Fresh grad's Major Dilemma

Good news: I will be ending my unemployed life in less than 2 weeks! Well, I have been waiting for this for quite some time already, but you know being a human, we just get terribly anxious that we want something to happen fast. but when we get it, we get scared. coz reality just hits you. in the face.

As I have mentioned earlier, I had applied to both government and private hospitals. Not to mention, a job offer in Singapore that I had to turn down due to personal reasons. Also, I uploaded my CV on Jobstreet. Actually just for the thrill of it. And I actually did get one pharmaceutical company and a retail pharmacy that offered me job interviews. I turned them down since my main aim is to gain clinical experience in hospital first. 

Alhamdulillah. Pharmacists are highly demanded in Malaysia. And pharmacy in Malaysia is definitely growing and heading the right direction - people are actually recognising the importance of pharmacists and our role in healthcare. Slowly, and hopefully in the near future, pharmacists will be given the same respect as given to the doctors, which is the case in developed coutries such as U.S.A and U.K.

So referring to the oh-so-dramatic title, I actually received two job offers at the same time, which are from Sime Darby Medical Centre in Subang Jaya and also from government. Now the "fun" part was when I found out that government (KKM) has decided to send me to Johor. And even more "fun" to find out that gov is paying me higher than SDMC. Excuse for me being so money-minded, but salary is one of the major factors I look at. 

So for these past few days, I have been torn. Initially, I decided to go for SDMC because I want to be close to home. I'm not being a spoilt brat, but really I have been away from home since the tender age of 16 til just before I turned 23. But, govt hosp will be a valuable experience.

So I had to list out both pros and cons of both job offers. To be honest, both are offering a good start in my career. though, a start in gov hosp would give me a greater exposure to the world of clinical pharmacy. in terms of location, SDMC wins hands down. and in terms of saving, I would probably save more money living with family. there are factors such as rents,bills, and groceries etc which I have to consider if moving to Johor. 

It was a tough choice indeed. but considering my 5-year career plan that I have planned, I decided to stick to SDMC. The training is just the same between gov and private hosps. We will be exposed to the same disciplines in hospital pharmacy. but of course, cases in govt hospitals would be more interesting. but guess what? when I work in SDMC, there will be times when I have to go to govt hospital to complete my rotations. you must be wondering what kinda rotations. well, once i start working, I will update this blog more on working as a pharmacist. afterall, the main goals for my first year of working are to pass my pharmacy board exam and complete the logbook and ensuring atleast 60% mark for each rotation.

Some of you may still be wondering, errr... what? Let's put it this way. In a nutshell, 1st year working as a pharmacist is not entirely working. It's like housemanship for doctors. As fresh grad pharmacists, we are known as provisionally registered pharmacists. and once we've passed all of the above after a year's training, we get to be fully registered pharmacists. Once we're fully registered pharmacists, career opportunities will be crazy, locally or even in the foreign countries. Crazy as in there are different types of disciplines that we can choose to pursue - be it hospital, industrial, retail, research/PHD, and even academic.

So that's it from me. Hope everyone is doing well. *Hugs*

Salam Maal Hijrah

Salam Maal Hijrah everyone!

It's a brand new year for us Muslims. 

For whatever that has happened in the past, let bygones be bygones.

We should look forward to a new year, with enthusiasm, hoping for a better year and of course to become a better person than the person you were last year.

I may not be the best Muslimah in the world, but I think every new year,one of the resolutions should be to become a better Muslim. Your definition of "better Muslim" may be different from mine. Regardless, as long as we're heading towards the same direction, we're all doing good deed there right?

Yes, physically I don't look like a Muslimah. I'm weak in that department (please don't judge), but whatever it is, I try my best not to neglect my daily prayers, besides remembering Allah during good and bad times. Bersyukur (grateful to Allah), is one thing that we sometimes forget. everyday is a blessing, and regardless how bad your life is, there's always a blessing in disguise.

Whoever you are, whatever you do, no matter how successful or big you or even your parents are, don't forget, that all that came from Allah. and we must remember, He can give easily, and He can also take it away in just a blink of an eye.

TGFAY! 

(Thank God for another year)

From Uni to Working Life

Today I finally got to meet up with two of my closest friends from Manchester, Nadia and Sue Jinn. It is ridiculous how much we get to see each other back in Malaysia. RIDICULOUS!!! Back in those days, Nadia and I were housemates for 2 years. Sue Jinn and I became close ever since we worked together in MSSM and somehow we got even closer after MSSM. And now since coming back to Malaysia, even meeting up once a month is hard!

I MISS MY GIRLS!

Since both of them have started working and me still unemployed, I decided to go as far as KLCC just to see them. Plus, it's Friday so their lunch break was up to 2+ hours. 

I have been so eager to start working for over 2 months now. I am not the type who enjoy doing nothing for a long period of time. But after listening to these girls talking about their working life, it is kinda scary, how it really is. Nadia comes back around 10 or 11pm every night. If she's lucky, she can leave at 8 or 9pm. Sue Jinn's working life is not as crazy but the fact that it takes an hour to travel to and from her working place, now that's super tiring then anything else.with the traffic and all, and plus waking up early in the morning. *damn please don't get HKL or Ampang Hospital*

In conclusion, as much as I am super eager to start working and earn my own money, I have to be mentally ready for EVERYTHING.I guess patience and determination will help me go through the obstacles. It ain't uni anymore. Coz uni somehow was a bit like finding a person's true identity and that's when everyone comes  out of their shells and learn to mature. Working life will be so much different.

Anyways, still no update on whereabouts am I gonna work. I'm waiting for a letter from KKM and also an email from SDMC. If both of them come at the same time, I will have to choose. I've been thinking a lot, both have their pros and cons. But I guess the main determining factors are salary and location. 

I know this sounds super silly and if my sis Dian finds out about this, she would literally shout at me. It's a well known fact that I watch various tv series online every week. THANK GOD FOR MAXIS FIBRE INTERNET! super fast internet so my weekly schedule is as follow:

Monday: Once Upon a Time

Tuesday: Gossip Girl, 90210, The Voice

Wednesday: The Voice, Pretty Little Liars

Friday: Vampire Diaries, Grey's Anatomy

Saturday: America's Next Top Model

Recently, I finished watching Game of Thrones and Keeping up with the Kardashians.

BUT, as unproductive as it seems, I have been reading blogs by fellow Malaysian pharmacists, just to prepare myself on what's coming. Dian said, TV is a stupid box that makes you even more stupid sometimes. So, I have to even out this stupidity by reading more pharmacy-related stuff.

Updates soon.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha

it felt as though Aidilfitri was just yesterday. 

so today, we Muslims celebrated Aidiladha.

Aidiladha is usually quiet for my family and I. yes. the tradition goes on with waking up in the morning and dressed in our traditional clothing, the Aidiladha prayer and of course traditional Eid food such as rendang.

nevertheless, Alhamdulillah, this year, I get to celebrate Aildiladha with my family, after 5 years being in the UK.

Just a few updates about me:

• turned 23
• successfully passed my driving test on first attempt
• I am still unemployed
• MOH said that I will get my PRP posting in November
• I attended another job interview with Sime Darby Medical Centre, SJ yesterday.
• Just discovered that the PRP training in both gov and private hospitals is standardised according to Lembaga Farmasi Malaysia. Private hospitals are trying to implement clinical pharmacy, but due to the  typical environment in these hospitals, this will be a very slow change.
• Now I am torn between working with the government or private. And also whether I should continue to apply to other private hospitals, just to have as many options as possible?
• I'm very anxious about this government hospital posting because there is a possibility that I'll be posted to other states. Any state is fine with me, except Kelantan and Terengganu. And if I do get either of those two states, I will definitely opt to work for private hospital.
• Apart from job dilemma, I am enjoying being a lazy bum at home. well kind of. but i do get restless.
• I practise driving around Shah Alam everyday. recently managed to drive from SJ to Shah Alam. hopefully by December, I will get to drive to other places like Bangsar and KL. Well lets just hope big boss allows me to do so.

So that's all from me. Hope everyone is doing great. 

Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha. Maaf zahir batin. 

End of Summer Break! Let's go back to Uni... NOT!

Raya month is over.

September has passed and now is October.

Summer break was over 2 weeks ago. some of my friends had already left for UK, and yet some remained here, like me. well looks like I won't be going back to UK for uni NO MORE.

I don't know whether to be relieved or sad. both, maybe? Relieved coz I completed my Pharmacy degree and graduated and I don't need to attend lectures in the morning and come home late in the afternoon. Sad though, coz I love uni life regardless of the piling of assignments and attending lectures. My social life was at its peak when in uni. late night supper and shisha. staying up late just to hang out with friends. playing cards or just plain gossip sessions. occasionally house parties and big parties at clubs. it was never boring. not forgetting, netball training during the weekends and trashing other teams at Malaysian games. owhhh how i miss! see it was never boring for me. 4 years it was. and now,all i can do is just keep in touch with everyone through whatsapp and bbm. and of course, reminiscing the good old days.

As sad as it may seem, it is time to grow up.

I am looking forward to working life. it may not be as great as uni life, but regardless, it is something to look forward to. 

Like everyone else who just came back from the UK, I am still waiting to get my hospital posting. I called MoH and the person in charge said that I will know by end of this month. Fingers crossed. I have already received the offer letter from SPA. so now, it's all about waiting.

Meanwhile, I have been googling on PRP posting. Been reading blogs by seniors on how working as a hospital pharmacist is like, the rotations etc. Interesting indeed, hence why I keep on moaning about not starting work yet.

You see, staying at home all the time is not rewarding. it is impossible to go out almost everyday like I used to. I feel so unproductive. the only productive thing i've been doing so far is learning how to drive. yes, i am turning 23 and i haven't got my driving license. My only excuse is that I had been away from home since I finished SPM and although I had 3 months of summer break every year, I chose to enjoy my summer to the fullest and also by working part time.So summer breaks were not as unproductive as you might think. I wish I could work part time now, but my license is my priority sooooo... tough luck.

Life is beautiful. Don't waste it on constant negativity.

Let's go hunting!

Well I promised you that I will post an update on my job search.

I am still unemployed! and I don't like it!

I need to earn some money to survive the high cost of living in Malaysia. 

A lot of you must be shocked, since I have been living in UK, known to be as an expensive country to live in.

Well, to be honest, you are wrong.

Have you been to the supermarkets lately?

When I went there, I felt like everything is dead expensive.

I went grocery shopping in Manchester every week. well you can imagine if you literally live above a supermarket, who wouldn't?

In Manchester, I spent on grocery + toiletries about 50-70 pounds a month. and to those of you who know me, I eat like a man. I have a huge appetite. but 70 pounds is sufficient.

For instance, toiletries - i can easily get good brands e.g Garnier, Loreal and Palmolive at just below 2 pounds per bottle. 

Chicken - 10kg of chicken legs = 12 pounds.

chocs and biscuits - from 50p to 2 pounds. 

dead cheap. right.

go do yourself a favour and go to the supermarket.

plus, you can't leave the house with less than 50 ringgit these days. what's going on? once i start working, i will just eat at mamak and gerai tepi jalan to save money.

Anyways, about the job hunting.. so far I got a job offer from the Institute of Mental Health Singapore. Decided to turn it down because I don't want to be specialised in psychiatric straight away. So, I thought I've decided that I'll just stay in Malaysia to the PRP, with the fear of getting posted to rural areas. Went to the interview already but I don't know when will I start. Apart from that, I had to miss another interview at a hospital in UK coz i'm back in Msia and damnnn they dont allow skype/telephone interview. owh well.

so that's the long story.

til then, keep eating people! it's still raya!

The Spirit of Aidilfitri

Salam to all,

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri! 

Maaf Zahir Batin!

So the month of Ramadhan came to an end and we welcomed Syawal just yesterday.

Another great year to be grateful for.

Alhamdulillah I am back home to celebrate Eid with my family. but like the past 7-8 years, Eid is never the same coz my family and I don't go back to Taiping.

When I was young, Eid was different. more fun, and something that my cousins and I looked forward to every year. We  went back to Taiping a few days before raya, buka puasa together and celebrate raya together. During the morning of first Syawal, we were excited that we woke up early in the morning, took turns to shower coz there were only 3 toilets and there were like more than 20 of us in our grandpa's house. after that we dressed up in our traditional clothes, ate and collected our duit raya from each aunt and uncle. then we would go from house to house to collect duit raya from the neighbours. at night, we played firecrackers or the elder cousins would bring us to eat in town. hehehe. it was loads of fun.

We stopped going back to Taiping just 2-3 years after my grandma passed away. Plus, my grandpa was more keen on going down to KL to celebrate raya. So since then, we celebrate raya around KL every year. Now that my grandpa has passed away, to see all my aunts, uncles and cousins to gather together under one roof seems impossible. coz we don't gather at grandpa's house in Kelana Jaya anymore.

As sad as this story may seem, I still look forward to raya every year. may be boring compared to my childhood days, but the spirit of raya itself is strong. but this time, i would disturb my mom in the kitchen, see how she cooks. i would ask my dad whose house are we visiting and i would ask my sis where will she be on first day raya (with in law or with us). it's different, but it's still raya. you only get the raya feel once a year. and it's the best feeling when after you fast for a month, you get to stuff your face with delicious but fattening food. 

SO HAPPY HAPPY EID MUBARAK EVERYONE! ENJOY PIGGING OUT AT PEOPLE'S HOUSES AND OF COURSE COLLECTING DUIT RAYA! 

Thought of updating my job search but it's ok. it's raya post, so I'm not gonna spoil it.

*hugs*