pediatrics

 

I just finished my last presentation in my pediatric placement.  Three more days and I'll say goodbye to the sweet babes  and to traveling between 2 hospitals.

 

Working with children is really rewarding. It tests your ability to adapt, tolerate, hold your tears & sometimes to fight the urge to slap the shit out of few(didn't had such moments, yet). Their innocence made the strict working environments, the crazy reading materials, the unbelievable number of procedure  & reflective writing bearable. I truly enjoyed this placement. I worked really hard ( I usually work hard in the first 2 weeks, then let's say I just work.)..

A good reason to keep disinfecting our stethoscopes

Here is a glimpse of what  a normal day looked like:
_ wake up at 5:30 am, pray, shower, read and get ready.                        
 6:30  _ am take the bus
7   _ am ( or 7:30am  in the 2nd hospital) reach the hospital and have breakfast there (but not in the 2nd one)
_    7:30 to 8:30 am morning meetings where special cases and  new admission discussed.
  _ 8:30 to 9:30 we clerk patients to present them in the rounds (or not  , if they were in hurry)
_ 9:30_11:15 ward rounds, where we join the consultant and his team, get quizzed here & there (in the best of days) or just get ignored.   (Then 15 minute break where we rush to cafeteria, library or go check patients )
_ 11:30am_ 12:30 bed side teaching. Where  a group of 4_6 students(under the guide of consultant) torture a poor kid by practicing physical examination in turn ( not that bad). Then we discuss his/her condition in details, including management options.
12:30 _13:30 pm lunch break.
13:30_15:00 pm presentations  or seminars.
 _ 15:30 pm the bus take us home.  Or we  can stay on call  and return home at 22:30.

That was  my 3rd rotation (after Family medicine & psychiatry) in clinical years.  It hugely differ. But a good advice is to read about the condition you see, presentation you have i the bed side in the same day. Yes, you will have no social life, but for 2 months only. ( I start studying around 4 pm and hit the bed at 22:00 or 22:30). Also, take each chance (even in the rounds or bedside to make a procedure & get it signed immediately). YouTube is of great help esp. if you want a break from reading. Pretest also is a good way to motivate you to concentrate and to test how much you know and it is educational!

I obviously  wrote that weeks ago. I am clearing my overloaded desktop, so I post it for you guys ( yeah, you are welcomed  hehehe)J