Call DR! ABC stat!

It's pretty much how I always imagined the scenario would happen. I'd be standing there shirtless, bikini clad women would be standing around me and someone would be down on the ground in need of help. And that's exactly what happened on Friday night to me and a couple of my medical colleagues.

After a late night swim we were on the hunt for food at Brighton. Just as me and a colleague were crossing the road someone riding along the footpath at a rather sedate speed slammed down on to the ground. Ominously there wasn't any noise from the fallen rider. So we wandered over to the young girl who had come off her bike. Her riding partner had pulled up just in front and was standing idly waiting for her to wake up from her awkward face down position.

And that's when my heart started racing. Unable to rouse the girl, my colleague began calling an ambulance. I put my hand in front of her mouth, but couldn't feel her breathing. 'Crap!' (or similar) I thought to myself. I rolled her on to her back and slipped off her helmet. Checking again, I still couldn't feel her breathing on my face. So I did a jaw thrust and much to my relief she inhaled and started softly blowing moist warm air on to my cheek. My third colleague rocked up, and a surf-life saver who had sprinted off during the previous moments arrived with a bag of resus goodies and oxygen. So we put her on some oxygen and sized her up for an OPA (as I was still holding her airway open) but she fortunately went to a higher level of consciousness (or something) because she took control of her own breathing.

Although I know it was extremely unlikely that their heart would have stopped, I was just so happy not to have to move on to the next letters in the basic life support algorithm. I've never actually done compression on a real person, and I still live morbidly in fear of breaking my first ribs.

As she was now more stable we put her in the recovery position and a few minutes later the ambos rocked up. Much like the scenarios they put you in at uni, you hand over the case and things very quickly are no longer your responsibility. Except this time there were throngs of people standing around watching, attracted by the flashing lights.

Like all things in life, once you've done it a few times it will be less exciting. If this happened to me as a veteran doctor I wouldnt be fussed. But this was the first time I've ever been called on to help a fellow human in a real emergency situation. It was a super adrenaline rush and it was a fascinating insight in to my mind and panic response. It took me a few seconds to become composed enough to act at the start, but amazingly, I think the deep-end scenarios they throw you in at uni had paid off. I hardly wasted any time in getting to the airway checking and didn't umm and arr about whether an ambulance should be called. Finally! I'm decisive under pressure!

Just as they were rolling her in to the ambulance she started coming to, so I'm chalking that up as a win to the posse. I'm glad I didn't have to do that one on my own!

Rehab.

Hi!
Welcome to my blog. It's much the same as it usually is, but now with more drug trips!

I've been sick. For a month now. I was sick, resorted to a course of Augmentin, got better for a week (kinda) and now I'm sick again. And now I'm best friends with Doxycycline. I am so sick of being sick. It's ironic. But my lymph nodes and my head don't usually compete for space at the top of my neck.

In other news, I went through the system of applying for third year placements. It was exciting to plan for the future, but annoying that the computer didn't necessarily agree with my intentions. I volunteered for a pilot group, but got denied. My second preference in the sticks was also passed over. In the end I was assigned a spot right here in at FMC. I was a bit annoyed by that, getting my 4th preference, which I didn't really want. Whilst another person got the place I wanted on their fourth preference. Whatever the algorithm is, it doesn't love me! I'm not going to complain though, it works to satisfy the greatest number of people and that's how it all pans out.

Fortunately another person also got their 4th preference, in the Hills /Mallee /Fleurieu region. So we've arranged to swap and I'll hopefully be heading South for a year. Though not that far South I guess! I'll end up somewhere between Port Elliott and Mannum if all goes to plan.

I'll have more to say on the issue in the future I guess, but in the end a good educational opportunity should come forth.

So that's my update. Short and sweet. I'll resume more regular blogging now that I'm back from a short week off.

Bye now!

Getting to know you!

I was asked to write another space filling article for another thing. Struggling to come up with an idea, I consulted another classmate. We had a laugh and managed to punch out something that we thought was witty. Unfortunately, our most innuendo laden pun failed to hit the mark so was cut. Probably because we were entering that unfortunate stage of delirium one enters with too much time on one task when we wrote it. So I present to you some of the surviving bits. A big thankyou to my esteemed colleague (to borrow a phrase) who co-wrote and co-procrastinated it to pseudo-success.

Facts about the body: how well do you know yourself?

Being in med school, you're in a prime position.  But which human cell is most numerous in your composition?

A) Neuron

            B) RBC

            C) Skeletal muscle

            D) Neutrophil

The most common cell type in your body is actually bacterial. So what percentage of your cells is human material?

            A) 50%

            B) 30%

            C) 10%

            D) 5%

As a medical student you should understand the feeling of being broke. But which is the bone that gets broke the most?

A)   Clavicle

B)   Radius

C)   Mandible

D)   Scaphoid

At long last, we move along from the long bones to the longest muscle of the body. Which has it been all along?

            A) Trapezius

            B) Sartorius

            C) Latissimus dorsi

            D) Gastrocnemius

Weighed down by knowledge is how you will be, when reaching the end of your medical degree. To fill up your brain will have taken much time, but the weight of your brain and which book, most closely align?

A)   Boron & Boulpaep, Medical Physiology

B)   Moore & Dalley, Clinically Oriented Anatomy

C)   Talley & O’Connor, Clinical Examination

D)   Longmore et al. The Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine

And yes, for the record I actually weighed the text books to see which weighed closest to the average brain weight of 1.4Kg. 

If you want the answers you'll have to earn them.

A Bi-polar expedition

Someone sent this around recently. It's a fascinating documentary about a guy with Bi-polar disorder (manic-depression). It's just amazing. This guy loves his mania so much, but what happens is just nuts.

Here's the blurb:
The extraordinary true story of millionaire businessman Paul Downes who hires a Jamaican castle and invites 12 models to join him to become his wives. What at first appeared to be an innocent fantasy rapidly becomes bewildering as Paul suffered a massive bipolar episode. He quickly loses interest in the women and what at first looked like a distorted reality show transforms into a bizarre spin on James Bond as Paul plots to take over the world. A full-blown mania has rarely been filmed and A Bipolar Expedition comes face to face with the extremes of his condition as events in Jamaica reach a crescendo.

Watch it!

For those of you interested, here is a checklist of symptoms that categorise mania. Yes, he has most of them.

Common behaviour associated with mania includes:

 increased energy
 irritability
 overactivity 
 being reckless or taking unnecessary risks (e.g. driving fast or dangerously)
 increased spending
 increased sex drive
 racing thoughts
 rapid speech 
 decreased sleep
 grandiose ideas
 hallucinations and/or delusions

Let there be small amounts of light!

Apparently dilated pupils are attractive. If you want to be more attractive - try rubbing cocaine in your eyes!

I once read a life hack advice column, with stupid suggestions on how to be more efficient at life. Some of them of course were really good, the others were trash. One of the best suggestions was to keep one eye closed when you wake up at night, so that after you've flicked the light on then off again your night vision will be retained in the closed eye. Brilliant! No more walking in to furniture on the way back from the bathroom right?

I always thought this was because the pupil of the closed eye would remain dilated, allowing more light in when the darkness returns. It turns out that's not the case. As neurology has taught me, in a normal person shining a light in one eye causes the pupils of both eyes to constrict (The consensual response.) If that's not happening, you should get yourself to a doctor because you've probably got some sort of brain lesion.

With regard to the night vision it actually turns out it's the cells at the back of your eye that make the detector for light. In the absence of light they become more sensitive to smaller and smaller amounts of light. By covering your eye in the light, the sensitivity is retained*.


And now you know another useless fact.

*Yes this has something to do with carrots, as carrots contain carotine, which is converted to Rhodopsin, which is used to signal to the brain when light hits the back of the eye. In the dark you get more Rhodopsin building up, so the cells are more likely to signal in lower light. So eat your veggies!

I am learning a lot. Seriously.

For the first time ever in anatomy. I was actually challenged by something I saw this week. Naturally it didn't stop me from watching it, actually seeing it twice. But it's the first time I've ever gone home and still had it playing on mind that night. Usually I walk out of anatomy and don't think about it. I especially don't make any correlation between the cadaver and a cadaver having been a human.

That may sound strange, but I think that's the normal coping mechanism. Anyway, there was something that really sticks in your mind... I'm not going in to details. But it was interesting to watch the professional anatomists just take it all in their stride, while the young medical students either watched on in horror* or looked away.

Sigh, I hope I'm cut out for this.

In a way it reminds me of work in the lab. Sometimes you'd get the cream of the crop come to the lab. Although they had thrived within the boundaries of rigid assessment. As soon as they were let free to be bound by their own creativity - they sank, not swam.

I guess third year will decide that for me then! Speaking of third year related decisions. I have to choose what to do with my time. To stay at FMC, or head off to the sticks. Hmmm, so much to weigh up on that front. I need to seriously contemplate the merits of a year in the country.

*I should probably clarify that nothing dodgy was going on! It's just that anatomy classes have a lot of things happening that don't normally happen in the real world! You just don't normally look at peoples insides and occasionally it all becomes very 'whoa'. It's just different... Still respectful, and still educational.

P.S I promise I'll write a funny post soon. Amusing stuff does happen to me still! I'm just trying to write a medical themed blog.

Two things - A Biopic?

Had a few lectures on the eye today. I'll be honest - I find looking at inflamed eyes confronting. But the more I gazed upon them, the less gross they became. I like eyes normally, but weird eyes are weird.

Look out below?

Having said that, I'm sure I will handle them like a professional when the day comes. Eye injuries are quite common.

And now for something completely different: I'm fairly confident Berocca has close to zero medicinal value, especially in people with a decent diet. But I do enjoy monitoring my kidney function.

Complementary medicine

I had my SP assessment this morning. As I've recalled before, an SP is a standardised patient. A person who acts out a certain medical history in a reproducible manner so that all students can be assessed fairly and reproducibly. And I'm against that.

This is an actor playing a doctor. In many ways this is like me. Also the creepy patient in the background staring at you while you pose... also happens to me.

No, not the use of SP's. But the fact that it is fair. So I've ingeniously discovered a way to win the SP over and give myself the edge:

To prep you for the scenario, you are told to expect a patient of a certain stereotype, every student gets the same scenario more or less. Today I was told to expect an old looking man in his 50's. As there are numerous SPs, hardly any of them fit the stereotype. I've found the best way to begin an interview with a faux patient is to say that they look a lot younger than you were expecting. Seems to win them over from the start. They pretty much give up their history after that. Or maybe it's that they are trained to do that and I'm okay at talking to people. Whatever!

Regardless, it all went okay. Managed to speed through the history, GIT, cardio and resp exam in about 1 hour and ten minutes. I thought I was doing okay, with most people taking a bit longer. But one chap, who is a nurse by trade blitzed the whole thing in 45 minutes, without missing anything. Dang!

Room for improvement? I guess so!

Like sands through the hour glass

Exams are over! I survived. It was an interesting experience as usual though. I felt well prepared. So I wasn't as stressed as usual, perhaps because the family are away! (Hi Dad!) But the highly strung people around me were still quite content to wig-out. I'm sure everyone did fine. I wish I had more exciting stories to tell, but I'm just trying to regain the energy for the next semester... which starts tomorrow.

I've been so conditioned to expect a break after exams. It's a bit disappointing to only have one day off. Especially since I spent the whole Easter weekend tether to my text books (except for a brief escape to see James Morrison, who was pretty good.)

In the end I enjoyed GIT and Endocrinology. Fascinating things happen when hormones go wrong. And GIT stuff seems pretty straightforward too.

Such fun!

More exams, already?

I feel like I just had exams a few weeks ago, so it's very concerning that there are more exams in two weeks. Sigh. Once again, I feel as though I know nothing. But this is the story of medical school isn't it. Drinking from a firehose, whilst eating a mountain of pancakes. Or something.

Let us have some musings then:

I bought a pneumatic differential locker for the Jeep. Should be good as it will cut back on the wheel spin. I can't wait to go try out it out after exams. The best part is that it also comes with a compressor, so now I can let my tires down and then fill them back up again. Something I really needed to do on my last beach trip, when getting stuck in the sand was a serious issue.

I'm continuing to enjoy study. Learning about the endocrine and reproductive systems has been... interesting. It's always amazing how much you don't know about stuff. It's been good though, because all these hormones have important yet magical functions. So it has been nice to learn about their function. I've also learnt a lot more pathology, which scarily I still seem to be enjoying. I don't know where this medical degree is going to take me, but I feel as though surgery is definitely not it.

On the same line, I had a review with my PBL tutor this week. Basically you size yourself up over how you perform, and the tutor weighs in. Fortunately I have a tutor that cares this time, because the exercise can be quite pointless when the PBL tutor just sits with glassy eyes the whole time. Apparently I give the impression of a humorous person, who is also a deep thinker. A valuable contributor to the group dynamic, or something. In short, I have painted myself as a normal human being. Success!

As the tutor and I both came from Immuno research backgrounds, we had a bit of a chat about med and science stuff. But somehow I spun it around in to a "So what kind of a doctor do you see me as?" It turns out, I'm not seen as a GP and probably not a surgeon. I appear to enjoy thinking about things too much. Hmmm. This tutor has me figured out. It doesn't help that my PhD supervisor had told her to look out for me.

Another aspect of med school I am also enjoying is dissection. I have reached that level of detachment with our cadaver that only hours and hours of poking and prodding can achieve. My partner and I explore our way through the human body, with a poorly written handbook as our guide. Constantly wondering "what was that we just cut through? or "Is that normal anatomy, I swear the book didn't have one of those." Of course, when we're not hopelessly lost in the guts of an issue, we do enjoy a good deep and meaningful and a laugh about life and medicine. It's good times! However you still get those moments periodically, where you pause to be thankful for the opportunity to be doing this.

The only frustrating thing is that our guy has been under the knife a lot. The cadaver is missing a lot of different things, and there are a few mechanical things added as well. In terms of learning about surgery, it's fascinating. Unfortunately, for learning about things like normal anatomy, it can be very annoying. Structures that were meant to be at the back are floating free at the front. And the whole left side of the colon, appendix and more were missing. Which is a little sad, as it would have been good to see them in situ. Oh well, I'm sure I'll see my share of them in the future :) Apparently you have a 5% chance of needing your appendix out.

So, having talked about the deceased. I'll finish on a positive note. I now have a cute little nephew, James. Good job TnR! Such a cute little family :)

Trust me, I'm pretending to be a doctor.

There comes a time in every medical students life, where they have to suck it up and put a finger in another mans bottom. This was my week. Odd experience. You sit down, explain to them why you need to do it, and what is involved. And then... yeah. It wasn't a bad or traumatic experience, in fact I would describe it as extremely educational. But exceptionally out of the norm.

The strange thing is, the kindly male volunteer has done this many times before. But sits there pretending he has never heard or experienced what you are telling him. Meanwhile, you're sitting there pretending to be an expert in the technique, telling them what to expect, when in reality... You've never done this before and have no idea what to expect! It's a very odd scenario!

Anyway, it turns out the rectal exam is extremely useful, not just for checking peoples prostates. It seems to be a good way to yield a lot of clinically useful information, especially with regard to unexplained blood loss and cancer. Even though both parties are less than inclined to go there most of the time. To paraphrase Talley "the only reason you shouldn't be doing a DRE, is if the doctor has no fingers, or the patient has no rectum."

So there you go, as you get older, it's just another one of those things you have to look forward to. But much like christmas, probably better to be the giver rather than receiver... Maybe. It's just generally weird.

And thus my 4 week intensive of the GIT system concludes. Now on to endocrine and reproductive, where more educational experiences no doubt await. Ummm Wooo?

Reporting in

Had a really long week at medical school. I'm not sure why, but somehow it got big on me. Consequently I feel very very tired. But, I guess compared to others I have nothing to complain about!

Still, there are a few reasons people often list for not wanting to go to medical school. One of them is working with dead people in order to learn anatomy. It's a confronting thing to do in many ways.

I remember this time last year, just wigging out at the notion of having to see a dead person. I was really nervous about it. I'm not sure why, but I'd never seen a body devoid of the essence that made it human before. But I sucked it up, and it was all fine.

So far in medical school the pracs with cadavers in are generally prosected already, and all you have to do is take a peek, see where that organ lies, or where that vessel goes. It's really helpful in that sense, but still similar to looking in a text book.

Alas though, recent evidence has shown that the best way to teach students is to actually have them perform dissection themselves. And what was once an elective has become mandatory. Without going in to too many details, my partner and I found ourselves face to face with a cadavar today. It was a strange experience.

One thinks one would feel rude about it, exploring somebodies body without them consenting to you personally. But you know they made a choice to be there... And then sooner or later you find yourself trying to tease two bits of body apart and you forget they used to be people. So many strange feelings!

But it was fascinating, and I've learnt so much. As we were working, the topic came up of what a privilege it is to be able to do this. Not many people in the world get to see the wonder of the body in all its magnificent glory like this. Our guy also has benefited greatly from medciine. He has a pacemaker still in him, his chest still had old staples holding his sternum together, and evidence of a central venous line.

So I can't help but wonder if that was anything to do with his compulsion to donate his body to science. I know I don't have a strong compulsion to do it, at least not now!

Incredible really. Incredible.

And we're back for another year!

School went back this week, and it was with much joy and happiness that we found ourselves sitting in PBL first thing monday morning. Once again, I'm happy with my group, which means I've been very fortunate in my group allocations for the entirety of medical school. Though only 5 of the 7 group members have turned up yet. Still, there's hope!

I always enjoy the start of a new block. The first session is usually quick as nobody knows anything, and then the first week is painful, as you sort through numerous books deciding what's helpful and what should never have been written in the first place. It all works out in the end, and we all have a bit of fun getting there.

In a way I'm kind of excited about this year. It marks the end of solid book based learning, and transition to pseudo-doctoring. Or as I like to think of it, I'll be a half-doc come year end.

I'll be honest though, going back to educating myself these past few days has been hard. I've really enjoyed the holiday period. The jeep is filled with sand. At times you would have found golf clubs, tennis rackets, fishing gear and bathers stashed in the back. I have had a great break, and it was the first real holiday I've had in quite some time. It was great to feel relaxed for weeks on end. I'm already looking forward to the end of the year so I can do it all again!

Unfortunately though, there are a few obstacles to be overcome yet. GIT, Endocrine and reproductive, Brain and behavior and the intimidating musculo-skeletal blocks must be conquered. And that unfortunately will require some mental effort. Oh well, I always have my mantra to chant:

"It beats getting a real job!"

Cynicism has left me empty

I've tried quite hard to raise a blog post... but every time I come here I just leave disenchanted, text-box empty.

But since I have managed to put some text to screen, I may as well be self-indulgent and mention that I have passed my exams. Equal top! In as much as a non-graded pass leaves everyone with the same grade!

*Car does massive burn out in the distance* That reminds me of something delicious. I was doing some Christmas shopping with Rohan on Friday night. As we were crossing Rundle street, your sterotypical hoon decided it would be a great time to put the pedal to the metal and gun it, with a huge screech of rubber and engine noise. He sped past us pretty quickly, in his commodore (of course). I caught a glimpse of the large, bald tattooed man and his equally bogan companion as they sped past quite quickly. People, dining on the street (not literally) all stopped and glared angrily. And then, justice! Sitting in the side street between two cafes was a stealthily hidden patrol car with a radar. He was off, lights flashing and pulling the car over straight away. My heart rejoiced! I enjoy seeing idiocy punished. Especially when it drives a commodore.

We then went shopping and had a grand old time. There was a cool band playing in the mall, called 'Jimmy and the Mirrors.' They were the best entertainment I've ever seen in the mall. I especially liked the guy playing the little piano you blow in to. So I purchased the CD. I was saddened to find that the CD version has that chap playing an actual piano though. But the mall music was good, and set the tone for some some equally amusing jewelery shopping experiences. I do enjoy bargaining people down for fun, but I can only do it when it's not money being spent. Weird.

Oh well, here's that band. It's not my favourite song, but it has a video.



The best part is that it wasn't Christmas carols.

24x60x60x7 seconds later

Ahhh, this time next week. Not only will it be this time next week, but my exams will be over. Yay! I'm really looking forward to it. I've totally manged to achieve a whole new level of stress already. I have no idea why, I feel like I might be able to drag myself through most of these exams...

I fear I may over-confident though, there's a reason 90% of people failed the exams last year...

Gosh I'm nervous.

Bernard!

I was just sitting in the anatomy lab, doing some anatomy. When one of the anatomists came in carrying a really big model of an ear. All I could think of was that scene in Black Books, where Fran, in desperate need of gossip, tells Bernard "I am a giant ear."

And I burst out laughing...

Jump up, jump up

I had a really good day at med school last week. There aren't heaps of days at med school where you come home and go "I really learned something today." The knowledge just seems to accumulate most of the time, so it's hard to feel you're learning anything. The best part though, was that it wasn't necessarily about medicine, but about life.

We are on to our genetics block at the minute. This is after what can only be described as a very quick blast through cardiac, resp and renal. It is proving to be an interesting stage in my education. I did a semester of genetics as a young man. So a lot of it is familiar. But our case for the week was Trisomy 21, Down syndrome.

I think, for a lot of people, the thought of having a kid with a birth defect is akin to a nightmare. I personally, don't know how I would cope. It's a scary prospect. I guess every parent hopes their kid will be 'normal.' Every parent has certain preconceptions about what their child will be like. Every parents has ambitions, hope and dreams for their children. And to have those shattered in moments is gut wrenching.

Because of this, and the availability of tests, a lot of kids with Down syndrome are aborted before they get to term. The majority in fact. I have my ethical qualms about abortion, but I certainly had a wrestle with the issue about what I would do. But for many people, a Down syndrome child comes to term.

A lot of people in my year were scared by the prospect having to raise a DS kid. So the School of Medicine organised a BBQ with some families and kids from the Downs syndrome society. And you know what? It was amazing. Absolutely amazing.

It was great to meet the families and the kids over a BBQ. It was amazing to see how the families had gone about raising their children. About how they had coped, come to terms with what it means for them, and how they still had dreams for their child. Albeit new ones. The highlight was the panel discussion. Hearing the parents candidly discuss their views on abortion, and whether, if they had known they would have terminated their baby. It was really heavy stuff. But really encouraging. It was just so obvious how much the parents loved their kids.

The point that reinforced this for me, was hearing about how the blokes coped. One bloke held it together while his wife had a break down. The other guy went home and shifted 8 tonnes of gravel. But the guy, who wept while recalling his story to us was the most interesting. He was talking about he finally got a daughter, after having three sons. And he had all the dreams of walking his daughter down the aisle, and watching her grow up. And how when the doctor walked in and told them their brand new baby girl had Downs, it just gutted him, and it took six months for him to come to terms with it. Now though, she is his pride and joy. It was really moving.

I have so much more to say about the arvo. But I came home buzzed. I was left with the impression, that although it's tough. It's not the end of the world. And for lots of these parents, they still have a brand new baby. And that's pretty grand regardless of their chromosomal makeup!

I wish I could be a big man about it. But I'm still torn as to what I would do when I found out though. Perhaps every father to be should get a pile of gravel just in case.

What's medical school like?

Scarily, I'm heading rapidly toward the end of my first year in medical school. Suffice to say, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed.

One question I get asked a lot, once people find out I'm a medical student is "how are you finding it?" I find it an unusual question - as if there is an ideal answer that we're meant to conform to. So far I've managed to stick with "It's fascinating, really interesting. But a lot of work!" Which if we're honest, is a pretty fair assessment!*

But what's it really like? Well, I can only speak for my own experience: It's fun!
The whole med student experience has so far been good to me. The people are nice, and being a post-grad course, there is never a shortage of interesting life experiences of tangible relevance to the current PBL case.

A PBL case I hear you ask? Well, if you've not heard of PBL before, I'll give you the gist. Basically, each week we get a new 'patient.' We follow the trials and tribulations of that patient. But because we know nothing, we have to ask and answer the fundamental questions, before we can decide how to treat. The case then plays out in front of you over three sessions, and every session you go away with 'issues' and spend the first half of the next session answering the issues.

Running concurrently (at least in theory) are lectures and practicals that support the material you cover in PBL. There is also a clinical skills element that teaches you the relevant physical exam techniques for the culprit organ system. All in all, a crash course in medicine ensues.

Other subjects get thrown in as well, and these draw the most ire of medical students. The touchy feely subjects are painful, and probably reflects the lack of objective assessment (I guess that's why I did science and not arts!) There are also maths subjects, law and ethics. Things that are meant to make you a well rounded doctor, but on the whole feel like they are getting in the way of you learning the finer points of counter-current multiplication.

The reality is - it's a lot of work. Jamming all of this stuff in takes effort. There are also a lot of people who have families, relationships, recreational activities, jobs or other studies happening simultaneously. So it's tough. Especially if you want to throw being social and partying a lot on top of it!

It's a fun system - and it works well when it works well. A functional PBL group is highly beneficial. But get stuck with a crap group and it can feel as though you are on your own. Luck of the draw I guess! My present group is a barrel of laughs. We have a good time and still learn a heck of a lot. Having two intensive care nurses, five scientists and a pharmacist, we're a well balanced group! But the composition does vary wildly between groups, and much like life it does encourage some group work. A lot of the arts students and mature agers have been out of the maths game for a long time. So having to relearn the concept of 'e' has been a real shock for many! Thankfully, there will always be the occasional PhD or chemical engineer floating around, ready to explain things. The theory is - it all balances out.

As for me? It's probably still a bit early for me to be giving tips out on how to get through medical school. Do the work, is probably the best advice I can give. In PBL, there is the danger of being quashed by vocal members, so never be afraid to ask a question, or write something up on the board. Even though I'm working pretty consistently, I'm still missing stuff, with the intention of going back to it but never getting there. I just hope the end of year exams are kind to me!

So if ever an aspiring doctor reads this post. Chin up! This aspiring doctor fell asleep during one of our histology pracs! Top bloke!

* I speak only of the educational activities in this blog. If you're up for student politics, societies, dating your class mates and more! There are heaps of these things happening too!

Arf arf

Had a bit of a fun weekend. Went off on 'Man camp' with some of the blokes from church. It was really good fun. There was fire, meat, beer, fishing, football. A tree was chopped down with an axe. I came home smelling like smoke and my car was filled up with sand. All in all a pleasant weekend.

The best part was the driving. Finally got to take the jeep off road and in to the sand, which was just good clean fun.

Got home and squirted the car off with the hose. It left a pleasingly large pile of sand and mud on the driveway.

On the downside, I did hardly any study this weekend. I went to PBL this morning and positively stunk up the place with my lack on knowledge about the kidney. Apparently 'magic' isn't an answer for how it works.

My favourite organ this year has definitely been the heart. The lungs were boring, and the kidney, though logical in its function... is just a bit dull so far. Sigh!

It is however infinitely better than my current medicine and culture assignment. I'm meant to critically review an article about various aspects of intercultural communication in medicine. Which is fine in theory, but all the aspects they want me to review are not really open for criticism. If anything, they are looking for personal opinion again, and by personal opinion, I mean sheepish following. I can't believe I'm being forced to pay ridiculous amounts of money for this ridiculous, yet mandatory non-medical subject. It could be taught so much better!

And that's my rant about poor teaching. Oh actually, one last thing. They originally decided it would be a good idea to release the assignment on Saturday morning, for it to be e-submitted by Monday night. Thus wasting a whole long weekend. A stupid idea from "academics" that don't live in the real world if ever I have hard one. But that would have been okay had they told us in advance, and not sprung it on us without warning. The school must have copped a lot of flack because they extended the deadline to Wednesday. Grmph.

Oh the humanities!

Huh.

Very very interesting weekend. But I have done no work at all. No wonder I feel so happy!

This year has been a really interesting year for me. The whole time I was doing science I don't think I was ever really the person I wanted to be. I was more akin to shut in than a human being.

I've changed a bit this year, I'm a little more open. A little more mellow, but mostly I think I'm a bit more me! Sure, I haven't changed dramatically, maybe I've just become more accepting of myself. I just feel more at ease with life.

One thing I have learned this year, is that confidence is key. Even when you're not confident! This is especially true when you ghost the wards. As one of the doc's said to us:
"Dress like a doctor, put on your badge and throw a stethoscope around your neck, and just go talk to patients. There's nothing to be scared of."
Or more concisely, as my GP told me as we chatted about medicine "90% is looking the part."
If you can't be confident, look confident, and the rest will come trickling back!

I'm starting to get a wrangle on this medicine dealy. But I'm trying not to be consumed by it. Wouldn't want to get obsessed (again!) I really hope this balance can be maintained!

Mostly though, I'm just thankful for the opportunity.