if I was so inclined. To prevent this bias, my schedule has to be balanced by the counter argument: the personal events and interests. If there are important events or activities I would like to do, I waste no time putting them in, no matter how trivial it is.

To have the calendars visible at all times side by side, reinforces the importance and interplay they have with each other. No calendar is more important than the other. 

Since I am in a relationship, I have found the digital calendar that syncs between my computer and phone to be the best fit for me. Not only can I add activities and events from either device at any time, I also have access to my partner’s calendar and she mine, making it easier to plan get togethers.

Scheduling balance works best when you are willing to put in the time to creating and maintaining your calendar as well as checking it regularly to make the most of your planning. Depending on how often you choose to do both, your mileage with the calendars may vary.

With a calendar well stocked and at your side at all times, you can easily check before you say “yes.” At the end of the day, life balance cannot be achieved no matter what tools you use if you cannot confidently say “no.”

1,740 plays

方大同的『愛愛愛』(Love, Love, Love by Khalil Fong).

This weekend has been different. With only three weeks left until my winter break begins, I have felt sluggish trying to study. Instead, I spent my time leisurely away from my books. I spent a pleasant evening with friends, another wonderful morning with my partner, and an afternoon searching…

I will get back to that last point on a later day. Having said that, my quest has left me positively in good spirits. Stay tuned.

The Stash. Last night was probably one of the busiest call shifts I have done thus far. Even the resident on call felt the volume was high for a regular night. The number of verbal order only calls was minimal but we were hit with a large number of very sick patients, at least one of which needed emergency surgery overnight. Total sleep time: An hour plus change. It was time to bust out the stash of candy, part of the care package from my significant other and perfectly suited for such a situation.

The Stash.

Last night was probably one of the busiest call shifts I have done thus far. Even the resident on call felt the volume was high for a regular night. The number of verbal order only calls was minimal but we were hit with a large number of very sick patients, at least one of which needed emergency surgery overnight.

Total sleep time: An hour plus change.

It was time to bust out the stash of candy, part of the care package from my significant other and perfectly suited for such a situation.