Kiasu-ism

Kiasu-ism is an attitude rampant and deeply entrenched in our society. And needless to say, my school isn’t spared from its invasion too.

If you’ve watched Grey’s Anatomy, an interesting drama series revolving around the action-packed lives of a group of enthusiastic surgical interns fatigued by ward work, I’m sure you wouldn’t forget an unforgettable character – Dr. Yang, an American of Korean descent. She, apparently, is no demure woman. Her passion for and devotion to her job are clearly depicted by the way she talks and walks as well as her frantic and desperate attempts to scrub in on any surgery available. I find her a little self-centred and annoying at times.

Well, unfortunately, I do have course-mates who bear a striking similarity to Dr. Yang. They’re overzealous for knowledge and being the know-it-alls whom the lecturers salute and their classmates hold in high esteem. Their lives, I suppose, are pathetically governed by the motto of getting the best grades and outshining the rest. They beseechingly want to be ahead of others in whatever they do.

Sometimes, I find it hard to compete with such intimidating people, who’re easily identifiable by their bookish and kiasu appearance. Being late for lectures means I’ve got to sit at the back of the class where the slides aren’t clear enough and the voices of the lecturer barely audible. When new textbooks arrive, I’m usually the unlucky person who receives one with a few pages crumpled up or torn. Many a time, when I spot an interesting case in the ward which I feel like clerking, the patient declines to be examined, complaining that he’s been approached too many times. When the examination questions are leaked, you don’t expect to get any tips from them.

Admittedly, I’m not really a brilliant student, but not to the extent of being academically-challenged, of course. I mean, they’re people who score A’s and talk about distinctions, whereas I’d be jubilant if I manage to scrape through. You see, passing a subject isn’t at all a child play, particularly in a school with the passing mark fixed at 65%. In other words, if you get a B- or worse, it simply means you’ve failed. And you’ll be retained during the year break when others are happily vacationing in their respective hometown.

Co-existing with kiasu people really tires me and makes me feel bullied at times. It has sort of prodded me, to some extent, into becoming mildly kiasu as well.

Surviving in med school, it seems, does entail a certain amount of resilience and assertiveness.