30/6/12

Today has been a bit of a grumble fest.  Hope a good night's sleep fixes me up!

29/6/12

I don't have the time or the inclination to write much tonight so I'll keep it short.

Radiology was quite interesting, the pace was steady but I saw enough and learnt a few things which is always good.

A&E turned out to be rather disappointing due to some poor organisation.  Saw only a few patients, and they were mainly the uninteresting ones and the majority of patients I did see was only because a nurse and a HCA took pity on me and let me follow them once the doctors had abandoned me!  I suspect I learnt some useful skills though so all was not lost!

All was also not lost with our tree, it is now safe, but not very tree like anymore! (We were hoping they'd get rid of the trunk too...)

I realise my posts about work experience have been a bit bitty (although more writing than you've had for a while!), at some point, when I've had a day off or 2 and a my brain has recovered I'll try and sum it up and tell you what I'm thinking!

28/6/12

It was raining when I went into the hospital and was 26 degrees and like this when I came out!

Morning was pretty dull, ward round on the medical admissions unit.  Saw 5 or 6 patients in 2 hours.  Then consultant disappeared.  I chatted to a 4th year med student for a while and then went for an early lunch.  On a similar note to yesterday it got me thinking again, about a number of things.  Medicine as a career for one.  And about all the poor old folks (and poor other folks!) in hospital!

Today's lunch was therefore entirely too long - 2 hours!  Tried to get into theatre earlier but it wasn't possible.  However I really enjoyed the afternoon.  I was with one of the anaesthetic registrars (in theatre with my previous consultant...).  He was really good.  Taught me lots, and once again tried to get me thinking about physiology and stuff, it's been good these last few days trying to think in the right way!  Think I learnt lots anyway.  And, at 2 separate times in the afternoon I was actually responsible for keeping people alive.  The anaesthetist left me squeezing the ventilation bag while he was in the other room sorting out more drugs.  A simple task (otherwise I wouldn't have been trusted with it!), but still, made me feel good, and was nice to actually do something! 

Final day tomorrow.  Radiology followed by A&E.  Quite looking forward to it! 

27/6/12

It's been a long day!

Was in theatre all morning, just the one case - a long operation on an ear.  Not all that much for me to see once the novelty of the whole thing had worn off!  Anaesthetist kept me busy though - he definitely over estimated my clinical knowledge, but I think I learnt a lot!  A few things to think about for med school interviews too...

The afternoon session was something which has really got me thinking though.  Was shadowing the on call consultant (a cardiologist) on EAU, this was my first real taste of medicine rather than surgery.  Can't believe quite how different it is! The people become far more like people, rather than just things that are there to be fixed, there's a vulnerability about patients on the operating table, but a very different vulnerability when they're lying on a bed having to open up to you!  Saw quite a few interesting cases, and in one case had to take down the notes because there was no SHO around to do it for the consultant!  The consultant was really nice, although a little bit odd.  He quizzed me a lot, about things which I have no idea about - the history of medicine, the prevalence and pathologies of certain diseases etc. although he seemed almost impressed that I could pick out the liver and kidneys on a CT scan with my no medical training!  He also gave me a few things to think about for med school interviews, and recommended a book.

Definitely got me thinking though...

And I'm a tad dead.  Walking around all afternoon requires even more effort than simply standing.  Still that's 5 days out of my 9 of work out of the way now! 

*Really* lazy photo today.  Part of my "smart" work attire...