Before I began medicine, I did a Science Degree at one of the universities near my parent's place. As far as science degrees go it was probably quite good but I retained basically none of the information in the years following and I remember worrying that my lack of retention may pose ominous for medicine. I needn't have worried.

Medicine is taught primarily through case (or problem) - based learning. Whereby the students are issued with a case and through that particular scenario you learn about relevant physiology, pathology, diagnostics and examinations. In the first two years of medicine I've covered most of the topics that I'd learnt about in science but where I had lost the information immediately following the exams, I have found that what I've learnt seems to stick and that I enjoy it. That for the first time in my life I leave the grounds of a university (or school) and actually smile about the things that I've learnt.

It's what's made me realise that medicine is the place for me. Every block I've struggled to overcome hurdles in my learning and I've struggled to come to grips with the realisation that this is what I have planned for the rest of my life. That this all-consuming, intelligent and engaging world is what I've had my sights set on since I was ten and I'm scared in more ways than I can count about losing my chance. But I've also learnt that this is one degree where hard work, motivation and a genuine enjoyment for most of the content is rewarded.

These holidays...

Today is the first day all holidays that I've felt a certain degree of calm. I began this blog in order to keep my readers (the very few of them that there are) up-to-date with my life as a medical student; to put it simply, I've kind of failed at this task. But yesterday I received my marks from the last set of exams for second year and I have passed everything, which ultimately means I have passed second year. It was the most amazing feeling and when I got home and told my parents that I'd passed, I proceeded to dance in the kitchen for a good five minutes.

Passing second year doesn't just mean I will begin third year in mid-january next year, it means: that I will be permanently living back in Brisbane; that I no longer have to live on the Gold Coast; and that all my study paid off.

Next year I'll begin what my now-graduating housemates describe as 'the worst year of their life'. I always nervously laugh when I think of it because I remember what they were like last year and it wasn't the most pleasant of experiences sometimes. According to the staff at the university I will be expected to be the hospital or clinics or doctors privates surgeries at least 35 hours a week. I'm not sure when I'm meant to earn an income around this when they also expect another 15 hours study on top of that.

I am going to try and write a blog about my experiences in the hospital and studying a much more practical medicine every couple of days next year and then maybe at the end of it all I can write a book from it.

But for the next month I plan on enjoying myself and seeing these people in Brisbane who I adore and have missed dearly since living away. I am going to bake, drink plenty, exercise, write, watch all the TV shows that I love, read all the books I've put aside since beginning med and find the perfect little house to live in next year. I am going to sleep on the beach and go for drives on hot summer days with the windows wound down and the music playing loud.

... I'm going to do things.