Vampy's Weblog - Life of a Medical Officer

If you have not noticed on the title of the blog, I have survived internship and have gotten my general registration in NSW. However, I have decided to come back to Singapore to continue my career (never thought I would ever have a career) due to several reasons. One, my mum is not well and will require surgery soon. Two, after taking into consideration of various factors, I believe I would be happier here in Singapore. This is not to say I did not enjoy my life in Sydney. During my 5 years there, I have many fond memories of my mates in Aussie.  Also, I have been lucky and have had superb supervisors who are an inspiration to me and I hope that someday I will be as good a doctor as they are.

In this past year, internship has changed me - some for the better and some for the worse.  I'm no longer the naive medical student who believes everything he's told by patients, colleagues or superiors. However, I believe tat I have survive internship with my principles intact. My passion for medicine or my patients have not diminished.

For now, I'm enjoying a bit of R&R while waiting for all the paperwork to be approved by Sungapor Medical Council and hopefully I will be able to start work in early March. I'm excited about work as I am told I can most probably do at least 6mths of paediatrics and possibly a full year. At the same time, I'm petrified as paediatrics is a whole new field of medicine (children are NOT little adults) and in a way it will be like internship all over again as I try to find my wings. I'm also hoping to do my paediatrics exams in middle of this year and if I can pass it, hopefully I will stand a better chance in getting a trainingship position at the end of the year in paediatrics. Wish me luck!

I have not been posting for a while because it's been busy - honours submission, assignments due, exams preparation, clinics and lectures. It's been quite a roller-coaster ride for me. First, I have decided to withdraw from Honours. I don't want to get into the details but suffice to say, this was a decision that was difficult to make and I'm just glad that it is done... Now I can concentrate on what is important to me - MBBS.

I had my turn at the Birth Unit. It was a very interesting experience but a long week. Waiting for the birth of a baby is a long process... I have been to 2 deliveries so far and they took more than 12 hours to deliver. I know this is normal but until you are sitting there listening the the fetal heart beat, measuring mum's BP, temp, heart rate every 30 minutes, you won't realise how long those hours are. I'm not blind to the fact that mum is obviously in significant discomfort (Thank god for epidurals) but having to sit there and do the observations every 30 minutes is just tedious... Having said that, I'm glad to experience it cos' you do form some sort of a attachment to mum and family because in those 12 hours or more, you would have ample time to talk to them. So in a way, you become drawn into the family circle even if it's for that 12 hours or so. You learn bout the sister who is klutz in the family or grandpa who refused to ask for directions, husband who snores and so on...

I manage to witness a normal vaginal delivery and boy! am I glad I'm not a woman... Husbands out there listen up... You bloody hell make sure you support your wife throughout the pregnancy and delivery because I'm sure if you were in their position, you would be screaming your head off... Just imagine a grapefruit passing through your anus and that's putting it mildly. So don't complain when your wife ask you to drive and pick up jelly donuts in the middle of the night. The other delivery I saw was meant to be a normal vaginal delivery. However at the last minute, baby's heart rate was dropping and remained low. We had to call for a code so that we can deliver the baby by emergency C-section. Baby came out screming and crying but mum was in a bit of a trouble because her blood pressure became low and was not breathing properly and thus was transferred to the ICU. But I'm happy to say that both mum and bubee are doing well.

I'm so glad that O&G is over - I passed the exams! Don't get me wrong I did enjoy myself in the Birth Unit and most of the lecturers were fantastic but I can't imagine myself doing it for a career.

I just got the results for my intern allocation next year - I was not allocated to the hospital that I have been training in for the past 4 years... I'm going to Newcastle... Initially I freaked out cos' I know nothing about Newcastle. I was wondering when I have to move over there, where should I look for apartments, how am I getting there from Sydney and so on. However, after speaking to the hosp admin and a couple of seniors who are working there, I'm much calmer... I know some may say for goodness sake that's still a few months away but you have to understand that I'm a CONTROL FREAK! I need to know stuff. I don't like to be OUT OF CONTROL. Anyway, today is my final day of my 1 week break... I went around Sydney taking photos during my break...It was good fun. I'll post it on my gallery soon. Tomorrow marks my first day in my last examinable term - Psychiatry.

Here are a few Youtube clips that I love:

First is by a group of students (former students) who does video productions as part of their hobbies and boy! were they a success! They even have their own production company. Go visit their website at: http://www.wongfuproductions.com Below one of the clips they produced. It's hilarious!

The second clip is from McDull...It's set in a restaurant

The third clip is an advertisement for a car... Well it's hilarious in a sick way...

I hope you find them as entertaining as I did.

Hi, all! I'm moving once again. This time, it will be to a student accomodation near the hospital. I refuse to travel. I need my beauty sleep... For the past 2 days, the orientation seems to reaffirm my idea that this year is going to be Year of Hell Part 2 or worse. :bang: I'll need to be even more focus and I predict that i'll be chronically sleep deprived.

I got all the choices of departments I want so I can't complain. On one hand, I'm really excited to begin this new chapter of my course but am equally as frightened and apprehensive if not more. I wonder what this year will bring :clueless: In any case, once I settle in my new place and have access to computer, I'll post again... Till then, :bye:

Hi, all! Yes, my term has just started yesterday. A part of me is still in denial that term has started... It's kinda strange to start the school year on a friday... Well, the honeymoon year of first year is over and second year has just started... It's one hell of a year... I have so much to catch up on before the next exam and I have a major exam to pass at the end of the year... I have organised a study plan already.. I just hope it will work out... Yesterday, 4 of us gathered to play mahjong (a chinese version of bridge) till 5am in the morning... Yes I know shocking... But the way we figured is that that would probably be the last time when we can actually not worry about our studies at least till our major exam is over at end of the year. It was good fun and I emjoyed myself... Well, books and no life here I come....