Nearing the end

Officially (and successfully) completed my fourth year in medical school today. And ended it by doing my favorite part of this course - watching and assisting kickass surgeries in the theatre!

A myriad of thoughts are competing among themselves facilitated by my limbic system and so far, not one feeling has reigned supreme - which leaves me thoroughly overwhelmed.
These feelings/thoughts I'm referring to, includes:
1. The joy & satisfaction of successfully completing fourth year

2. The apprehension about final year (FINAL YEAR!)

3. The doubts on whether I'll be able to achieve all I've dreamt of achieving in this career

4. The fact that the 'student' part of my life is coming to an end! (Not at all ready to make a switch from carrying a back pack to a 9-5 job!) 

I thank God everyday for enabling me to live my dream (of becoming a doctor) in such a beautiful place. I thank my mother daily for always motivating me, for always boosting my morale. I thank my friends and family for always believing in me - it's all of these that has made me what I am today. 

Today, I have a new set of people to thank. 

All my lecturers and professors at Uni who spend so much of their time and effort to teach thousands like myself. The doctors at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka who pass on their wisdom, skills and secrets to us. It's not easy being foreign students in a foreign land;so grateful that majority of doctors whom I've studied under have understood how difficult it is for us and have helped us so much. Even doctors who weren't very fond of Bhutanese students deserve a mention because had it not been for them, I wouldn't have put in that extra effort. And I know the extra effort that I put in will come in handy one fine day.
My Sri Lankan friends - you'll are family now :) We have our differences, true, but what would I do without you'll?

Most importantly, the patients we come across in the wards. It's not easy to reveal your story (history) to a medical student whom you hardly know; and yet they do it - only to help us learn. They let us examine them (repeatedly) just so we master our clinical skills; all of this when they're sick, in pain and ailing. I owe so much of what I am to these patients; some of them have even taught me the local language when I've stumbled with the limited vocabulary of the local language. 

In less than a month's time, final year begins. Am I excited? Yes!

I'm going to be at my busiest from now on. Every day will be challenging and exhausting. But I look forward to it. 

Amazingly, after writing these few lines, one school of thought has won - I'm glad I successfully completed fourth year and now, I look forward to final year, which is going to be the most exciting (and toughest) phase of my course! 

I'm promised myself a gift and I got it today - some jewelry that I've been eyeing for quite sometime. Always nice to pamper yourself after working hard, no? =)

Thank you for reading, thank you for wishing me well for all this while. I need more good wishes and all the luck here on - be there for me =)