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UPDATE (3/12/2012): You can find other articles related to medtech here.

Hello there!

First of all, I wanna congratulate you for reaching the CD (Clinical Division) stage of the Medical Technology of AUP!
Honestly, CD is not meant for all people. In fact, not all who entered CD will successfully pass it in the supposedly one year time period. And worst, few will even left.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not discouraging anyone here but merely presenting what really happened from the past.

And you know what? I’m not exempted from that thought of quitting the CD when I was there.

It was 2 months after I entered CD and I was kinda frustated with everything. I was frustated with my scores, my lack of sleep, my losing friends, my social life, my sanity… In short, my life was a mess!

And I thought to myself, “Should I quit this?”
I only had two options; the first one is to quit, and the second is to move on and fight till I die (whoa… very dramatic ha!)

But the first option is not a good option for me, cause I have spend two and a half year as Med Tech and I’m just too close to the finish line. So I chose the second option.

Allright, enough for the story, let’s discuss on how to survive in the cruel world of Clinical Division.

Tip #1 – Think of sacrificing your life for one whole year in CD

This is the most important mindset that every CD student need to have.

Why? Because for me, it is better to spend one year of totally unable doing what I enjoy rather than two years or more of trying to do it without ever fully enjoying because of the CD subjects.

I’ve had seen some people who stayed longer than a year in CD because they prioritize to do what they enjoy first rather than the subjects.

And I don’t think its a good deal for me. I’d rather finish something that I don’t really enjoy as soon as possible and then able to do what I really really enjoy afterward.

Tip #2 – Don’t be foolish and ignorant, learn from your Old Batch

Try to talk to the old batch and make friends with them. They have survived the CD for half year and in the cruel world of Clinical Division, it equals to several light years for mere human! 😀

But seriously, it is always wise to break the ice and get to know your old batch. Don’t ever think that you are better than them because you think you are smarter than them.

What if they think they are smarter than you and act unfriendly to you? Well, think of it as the side effect of being several months in CD. Don’t take it personally and try to humble yourself. Just play their game. If they want to be respected and adored, just do it! It will make them happy and think you are their ally.

Trust me, you will get very very valuable knowledge from the old batch and besides, you will get them as your friend also!

Tip #3 – Learn about each CI teaching style

So you already have a good relationship with your old batch and they are your friend, now what?

Ask them about each CI (Clinical Instructor) teaching style and most importantly, quizzes and exam style…

You can receive different comments from different old batch so try to ask some of them instead. Ask what the brightest old batch opinion and ask the wacky-and-not-so-bright as well so you won’t have a bias view point and insights from both side of the coin.

Understanding the CI style has been proven as a great advantage when I was in CD. Because I will know:

when they like to give the quizzes,
what kind of questions that most probably will come out, and even better,
how to get the letter A grade (yes, it is not impossible to get A grade in CD, although now you might think that it is just a fairy tale.. ;D)

Now by knowing each CI style, you have higher chance of surviving the CD without losing your sanity.

Tip #4 – If you can not hang around with your previous friends anymore, hang around with your CD friends (your batch, old batch, or CI)

One of the consequences of entering the CD life is that you will no longer have time to hang out with your friends like you used to. But don’t worry, it doesn’t mean that you will lose them permanently. Although for about a year, you will live in a close-to-seclusion from them. Hahaha! 😀

But hey, look around your classroom! You have your batch, old batch, and even CI to be your friends that you can hang out with. They are human and they can be cool also, whatever you previously thought them they are.

I enjoyed hanging around with my batch when I was in CD. We had potlucks after the church on Sabbath, we had several outings, we had barbecue party together, in short, we had so many great times! In fact, I still contact some of them until now although I’m no longer in the Philippines.

I pity the CD students that never enjoy their CD life with their batch because they lost so many things.

To all Med Tech

For now, these are the four tips that I can thought of in helping people to survive the CD hardship in AUP. I hope after reading this article, I could be a help for you and make you smile. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments section and I will do my best to answer it .

This article is dedicated to all Med Tech who have passed the CD life, still trying to survive in CD, and who will have their share in CD. As the last word, however hard CD life could be, I wanna tell you that it will be one of the most memorable time in your life.