Late post, sorry guys!
Day 2 started with Gynae clinic. There were a range of cases that had to be dealt with including Infertility, Prolapse and miscarriages. I got to see the doctor carry out some tests on a few of the patients. I was quite surprised with how open the patients were to me observing as gynae is one of the most intimate specialities of medicine. The 2 cases of Prolapse were very different. 1 patient was in her 60s and was having terrible pain so much that she could not get off her sofa and had to be assisted most of the time. The other lady was in her late 30s and her slimmer and younger nature meant her recovery was very quick. The doctor remembered a lot of the patients from previous meetings which made the patients feel a lot more comfortable. He also referred to them as being special to him when discussing to other doctors over the phone which made them feel able to bring up anything and it removed any awkwardness. There were some instances where he would put the patient down for a screening where it was not necessary but he felt it would make them feel more confident when results came negative, he told me it was all about making them feel relaxed and at peace of mind. It was interesting to see how the doctor handled the patients' problems as he is male. As a nurse there told me, "A male gynaecologist is like a mechanic who doesn't own a car". In general I learnt a lot from the clinic and didn't feel anywhere near as uncomfortable as I thought I would be.
After lunch I went to an audit with the other doctors who were involved in the Obs/Gynae part of the hospital. I had no idea what to expect before going, especially as one of the FY1s told me I'd be bored to death but it should help in my Med school applications process. It was basically a meeting where doctors presented cases which happened at the hospital recently and they all discussed the happenings and how they can improve their service. The 2 cases on this day were about a triplet birth and a baby of a teenage smoker. I didn't understand a lot of the technical terms but the general gist was quite exciting. The first case was talking about how the mother and the 3 babies had to moved to 2 hospitals as there were not enough incubators and cots for the 3 babies for the month or so they had to be looked after. It was interesting as everyone was involved in asking questions and answering each others, it was a very productive session.
Day 3 blog will come soon, I promise! x
Thursday 21 February 2013
Monday 18 February 2013
Day 1 Antenatal Clinic, Med Students and Lumpectomy lady
I had my first day of work experience today, I learnt so much and really enjoyed it.
My day was meant to be from 9 till 1 so I got all dressed up in my smart clothes and got driven to the hospital at around 8:30 to collect my name badge from reception. My doctor said for me to wait in the reception area for a bit so I sat there until 9:30 and then he came to introduce himself to me. Then we went to the antenatal clinic.
There were many patients throughout the day, all very different. I took notes of each case-the problem, possible solutions and the procedures. I found it interesting that the doctor had to adapt to each patients case e.g. he was sympathetic and offered a lot of advice to a very upset patient and then was jokey and laughing to his happier patients. I thought it was quite intriguing because all though he was honest and observant with each patient, he also accepted they were there for 5 minutes or so and then when they walked out he had to be straight onto the next patient. I also got to see the doctor's sentimental side as he mentioned one of his patient's sad story. With each patient the Dr checked the mother's pressure and scanned to hear the baby's heartbeat. Where the father or relatives were present, he made sure to involve them in the procedure of hearing the baby's heartbeat. He explained to me that some doctors do not do this incase both parents find there is no foetal heartbeat but he said that that occurs very rarely and by making the father part-take in such activities brought out the joy of being a parent. I learnt about how important nurses and midwives are in the Gynaecology ward and the importance of organisation of medical records. There was also a lot of information about sweeps and inductions that were new to me but never the less exciting.
After this clinic, I joined a junior doctor and 3 4th year medical students from BATL on a tour around the department. I had to wait with them for about half an hour which was very useful as they gave me an insight on how the medicine course at BATL works and about applying to study medicine. They are in this hospital for 4 weeks before they have an exam and continue to a different hospital placement. They were encouraging and told me to make sure I make the most of my 3 days as this will form the basis of my personal statement and interviews.
I went back to find the junior doctor afterwards as I had nothing to do so she said I can spend some time talking to a patient who has just had surgery to remove breast cancer. This patient was in her 60s and I got to ask her a lot of questions about the surgery and how the hospital have handled her cancer as well as other questions. She had had a lumpectomy where the cancerous tissue and some surrounding tissues are removed as well as a lymph node. It was a nice chat. At around 2 I left her to get some rest and headed home.
So it was a busy day, no break for a sip of water even, but it's also been amazing. It's really been encouraging and I'm pretty convinced now that a job in this sort of environment is right up my street. Tomorrow and the day after I have longer hours to spend there so I am going to try and see more.
Will post tomorrow! x
My day was meant to be from 9 till 1 so I got all dressed up in my smart clothes and got driven to the hospital at around 8:30 to collect my name badge from reception. My doctor said for me to wait in the reception area for a bit so I sat there until 9:30 and then he came to introduce himself to me. Then we went to the antenatal clinic.
There were many patients throughout the day, all very different. I took notes of each case-the problem, possible solutions and the procedures. I found it interesting that the doctor had to adapt to each patients case e.g. he was sympathetic and offered a lot of advice to a very upset patient and then was jokey and laughing to his happier patients. I thought it was quite intriguing because all though he was honest and observant with each patient, he also accepted they were there for 5 minutes or so and then when they walked out he had to be straight onto the next patient. I also got to see the doctor's sentimental side as he mentioned one of his patient's sad story. With each patient the Dr checked the mother's pressure and scanned to hear the baby's heartbeat. Where the father or relatives were present, he made sure to involve them in the procedure of hearing the baby's heartbeat. He explained to me that some doctors do not do this incase both parents find there is no foetal heartbeat but he said that that occurs very rarely and by making the father part-take in such activities brought out the joy of being a parent. I learnt about how important nurses and midwives are in the Gynaecology ward and the importance of organisation of medical records. There was also a lot of information about sweeps and inductions that were new to me but never the less exciting.
After this clinic, I joined a junior doctor and 3 4th year medical students from BATL on a tour around the department. I had to wait with them for about half an hour which was very useful as they gave me an insight on how the medicine course at BATL works and about applying to study medicine. They are in this hospital for 4 weeks before they have an exam and continue to a different hospital placement. They were encouraging and told me to make sure I make the most of my 3 days as this will form the basis of my personal statement and interviews.
I went back to find the junior doctor afterwards as I had nothing to do so she said I can spend some time talking to a patient who has just had surgery to remove breast cancer. This patient was in her 60s and I got to ask her a lot of questions about the surgery and how the hospital have handled her cancer as well as other questions. She had had a lumpectomy where the cancerous tissue and some surrounding tissues are removed as well as a lymph node. It was a nice chat. At around 2 I left her to get some rest and headed home.
So it was a busy day, no break for a sip of water even, but it's also been amazing. It's really been encouraging and I'm pretty convinced now that a job in this sort of environment is right up my street. Tomorrow and the day after I have longer hours to spend there so I am going to try and see more.
Will post tomorrow! x
Thursday 14 February 2013
Plans for Half term
It's been a while since I last blogged but thought it was time for a catch-up.
My school broke up for Half term today so I'm pretty excited at the moment.
I want to spend the week actually doing things unlike usually when I'd just sleep and eat all day long.
- I have some Work Experience lined up for Monday,Tuesday and Wednesday which I am really looking forward to!
- When we get back to school I have mock exams for Biology F211 and Chemistry ABG as well as a few Practical assessments so I plan to revise for them.
- And I'm on cake duty for economics for the Thursday we go back and I thought it'd be nice to bake a cake for when we finish our Biology mock so I might bake during this week to try out a recipe or two.
- I need to also give letters in to my local GP Surgeries because they all rejected me last time and told me to apply again. It's annoying how booked up they are with prospective medical applicants but that just goes to show how much competition there is for Medicine, even in my town! I do hear it's very worth it though if there is an opportunity to do some shadowing with a GP.
- My application for the opticians needs handing in too. I thought it'd be interesting to get some work experience at the opticians because if I don't go into medicine, Optometry is likely to be my second call. Eyes really intrigue me so I'd like to see if that's a job that I would enjoy doing.
- Then I need to book my planes for summer. I have a work placement set up in Thailand for July and I haven't booked flights yet so that needs arranging.
- Mamma J wants me to clean my room but I doubt that'll get done. Ido need to tidy my notes and organise them to start revising for May exams soon.
Busy week planned, hopefully it'll be fun too :) x
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