VIVA Voce interview

Not only the interview, but before it, during it, and after it was the most pulsating moment, quite unnerving for me. Its all started when I am watching movies (well, PRO exam has ended). My colleague (Hafizuddin) knocked my door, and asked me to sign the golden manuscript- The list of VIVA candidates....

Wahh...after days of worrying about my lame OSPE (due to nervousness, I mistakenly read waist circumference of the subject as 62cm, which should be 92cm), finally, I was granted by this oppurtunity, so do to 10 others. 

So, after this great news, I finished those movies first, and exactly after that struggling to search for info, particularly seniors blog about Viva interview. Only God knows how hard it is to reopen all the lecturers slide, notes, books etc. This was far more extreme than examination; covering all topics in just half a day. Finally, I succumbed to my very own desk-tersedar dari tidur saja dah masuk Asar... =.=

Till that night, many people were congratulating me and wishing me Good Luck. In fb, while meeting, whatsapp etc.... I only smiled and replied thanks. I cant taste those wishes. It feels so bitter. I dont know why...maybe I was too stressed out...

The VIVA Day

It was the last day of Syaaban. That morning, I felt like being stirred with anxiety, enthusiast, spirit and worry. All of the 11 excellent students were divided into Group A and B (Im in the A Group), and were quarantined in Lecture Hall. Well, at first, semua orang duk bising tanya mcm2:

     -eh, mana insertion muscle ni eh....etc3

     -mcm mana nk tau bone kiri ke kanan eh etc3...

     -cerita sikit pasal alpha & gamma motor neuron, nuclear chain ke nuclear bag eh??

.......and the lists keep on continuing. I kept all the question to myself. My last time revision style- is to keep quiet & listen...Then the assistant announced it, the very que of the interview.... she summoned my name. That time, my ANS were jumbled. I dont sweat, but I could feel minor shakes in my whole body. Im not hyperventilating, but my heartbeat were so strong that I could hear it. A few steps walking outside, than I entered the PBL room.

3 lecturers were sitting happily, watching me carefully as I greeted and asked permission from them to have a sit. The HOD of Anatomy, Professor Sandhya VMD, arranged in front of her 4 real human bones- skull, scapula, femur & clavicle. Holy dude, senior punya 1 saje bone, kami punya VIVA kena 4 sekali terus....The other 2 were an unknown Mr external examiner, im expecting him from Biochemistry Department of USMKK, & Professor Rajashree from Physiology Department. 

-Shall we start.....Prof Sandhya voiced out. Choose any bone you wish...

-I can choose mam?

-Yeah you can choose anyone to start with, later we will ask them all...

Gulp...

Anatomy session started, and I picked the skull, from my opinion, is my expertise. I was asked about structure passing through foramen ovale & magnum. The difference between VIVA & written examination is it require you to have an implanted, permanent memory & knowledge about a particular matter. No time to think, immediate reaction is needed. For foramen magnum, I answered:

 -brainstem. 

-Which part of brainstem

-Medulla...

-Other than that? (very immediate after my answer)

-err.....spinal part of accessory nerve...

-other than that?

-Err...... mam, Im not sure, can I have another foramen?? 

Later, clavicle and femur were asked. Though I managed to answered it, but it was not so perfect from my opinion.

Then shifting to biochemistry, where my first question was very bombarding-to state the serum level of bilirubin. I said I dont know. Then, Im asked about the test to detect bilirubin. The only things came out on my mind was the simple dipstick test, which he later said that it isnt. It is the Van der Bergh test, and I was asked to describe the procedure. Mother nature, tak pernah tau pun wujud test ini....However, his other questions were quite interesting, about Ca, Vit D and their relations to hypocalcemia. Im so lucky that I remember the serum level of Calcium. The funny moment was when he asked me about the source of vitamin D. My answer:

-it is mainly sunlight sir.

-sunlight? it is a fat soluble vitamin. How come it is derived from sunlight??

-Err, maybe animal source sir?

-Animals only? Is there no plant source for Vitamin D??

Ahh, rasa macam kena bom saja di situ...

The last session was Physiology, were the most weird question asked. the function of hypothalamus. I managed to answer homeostasis, head of ANS, hormonal control. Later she asked about a thing, most neglected lectures in physiology, in fact, she was the one who taught us this topic........the Limbic System...

She ask its component, I only remember 2 of them. She ask its functions, I gave her 3. Later, she shifted to DM, to state its symptoms

I was asked about satiety & hunger center also. She also asked me to relate them with DM. Holy, I just cant think straight this time. My answer:

-In diabetic patient insulin levels are high, so...(I noticed her face berkerut2, terus terlupa nak cakap apa)...well....err,.... Im not sure mam...

-Think back, in diabetes patient, what happened?

-I just dont know how to relate those two..

Well, thats the end of the interview. Stepping out of the room, I remembered that I just said something wrong in Physio session....

In diabetic patient, it is not INSULIN level which are high, it is GLUCOSE level!! no wonder muka Prof kerut2 tadi...

I also forget to mention vertebral artery passing through foramen magnum. Why?? Why I only realized all of these after the interview had ended?!! The day were quite frustrating for me. I felt that I didnt give them enough impression to select me as distinction students. I reopened the lecturer slide about limbic system, hypothalamus, and DM, and I felt like my knowledge in medic were no more than the thickness of an onion skin....

The announcement

The next day the result of Phase 1 MD Professional Examination were announced by Professor Kamaruddin. It was the first of Ramadhan. Syukur, all of us had passed. Next come the very impulsive moment of the day-announcement for distinction students. I felt so empty, I felt that I didnt care about the outcome knowing, since I believed that I had tried my best in the interview. 

How shocked I am to be announced as one of the 4 distinction students! Prof KJ asked me to stand. I did it, while almost unnoticing the big applause given to me by my colleagues. I was celebrated. I was cheered. But, I was too speechless that time. Alhamdulillah, all of my effort paid off. Still, I keep reminding myself that my journey as a doctor was just at the beginning. 

This VIVA teach me about the learning process. I realized that so many clinical implications were unknown to me. I learned that though I got all the knowledge, if I were unable to tell what I know properly, it just wont work. My determination for the Second Year is, to have a complete, holistic and  practical understanding in medic. In Shaa Allah. 

Kepada junior2 yang akan ambile VIVA congratulations and all the best~