FRESH START:I CAN hardly believe it's been a year since I started writing this column; a year since I was in the Institute, preparing for my final Leaving Certificate. A year since I drew the wrath of Irish Timesreaders for my shoe fetishes and high expectations. This past year has seen so many changes; in the economy, in politics, but also in my life.

I would never have guessed how massive the transition from secondary school student to college scholar would be, nor how great a change that transition would bring about in me.

In the last year, I’ve learned that college, like life, is what you make it. I have seen people who spend their hours studying relentlessly, and probably getting marvellous grades for their hard work, but gaining little benefit from the wonderful multicultural community we have in the College of Surgeons. I have watched other people waste their time in college, doing no work to speak of, and squandering the fantastic opportunity that they were given to study medicine. I would like to think that I found a reasonable balance.

At the moment, we are all frantically preparing for exams, with the new addition of a “clinical competencies” exam. This tests our patient contact skills, our ability to take histories, and our physical examination skills. I am very excited about this area of medicine. I love the practical aspects of our studies, and I find clinical competencies and anatomy more exciting than minute molecular medicine that seems so abstract to me.

The exam study followed a little too hot on the heels of the blissful Easter break. I enjoyed some quality time at home with the family, some of Mum’s home-cooked food (as opposed to student cuisine à la McDonald’s), and then headed off for some fun in the sun (almost) in the remote location of Bundoran, Donegal. I organised a little surf trip for a small group of college friends, and took my brother along for the ride. I was eager to learn how to surf, given my imminent summer destination of west coast USA. The experience was an altogether enjoyable one, and having had three lessons, I feel I’ve been bitten by the surfing bug and am already planning to buy myself a board in California.

Upon announcement of this plan to my friends, they reminded me that the most important aspect of board selection is the name you choose for her.

Surf boards, like boats, I gather, are always female, and so multiple iconic names such as Marilyn and Scarlett were crossing my mind for my proposed hot pink surf board.

Another major issue has been invading my thoughts lately, and that is accommodation for next year. As I will be back from the US for a mere two days before I take the exams that I missed in January, I really need to settle the issue before I head off.

I had decided to rent a house with several of my buddies from college, and as we trekked around viewing properties, I was surprised to find a very high standard of properties within our price range. I can honestly say that it was the first time that I gave thanks for the downturn in the property market. We actually found our dream house in Ranelagh, but the battle to secure it remains ongoing.

So, this is the last you will hear from me from now. With luck (and perseverance), I will be graduating as a doctor in 2013, thanks mainly to my stubborn refusal to give up on my hopes of studying medicine, to taking the Leaving Cert three times and incurring the wrath of the odd Irish Times reader.

I wouldn’t change a thing. I would encourage anyone else out there to follow their dreams, as it truly is worth the effort and the wait.