Cambridge!
I went to Cambridge to meet the UK doctor yesterday. I took the coach instead of the train, and the total coach time back and forth was 4 hours (about 2.5 hours of that time was spent stuck among London's many, many cars and red lights). Although the coach ticket prices were very cheap, 6 quid for a return ticket, so I guess that makes up for being stuck practically motionless for 2.5 hours.
Cambridge is a lovely, lovely place! All the houses and buildings and churches and cathedrals are very townish and fairy taleish-like, with the canal winding like a snake through the city. The only thing I didn't like was how all the constructions were made of the same shade of brownish yellowish bricks. That colour against a grey, rainy sky makes the city look a bit depressing. I wouldn't mind living in Cambridge for a week or two to enjoy the calmness and smallness, but then I'd have to get back to London before I lose my mind due to the tranquility. Cambridge is such a university town, all the buildings, besides resident and shop buildings there are university buildings, there are St Someone's Colleges everywhere. I also saw a bridge called the Mathematical Bridge, which is supposed to be a bridge that Newton had calculated so mathematically accurate that there are no poles holding the bridge up (at least that's what the rumour is).
The UK doctor was a kind and generous woman. She came to meet me at the coach station, and took me through the (tiny) city centre, and we ended up at a cafe having lunch. We chatted about her history, my history, my interview, the (negative aspects of the) NHS, the boring Sweden, her experience of being a doctor etc. It was all very interesting, because for instance all the information I have gathered about the NHS is from newspaper articles and wikipedia and the NHS's website, so it was interesting to hear straight from a doctor, her opinion of the whole health system. She was very critical of the NHS, especially of the system becoming more of a business than a health system. For instance, GPs (general practitioners, which are the doctors that you see first at a surgery or hospital, unless you have an emergency, in which case you'd hopefully go to the Accident & Emergency department and not a GP) have now become fundholders. The NHS's spending increases year after year, and the government wants to limit its spendings, and one way of doing that has been to distribute money to GPs, the amount depending on how many patients and the ages of the patients of a certain GP. The GPs use that money to prescibe drugs and carry out treatments for his or her patients. This has caused many problems, for instance GPs might not prescribe the more effective drug because it's more expensive.
Meeting the UK doctor has strengthened my determination to kick-ass on my coming interviews. She mentioned a very important point: the fact that I've been invited to attend the interviews means that the admissions people are interested in my application, that they believe I might be a good candidate for the university spot. They most likely want to offer me a place, so if I am myself, bring my knowledge, and try to "sell" my strong sides even more, it will actually make the interview panel's job easier, and let them offer me a place. She also said the fact that I'm so multicultural and have lived in and experienced these different countries, and have done quite a lot of different things, e.g. volunteering, working, au pair, UK etc. gives me an advantage. So folks, the remaining few weeks until my interviews will be well utilised for preparing for them!
I would love to show you Cambridge, but unfortunately the only photo I had time to take yesterday before my coach left in the afternoon was of a wooden door, which is not the most exciting thing about Cambridge. Next time I go there, I will bombard my blog with Cambridge photos..!
Cambridge is a lovely, lovely place! All the houses and buildings and churches and cathedrals are very townish and fairy taleish-like, with the canal winding like a snake through the city. The only thing I didn't like was how all the constructions were made of the same shade of brownish yellowish bricks. That colour against a grey, rainy sky makes the city look a bit depressing. I wouldn't mind living in Cambridge for a week or two to enjoy the calmness and smallness, but then I'd have to get back to London before I lose my mind due to the tranquility. Cambridge is such a university town, all the buildings, besides resident and shop buildings there are university buildings, there are St Someone's Colleges everywhere. I also saw a bridge called the Mathematical Bridge, which is supposed to be a bridge that Newton had calculated so mathematically accurate that there are no poles holding the bridge up (at least that's what the rumour is).
The UK doctor was a kind and generous woman. She came to meet me at the coach station, and took me through the (tiny) city centre, and we ended up at a cafe having lunch. We chatted about her history, my history, my interview, the (negative aspects of the) NHS, the boring Sweden, her experience of being a doctor etc. It was all very interesting, because for instance all the information I have gathered about the NHS is from newspaper articles and wikipedia and the NHS's website, so it was interesting to hear straight from a doctor, her opinion of the whole health system. She was very critical of the NHS, especially of the system becoming more of a business than a health system. For instance, GPs (general practitioners, which are the doctors that you see first at a surgery or hospital, unless you have an emergency, in which case you'd hopefully go to the Accident & Emergency department and not a GP) have now become fundholders. The NHS's spending increases year after year, and the government wants to limit its spendings, and one way of doing that has been to distribute money to GPs, the amount depending on how many patients and the ages of the patients of a certain GP. The GPs use that money to prescibe drugs and carry out treatments for his or her patients. This has caused many problems, for instance GPs might not prescribe the more effective drug because it's more expensive.
Meeting the UK doctor has strengthened my determination to kick-ass on my coming interviews. She mentioned a very important point: the fact that I've been invited to attend the interviews means that the admissions people are interested in my application, that they believe I might be a good candidate for the university spot. They most likely want to offer me a place, so if I am myself, bring my knowledge, and try to "sell" my strong sides even more, it will actually make the interview panel's job easier, and let them offer me a place. She also said the fact that I'm so multicultural and have lived in and experienced these different countries, and have done quite a lot of different things, e.g. volunteering, working, au pair, UK etc. gives me an advantage. So folks, the remaining few weeks until my interviews will be well utilised for preparing for them!
I would love to show you Cambridge, but unfortunately the only photo I had time to take yesterday before my coach left in the afternoon was of a wooden door, which is not the most exciting thing about Cambridge. Next time I go there, I will bombard my blog with Cambridge photos..!
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