"Hi, my name is - and I am a 4th year student doctor."
How time flies. I still remember when I first step foot onto the wards in first year and introduced myself as a first year medical student - it was almost like yesterday! Now, I unwillingly have to introduce myself as a 4th year. I quite liked introducing myself as a 3rd year to patients and to doctors/nurses. I feel like we get a bit more sympathy and leeway. As a 3rd year, we can always pull the: "Sorry it's my first year of clinical.", when we make a mistake. As a 4th year - expectations are higher and mistakes will be looked down on. I feel like 4th year is the "real deal". People expect you to know your place in the hospital and know what you are doing. Questions won't be as well appreciated and you will be much more independent. It's actually quite frightening! As a 4th year - people who know that your course is 5 years will know that as a 4th year, you'll be in your penultimate year and pull the: "You'll be graduating in a year or so - come on, you should know better!"
So I'm starting psychiatry and will on the specialty for 6 weeks. We just had a week of lectures on psychiatry and it seems pretty interesting. It's also nice to learn something completely new as well. The past lectures we've had were more of a refresher and a bit more clinical, but wasn't completely new. We have never learned about psych so it was good.
Had my induction at the psychiatric hospital and it seems promising. It seems really organized and we've got a binder full of info. We've also got schedules for our next 6 weeks. Something so simple is well appreciated as that means I can plan my life. It's a shame other placements can't give our schedules that far in advance. Got a fairly easy week - mainly at clinics. Bit nervous as psych is so unfamiliar and new. Also scared about being quizzed. Yikes. Got to do some reading asap!
Showing posts with label student doctor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label student doctor. Show all posts
Monday, September 3, 2012
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Post #100 - A Look Back.
Post #100 for this blog. I obviously want to make a special post and let's take a trip back to the beginning of this blog.
August 6, 2009 - my first blog post. It was a big day for me as it was the day I received an unconditional offer from my university to study Medicine in the UK. Looking back, coming to study in the UK was a huge decision and definitely a path of a lot of unknowns. A new country. A new culture. A new chapter. Little did I know what a roller coaster ride it would be for the next 2.5 years. I faced many challenges (and still facing challenges) and have grown up a lot in the last 2.5 years. University was a new chapter to my life. Saw and learned so many new things. It has so far been the best few years of my life. I can easily say that Freshers week will always be a highlight as it was quite an experience getting to know so many new people in such a short amount of time. I've been in the same school for half my life so making new friends is something "new" and I was extremely nervous. Kind of laughing at myself now for being so nervous/scared as there was nothing to be scared about. Every one is on the same boat in terms of friends and people are just so friendly. A tip for those who will be starting this coming September: be EXCITED. There is nothing to be afraid of and don't let anything hold you back. Enjoy your time as a Fresher as it will blow by in a blink of an eye.
When I first started this blog I was really unsure whether I will even be able to keep up with it. Slowly I've noticed that people are reading it and it really motivated me to keep posting. Whilst scrolling through my archives...I have noticed quite a change in frequency of posts. I think it's a fairly good representation of excitement through my years in medical school. Obviously if there is something exciting, I would post about it. Here's reality: the first 2 years of medical school is a bit of a shock. I think a lot of us come into medical school thinking like we would be like the TV show ER...or House and we would be immersed in doing clinical procedures and running around. WRONG. Well in my case I was stuck in a lecture theatre for 2 years learning about the basic sciences, which isn't the most exciting thing. It is obvious there were a lot of up and downs in the last 2 years. I lost sight of the final prize (becoming a doctor) several times throughout the last 2 years. You get to a certain point where you're like "get me on the wards!" and then there will be times where you ask yourself: "Why in the world am I studying Medicine?" Medical school is full of obstacles and it is emotionally, mentally, and physically tough. There are so many times where you're on the floor and you really need to dig deep to pick yourself back up. I realized this is a degree that you have to be committed to because there are times where you truly do question your desires of being a doctor. Then at last - I reached clinical years. 2 grueling years of being cooped up in a lecture theatre and finally I am able to do some practical things and talk to patients. But hold up...with my school we are quite lucky to have a bit of clinical experience in the first 2 years.
March 15, 2010 - first hospital attachment. It was a short clinical attachment and really just a taste test of what I'll be doing in the future. Only a few months ago I saw first year medical students starting with their first clinical attachment like I did back in 2010. Seeing these freshers really put things into perspective of how far you have come along. (And for once it was nice not being at the bottom of the ladder at the hospital). It really gave me a flashback to what it was like when I started my first clinical attachment. Patient histories were a struggle...I was not good at them at all. Hardly knew any medical sciences so I didn't really understand anything and tried my best to keep up. Couldn't do any clinical skills. Essentially just shadowed the doctors and tried to not get in the way. Went to observe a few surgeries and standing on a pedestal trying to peer over the consultant's shoulder. However, I do remember how much I enjoyed watching surgeries. It just clicked. Fast forward to 2012. Patient histories - easy. Interacting with patients - easy. Medical knowledge - growing every day. Clinical skills - taking bloods, inserting cannulas, inserting catheters...just the other day I put in an endotracheal tube on my own (supervised by the anaesthetist). Surgery - observe? Heck I'm scrubbing in now and even helping close up at the end! Medical school is a long and painful process...but when you take the time to stop and think back to when you started...you see how far you have come.
February 8, 2011 - immigration laws changing. I believe this is the first proper post where I've discussed in detail about being an international student and things we have to think about. From then on, I have dedicated 2 other posts (Tidbit for International Students and Life of an International Student) to give a bit more insight about the life of an INTERNATIONAL medical student. To be honest, being an international student isn't that much more different than a local British student. We go through the same course. We get treated the same. We learn the same things. We see the same things. The only difference is our accents, and our passports...and the fact we have to worry about Visas and immigration laws. But other than that, being an international student hasn't been that hard of a transition that I had initially thought. Before I started medical school, my biggest fear was the fact I was an international student and it might be a bit harder for me to make friends or get used to the culture. Again during Freshers week...everyone was just so friendly...I didn't feel different. I didn't feel that much of an outsider. There were a few times in the last 2.5 years where it was frustrating to be an international student due to the lack of support from the medical school, but you learn to manage. As an international student, you make a lot of sacrifice. You leave your family behind. You leave home behind (which can be thousands of miles away). You pay higher fees. But hey hopefully it will be worth it. Hopefully this is something I will not regret. At the end of the day...hopefully this will be all worth it. Homesickness is a huge thing for international students and a lot of my friends do struggle with this...including me. Every time this happens I just have to take a break and tell myself it will be worth it and think about all the obstacles I have already been through and how far I have come. What makes me wake up every morning is the end prospect from studying medicine. I am grateful to be in such a great field and the experiences I have had so far have been amazing. The future with immigration and working in the UK - not a straight path and one with many bumps, but the fact I have made so many sacrifices just gives me so much more motivation and determination to make it work. Work hard and hopefully have a bit of luck on my side when it comes to jobs.
August 7, 2009 - first tip post. Not exactly one of my best tip post, but hey we all got to start somewhere. Obviously this blog was to keep a track of my crazy life of being a medical student, but also to give some tips to future medical applicants. I try my best and over the last 2 years I have posted quite a few tip posts here and there. Applying to medical school is no easy process and I wished I got some tips. My school back in Canada was not very good with helping out students with applying abroad as they are not very familiar with the process. It was a difficult process as I had to do a lot of stuff myself and call up universities in the middle of the night (my time due to the time difference) to get some more information. Hopefully with my tip posts I am able to help future applicants with the process. Obviously I applied 3ish years ago so UKCAT info and tips are a bit off, but I'm sure the interview process is still the same. Now I'm trying to focus on giving tips on surviving medical school. Little tricks I have learned here and there. I remember my very first medical school lecture, one of my professors told all of us: "Life is not fair." And it is so true and particularly true with medical school. So here is a tip to all of you: Life is not fair. You cannot have your way with everything...unfortunately, BUT what you can do is make the best of every experience no matter how undesirable it is. There is always something to learn. Stay humble and treat those around you with the same respect you would expect in return. You will meet a lot of people throughout medical school and treat everyone well as you never know, you might see he or she again in the future. Consultants on placements - treat them with as much respect as you can as who knows, he or she may just be your future employer in a few years. Don't do anything you will regret, even outside of school hours as things can come back and bite you on the ass. Unfortunately as a medical student - we got to grow up very fast. We start medical school at around 18 or 19 years old...you will see patients of all ages and they expect professional behaviour despite your age. Also grow some thick skin - consultants can be very unforgiving. Do your best to not take it personal. At the end of the day their criticisms are for your own good.
June 2, 2012 - post #100. It has been quite a journey and I expect more ups and downs in the next 2 years. Being a doctor is starting to get real. Now going through my specialty placements, I'm starting to do more and more on placements. This post has made me look back and realize how much I have grown emotionally and mentally. Thank you to all you readers out there and keeping me going on this blog. I really appreciate it. Happy reading!
August 6, 2009 - my first blog post. It was a big day for me as it was the day I received an unconditional offer from my university to study Medicine in the UK. Looking back, coming to study in the UK was a huge decision and definitely a path of a lot of unknowns. A new country. A new culture. A new chapter. Little did I know what a roller coaster ride it would be for the next 2.5 years. I faced many challenges (and still facing challenges) and have grown up a lot in the last 2.5 years. University was a new chapter to my life. Saw and learned so many new things. It has so far been the best few years of my life. I can easily say that Freshers week will always be a highlight as it was quite an experience getting to know so many new people in such a short amount of time. I've been in the same school for half my life so making new friends is something "new" and I was extremely nervous. Kind of laughing at myself now for being so nervous/scared as there was nothing to be scared about. Every one is on the same boat in terms of friends and people are just so friendly. A tip for those who will be starting this coming September: be EXCITED. There is nothing to be afraid of and don't let anything hold you back. Enjoy your time as a Fresher as it will blow by in a blink of an eye.
When I first started this blog I was really unsure whether I will even be able to keep up with it. Slowly I've noticed that people are reading it and it really motivated me to keep posting. Whilst scrolling through my archives...I have noticed quite a change in frequency of posts. I think it's a fairly good representation of excitement through my years in medical school. Obviously if there is something exciting, I would post about it. Here's reality: the first 2 years of medical school is a bit of a shock. I think a lot of us come into medical school thinking like we would be like the TV show ER...or House and we would be immersed in doing clinical procedures and running around. WRONG. Well in my case I was stuck in a lecture theatre for 2 years learning about the basic sciences, which isn't the most exciting thing. It is obvious there were a lot of up and downs in the last 2 years. I lost sight of the final prize (becoming a doctor) several times throughout the last 2 years. You get to a certain point where you're like "get me on the wards!" and then there will be times where you ask yourself: "Why in the world am I studying Medicine?" Medical school is full of obstacles and it is emotionally, mentally, and physically tough. There are so many times where you're on the floor and you really need to dig deep to pick yourself back up. I realized this is a degree that you have to be committed to because there are times where you truly do question your desires of being a doctor. Then at last - I reached clinical years. 2 grueling years of being cooped up in a lecture theatre and finally I am able to do some practical things and talk to patients. But hold up...with my school we are quite lucky to have a bit of clinical experience in the first 2 years.
March 15, 2010 - first hospital attachment. It was a short clinical attachment and really just a taste test of what I'll be doing in the future. Only a few months ago I saw first year medical students starting with their first clinical attachment like I did back in 2010. Seeing these freshers really put things into perspective of how far you have come along. (And for once it was nice not being at the bottom of the ladder at the hospital). It really gave me a flashback to what it was like when I started my first clinical attachment. Patient histories were a struggle...I was not good at them at all. Hardly knew any medical sciences so I didn't really understand anything and tried my best to keep up. Couldn't do any clinical skills. Essentially just shadowed the doctors and tried to not get in the way. Went to observe a few surgeries and standing on a pedestal trying to peer over the consultant's shoulder. However, I do remember how much I enjoyed watching surgeries. It just clicked. Fast forward to 2012. Patient histories - easy. Interacting with patients - easy. Medical knowledge - growing every day. Clinical skills - taking bloods, inserting cannulas, inserting catheters...just the other day I put in an endotracheal tube on my own (supervised by the anaesthetist). Surgery - observe? Heck I'm scrubbing in now and even helping close up at the end! Medical school is a long and painful process...but when you take the time to stop and think back to when you started...you see how far you have come.
February 8, 2011 - immigration laws changing. I believe this is the first proper post where I've discussed in detail about being an international student and things we have to think about. From then on, I have dedicated 2 other posts (Tidbit for International Students and Life of an International Student) to give a bit more insight about the life of an INTERNATIONAL medical student. To be honest, being an international student isn't that much more different than a local British student. We go through the same course. We get treated the same. We learn the same things. We see the same things. The only difference is our accents, and our passports...and the fact we have to worry about Visas and immigration laws. But other than that, being an international student hasn't been that hard of a transition that I had initially thought. Before I started medical school, my biggest fear was the fact I was an international student and it might be a bit harder for me to make friends or get used to the culture. Again during Freshers week...everyone was just so friendly...I didn't feel different. I didn't feel that much of an outsider. There were a few times in the last 2.5 years where it was frustrating to be an international student due to the lack of support from the medical school, but you learn to manage. As an international student, you make a lot of sacrifice. You leave your family behind. You leave home behind (which can be thousands of miles away). You pay higher fees. But hey hopefully it will be worth it. Hopefully this is something I will not regret. At the end of the day...hopefully this will be all worth it. Homesickness is a huge thing for international students and a lot of my friends do struggle with this...including me. Every time this happens I just have to take a break and tell myself it will be worth it and think about all the obstacles I have already been through and how far I have come. What makes me wake up every morning is the end prospect from studying medicine. I am grateful to be in such a great field and the experiences I have had so far have been amazing. The future with immigration and working in the UK - not a straight path and one with many bumps, but the fact I have made so many sacrifices just gives me so much more motivation and determination to make it work. Work hard and hopefully have a bit of luck on my side when it comes to jobs.
August 7, 2009 - first tip post. Not exactly one of my best tip post, but hey we all got to start somewhere. Obviously this blog was to keep a track of my crazy life of being a medical student, but also to give some tips to future medical applicants. I try my best and over the last 2 years I have posted quite a few tip posts here and there. Applying to medical school is no easy process and I wished I got some tips. My school back in Canada was not very good with helping out students with applying abroad as they are not very familiar with the process. It was a difficult process as I had to do a lot of stuff myself and call up universities in the middle of the night (my time due to the time difference) to get some more information. Hopefully with my tip posts I am able to help future applicants with the process. Obviously I applied 3ish years ago so UKCAT info and tips are a bit off, but I'm sure the interview process is still the same. Now I'm trying to focus on giving tips on surviving medical school. Little tricks I have learned here and there. I remember my very first medical school lecture, one of my professors told all of us: "Life is not fair." And it is so true and particularly true with medical school. So here is a tip to all of you: Life is not fair. You cannot have your way with everything...unfortunately, BUT what you can do is make the best of every experience no matter how undesirable it is. There is always something to learn. Stay humble and treat those around you with the same respect you would expect in return. You will meet a lot of people throughout medical school and treat everyone well as you never know, you might see he or she again in the future. Consultants on placements - treat them with as much respect as you can as who knows, he or she may just be your future employer in a few years. Don't do anything you will regret, even outside of school hours as things can come back and bite you on the ass. Unfortunately as a medical student - we got to grow up very fast. We start medical school at around 18 or 19 years old...you will see patients of all ages and they expect professional behaviour despite your age. Also grow some thick skin - consultants can be very unforgiving. Do your best to not take it personal. At the end of the day their criticisms are for your own good.
June 2, 2012 - post #100. It has been quite a journey and I expect more ups and downs in the next 2 years. Being a doctor is starting to get real. Now going through my specialty placements, I'm starting to do more and more on placements. This post has made me look back and realize how much I have grown emotionally and mentally. Thank you to all you readers out there and keeping me going on this blog. I really appreciate it. Happy reading!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Progress.
I was watching Junior Doctors earlier on and listened to the FY1 doctors saying how they feel more like a real doctor as they have responsibilities and they get to do procedures. I sat on my couch thinking about my last placement on paediatrics. Thinking about it...comparing to my placements just only half a year ago when I first stepped onto the wards as a student doctor, I have seen myself progress. My last placement in paediatrics, I was clerking in patients and presenting the patient history and examination findings to senior doctors. I am probably one of the first "medical" person on the ward to properly sit down and ask them about what has brought them to hospital. I get the honour of seeing these patients prior to the doctors on the ward. While on my placement, I guess I didn't really appreciate this properly as I just took on the responsibility to clerk the patients in, but never realized that I could be one of the first people to see the patient on the ward. I also have to make sure my patient histories are accurate and that my examination is accurate as when I present the history to a senior doctor, it is now expected for me to have a differential diagnosis, possible investigations, and management. Only half a year ago, I was stepping on the consultant's heels going around on ward rounds and just watching. I didn't really get to do very much. If there is something interesting on physical examination that the consultant sees/hears, then he/she would let us take a look/listen. Now...I am the one telling the senior doctor about hearing something and I have to be confident about it. It is actually quite frightening. There were times where I heard crackles at the base of the chest, but I would sometimes doubt myself as they are fairly faint crackles. However, when I present the patient to a senior doctor I have to be sure about these crackles and now I get to write into the patient's notes about any examination findings. It's pretty crazy how much I have progressed from half a year ago.
Also 2 weeks ago the first year medical students got their quick taster of hospital placements and for once I wasn't the most newbie medical student around. There were people more "new"/fresh than me. It was a weird feeling. Then you start noticing that they really don't have a clue how to take patient histories. And then you think to yourself...about 2 years ago...I was just as clueless. It's weird thinking how much you learn in such a short period of time. Now the structure of patient histories come naturally and you don't really have to think about it. You just ask the questions and go with the flow. I still remember in first year constantly trying to remember what questions to ask...what is important to ask...what the structure is to take a patient history. In first year before I saw a patient, I always wrote on my paper:
This structure is now engraved into my head...and it's only been 2 years! I also taught these freshers how to take a pain history. It's weird that they don't know SOCRATES. SOCRATES is my saving grace. You can never go wrong with it!
I found it very confusing to actually see these medical students taking me seriously and genuinely absorbing what I was saying. I'm not much older than them...one of my students was actually older than me! Also when I walked by a few of the first year students and quickly said "Hi!" to them as I walked by, I heard them whispering: "Whoa an older medical student said hi!" I still remembered when an older medical student said "Hi" to me while I was in the hospital...I felt quite happy as I felt like I was noticed and not ignored....more like I actually existed!
Crazy how 2 years make such a big difference, yet thinking about it...it hasn't been too long ago. Speaking of which...this month actually marked the halfway point of my career! Halfway to being a doctor! Scary!
Also 2 weeks ago the first year medical students got their quick taster of hospital placements and for once I wasn't the most newbie medical student around. There were people more "new"/fresh than me. It was a weird feeling. Then you start noticing that they really don't have a clue how to take patient histories. And then you think to yourself...about 2 years ago...I was just as clueless. It's weird thinking how much you learn in such a short period of time. Now the structure of patient histories come naturally and you don't really have to think about it. You just ask the questions and go with the flow. I still remember in first year constantly trying to remember what questions to ask...what is important to ask...what the structure is to take a patient history. In first year before I saw a patient, I always wrote on my paper:
PC (presenting complaint)
HPC (history of presenting complaint)
PMH (past medical history)
DH (drug history) - ALLERGIES?
SH (social history)
FMH (family medical history)
This structure is now engraved into my head...and it's only been 2 years! I also taught these freshers how to take a pain history. It's weird that they don't know SOCRATES. SOCRATES is my saving grace. You can never go wrong with it!
Site (where is the pain exactly?)
Onset (when did the pain first come on?)
Character (what does the pain feel like? can you describe it to me?)
Radiation (does this pain go elsewhere?)
Associations (are there any other symptoms that you noticed?)
Timing (does this pain come on at certain times? does it come and go? is it constant?)
Exacerbating/Alleviation (what makes the pain better? what makes it worse?)
Severity (on a scale from 1 to 10 - 1 being not very painful and 10 being the worst pain you have ever felt, what score would you give your pain?)
I found it very confusing to actually see these medical students taking me seriously and genuinely absorbing what I was saying. I'm not much older than them...one of my students was actually older than me! Also when I walked by a few of the first year students and quickly said "Hi!" to them as I walked by, I heard them whispering: "Whoa an older medical student said hi!" I still remembered when an older medical student said "Hi" to me while I was in the hospital...I felt quite happy as I felt like I was noticed and not ignored....more like I actually existed!
Crazy how 2 years make such a big difference, yet thinking about it...it hasn't been too long ago. Speaking of which...this month actually marked the halfway point of my career! Halfway to being a doctor! Scary!
Monday, July 11, 2011
First Day as a Student Doctor.
So today was my very first day as a proper student doctor (clinical year medical student). I must admit that I was fairly nervous about my placement and at the same time excited. I really didn't know what to expect and my biggest worry was not being welcomed.
Anyways I am placed in Upper GI surgery which I had done for 2 weeks before in first year. Technically I should be an expert on it. Obviously I am not. Today was induction day at the hospital and we got a hospital tour. The hospital is fairly large and because it is a teaching hospital, most of the doctors/nurses there are really helpful. I heard a few bad things about the hospital I am placed at such as consultants completely ignoring you and being rude. I literally have nothing to complain about today. When I was standing around with my partner on our ward trying to look for our consultant, we were approached by several nurses asking if we needed help looking for someone or something with a smile and genuinely wanted to help. It really made me relax as it seems like I am welcomed and that people are willing to help.
After induction/introducing ourselves to our ward, the search for our consultants still continues. After lunch, we decided to go down to theatre to look for our consultant as he is a surgeon. Bingo! He was in theatre all day. During the surgery, our consultant did a great job at showing us stuff and letting us take a look and he took the time to explain things. However, we were quizzed, but our consultant was really nice especially when we did not know the answer. After surgery, our consultant went over the surgery that was just done with us and I mean our consultant has been in theatre all day and he took the time to sit us down in a room and draw us a diagram of the operation. He took the time to run through the basic anatomy involved and took the time to explain each step of the surgery. It really showed us that our consultant is committed in helping us learn and I have a feeling it will be a good attachment with great learning opportunities.
As well our consultant told us his schedule and told us to join him whenever we feel it is necessary. I like how we have the freedom to plan our own schedule and I guess quite self-directed. Really gives us the opportunity to prioritize things and get some of our compulsory assignments done instead of being our consultant's shadow.
By the end of the day I got to admit my back was quite sore after standing for so long. Can't wait to get a really good sleep tonight as I didn't get much sleep yesterday.
Hopefully I'll update you with more things if I encounter anything interesting.
Anyways I am placed in Upper GI surgery which I had done for 2 weeks before in first year. Technically I should be an expert on it. Obviously I am not. Today was induction day at the hospital and we got a hospital tour. The hospital is fairly large and because it is a teaching hospital, most of the doctors/nurses there are really helpful. I heard a few bad things about the hospital I am placed at such as consultants completely ignoring you and being rude. I literally have nothing to complain about today. When I was standing around with my partner on our ward trying to look for our consultant, we were approached by several nurses asking if we needed help looking for someone or something with a smile and genuinely wanted to help. It really made me relax as it seems like I am welcomed and that people are willing to help.
After induction/introducing ourselves to our ward, the search for our consultants still continues. After lunch, we decided to go down to theatre to look for our consultant as he is a surgeon. Bingo! He was in theatre all day. During the surgery, our consultant did a great job at showing us stuff and letting us take a look and he took the time to explain things. However, we were quizzed, but our consultant was really nice especially when we did not know the answer. After surgery, our consultant went over the surgery that was just done with us and I mean our consultant has been in theatre all day and he took the time to sit us down in a room and draw us a diagram of the operation. He took the time to run through the basic anatomy involved and took the time to explain each step of the surgery. It really showed us that our consultant is committed in helping us learn and I have a feeling it will be a good attachment with great learning opportunities.
As well our consultant told us his schedule and told us to join him whenever we feel it is necessary. I like how we have the freedom to plan our own schedule and I guess quite self-directed. Really gives us the opportunity to prioritize things and get some of our compulsory assignments done instead of being our consultant's shadow.
By the end of the day I got to admit my back was quite sore after standing for so long. Can't wait to get a really good sleep tonight as I didn't get much sleep yesterday.
Hopefully I'll update you with more things if I encounter anything interesting.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Hectic.
Okay...I may have lied in my last post about updating my blog sooner. Oddly enough, I did not expect to be this busy. No I am not on summer holiday. I had a 4 week holiday...well 2 weeks after results. Started back on June 6. It has been non-stop 9am-5pm lectures. I have never really had 9-5 days. Usually I would be in lecture for the morning and get the afternoon off. There will be a day here and there where we would get the odd lecture from 3-5 after 2 hours in the morning from 9-11. But I have never had 9-5...non stop. We're talking about 1 hour lunch breaks. Most of you reading this will be like "...9-5 is nothing. What are you talking about?" I find it quite difficult to sit for so long, so by the time I get to the afternoon lectures I am mentally drained and can't really focus. On top of that all my friends feel the need to cram a million events into these next few weeks as we'll be splitting up for placements and all of us are in different hospitals so we will not be seeing each other very much. Can't handle so many dinners and outings!
Anyways my lectures have been mostly about clinical examination sessions, such as how to examine a patient with a vascular disease. Or how to examine a thyroid patient, or how to do a breast examination, etc. Also I finally got to use my stethoscope. Really started feeling like I am studying to become a doctor. It was really weird. The feeling will only get greater when I start placements in 2.5 weeks. Quite nervous and excited at the same time about placements.
We have also been learning clinical skills such as catheters, injections, etc. Crazy jump from sitting around in lecture theatres learning about medical science to suddenly learning how to do stuff that you do on the wards. Finally get the feeling of doing something practical and I feel that I can finally call myself a student doctor.
On a side note the weather has been something. Been roasting this weekend and today. Sitting in a lecture theatre with over 250 students with no air conditioning, and attempting to concentrate for 4 hours of microbiology is almost impossible. It was quite annoying that during the winter the air conditioning would be on and you would be freezing to death, but during a mini heatwave they decide to not turn on the air conditioning. Hopefully they'll turn it on tomorrow, but I don't think it will be as warm.
Anyways these last few weeks have been quite dull so I won't bore you with the details. Hopefully in a few weeks I will be updating you on my first time on the wards as a clinical year student...or as a "student doctor". Hopefully I'll be placed with a good consultant who is enthusiastic to have medical students around.
Anyways my lectures have been mostly about clinical examination sessions, such as how to examine a patient with a vascular disease. Or how to examine a thyroid patient, or how to do a breast examination, etc. Also I finally got to use my stethoscope. Really started feeling like I am studying to become a doctor. It was really weird. The feeling will only get greater when I start placements in 2.5 weeks. Quite nervous and excited at the same time about placements.
We have also been learning clinical skills such as catheters, injections, etc. Crazy jump from sitting around in lecture theatres learning about medical science to suddenly learning how to do stuff that you do on the wards. Finally get the feeling of doing something practical and I feel that I can finally call myself a student doctor.
On a side note the weather has been something. Been roasting this weekend and today. Sitting in a lecture theatre with over 250 students with no air conditioning, and attempting to concentrate for 4 hours of microbiology is almost impossible. It was quite annoying that during the winter the air conditioning would be on and you would be freezing to death, but during a mini heatwave they decide to not turn on the air conditioning. Hopefully they'll turn it on tomorrow, but I don't think it will be as warm.
Anyways these last few weeks have been quite dull so I won't bore you with the details. Hopefully in a few weeks I will be updating you on my first time on the wards as a clinical year student...or as a "student doctor". Hopefully I'll be placed with a good consultant who is enthusiastic to have medical students around.
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