Saturday, July 29, 2006


Biomedical Quiz 2006

We've now come to the end of another long journey, a journey that was tiring and frustrating at some times, and was fraught with difficulties and obstacles. But if I had the power to turn back time, I would have definitely chosen to take this path again.

We started the 1st quiz training session in January. I still can remember the LT filled with almost 50 people - eager faces who didn't know what they were in for. Gradually, the number of students decreased and only about 30 students took the selection test. Then we were left with 15 students, the 15 who went through the entire training with us until today.

A perhaps not very well known fact is that the Medical Society did not intend to organise Biomed Quiz this year. However, this was not made known to the rest of the medical student poplace until near March, when we were well into our training program. I personally was very upset over this incident as no official announcement was made about the cancellation of the quiz, a competition that has been held for over a decade. Furthermore, arrangements with the school admin and students regarding the training schedule and venues have already been made. At that time, I felt a personal responsibilty to my fellow trainers, trainees and the sch admin to find out what was the Medical Society's reason for cancelling the quiz and attempt to change that decision.

So a letter was written and sent to the Medical Society, which prompty responded by requesting a meeting with us. Views were aired and the outcome was that the Medical Society was no longer organising the quiz as it does not fall in line with the Society's mission. However, if a organising committee could be formed, Med Soc would provide the authorisation needed. Phone calls were made, emails were sent, and finally, a committee was formed.

The incident brought up doubts about the purpose of the Quiz - was it relevant to the JC students; was it fair for trainers to go back and train their juniors (as some JCs did not have trainers); what was the point of the competition..etc. Personally, both as a trainee and a trainer, I benefited a lot from the quiz, in the academic sense and otherwise. As a trainee, the quiz opened up a whole new world of medical knowledge for me, and I learned to juggle between my CCA, studies and quiz training. Through my seniors, I also gained insight into the life of a medical student. And perhaps most important of all, the quiz helped me make a difficult decision - to study medicine or not. As a trainer, it gave me a chance to consolidate and express what I've learned in med sch in spoken language. The teaching experience was a challenging and satisfying one, especially when I see looks of comprehension on the students' faces.

And to those who wondered about the point of the competition, to those who think that this is just a "mugging" fest, this is what I have to say. The point of a competition is the competition itself. Look at any other competition: a race, a soccer match or chess tournament. Do they serve any "higher purpose"? Are they just a "running" fest or a "cycling" fest? What is the purpose of running/cycling/fighting like mad? The value of a competition derived from the amount of blood, sweat and tears put in to by the competitors. That is enough to justify the purpose of the competition. That is why a competition may seem like a mediocre thing to bystanders, but a thing priced above all else by those who devote the time and effort to it.

To the juniors: the glory of winning and the disappointment of losing lasts only for moments, but the friendships that you have built during the training, the things you have learned and the memories that you have created are enduring. Winning or losing merely brings a closure to the competition. You have all come far in this competition. While others have given up, you 15 alone have finished the race together, as a team. And this I can say for sure: no other school has been able to accomplish that. Look at how high the emotions were during the quiz; look at the support your team had - the hearts of your fellow teammates, your trainers, your teachers, your schmates and your seniors were with you throughout the competition. No other school had such a huge turnout; no other sch had seniors coming from all levels to support the team; no other sch had matched our passion. This, I am quite sure, is the Hwa Chong spirit.

What was most heart warming was that even though we were defeated, everyone was able to sit down and enjoy a dinner at the end of the day. How we chatted and joked comfortably between ourselves only showed the friendship we had forged in the heat of the competition. I hereby sincerely thank my fellow trainers, the teachers involved (Ms Keung included), the organising committee and most importantly, the Hwa Chong Biomed Team 2006, for the precious memories that you all have given me. Thank you. =)

posted by nwxiang at 11:10 PM |


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