seasonal

Manged to get a fair few tasks signed off in my first week – not urinary cath unfortunately, but auroscopy, opthal teaching, wound dressing and venesection all done :) Also still have tomorrow – so the week isnt’ up just yet.

I think a lot of it is not waiting for these opportunities to be given to you on a platter. You definitely need to take initiative, find opportunities and take them with both hands. Wound dressing was definitely one of those situations. Right next to me was a lady who managed to cut her knee open. I wasn’t attached to that doctor or team, but I went over and asked very nicely if I’d be able to do it.

Now if I had just stayed in my little box and only done what I was assigned to – I definitely would not have had that opportunity.

I think that sort of behaviour makes me feel a bit awkward, a bit forward. Especially since I am still kind of clumsy at that sort at many of these tasks. I definitely feel stupid and out of place a lot of the time. I am however successful at completing these tasks – that’s what I want at the end of the day :)

three priorities for the coming week
- blood cultures
- arterial blood gas
- nasogastric tube

Got the relevant paperwork certified by a JP. Huzzah. I have now uploaded all of that. All that remains of my application is the finalise the preference order and click submit.

:)

made my 20th donation today after a bit of a hiatus. It was fun, ive made another appointment for 6 weeks time.

One of the nurses there is retiring soon, and the old ndonors were all saying that she ahould keep in touch. It was really sweet.

fulfilled requirements for O&G

now three courses left – emergency, selective and PRINT term and I will have completed med school ! :) :) :)

I started my application for internship in 2014

I need to get some forms certified by the justice of the peace. I have located a place where I can get these forms certified near me.

tasks
collect these forms
- photocopy of passport
- printed copy of sheet saying I will graduate in 2014
- highschool certificate

The first two I have to print off at uni, the last one mum is bringing up next week, when Mum comes up. I have just asked her when she is coming up but I will ask her to post it if it is not by Thursday, because I think it will be difficult to make an appointment to meet a justice of the peace otherwise.

I saw my final birth last night. I am pleased to have completed all of my O&G tasks.

I am making this goal a high priority from now on. I have very little clinical activities until emergency starts again. However each day I will set myself the task of completing three activities. Three goals I am focusing on now are

- blood venesection
- urinary catherisation
- wound dressing and care; just did the prereading, wound dressing here I come :)

I am setting myself the ambitious goal of having completed all three tasks by the first week of emergency. I can do it. I know I can.

I always get scared about financial things. Today my shitty housemate stood up and said he was moving out this Saturday. Waves of fear rolled through me. Rent is due tomorrow. He is supposed to stay until the end of April.

We have sorted out a short term solution with my brother, who is in need of a place to crash for a bit. Its just another reminder of how precarious my financial situation is and how much I need to graduate. For every hour of study I put in. I am working towards that goal. I want to be able to not fear I will go under if someone pulls something like that.

Cannot wait. Back to it.

this is part of my stinginess – my moisturiser has run out and I feel guilty about not protecting my skin. I have heaps of suncream lying about so I may as well use that instead. We’ll see how I go

I’m thinking for my adventure that I’m going to find H somewhere between here and Japan for cocktails. I think that’d be really nice.

Had an information about this last night. I’ve also spoken to a few people. Looks like there are few good places to intern at. It really doesn’t matter what I get.

Applications open on May the 1st. Think I’ll just apply for the main round. Offers for placements come out on the 29th of July. I made a list of my top 10, I’ll start doing the applications then.

booked another date for the 11th of May, bring it :)

Saw another birth last night. I was hoping to see more, but it is luck of the draw who comes in. I have 2 more caesareans and 1 more spontaneous vaginal to see.

I also emailed home base hospital to see when some of these extra skills sessions are on. It wasn’t anywhere on the website.

Baby’s are cute. I just helped deliver a baby last night. It was so cute. She had these big blue eyes and fingernails the size of pins.

Don’t think I’m ready to do that myself of course.

Tomorrow I have OT. I have gotten signed permission to do a VE on one of the patients, I am also going in early tomorrow to get permission to do the other one as well. I will do my best to scrub in and get signed off for that as well. So all things going to plan I’ll have two items ticked off by 12 midday :)

Got my graduation ceremony date – 6th of December, only 262 sleeps away!

I also emailed one of the profs about my portfolio and having a meeting with him on Friday to discuss it. He seemed quite positive about it, so I don’t think an additional assignment will be needed to fill it out. That is a profound relief.

I came back 8 days ago, and the last week has been largely spent putting my life back together. I have literally spent the last week running about doing various chores. I briefly spoke to a friend of mine today and she mentioned that she had just been in Perth presenting at a conference – that is crazy – no way would I have been physically capable of doing something similar. Not with how much stuff that I have got to get through.

On the way home though. I started thinking about how I could get involved in that again. That was before I had a look at the study notes that I had just obtained from her. There is so much to do and its so difficult to figure out where to begin. There are so many vivas to cover, so many levels of proficiency to obtain. I am officially quite intimidated by the year ahead, I wonder, should I have started earlier?

I tell myself no, I am starting at a plenty good time. There are a lot of people who haven’t begun yet because they have to focus on biomed. Which sounds truly horrible and I have immense pity for those poor souls.

I think this is the beginnings of a plan

viva
osce
mcq
portfolio

Most people focus on the viva aspect of it. My clinical skills are poor, so I think I will have to focus on the clinical aspects more then other people will, but one thing at a time.

Someone also told me that you had to get through 10 viva cases a week. I don’t know what they based this off, but I think that’s a good target for me. I want to learn them well.

My next course – emergency, will be a good opportunity to focus on increasing my clinical skills. Getting them up to the level that they should be at. So I’ll definitely put that one aside for now.

I think that essentially I have to cover one course a month management viva wise to stay afloat. I’m going to push through Med and Surg for now and see how we go with that. I might message a few people to see whether they’d be interested in a study group again.

so freaky, so scary

Having done my elective in a developing country I have come to learn that healthcare is influenced heavily not by just the skills of the doctor, but the entire healthcare system. It is difficult to work in healthcare where basic sanitation does not exist. I did not enjoy not being able to practice to the level of medicine that I am able to do in a Western hospital. I also didn’t like being the white female in a chauvunistic society, where I don’t speak the language. It makes it very difficult. If you want to stay for a long period of time, you do have the capacity to make a difference. Yet I don’t think that’s me. S loved it. She loved figuring out what she could do. I just felt guilty that I was delivering a substandard level of care.

Everyone is different though.

So for now. I give up on this, it gives me room to direct my career in a direction that I really want to go.

Have just begun my course in O and G. Its a lot of fun. I feel my confidence is much greater then it was before. Still have a lot of work to do yet though.

Very excited to be able to concentrate on it again though.

sge is gorgeous. she is a bask of delight. we pucked her up lady night from the very, and she has been alternating climbing the walls with little naps. everyone loves her. she if ready to lover though.

shr was originally a rescue cat. she was abandoned in a box on the side of the road. very happy to welcome her home now. we have so much fun ahead of us.

I feel closer to phil then I ever have. The distance , and indeed the closensess has brought us together. I am even considering keeping non sydney options off my list completely.

I think when I am back in aus, ill spend some time reading up on the dofferent networks and see what kind of order I might like.