Reflections as a third year medic

Hey guys, so um, been a long time. But, uh, this is actually one of my surgery rotations assignments however, as i read, i thought, it would be great if I could pen it down in my blog as well... Just leave a comment (or ask mr google) if there are any terms that u cant understand ok!

          One of the many things that I learned was that, a really good grasp of basic knowledge is quintessential for me to be competent. I am still lacking in this which I found very depressing especially when active participation during case discussion with our tutor came in. In order to improve, I really need to consistently do revision, assessment and do verbal discussion with my friends. However, I sometimes find it a bit overwhelming.

            Along my rotation, I realised the importance of practice. My tutors and seniors kept repeating this advice time and time again and I find myself agreeing to this wholeheartedly. Practice among friends, (to recognise the normal) then, always try to do it on patients in the wards so that I will never feel awkward or face difficulty conducting physical exam with patients during viva session and even in the future. I do realise I get confused sometimes, and unsure of what I was doing but with BST, clerking with my groupmates, looking from videos, it has helped me with doing my physical exam smoothly.

The next important thing that I learnt is that communication skill is pivotal. Between colleagues, patients, tutors/consultants, doctors, nurses, and to everyone working in the hospital. To patients, I learn that approaching them in a very polite way will make them be more open to us. Initially, I faced a problem when it comes to approaching the patients with personal (and possibly intrusive) question due to cultural sensitivity and religious reason. But along the rotation, I began to know the tricks as to how the question should be addressed practically. 

Also, it is no use denying that societal hierarchy is heavily important in our society. While some may not practise this anymore but some still do have a particular emphasis on their title. As much as I dislike this culture, I need to be open to other people’s way of seeing things. Hence, it is important that we let ourself be knowledgeable about this so as to avoid conflicts. Conflicts are inevitable. However, we were able resolve the conflict without causing any discomforts or uneasiness to everyone around us with the help and guidance from our tutor. I realised how important it is to not throw our anger to the people around us as it will only get nasty. But, if we do know we made a mistake, there’s nothing wrong with apologising so as to create a good environment surrounding us.  

I also learned that I have to always be receptive to criticism. I am still learning and therefore, I should not feel ashamed of doing mistakes and for trying. That is how I improve myself, and not staying stagnant.

My last thoughts on this surgery rotation is that, as a healthcare worker, it is important to be empathetic to patients. Most of the patients who seek governmental care are the underprivileged sort and they came from all walks of life. Hence, there are a lot of stories shared during my clerking that puts my perspectives towards life into place. Some hit me hard. I do realise that my strength is that I was able to relate to their difficulty as I have went through the same kind so it was a plus for me to be engaging in the conversation. It is important to recognise the vulnerability of the patients and therefore, treat them accordingly. However, there are limits-do not get emotionally involved that it clouds one’s judgement. This is still very hard for me to decide on not to cross. Never a day that I came back from hospital not feeling sad – not just because of my obviously inadequate knowledge but also knowing the kind of life patients had to endure.