Hello readers, do you know that there's a STARBUCKS COFFEE in Sunway Medical Centre?! Whoa!!

Anyway, updates:

Week 1 (Haematomology)

Not much work for me, bored bored bored!! The manager of the medical lab came looking for me, he wanted to let me run a project on my own and then do some statistics with the results for him. I was rather excited since there was at least something for me to do before I rot in the medical lab. He went to collect some samples for me to run the project but unfortunately, there were some technical problem somewhere and there weren't enough samples to run the project YET and thus, the project was postponed! =(

Around 10am, the manager needed my help with computer, like preparing lecture slides for the staffs and any sort of computer work. I have an office all to myself with a comfy reclining chair.. ahhhhhh~ =) Thank God! At least, I have something to do.

Don't know how it came around, but Mr Edwin Tan (the manager) regards me as the "computer pro" (the exact word used by him, but it's NOT true, I know just as much as you all only) in the lab. I just helped with what I can.. and guess what, God's favour was really upon me. Mr Edwin and his assistant see me as a capable and a very potential employee (that's what he said) and they already asked me to work with them once I graduate from my degree. Meaning, I've ALREADY got a job waiting for me eventhough I haven't graduate!! Praise God! God works miracles! We just need to shine His lights.. anywhere, whether in school or in work place. Be encouraged and be blessed because you too can!

Many things about tomorrow
I don't seem to understand
But I know Who holds tomorrow
And I know He holds my hand

(I know Who Holds Tomorrow by Ira Stanphill)

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Week 2 (Medical Microbiology)

It has been another exciting week! I simply enjoyed medical microbiology, probably because there were more work for me to do, with a nice supervisor that entrusted me a lot; allowing me to do most of the work!

For my internship, I've to "hop" from one department to another to experience and learn as much as I could. For the entire of last week, I was placed in Medical Microbiology department. Meaning, I'll deal with specimens gotten from the patients in the form of swabs, blood, urine, sputum or even stool (in layman term, stool = shit/sai)!

Yes, these are the stools collected.. gross~ I know! =P

As a medical microbiologist, we will culture all these specimen onto several different agar plates..yes, made out of 'jellies' with added nutrient as medium to grow the pathogens (disease-causing bacteria) that are present in the specimen.

The different agar plates for bacteria culturing


MK at work! =P

was observing this culture la.. haiyo.. its some bacteria growing on the blood agar

An experienced microbiologist like Mr. Tan (my supervisor) could identify the bacteria's species just by looking at the morphology of the colonies (in this case, those yellow stuff on the blood agar).

Mr Tan, the person in-charged of medical microbiology. Retired man, on contract with Sunway Medical with 30 years experience as lab manager in Selangor Medical Centre.

An unexperience "microbiologist" like me will need to do Gram's staining and look through the microscope to identify the pathogens.

The bacteria (purple-coloured rod) through the microscope after the Gram's staining

We will also work on their sensitivity and to find out which antibiotic could inhibit the bacteria's activity so that the doctors will know which antibiotic is effective for their patients.

Most samples were asked to run for High Vaginal Swab (HVS) for womens'.. , sputum to check for TB, urine for Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) and stools for rotavirus (virus that attacks mainly children and cause them to have diarrhoea).

The samples were sent to the medical laboratory (in LG) in a very hightech way.. where kampung people like me will be amazed. Have you ever heard of fairy tales like a bird delivers you when you're a baby to your home?? Um, I mean storks.. yes, storks!
Now, the samples were sent to the medical lab just as tho' there are some "storks" delivering them since these samples could be from 2nd floor, 3rd right up to the 6th floor, the ICU! I just don't know how those samples move through the "gutters" along the ceiling ke apa.. Imagine the samples "travels" from the 6th floor to lower ground.. I don't understand how.. and then upon their arrival, there'll be some sound as though to let us know, "you've got male mail!!" Let me show you the thingy..

The sample drops right in here, of course with shock absorbance!

Chun eh? Right...

My other fellow interns-friends

me =)

Oh yea! When I was washing my hands on Friday, some senior supervisor approached me and she asked..

Sapiah: So, are you doing double degree also?
Mun: Yea =)
Sapiah: Which double degree you chose?
Mun: Medical Bioscience and Biotechnology
Sapiah: Oh.. are you.. local??
Mun: (What does she mean by am not local? Meaning not outstation like Malacca all?) Yes, I am. I'm from Klang.
Sapiah: Oh? Really?? I thought you're a foreigner.. I mean, not from the looks.. cause chinese
all looks the same.. but I thought you could be a singaporean or a korean.. sorry ah, cause the way you spoke your english, you're very fluent.
Mun: Oh? Thanks. =) (*swt* dun sound like a Malaysian?? huh????)

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Week 3 (Clinical Chemistry)

This week am randomly assigned among ourselves to help in the Clinical Chemistry department. However, in this department mainly all the samples are operated by machines that costs over millions! We're aren't really allowed to operate it as they are really really important, cannot afford for mistakes! So, untrained students like us have to watch and learn the theory behind it only lor.. what to do. We're only allowed to deal with G6PD - a kind of genetic disorder.. blood clotting deficiency. Another would be the VDRL.

I was there with a partner this time, Shing Ying. Since there wasn't much to do, I went back to disturb at the Medical Microbiology department. Joeanne is placed there for this week. Apparently, she didn't really understand Mr Tan's explainations and she doesn't know how to do and all (at that time la, should be pro in no time I supposed). I stayed there to help and teach her, Mr Tan allowed and I guess he was glad. So, there I was as his 'assistant' to guide Joeanne in Medical Microbiology. It's fun!! =)

Joeanne and I


Mr Tan and I. Isn't he cute??

And today when we (Vivian, Joeanne, Mr Tan and I) were chatting happily in the room when there was no sample, Boon Chin, a guy that works in the lab too came in to talk to Mr Tan. This time this guy asked me,

Boon Chin: Are you local??
Mun: (again??!) Yes, I am =)
Boon Chin: But you're not a pure chinese right? A mixed?
Mun: (shocked). Haha.. I'm a chinese, just couldnt speak chinese (swt again! argh! sigh! I don't look PURE chinese meh? Then?? chinese mix dengan apa???? *swt* =/ )


Then once a while I'll leave the micro room to check around.. and there my friends made me take interesting pictures through the microscopes. Here they are, enjoy!

This is the cystic fluid sample obtained from the lungs. There are red blood cells present in this fluid and you can see them (click on the picture to enlarge), those in disc-like shape. Those with "flowery" and are irregular in shape.. those are the red blood cells that have already undergo crenation. Ring any bell?? RBC in hypertonic solution? Osmosis??

And this is the picture of sperms under the microscope! It's from the seminal fluid. Again, click on the picture to enlarge it. Cool eh? Wanted to take a video of it and then post it here. But then, the video function in my digicam can't zoom and thus, can't take. Too tiny.. and the sperms were quite dead dy.. 5 hours..
Pictures taken from the fluid department.

So, anyone now interested to take up or switch course to Medical Science?? LOL. Leave a comment!
Till then, signing OFF