medical school
2:32 pm
been a while since i ranted about how medical school is like.
Well, i think my last post was about how much there was to remember, how different IMU was to regular ol' college with their large auditoriums instead of small group classes (lol... i think big auditoriums are common to all universities though), how i feel like i'm going to fail in this and that exams.
Hahaha... all that has come to pass now that I'm done with basic sciences looong time ago (ok, fine. 1 yr and 5 months ago (for those of you coming from the regular world, our first few years where we learn about anatomy, physiology, pathology, all the -"ology"s are termed as basic science years. those 2.5-3 years are just cramming information down your throat) )
clinical medicine started when I came to the UK. now, we have to go for hospital placements from 9-5, 5 days a week, and virtually no classes anymore. Apart from 1 or 2 lecture days here and there.
Sounds exciting? It's like.. "yay! we get to feel like we're more like proper doctors now!! we get to stroll the wards feeling respected with our stethoscopes in our hand, the trusty oxford handbook in the other. Parents get to feel so proud that their child is going into hospitals practising medicine"
ahahhahahahahaahhahahaa
how i wish it was like that.
when I first stepped into the wards, I think I had one word plastered across my face: "fear"
Yeah sure, I had my stethoscope at hand with my textbook in the other and of course, the essential notebook and pen (+ logbook to get stuff signed off. more on this later. this stupid book basically ruled my life) but on top of that, clammy hands, palpitations and just an aura of nervousness permeating whichever room medical students are in.
Everything was so foreign and I had no clue how everything works. Like why was there different colours of uniform for the nurses (lol... till now i have no clue) or what we were meant to be doing in wards, what we could do in wards, etc.
the thing is, everyone else looked so calm. when clinical placement started, I did not enjoy it at all. Self doubt came into play and I started thinking that if I don't like being in wards, how was I supposed to be a doctor? Everyone else kept saying they enjoyed being in wards better than being in lecture rooms and found it so easy and fun to chat to patients and help doctors out.
Instead, I found myself having self doubts all the time. Was I meant to help out? Am I allowed to talk to the patient? Am I doing this correctly? Am I getting into people's way?
One thing I constantly beat myself up for is failing to take a good history or do a good examination. I hated myself for failing to do simple things like that. And extracting important bits of information from the history to form a diagnosis.
Another annoying thing about placements is waiting. We stand around waiting for doctors, nurses and patients. Nurses don't really like medical students cause we mostly stand in the way. And when we are just scheduled to be "in the ward" (which occurs nearly everyday) I hate the feeling where you're just not too sure what to do. Everyone is busy with their own things and I'll just be stood around.
But one day, having a chat within our group, it was a relieve to hear that I wasn't the only ones that felt this way. Everyone had self doubts, everyone felt it difficult the first few times to simply waltz into the patient's room and start asking intrusive questions. Everyone did not take a perfect history each and every single time they talked to a patient. (lol.. exception to those born to be a doctor with magic brains, mouths and hands. and yes. those people do exist. every medical fact they read is permanently stuck in their head and they can engage with the patient so well, it's like they have crack flowing out from their mouths each time they talk, the patients/doctors are just so smitten with them)
What's the difference now?
Now I definitely am a bit more comfortable with being in the hospital. It's not that I've become more knowledgeable but more like I've just stop worrying about things so much. I still fail to draw bloods or take a proper history or do a perfect physical examination. But I tend to brush off my failures a bit more easily rather than ruminating on them day and night. Not too sure if it's good or bad, but definitely it's been healthier for my mental state.
I think my level of self-doubt is still high. I've never been a very confident person although I try my best to boost my confidence. And I feel as medical students, we've been taught that we are the bottom rung of the hierarchy of medical staff. Which doesn't do any wonders for our self confidence. Like I said, we basically are ignored most of the time.
That's why I think that every little bit of compliment from the patients and doctors it becomes the highlight of my day. It's sounds really sad but any word or "pat on the head" from a doctor especially... it basically changes my mood completely.
Hahaha... its really dumb but I do remember the doctors who told me that the history i presented was excellent or that i really helped them out that day or I did a good job on some procedure.
And yes, the patients as well. What one sentence could do to lift my mood. I think it's the best compliment when a patient says that we'll be a good doctor. Heck, I choose to ignore the fact that these things could mean nothing to the doctors or patients (they could say it to every medical student they come across with).
Hoping that the next few placements I'll gain more confidence and knowledge along the way :D
Well, i think my last post was about how much there was to remember, how different IMU was to regular ol' college with their large auditoriums instead of small group classes (lol... i think big auditoriums are common to all universities though), how i feel like i'm going to fail in this and that exams.
Hahaha... all that has come to pass now that I'm done with basic sciences looong time ago (ok, fine. 1 yr and 5 months ago (for those of you coming from the regular world, our first few years where we learn about anatomy, physiology, pathology, all the -"ology"s are termed as basic science years. those 2.5-3 years are just cramming information down your throat) )
clinical medicine started when I came to the UK. now, we have to go for hospital placements from 9-5, 5 days a week, and virtually no classes anymore. Apart from 1 or 2 lecture days here and there.
Sounds exciting? It's like.. "yay! we get to feel like we're more like proper doctors now!! we get to stroll the wards feeling respected with our stethoscopes in our hand, the trusty oxford handbook in the other. Parents get to feel so proud that their child is going into hospitals practising medicine"
ahahhahahahahaahhahahaa
how i wish it was like that.
when I first stepped into the wards, I think I had one word plastered across my face: "fear"
Yeah sure, I had my stethoscope at hand with my textbook in the other and of course, the essential notebook and pen (+ logbook to get stuff signed off. more on this later. this stupid book basically ruled my life) but on top of that, clammy hands, palpitations and just an aura of nervousness permeating whichever room medical students are in.
Everything was so foreign and I had no clue how everything works. Like why was there different colours of uniform for the nurses (lol... till now i have no clue) or what we were meant to be doing in wards, what we could do in wards, etc.
the thing is, everyone else looked so calm. when clinical placement started, I did not enjoy it at all. Self doubt came into play and I started thinking that if I don't like being in wards, how was I supposed to be a doctor? Everyone else kept saying they enjoyed being in wards better than being in lecture rooms and found it so easy and fun to chat to patients and help doctors out.
Instead, I found myself having self doubts all the time. Was I meant to help out? Am I allowed to talk to the patient? Am I doing this correctly? Am I getting into people's way?
One thing I constantly beat myself up for is failing to take a good history or do a good examination. I hated myself for failing to do simple things like that. And extracting important bits of information from the history to form a diagnosis.
Another annoying thing about placements is waiting. We stand around waiting for doctors, nurses and patients. Nurses don't really like medical students cause we mostly stand in the way. And when we are just scheduled to be "in the ward" (which occurs nearly everyday) I hate the feeling where you're just not too sure what to do. Everyone is busy with their own things and I'll just be stood around.
But one day, having a chat within our group, it was a relieve to hear that I wasn't the only ones that felt this way. Everyone had self doubts, everyone felt it difficult the first few times to simply waltz into the patient's room and start asking intrusive questions. Everyone did not take a perfect history each and every single time they talked to a patient. (lol.. exception to those born to be a doctor with magic brains, mouths and hands. and yes. those people do exist. every medical fact they read is permanently stuck in their head and they can engage with the patient so well, it's like they have crack flowing out from their mouths each time they talk, the patients/doctors are just so smitten with them)
What's the difference now?
Now I definitely am a bit more comfortable with being in the hospital. It's not that I've become more knowledgeable but more like I've just stop worrying about things so much. I still fail to draw bloods or take a proper history or do a perfect physical examination. But I tend to brush off my failures a bit more easily rather than ruminating on them day and night. Not too sure if it's good or bad, but definitely it's been healthier for my mental state.
I think my level of self-doubt is still high. I've never been a very confident person although I try my best to boost my confidence. And I feel as medical students, we've been taught that we are the bottom rung of the hierarchy of medical staff. Which doesn't do any wonders for our self confidence. Like I said, we basically are ignored most of the time.
That's why I think that every little bit of compliment from the patients and doctors it becomes the highlight of my day. It's sounds really sad but any word or "pat on the head" from a doctor especially... it basically changes my mood completely.
Hahaha... its really dumb but I do remember the doctors who told me that the history i presented was excellent or that i really helped them out that day or I did a good job on some procedure.
And yes, the patients as well. What one sentence could do to lift my mood. I think it's the best compliment when a patient says that we'll be a good doctor. Heck, I choose to ignore the fact that these things could mean nothing to the doctors or patients (they could say it to every medical student they come across with).
Hoping that the next few placements I'll gain more confidence and knowledge along the way :D
IMU
1:23 am
IMUUUUU!
hahaha, looking at some friend's photos, I realize how going to IMU has impacted their life quite a bit. I mean, yeah, going to IMU means surrendering your life to medicine forever. and ever. and ever.
but lots of my buddies from IMU (lol. more like ALL) have somehow found their partners in within the batch. so hey, going to IMU was a good investment. ahahahahahhaa. pay the ridiculous fees in exchange for your potential life partner.
not too sure what the point of this post is. but erm yea.... feel happy for people who have gotten together. I think everyone is a great catch. ahhahaa. and potential doctors. +100 points in the eyes of mother/father in laws. lol. just hope i get to attend their potential weddings (not sure, but i get a feeling that some of u still stalk my blog :P no pressure yea) cause some of them look pretty darn serious. and hey, the peak time for all weddings occur is i think 2-4 yrs after graduation when ppl have more or less secure a job as a doctor somewhere and have an idea of where and who they want to settle down with (not to mention by then we would be nearing 30; pressure from asian parents, aunties, uncles, cousins who are married, siblings who are married, etc will make any strong man/woman crumble)
i must drop more heavy hints after graduation so i would be included in the wedding guest list XD
onwards to more serious matters:
i think i'm swaying towards radiology. my brother pushed me to do a radiology research project and I sort of did it just to try it out. and hey, the lifestyle of a radiologist is pretty awesome. not to mention i get to play with big gadgets (lol... i'm a geek already so that's one pre-requisite fulfilled) and interventional radiologist get to do "surgery" like procedures. we don't hold a scapel but we do shit like put a balloon/filters/mesh in arteries etc. that's quite cool. and we get to dabble in oncology stuff.
(not to mention my research tutor is like... THE BEST. he makes me feel bad all the time for being such a lousy med student. and don't want to let him down so I'm always nervous doing any SSC related project with the fear of screwing it up and letting him down! goshhhhh.. lucky i'm not the only weirdo feeling like this. another of my friend is having some man-crush on his tutor as well. hahahahahaha. we have drs who are too nice to us!)
not too sure how i feel about looking at MRIs and CTs tho... right now, I still can't see subtle changes in CXR, what more MRIs and CTs with their multi image splicing, etc.
ah well... let's just graduate from med school first
hahaha, looking at some friend's photos, I realize how going to IMU has impacted their life quite a bit. I mean, yeah, going to IMU means surrendering your life to medicine forever. and ever. and ever.
but lots of my buddies from IMU (lol. more like ALL) have somehow found their partners in within the batch. so hey, going to IMU was a good investment. ahahahahahhaa. pay the ridiculous fees in exchange for your potential life partner.
not too sure what the point of this post is. but erm yea.... feel happy for people who have gotten together. I think everyone is a great catch. ahhahaa. and potential doctors. +100 points in the eyes of mother/father in laws. lol. just hope i get to attend their potential weddings (not sure, but i get a feeling that some of u still stalk my blog :P no pressure yea) cause some of them look pretty darn serious. and hey, the peak time for all weddings occur is i think 2-4 yrs after graduation when ppl have more or less secure a job as a doctor somewhere and have an idea of where and who they want to settle down with (not to mention by then we would be nearing 30; pressure from asian parents, aunties, uncles, cousins who are married, siblings who are married, etc will make any strong man/woman crumble)
i must drop more heavy hints after graduation so i would be included in the wedding guest list XD
onwards to more serious matters:
i think i'm swaying towards radiology. my brother pushed me to do a radiology research project and I sort of did it just to try it out. and hey, the lifestyle of a radiologist is pretty awesome. not to mention i get to play with big gadgets (lol... i'm a geek already so that's one pre-requisite fulfilled) and interventional radiologist get to do "surgery" like procedures. we don't hold a scapel but we do shit like put a balloon/filters/mesh in arteries etc. that's quite cool. and we get to dabble in oncology stuff.
(not to mention my research tutor is like... THE BEST. he makes me feel bad all the time for being such a lousy med student. and don't want to let him down so I'm always nervous doing any SSC related project with the fear of screwing it up and letting him down! goshhhhh.. lucky i'm not the only weirdo feeling like this. another of my friend is having some man-crush on his tutor as well. hahahahahaha. we have drs who are too nice to us!)
not too sure how i feel about looking at MRIs and CTs tho... right now, I still can't see subtle changes in CXR, what more MRIs and CTs with their multi image splicing, etc.
ah well... let's just graduate from med school first
6:01 pm
psych finishing. starting GP placements next.
bleh
other than that, just received all my PayPal goodies!!! not much I can use tho :(
it's like winning the lottery but it doesn't really change your life. I remember I read somewhere that some lottery winners' lives became worse after winning because they overspend and became in debt or get robbed or get scammed or some other crap happen.
As for me... honestly, my life is still as stressful as ever. I wished I got a "graduate out of medical school" card instead. hahahahahhhaa. I would gladly given away every thing I got from Paypal for that card
bleh
other than that, just received all my PayPal goodies!!! not much I can use tho :(
it's like winning the lottery but it doesn't really change your life. I remember I read somewhere that some lottery winners' lives became worse after winning because they overspend and became in debt or get robbed or get scammed or some other crap happen.
As for me... honestly, my life is still as stressful as ever. I wished I got a "graduate out of medical school" card instead. hahahahahhhaa. I would gladly given away every thing I got from Paypal for that card
