Book Title: Sekosong Jiwa Kadaver (As Empty as a Cadaver's Soul) | Author: Ita Fajria Tamim | Publisher: Falcon Publishing Indonesia | Book thickness: 390 pp. | Publication Year: July 2023 | ISBN: 978-602-6714-84-8
Storyline
Relaxed and flowing are the feelings I felt when reading this book. Seeing the thickness of the book, I was a bit skeptical that I could finish this book in a short time, considering that recently I was still very slow in finishing a book. However, this book is different, the anxiety of Rayya, the main character in this book, made me feel involved in it. The doubts, ideals and motivation that I didn't find in myself before made me a little relieved when I read the story of Rayya who succeeded in achieving her dream of studying medicine.
The story begins when Rayya is studying Faculty of Social Science & Political Science at a university in Jogja, but her heart still wants to study medicine wherever it is. Then she tried several medical entrance tests until she was finally accepted at a university in Bali. In fact, the entrance test to the Faculty of Medicine was not as easy as imagined, she had to accept failure many times and almost gave up.
Not alone, she and her best friend, Sofia, who also wants to change majors, continue to try so that they are both accepted into the majors they want. Her struggle was not in vain, her efforts produced sweet results. All this thanks to the motivation of one of the heroes who inspired her, Dr. Tjipto Mangunkusumo.
Islamic Boarding School Theme
Rayya is the granddaughter of a great "Kyai" and the founder of an Islamic organization in Indonesia. In this way, her life is very orderly in the corridors of religion. She often gets convenience after convenience from childhood. Upholding the religious values instilled in her since childhood did not make it difficult for her to live in an Islamic boarding school environment. However, everything was different when she started studying in Bali. Being a minority means she gets some different treatment.
I even remember one of my friends who was studying in Bali, according to him, it was very difficult to find halal food in Bali at that time. It turns out that Rayya also felt this way while studying there. She really had to look for a halal food stall that he could eat considering that the majority of Balinese people follow the Hindu religion.
Rayya's life has changed so much, from previously being on the island of Java, where she could get all her needs easily, now she is alone in Bali and has to fend for herself without the help of her family.
Medical Science in College
Studying medicine turned out to be very different from studying at Faculty of Social Science & Political Science. Rayya really has to adapt. At her previous major, she had a lot of free time, the students were relaxed, and she had a lot of free time to enjoy. However, in Faculty of Medicine the opposite is 180 degrees. Class schedules, practicums, everything was scheduled on time, even outside of that, she had to take part in many student activities to fill the free time. It felt like 24 hours wasn't enough for her.
Reading about Rayya's activities as a new student at the Faculty of Medicine is enough to make me smile. Because, previously I also had the desire to study medicine, unfortunately at that time conditions required me to choose another major and ended up at FISIP. Studying human anatomy, memorizing modules one by one and facing block exams, made me drift away. It's really a very hard struggle to become a doctor.
I could see how Rayya's busy study schedule was so that she and the other students could only sleep 3-4 hours a day before exams.
The twists and turns of Rayya's life while in Bali were also accompanied by culture shock at the harsh world outside. She, who is used to living in a boarding school environment, cannot accept the fact that social interactions in Bali are so free that there are no boundaries at all. However, she continues to try to maintain boundaries, especially when involved with a guy. Several times she found that a friend had feelings for her, but she still considered him as a friend without being able to give anything more. Because, she was not taught to date, especially now that his goal is to get an education.
Rayya's life story found a sweet ending when someone she met through social media proposed to her directly. In this way, Rayya's life is complete, which previously felt empty.
Reading the title I was confused, what is a cadaver? It turns out that cadavers are human remains that are usually used as practicums for medical faculties. Usually cadavers are obtained from bodies whose identities are not known, so they are donated to several medical faculties for student research.
The book is really made to flow and is quite relatable to student activities. I was able to enjoy it because I was curious about the ending. Honestly, when I saw Dr. Ita Fajria Tamim, the author of the book, I thought that this was her true story, but I don't know for sure whether this is a true story wrapped in fiction or what. What is clear is that I like the way he speaks in this book.