Hi there! :)

Loosening of associations in psychiatry, a disorder of thinking in which associations of ideas become shortened and fragmented.

(Medical, 2012)

Am I satisfied with medical school? To be very honest, I didn’t even give myself the time to consider whether or not I was happy in medical school in the first two years (or also known as the “pre-clinical years”). As far as I remember, for most days I would head home after class and write notes for that day’s lecture, read over previous notes as revision, and leave some time for extra-curricular activities. Indeed, my university life was quote and quote “balanced” in that I joined a society that I really was passionate about, played some sort of sport regularly, and occasionally went out for drinks with a few friends. I mean from my parent’s perspective, and probably the majority of the classmates that knew me, I was already doing “more” than an average medical student. Perhaps it was my ignorance, but even I thought my life was pretty “well-rounded” and “balanced” then.

This changed last year. For my medical school, our third year of studies is a gap year and students could choose to pursue their own interests – whether it was studying a masters at our home university, go on exchange programs abroad, intern at NGOs, etc. For me, having had a keen interest in Humanities since high school, I decided to study Human Sciences for a year. A course which uses an interdisciplinary approach to study the biological, social and cultural aspects of life.

To answer the question I asked in the beginning, the biggest takeaway during this one year break from my medical school routine was that I was in fact extremely unsatisfied with medical school. Yes, I was ticking off boxes in terms of school, sports, volunteering, friends, and family. But, how about time for myself? I felt lost in a constant cycle of memorising, repeating, regurgitating. I mean do I know what being “found” feels like? No. Do I want my life to be only composed of a memorising, repeating, regurgitating cycle? No.

Hence, I created Loosened associations as a platform to document my random thoughts and reflections whilst I am enjoying, struggling, and living within the cycle of learning in medicine. I hope that what I come across in textbooks, lectures, bedside teachings can stimulate some loosening of associations. Let’s see!

P.S. As a full time quack, these posts can get quite wack!

-Lorem

• References
  • Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing. (2012). Retrieved from https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/loosening of associations.