Clear!

I'm not a joiner, a keener, or one of those peeps who aims to make medical school in to an episode of scrubs. On occasion though, I do like to challenge myself a little, and get involved with some of the activities that go on around med school.

Yesterday for shirts and giggles, my study group (well, more or less) responded to the desperate plea of one of our fellow second years to field a team for an emergency medicine challenge. The theme of which was "explosion." I'll be honest, I only got involved because one of my colleagues is a practicing paramedic. Who else would you want to leave a team of novices who have about as little emergency medical training as one can get?

Having said that, we were all qualified in basic life support... we also had an ex-military nurse, two life-guards, a pharmacist who could draw up drugs and a couple newbs. Keen, but still newbs (especially me.) Other than that, we had had no preparation for the coming disaster.

A few different explosion themed medical scenarios were set up, and we got to compete with a couple teams from Radelaide and another Flinders team, who were equally unprepared. To save the suspense - we either came first or third (due to some confusion over which flinders team was team 1 or team 2.) The important thing being that we didn't come last and beat out a team of clinical students.

The scenarios were a mix of cannulating an arm and suturing an open wound. Single patient with blunt chest trauma and a tension pneumothorax. Single patient thrown by an explosion in to a car, with a broken pelvis and internal haemorrhage. And then a multiple casualty scenario, where you had triage three different casualties, get them on backboards and carry them off to an aid station.

It was all good fun, though my contribution was nothing particularly life saving, just jumping up and down a bit on a dummy chest etc. It was a valuable lesson in how to handle the excitement and pressure of trauma.

So apart from that, I passed my exams and did as well as I'd hoped in anatomy. I'm struggling to get motivated for brain and behaviour though. It's... uninspiring maybe? I'll put my head down soon. Once I pass GIT/Cardio/Resp exam on Monday...

The pace of things this year is a lot more intense than last year. I will say that.

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!"

Best day of my life candidate

Well, I just finished my recovery room placement. And it was perhaps the most fun and interesting time I've had in a while. I'm not really sure how to relive the experience through this blog. I realise, as I expressed in my last post, that in but a few years the whole morning will be viewed as mundane. And yet, the first time you get to see things, feel things, hear things and smell things... mind blowing.

That said, I rocked up anticipating to watch people wake up from surgery, be groggy and complain about post operative pain. And this is pretty much what I saw. A lot of pain rating, consciousness evaluation and doling out meds. Alas I didn't get to do much but ask a few questions and talk to a couple patients as a distraction. One of the nurses noticed by seeming idleness and asked me if I wanted to go jump in to theatre instead. And I certainly said yes.

I'd never been to theater before, nor seen any blood and guts glory. So I was off the chart excited. The aneasthetist was quite jovial and keen to let me do some hands on stuff.
"How much do you know about airway management?" He asked me.
"Enough to do basic life support, but that's about it."
"That'll be heaps! Now I've just stopped him from breathing so you might want to put this mask on him."
And so I did, but the guy seemed to resist it.
"Oooh we've got a fighter here! Love that!" And the Doc grabbed the mask back and fiddled with knobs. A nurse then came and got me and taught me how to scrub in. I'll be honest - I was bamboozled by the sterile gloves. They're all neatly folded and confusing, and I wasn't sure which part I should touch with my clean hands. All I've been taught from television is - don't contaminate yourself by touching something you shouldn't.
The operation was fascinating, got to watch an ACL be reconstructed. The orthopods were good teachers, and explained everything as they went. I asked questions, and most importantly didn't pass out or throw up. If anything I felt hungry.

I then got to cut stitches and staple the wound closed. I then followed the patient through to recovery and all was well. But then a doc from theatre came out and grabbed me again, offering me the opportunity to drop a tube down the next guys airway. It was sooo cool. I've seen it done on ER lots of times, but to actually jam the tongue down with the metal dealy, see the cords and then pass a tube through them - so cool! Best of all, it went in first shot, in the right spot. The surgeon then let me remove the screws from the guys metal plate and staple the wound closed. "I was working on the jeep yesterday, so this feels familiar." I said to the surgeon whilst removing the screws. He laughed. Man, it was blood on your hands type fun. So fun!

I'd wondered what surgery was going to be like, and I really enjoyed it. I always thought I'd end up doing a pseudo science/medical job. I thought surgery would be a bit too much time at work. But who knows!

I'm happy today!

Exams

Someone once told me "i'd like to hear more about the mundane stuff on your blog."
The fool! But actually, here's something. I have an exam on monday, and tuesday. Also wednesday. But I'm very calm for some reason. Fingers crossed.

Stuff for you to google maybe:

Best words of the semester: Dyspnea, Dyspareunia (try not to get them confused, you'll be laughed at by doctors.)

Points of order: Peritoneum, perineum (Avoid confusing these. You'll be laughed at by patients, until you ask them to bend over while you examine their abdomen pain.)

Words and things I consistently forget: Anisocytosis, graded potential, Arachnoid Villi, NPY, AGRP neurons, and the one asprin breaks down to. I forget...

A day in the life of a diabetic vet

I'll be honest - today was a good day. I haven't done anywhere near as much work as I need to though, so many learning issues about to be phoned in!

Anyway, today I got to feel pseudo doctorly. First by actually having a decent interview with a patient. Secondly, we did this diabetic workshop thing, which was really informative. I think being a diabetic sucks, but its better than it used to be anyway. The highlight of the whole experience was testing our own blood glucose levels. I was 4.8, which means I've staved off diabetes for another day. Hooray! The whole experience culminated with jamming an insulin syringe filled with saline in to your own stomach. Deliberately sticking yourself with a needle is an interesting experience, but it all went okay in the end, with only a small amount of blood lost.

It was amusing, some people were unable to inject themselves, whilst others would spend time building up the courage. One guy just jammed it right in... I bet he'll turn in to surgeon.

And tonight I spent the night suturing a pig back together. That was perhaps the most fun... but boy I need some practice in order to get those brain pathways down right... For the record, my horizontal and vertical mattress sutures are beautiful. Can't wait to try them on human flesh!