Foundation Year 1
Gynae on-take
Posted on August 6th, 2008 by Rob
For those who are unsure Gynaecology is a surgical speciality that deals with the female pelvic organs. It is a massive field covering, infertility, contraception, menstruation, pelvic cancers (e.g. cervical cancer), sterilization, sexually transmitted diseases, incontinence, sexual health, menopause, and key hole surgery just to name a few. Most gynaecologists are also obstetricians. Obstetricians are doctors that look after pregnant women and the foetus before it?s born.
Today was my day to look after all the women on the gynaecology ward. This is any woman who has had surgery, or who was going to have surgery or who was acutely unwell with a gynaecology problem (e.g. ectopic pregnancy, painful ovarian mass). There are 10 consultant gynaecologists at my hospital and they all have patients on the gynae ward. I had to look after all their patients. They would arrive on the ward at any time with their registrar and I would have to have a list of their patients and a pile of their patient?s notes. I would then follow them around while they see their patients. They would chat to the patient then give me a list of jobs to do (e.g. write her up for x drug, or get some bloods). I would make a list of jobs from each mini-ward round and then get on with the jobs until the next consultant arrived to do her ward round. Any patient that the consultant said could go home needed several forms filling out before they could go (called TTAs (to take away)). Then if a nurse was worried about a patient I had to go and see them. If a patient felt sick was in pain or felt generally ill I had to see them. If a GP felt that his patient was ill he would call me and I would have to accept his referral. The patient would come to the ward and I would have to do a full clerking in. This was the busiest day of my life. I was supposed to go home at 5pm and I didn?t get away until 8pm. I had great fun though.
No Comments »First ‘proper’ day
Posted on August 5th, 2008 by Rob
So I arrived at 8am and the House Officer whose job I am taking over gave me a bit of a tour. I?d met her before and she we?d chatted about the job at length. At about 9am she said ?right ? I start my new job in London tomorrow morning and I have to pack and drive there today ? do you mind if I go??. So there I was in Central Delivery Suite (CDS ? Labour Ward). I?m a doctor. I?m wearing scrubs; I have a stethoscope around my neck, a name badge saying ?doctor?, and a bleep. Good lord ? What has just happened?
A midwife comes to me and says ?can you prescribe some morphine for my lady in 3, doctor?? I don?t know! Can I? I hesitate for a second. I know nothing about this woman. I?ve never seen her, never spoken to her, and I haven?t asked about her allergies. The midwife gets a bit more hurried and so I cave in and just do as requested ? my first prescription for morphine no less. I?m still expecting the police to break the door down and arrest me.
Then my bleep goes off. I pick up the phone and called the number on the display. I say ?hello you bleeped the obs house officer?. The voice replies ?It?s the reg, where are you??. I explain that I?m on CDS. ?Well I can?t do the section on my own come to maternity theatre to assist me?. So I stand up and ask the midwife ? where?s maternity theatre? The door directly in front of me!!
I spent the next three hours holding retractors, pushing here, pulling there and getting back ache. The afternoon was filled with more Caesarean sections but with a different reg. Unlike this morning the reg was chatty and asked questions, showed me things and explained what he was doing. By the last case he said do you want to try closing the skin? And my answer: ?YES PLEASE?. So on my first day I learnt and did subcuticular skin sutures.
1 Comment »First Day
Posted on August 4th, 2008 by Rob
Ok so my first day wasn?t as exciting as I?d expected. I spent the whole day in a lecture theatre having a ?trust induction?. I had to have blood taken, show my passport, hand-in my GMC and insurance certificates. Then 15minute lectures on security, IT, labs, endless forms and what they?re for, heath and safety, manual handling, consent, complaints etc etc
Tomorrow I shadow the F1 whos job I’ll be taking.
No Comments »The Night Before
Posted on August 3rd, 2008 by Rob
During my 6 years at medical school I?ve learnt to stick needles in people, I?ve given CPR, I?ve intubated people (under supervision), delivered over 50 babies, got malaria in Tanzania, cried when a baby died, got accidentally locked in a psychiatric ward, met my (soon to be) fianc?, and, of course, passed finals.
It?s been six weeks since I passed finals and during that time I?ve had lots to do. Firstly my Foundation post is in Plymouth and so I had to find a house (with my girlfriend) and move in. Then I had to upgrade my bank account to a graduate account and have my cards changed to ?Dr?. Plus get my overdraft extended. Then my mum came to visit and we did joint activities with my girlfriend?s parents (if you knew my mum you?d understand). I?ve been setting up this website and I did a weeks shadowing.
The time is almost here. I?ve received my contract and offer of employment. Its 11pm the night before my first day and I have a mixture of feelings. Firstly I?m excited. My MPS name badge came today! I?m nervous because my first job is in Obstetrics and Gynaecology which I haven?t done in a while. I?m anxious because after rechecking my documents I have to take my passport with me to get my ID card. Where on earth have I put it? I?ll meet about 50 new colleagues tomorrow. Leaving London meant that I left most of my friends and now I have to make new ones. What if they think I?m a total twat? I might become Billy no mates, especially because I?m not living onsite.
That annoys me. Last year all F1 doctors got free accommodation within the hospital. This year F1 doctors have to pay ?485 plus bills plus council tax. For a tiny studio apartment with a pull down single bed. For that reason Georgia (my girlfriend) and I decided to rent. We found a great 3 bedroom house 5 minutes down the road for ?650 a month (between us). The accommodation office are apparently having problems filling the residences.
Anyway. The shit is gonna hit the fan in the coming months and I plan to tell you all about it. For now I must go because I need a bath (to remove the face pack that my girlfriend applied 20 minutes ago) and an early night so that I?m bright eyed and bushytailed for my first day.
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