Currently in my second week of my Psych and Neuro placement, although because of introductory lectures and me being ill with the flu and conjunctivitis I've done one day of Psych and absolutely no Neuro. Really hoping that Psych picks up next week - I've been looking forward to it but haven't really enjoyed it yet. Too many...memories, if that's the right word. Still, the doctors are amazing, and I've seen the benefit of a good conversation with someone who actually cares. I've also seen first hand the damaging effect that ATOS can have on vulnerable patients, so there's that.
Just come off a Surgery placement where, ironically, I did very little surgery. Had some great opportunities (like helping to open up) but I never want to do another DRE for as long as I live. We did one week of ENT. One week. We've never done ENT before, not even in lectures. It was barely touched on in anatomy. We are now expected to know all the ENT we would need should we have an F1 job in the speciality. Scary.
What's even scarier is that this time next year I'll be applying for F1 posts. 21 months before I (hopefully) graduate. Scary doesn't even begin to cover it. I look at my friend in the year above who I've know since we were 11 and in Year 7 together and she seems to know everything; she's so competent as a doctor. I've got 12 months to get to that point and, frankly, I don't see it happening. But life's a learning curve, isn't it? It'll be fine.
Elective planning is going well - as long as nothing falls through I should be joining a Medical Humanities research group at Stanford University. I really need some funding though - America is bloody expensive bro! My friend was moaning that she had to pay almost £500 for her elective accommodation. I'll be paying double that at least. But there are lots of funding opportunites out there; just need to apply!
Anyway, I'm off. This was a very boring post. Hope you're all well.
Toodles
Lexie x
(All image rights to Google Images. I thank you).
That feeling of not wanting to jinx fourth year being good - I am so there with you. Happiness feels very precarious, right?
ReplyDeleteLook, try not to worry about having to know X amount in 12 months time, because on top of everything else you'll just get a massive tension headache, and who wants one of those? You probably know more than you think you do, and a lot can happen in 12 months. Anyway, even if you don't know as much as your friend by that time, does that mean you can't be a successful doctor? NO WAY. Just trust yourself, you will be able to do it, because you want to and because you are amazingly good at getting on with things, from what we all read here :).
And Stanford University?! How effing cool is that. Well done!!!!
xo
I don't know if you've ever seen Castle but I feel like one of those American high school students carrying round a fake egg baby - just one tiny slip and all the happiness is going to crack all over the floor :p
ReplyDeleteThanks Rosie. I was in quite a bad mood when I wrote that. Ironically when I read "tension headache" I automatically thought "which isn't as bad as a cluster headache", but that's the medic in me :p It means a lot that you have faith in me; I think I just need to find that faith in myself.
I know, right?? Thanks for the congrats. I'm so psyched to go :D
Hope you're well. Are you in your third year now or have you graduated...I forget... x