I'm about 10 days too late, but whatever.
Happy New Year!
whee.
SO glad 2013 is over.
Let's leave it at that.
So. Just realized I haven't updated this in like, forever.
Haven't updated since I started working.
How's everyone doing?
(hint : this is my not so subtle way of asking - does anyone still read this blog or have you all given up on me and my lack of commitment to blogging?)
^^
Work is.. quite frankly, insane.
I've started work at a university hospital (name not provided in case I ever accidentally bitch about something ...I don't want my ass hauled to court -.- Gotta watch what you say on the internet, yo)
Started with Internal Medicine, because I am a masochist.
I felt completely useless when I first started - could hardly take blood, or set lines, or do anything, basically.
God bless my first MO. Man had the patience of a saint and a personality that could put sunshine to shame.
I am not even kidding.
So lucky to have had him there while I was still finding my footing.
I've definitely improved a lot since then, thank goodness.
I've worked with three MOs and three Registrars (and two specialists!) so far, and they've all been equally amazing. So thankful they're patient and willing to teach.
I definitely wouldn't have improved as much if I'd had people scold/be mean whenever I messed up.
On-calls are a whole different horror story.
When I first started, we only had two housemen on-call per night - to cover 7 wards, and the CCU/CRW and HDW (Coronary Care Unit, Cardiac Rehab Ward and High Dependency Ward)...and yes, that is as crazy as it sounds.
We also don't have the shift-system that most other hospitals have, simply because we don't have enough housemen, so we still do on-calls.
[Sunday-Thursday calls are 36 hours, and Friday and Saturday calls are 24 hours.]
Whee.Also, while "post-call" is a good enough excuse for saying stupid things or being unable to answer when your boss asks you theoretical questions, it apparently doesn't warrant you going home early.
And we don't get post-call off days either.
E.g. if I'm on-call Sunday through Monday, then I work again on Tuesday as normal.
We've collectively agreed that thanks to how insane the system, it would be better to have three housemen on-call per night. So that's exactly what we're doing.
Only drawback is now we have two on-calls per week instead of just one.
Oh well.
The funny thing is, I actually seem to be happy.
I've had people ask me how I seem so happy all the time.
I've had people tell me I'm one of the friendliest people they've ever met.
I know my patients do like me.
This is a faaaaar cry from when I was in school/college/med school, where I seemed "arrogant and unapproachable"
So I suppose I must be happy where I am right now.
What was that saying?
I may not have gone where I meant to go, but I seem to have ended up exactly where I'm meant to be?
Yeah.
As you can probably tell, I'm half asleep and very distracted.
I will write a proper post the next time I blog, I promise.
Source of distraction :
Not looking forward to working tomorrow.
(yes I work on Sundays)
Going to a new ward - subspecialty, Haematology (all the blood stuff) - "daily difficult blood taking", as one of my friends so eloquently pointed out.
Meh.
I WILL SURVIVE.
Okay, goodnight.
~vid~
I'm still reading! You're still on my blogroll, so... :-)
ReplyDeleteThey do on-call duty here, too, and I heard it's really painful. Also you don't get paid more for those shifts, even though they're harder than regular shifts. Mean.
Good to know you're happy. Stay that way! :-)