My 2008

I've shamelessly stolen this idea from Unprotected Text. Here's a quick little summary of the last 12 months, and what's happened to me.

January:
A slow and tedious start to 2008. This is when the real work on my intercalated BSc research project started. I learnt what a nightmare it is to try and get ethical approval and that I don't very much like filling out 57 page forms. I also resolved not to get so drunk that I forget chunks of the previous evening ever again. Amazingly I managed to stick to this.

February:
More BSc, more research project. Yuk yuk yuk... This was my first Valentines Day that I've had a boyf. He didn't even send me a card :( Thankfully I still got a mystery rose from someone else and a nice day out for one of my best friend's 30th birthdays. The boyf semi-made up for Vals day when I saw him the weekend after by trying very hard to cook me some pasta... this soothed the wound somewhat.

March:
Most of March was spent panicing about my research project. I couldn't get enough volunteers. Someone left the freezer open with all of my samples in it. My project supervisors were nowhere to be seen. I also broke up with the rubbish boyf in March. Retrospectively this may have been the highlight of the month.

April:
A whole month of panicing about writing up my dissertation/project report. My supervisors were still MIA at this point. Unbelieveably it did actually get done. Unfortunately this left little time for anything else. I did have a nice Easter weekend at a sports festival though... Mmmmm snakebite and black.

May:
Exams. Yuk. On the plus side I also had Backstreet Boys, my flatmates 21st and my 21st. My 21st was generally amazing. Some friends decorated part of a bar for me and we had two amazing nights out. I also met the new boyf... possibly my best ever birthday present.

June:
Lots of lazy summer days and a few bar shifts. Unfortunately I had my project viva in June, but I've chosen to block that out of my memory. If I'm right I also got my new flat keys in June, or maybe it was beginning of July, but still... Yay.

July:
Officially started dating the boyfriend. I also started decorating the flat. This has yet to be finished.

August:
More summer lazing around and a few more shifts. If only all of life was this laid back.

September:
Back to uni for a fortnights "Idiots Guide to Medicine". This was practically 3 weeks of running us through histories and examinations over and over until we were suitably panicing about actually starting clinics.

October:
Clinics started and it wasn't that scary at all. Within a few weeks when I'd got to grips with examining and the basics of the rotation I was in, it was amazingly enjoyable. In fact getting up at 6am has never been quite so nice. Although there were and still are tough bits actually starting clinics has reconfirmed that medicine is the right career for me.

November:
More clinics and yet more understanding of the subjects we're studying. I realised it wasn't all rubbish when older students said the second that you start clinics the information from the first few years just clicks and it all suddenly seems much easier to remember.

December:
Unfortunately the rotation I started on came to an end. I enjoyed it so much that I think I could have gladly done another 3 months. This month the boyf and I also decided we're moving in together... with his working washing machine. Hurrah!

Fingers crossed the next 12 months will keep getting better, that my flat will end up decorated and that I'll enjoy the clinical rotations I have ahead.