They Made A Sitcom About My Friends

https://twitter.com/northumbriana/status/846454474654781442

Underrated books?

the naturals by jennifer lynn barnes

the fixer by jenniger lynn barnes

penryn and the end of days by susan ee

the archived by victoria schwab

we are the ants by shaun david hutchinson

at the edge of the universe by shaun david hutchinson

all our yesterdays by cristin terrill

the lost girl by sangu mandanna

an ember in the ashes by sabaa tahir

the illuminae files by amie kaufman and jay kristoff

the star-touched queen by roshani chokshi

the diviners by libba bray

graceling realm by kristin cashore

cyclone series by courtney milan

poison study by maria v. snyder

wolf by wolf by ryan graudin

letters to the lost by brigid kemmerer

starbound trilogy by amie kaufman

into the blue by pene henson

mermaids of eriana kawi by tiana warner 

timekeeper by tara sim

gallagher girls by ally carter 

dangerous girls/dangerous boys by abigail haas

everything by patrick ness/adam silvera/natalia jaster

Medical School Interviews

Across the UK hopeful medics will have sent off their applications and are eagerly awaiting for an interview. Considering I was in the same position a literal year ago I thought I would share some advice for the interviews. Unfortunately, I can’t disclose what interview questions I got but I can give some general tips that really helped me. 

First, I thought I would give some background to my application. I applied to 4 medical schools that were all MMI so the advice I am about to give is more geared towards MMI style interviews. I was very fortunate to get 3 interviews and 3 offers for medicine.

Look at the Medical Schools website. Each medical school tends to outline the qualities they are looking for at interview on their website. Think of specific examples for each quality and practice how you have used/developed said quality and why this would make you a good doctor.

Stay away from Student Room. The number of people that told me to stay away from student room was enormous and yet I still ignored them and checked. All it does is scare you and makes you panic. It’s not worth the stress at all. Just focus on your application and nobody else’s. 

Be professional. Medical schools really value professionalism and teach it throughout medical school. However, there is the expectation for you to have a certain level of professionalism before you enter medical school. Little things such as what you wear can make a big impact. For example, guys tended to wear suits at the interview however it isn’t necessary to as long as you are dressed smart then it is okay. Arrive on time. It looks really bad if you arrive late to your interview and you will also probably be really stressed as well which won’t help at all. If you are going to be late ring the medical school well in advance.

Some interviewers may be mean. I wish someone had told me this. Interviewers are there to test certain skills and therefore may be appear to be really brutal to you. Remember, that is what they are there for, stay calm and prove to them that you can handle it. This is essential as not every patient is going to be compliant and they need to test that you are able to cope with it.

Stay up to date with the news. When I had my interviews, the junior doctor contract was very hot in the news so I read around the topic. However, medical schools expect that of you and will probably not test you about that as it doesn’t really show anything that makes you stand out. But keeping up to date with scientific advancements in the medical field will put you in good stead.

Be honest. I think this is probably the most important tip I have. If you do not know something, then tell them that you don’t know it. The person asking will probably have a lot of expertise on the subject and will be able to tell when you are waffling. A lot of the time they are trying to see if you are brave enough to say you do not know rather than seeing if you actually do know something on that topic. Remember that a responsible doctor is one that stays within their limits and admits that they do not know something. If you are quite competent on the subject, then do talk about it however do not feel pressured to have a conversation with them about it. 

So there are all my general tips! I just want to finish with saying that please don’t worry if you mess up a station. MMIs typically have 7/8 stations, you are judged on all the stations not just one, so take a deep breath and smash the other ones. If anyone has any questions regarding interviews just send me a message.

Good luck to everyone applying! 

@nyane

Do you have a book masterlist? Because I want to read everythingbthat I hear mentioned on your entire blog.

I’m touched, and I actually do! Someone previously asked that here. It is in need of an update though so here are more.

Books I have drawn fanart for:

Heroes of Olympus

The Raven Cycle 

Carry On 

The Diviners 

The Palace Job 

Discworld 

Graceling 

Prisoner 

Griffin & Whybourne

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda 

The Lunar Chronicles 

A lot of things by Tamora Pierce. 

Everything by Gail Carriger.

A lot of things by Megan Derr

The Darkest Part of the Forest

A Darker Shade of Magic

Seraphina

Natural History of Dragons

Six Of Crows

Good Omens

Swordspoint

Details, version II : Dancing Fairies, 1866, by August Malmström. Can you hear them whisper?

Inspiration is THIS you?

My roommate bought a pack of 24 rolls of toilet paper yesterday, in addition to the half dozen we already had, and stored all of them in the bathroom. And just let me tell you, there’s something incredibly calming and reassuring about looking next to you while you’re on the toilet and seeing 30 rolls of toilet paper sitting there. You get a feeling like, no matter how bad shit gets in there, you’re always going to make it out okay in the end.

BOOK REC O’CLOCK

THE WATCHMAKER OF FILIGREE STREET by NATASHA PULLEY

g u y s

I picked this book up a couple of days ago purely because a) I was in a Game of Thrones re-read rut and b) someone whose taste I trust recommended it to me, and I am SO GLAD that those things happened at the same time because otherwise I probably never would have bothered with this WEIRD, WHIMSICAL LITTLE BOOK, AND I NEVER WOULD HAVE KNOWN WHAT I WAS MISSING!!!

it’s impossible to be like ‘oh, if you liked so-and-so you’ll love this!’ or ‘it’s for fans of x, y and z!’ because it’s INDEFINABLE. (but I guess if you’re into lots of weirdly niche things – like the social history of Victorian England, or watchmaking, or old-timey physics, or the Japanese civil war in 1877, or all of those things in one book, with bonus Irish Republicanism and low key mind-blowing Stuff surrounding clairvoyance – then give it a read maybe.)

but if you like CLOCKWORK OCTOPI WHO STEAL PEOPLE’S SOCKS, or UPPITY LADY SCIENTISTS, or TEA, or ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES and SOULMATES, then you should absolutely check this book out, because it will warm your heart. it will melt your heart. it will roast your heart over an open flame. it will set your heart ablaze. a blackened husk will be all that is left of you and your heart. I cannot look directly at my watch, for I am burned.

An Art Nouveau silver-plated fairy lamp by Moritz Hacker, circa 1905. From here.

Kathleen Sukiennik - ravens and blackbirds.