Vampy's Weblog - Life of a Medical Officer

Finally, it happened. I was given the opportunity to cut open a person... (Okay, the cut was only about an inch and it wasn't deep.) Basically, I was asked to cut across an abscess just under the umbilicus (belly-button) so that we can expose more pus and assess the depth of the abscess and the clean it out. But hey, it was nonetheless, my first cut. I know everyone will think that I'm , but as a medical student you kinda get excited over the smallest thing you are allowed to do. I was also hoping that I could suture the wound up after we clean the wound out but as luck goes, the doctor said that she would rather leave the wound open so that it can drain and heal by itself.

These 2 weeks in ED has been great. I finally feel that I'm not just a wallflower on display and being trusted to do some stuff. I'm still waiting for my chance to assist in a resuscitation case. Hopefully, one of the days when my supervisor is on and she is heading the resus, I'll be ask to assist. *fingers cross*

I also submitted my intern application yesterday but I still have to gather some documents and get them sign by Justice of Peace before sending them off. Well, hopefully I will get my first choice. But I guess second choice would not be that bad either. The results of the intern allocation will be known at the end of July which will be when I'm starting my last rotation. I was talking to this overseas elective student who was doing ED as well and she's at the end of the life of a medical students in less than 5 days! I was saying how great that feeling would be and she agreed but she added that it's kinda scary as well. Well I'm glad that I'm not the only one who feels ecstatic but at the same time a tinge of apprehension.

Well, tomorrow will be the day that internship application would be open. It's time to make the decision. What are the hospitals I would like to do my internship in? Seriously, how do I make a sound decision when I have only had exposure to a few of them? Half the time I have no idea where the hospital is much less the working environment. I do hope I get my top  2 choices but I'm not holding my breath.

At the same time, I'm thinking whether if I should go back to Singapore for intern. I'm not sure if I am able to survive. I have heard numerous stories from my seniors who went back to work and I get mixed stories. Some say it's not as bad as I think while others tell me otherwise. Going back definitely makes things easier, I don't have to worry about rent, moving, food. But pay is not that great and hours are longer. Staying in Sydney for intern means better pay and shorter hours but I have concerns over rising rental, food and transport costs. Decisions, decisions...

Well, I'm back in Sydney now and have finally settled in. Seems like the weather is reflecting what I'm feeling... gloomy. It's been raining on and off throughout the day since I'm back. It is colder than what I think was my experience over the past 2 autumns. But it's a good respite from the hot and humid weather in Singapore just before I flew back to Sydney. To add to the gloom, the faculty just sent a bulletin to everyone reminding them that they have 10 weeks before honours thesis is due. Where did all the time go?!

I'm starting my 2nd elective tomorrow at the Emergency department. Hopefully it would be as good if not better than what I went through the last time. I wonder what kind of cases would come through the door tomorrow? From past experiences, most of them would be chest pain and shortness of breath. I do hope I get to do some suturing this time. Well, wish me luck!

I was browsing in a music store yesterday not really looking for anything in particular. But I found something I missed a lot for many years. I found a group of boys from South London who got together to form a group called "Libera". The moment I heard their first song on their latest album "New Dawn", I knew I had to get their album. Why? Because it brought back a lot of memories for me - not just because I was once in a school choir but also the exhilarating feeling of singing those high notes.

I remember the first time I sang "Gloria" and I was just ecstatic because those resonating notes that buzz through my head. It was an incredible sensation. I remember some of us would experiment with a song to create a different feelings and sensations. I also remember the sense of awe whenever we step on to a stage and the curtains raised. It is frightening at first as you realise how many people are down there watching you. But the moment the first note is sung, everything just melts away and all that you feel is the sense of exhilaration from hearing the notes.

To the boys in "Libera", this is a fantastic time of your life. Enjoy the moment and bask in your music. It's a time that is quickly lost and perhaps never to be found again.

I just realise that after writing this blog for the past 3 years as a medical student, I have not had an entry about embarassing moments of a medical student. So here are some embarrasing moments in the lives of medical students.

A doctor, me and another classmate in a prostate/testicle cancer clinic.
Doctor: (Addressing student) "Can you please feel this patient's scrotum?"
Classmate: "Oh, I have never been to do that before clinically."
Doctor turns to classmate: "Clinically?"
Classmate dies of embrassement...

Doctor, me and several other classmates having a tutorial where we are ask to see a patient with heart condition.
Doctor: "Please do a cardiovascular examination on this patient."
Student proceeds to look at the patient general appearance and then looking at the hands. She then takes up the patient's hand to take his pulse.
She proceeded to take the pulse but seemed to have difficulty finding the pulse. After several minutes, another classmate could not stand it any longer and whispered to her: "You are looking for the pulse on the wrong side."

Doctor with a group of classmates giving a tutorial about the gastrointestinal system.
Doctor: "Can anyone tell me what defintive test would you do on a patient if you suspect the patient has colon cancer?"
Classmate: (answers loudly and confidently)"Gastroscopy."
Doctor: "Um, Would you like to try that again?"
Note: The correct answer is colonoscopy (which is putting a small camera up your ass), while gastroscopy is putting camera down your throat.

Myself and 2 other male classmates were in the tutorial room waiting for our tutor to arrive.
Classmate A: (lying on the hospital bed in room) "I have a stiff neck. It's so uncomfortable."
Classmate B: "I know of a massage that can help."
Classmate A: "Okay."
Classmate B proceeds to massage the neck of Classmate A. Classmate A relaxes and kind of moans in pleasure.
Classmate A: "Hmm, this feels so good."
At this moment, our tutor who's a female walks in and hears the moans and the conversation. She stops in her tracks.
Tutor: "Um... Am I interrupting something here?"

Well, more embarrasing moments in the future.

I just saw this article in Yahoo Home. The top job with flexible hours is a medical transcriptionist. According to the article, to become one you just need to complete the course in a few months and you can work from home! How much you do you get? $28000 per year, not bad for home work. In the third position, is nursing. The pay is about $52000 or more and what's more you don't have to worry about not having a job for the next decade or so as worldwide there's shortage of nurses.

My holidays in Singapore is coming to an end... It's been great coming back home for a few months. Having done about 3 months of attachments in various healthcare settings in Singapore, what have I concluded? I don't think I have the ability to work in Singapore as a doctor. Why? I hear the horror stories from the local doctors (no, not those who graduated 5 years ago but from those who graduated a couple of years ago) as well as seeing the frazzled-looking interns and Mos running around the wards. Don't get me wrong, I am full of admiration of them. It's just that I don't think personally I can withstand the amount of stress and on-calls.

In addition, I certainly feel that communication is a problem both in terms of the number of dialects that are spoken but also the different languages spoken here. In addition, many Singaporeans do not know the medications they are on and inadvertently, they will give a reply like so: "I don't know the name, but it a little blue pill. It's round/square/diamond. I do not know why I'm taking the medication. The doctor ask me to take so I take log." To a certain extent, I do not blame them. I mean many drug names difficult to pronounce even for English-speaking persons. The situation is compounded if the person is a non-English speaker. But I also feel a certain level of apathy from them as well.

I have to admit that coming back to Singapore to work has intangible benefits. Friends whom I have grown up with, gone through life's ups and downs. My parents are the single most important factor. However, they have no problems with going over to Sydney either. Other tangible factors are I basically don't have to pay exorbitant rent, food and cheap and reliable transport. But after all that is said, I think it is most probable that I will work in Sydney during my intern year.

Hmmm... I've been gorging myself on the best durian pastries in Singapore. Durian puffs, durian oreo cake and durian and brownie choclate cup made by the fine pastry chefs in Goodwood Park Hotel. They also make the most fabulous Durian mooncake and Green Tea Mooncake during the Mooncake Festival. I always make it a point when I'm back in Singapore to eat my fill of durian patries from the said hotel.

Scrumptious Durian Puffs - light and fluffy puffs and creamy durian paste

Durian Oreo Cake (left)- This is the ultimate durian cake... Literally the cake is made from durian with only 2 thin layers of biscuit crumbs.
Durian and Brownie Chocolate Cup (right)- Combining 2 of my favourites - Yum!

Now having satisfied my tastebuds, I have to think about more serious stuff like what network of hospitals should I choose and in which order of preference for my internship application. I'll have to decide that soon. The application starts sometime end of April. How in the world does one make a decision when practically all of us have only had exposure to at most 2-3 networks.

How do I know whether the hospitals in other networks are supportive of their interns or for that matter doctors? What is the working culture like in those hospitals? Is the surrounding suburbs/ areas safe to live in? I do not wish to travel too far to get to work...Realistically, the last thing I want to do after one night of on-call, is to drive 1 hour on the freeway sleep-deprived. How about amenities around the area? While I'm not someone who goes shopping everyday, I do need to feel that civilization is around me at least once a week. I mean in the best case scenario I get allocated the same hospital that I have been training as a med student. It's in a pretty safe neighbourhood, accomodation should not be an issue, just one train stop away is a major shopping mall. It's not that far from the city. But what are my chances of being allocated there for intern? Therefore I need to think about alternatives as well. Well, wish my luck!