While I was at Salisbury hospital doing work experience, Dr Khan (an ENT doctor I shadowed) suggested that maybe I should write a research paper and that he'd be willing to write one with me. So after exams I got back in contact with him and now we have started a paper. It is still very much a work in progress and is having to fit around my more pressing engagements like personal statement writing but will gradually come together and I hope that it will be published by the new year at some point. I know that through a doctor's career it is important to write a series of case reports and research papers in order to have successful career progression. I thought that it would be a good idea to get a head start, which works perfectly as I find the whole process of medical research and writing papers really interesting. I'll keep you up to date as the paper starts to come together more but I am very excited to be working on a piece that could actually be properly published and will also have the official 'tick in the box' from a doctor in whose position I hope I will end up some day!
Charlie x
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
UKCAT!
Finally! UKCAT done and dusted on the 18th August at 10am...Phew - stress of the summer over! I ended up with 665 which isn't as good as some of my mock exams, but still above average so not too terrible. At the end of the day I scored 850 in the decision analysis section so I'm pleased with that one and the others weren't too shockingly awful so I hope it'll do! It seemed to take over the start of my summer holiday, so my advice to anyone else for next year - do it right at the start of the summer holiday or beforehand. That way you've had a break after summer exams but your holidays aren't either taken over by revision and preparation or tarred by the guilt that you think you should be revising rather than enjoying the sun (or lack of sun!) like everyone else. Anyway, one more milestone down... gradually creeping closer and closer!
Charlie x
Charlie x
Work experience at Poole Hospital
Can't believe I haven't written about this before, but I've been so busy!!
From 9th to 13th July I was lucky enough to spend the week at Poole hospital in many different departments. I wrote a letter to a friend of my father who is a consultant gynaecologist at Poole and he invited me to come and shadow him, as well very kindly finding me others to shadow around the hospital too.
On the first morning I was straight into gynae surgery. There were a series of prolapse repairs as well as some TOT and TVT procedures to stop/help incontinence. It was so interesting to see the different procedures conducted, and to make things even better, there was also a 4th year medical student attached to Mr Hillard while I was there, which meant that I always had someone who could explain exactly what was going on and answer (most!) of my questions without interrupting Mr Hillard during surgery. I found it very interesting learning about how the actual procedures were carried out, so afterwards I did some internet research and found a document https://intermountainhealthcare.org/ext/Dcmnt?ncid=520693039 which is meant to be for patients who are undergoing either of the procedures, but also gave me a simple explanation of what was going on and the background to the cases which I saw in theatre.
In the afternoon Mr Hillard had organised for me to shadow Dr Crowther in the endoscopy department. I saw a few endoscopy's, and the thing that most caught my attention was the calming and reassuring role which the nurses played in the procedure. I saw how important this was to the patients, and it reminded me yet again of how it isn't just the science side of medicine that's so important, the people skills are just as valuable and essential. Dr Crowther explained to me how an endoscope must be positioned with care, and how one of the most crucial parts is to not let it create loops within the bowel of the patient. Again, there was a medical student present too who was willing to explain to me what I could see on the screen, he said it was also useful revision for him to have to think more to answer my questions while observing the procedures!
On the Tuesday morning Mr Hillard took me on ward rounds on the antenatal ward. He spoke to each of the ladies who were waiting to give birth and advised them as well as carrying out the necessary check-ups. Next we visited the patients from surgery the day before to check that they were recovering well and had not had any bad turns, Mr Hillard consulted with the nurses who had been observing and looking after the patients and this again reminded me of how important inter-professional communication is within the medical setting. Then I sat in on a menopause clinic for women with premature menopause. Mr Hillard explained their strange hormone levels and asked the patients to offer any other information which could help me learn about their conditions in more detail.
A colposcopy clinic was being held after lunch and one of Mr Hillard's colleagues kindly agreed to have me sit in. The ladies were examined for harmful matter which fell into one of three categories (mild, moderate and severe) all of which could potentially turn cancerous if not treated. These ladies had been invited to clinic because they had had unusual swabs when they visited the GP. I remember the procedure pretty accurately as I watched it so many times! 1) insert a duck billed specular 2) clean cervix with a saline swab 3) wipe cervix with dilute acetic acid 4) if it is clear, there is no problem, however if it turns white... 5) use pincers to take a biopsy of the cervix (feels like a small pinch) 6) cauterize the cervix using an instrument that looks a little like a pen 7) clean and finish. The doctor was very reassuring and listened to the ladies' reflections and made comments, I thought about how important listening to what the patient has to say is because they can give so much information rather than just a sheet of test results!
On Wednesday morning we were back in surgery again for a laparoscopy list. There were many cases; some ovarian cysts, some endometriosis, a fallopian tube joined to the stomach cavity by tissue. Again the medical student attached to Mr Hillard was present so I could ask him questions and learn from the teaching that the surgeons were giving him. I found the precision with which they carried out the procedures amazing, and also it was the first time I'd seen the insides of a real human, I was surprised by how vibrant the colours were: the yellow of the fatty deposits and the greeny blue of the veins. Some of the instruments they used were so strange! A corkscrew shaped tool was used for the TOT/TVT's to put the suspension tape under the urethra which was used by each hip bone and was inserted like a corkscrew into a bottle as far as I was aware! Endometriosis is where the lining of the womb grows on other areas of the body than the uterus and causes the woman pain. There is not too much detail that is known about it, but it looks like cigarette burns and the treatment is to cuarterize the area.
The afternoon was another antenatal clinic so I shadowed Mr Webster another consultant gynaecologist. It was ladies having last minute check-ups before delivery. Some ladies were breach, others were diabetic and others were allergic to aspirin or had other complications. They talked these through with Mr Webster and together formulated a birthing plan to cater for troublesome eventualities. I learnt about how it is important to include the patients in the decisions of their health treatment plans and make sure they are fully aware and satisfied with the conclusions and pathways chosen for them as advised by the doctor.
The cardiology department allowed me to see many of their procedures on Thursday morning. I watched a few stress echoes either with a treadmill or a drug that causes a heightened heart rate and blood pressure. Many find the drug very disconcerting and uncomfortable, but it is their only option if they are unable to get their BP and HR to the required level just by using the treadmill. Then the echo is taken and recordings are made of the heart at work and rest to check that it is contracting properly. The dark bits on the screen are the muscle under strain so it is good if the dark areas follow a constant pattern all the way around the contours of the heart. Then I shadowed in a few normal ECG's. the patients lay on their sides and had 3 electrodes attached to their chest with sticky pads. An ultrasound is taken (with care to avoid the lungs and ribs as these blur the image on the screen) and you can see the chambers, the septum, the valves and even the muscle fibres that hold the valves in place! The doctor conducting the ECG's told me about the collection of really good videos of ECG's he was making for his portfolio. This reminded me how training never ends for a doctor, and how self improvement and evaluation are such valuable skills to have and develop as I (hope to) have to use them for the rest of my career!
For Friday morning I shadowed Dr Battcock in geriatrics. He already had another work experience student who had been shadowing him all week (this made me think how lucky I was to have experienced such a variety of things, not just seen one department for the whole week!). We had ward rounds so visited the patients who were due to go home the next day, and assured them of their worries and advised them about how to cope at home to start with. The patients were all so grateful to Dr Battcock for his care, which showed how he must have spent time building a relationship with each of them as they had all been there for a significant period of time. Their gratitude showed how a compassionate nature even in a professional capacity really makes a difference in any form of caring environment to patient's experiences of being in hospital.
I want to again express a huge thank you to everyone who had me shadow them, explained things to me, helped me when I got lost in such a big hospital (!) and took the time to answer my questions. I really learnt so much while being at Poole, and the experience has once again concreted my choice that Medicine really is the right path for me!
Charlie x
From 9th to 13th July I was lucky enough to spend the week at Poole hospital in many different departments. I wrote a letter to a friend of my father who is a consultant gynaecologist at Poole and he invited me to come and shadow him, as well very kindly finding me others to shadow around the hospital too.
On the first morning I was straight into gynae surgery. There were a series of prolapse repairs as well as some TOT and TVT procedures to stop/help incontinence. It was so interesting to see the different procedures conducted, and to make things even better, there was also a 4th year medical student attached to Mr Hillard while I was there, which meant that I always had someone who could explain exactly what was going on and answer (most!) of my questions without interrupting Mr Hillard during surgery. I found it very interesting learning about how the actual procedures were carried out, so afterwards I did some internet research and found a document https://intermountainhealthcare.org/ext/Dcmnt?ncid=520693039 which is meant to be for patients who are undergoing either of the procedures, but also gave me a simple explanation of what was going on and the background to the cases which I saw in theatre.
In the afternoon Mr Hillard had organised for me to shadow Dr Crowther in the endoscopy department. I saw a few endoscopy's, and the thing that most caught my attention was the calming and reassuring role which the nurses played in the procedure. I saw how important this was to the patients, and it reminded me yet again of how it isn't just the science side of medicine that's so important, the people skills are just as valuable and essential. Dr Crowther explained to me how an endoscope must be positioned with care, and how one of the most crucial parts is to not let it create loops within the bowel of the patient. Again, there was a medical student present too who was willing to explain to me what I could see on the screen, he said it was also useful revision for him to have to think more to answer my questions while observing the procedures!
On the Tuesday morning Mr Hillard took me on ward rounds on the antenatal ward. He spoke to each of the ladies who were waiting to give birth and advised them as well as carrying out the necessary check-ups. Next we visited the patients from surgery the day before to check that they were recovering well and had not had any bad turns, Mr Hillard consulted with the nurses who had been observing and looking after the patients and this again reminded me of how important inter-professional communication is within the medical setting. Then I sat in on a menopause clinic for women with premature menopause. Mr Hillard explained their strange hormone levels and asked the patients to offer any other information which could help me learn about their conditions in more detail.
A colposcopy clinic was being held after lunch and one of Mr Hillard's colleagues kindly agreed to have me sit in. The ladies were examined for harmful matter which fell into one of three categories (mild, moderate and severe) all of which could potentially turn cancerous if not treated. These ladies had been invited to clinic because they had had unusual swabs when they visited the GP. I remember the procedure pretty accurately as I watched it so many times! 1) insert a duck billed specular 2) clean cervix with a saline swab 3) wipe cervix with dilute acetic acid 4) if it is clear, there is no problem, however if it turns white... 5) use pincers to take a biopsy of the cervix (feels like a small pinch) 6) cauterize the cervix using an instrument that looks a little like a pen 7) clean and finish. The doctor was very reassuring and listened to the ladies' reflections and made comments, I thought about how important listening to what the patient has to say is because they can give so much information rather than just a sheet of test results!
On Wednesday morning we were back in surgery again for a laparoscopy list. There were many cases; some ovarian cysts, some endometriosis, a fallopian tube joined to the stomach cavity by tissue. Again the medical student attached to Mr Hillard was present so I could ask him questions and learn from the teaching that the surgeons were giving him. I found the precision with which they carried out the procedures amazing, and also it was the first time I'd seen the insides of a real human, I was surprised by how vibrant the colours were: the yellow of the fatty deposits and the greeny blue of the veins. Some of the instruments they used were so strange! A corkscrew shaped tool was used for the TOT/TVT's to put the suspension tape under the urethra which was used by each hip bone and was inserted like a corkscrew into a bottle as far as I was aware! Endometriosis is where the lining of the womb grows on other areas of the body than the uterus and causes the woman pain. There is not too much detail that is known about it, but it looks like cigarette burns and the treatment is to cuarterize the area.
The afternoon was another antenatal clinic so I shadowed Mr Webster another consultant gynaecologist. It was ladies having last minute check-ups before delivery. Some ladies were breach, others were diabetic and others were allergic to aspirin or had other complications. They talked these through with Mr Webster and together formulated a birthing plan to cater for troublesome eventualities. I learnt about how it is important to include the patients in the decisions of their health treatment plans and make sure they are fully aware and satisfied with the conclusions and pathways chosen for them as advised by the doctor.
The cardiology department allowed me to see many of their procedures on Thursday morning. I watched a few stress echoes either with a treadmill or a drug that causes a heightened heart rate and blood pressure. Many find the drug very disconcerting and uncomfortable, but it is their only option if they are unable to get their BP and HR to the required level just by using the treadmill. Then the echo is taken and recordings are made of the heart at work and rest to check that it is contracting properly. The dark bits on the screen are the muscle under strain so it is good if the dark areas follow a constant pattern all the way around the contours of the heart. Then I shadowed in a few normal ECG's. the patients lay on their sides and had 3 electrodes attached to their chest with sticky pads. An ultrasound is taken (with care to avoid the lungs and ribs as these blur the image on the screen) and you can see the chambers, the septum, the valves and even the muscle fibres that hold the valves in place! The doctor conducting the ECG's told me about the collection of really good videos of ECG's he was making for his portfolio. This reminded me how training never ends for a doctor, and how self improvement and evaluation are such valuable skills to have and develop as I (hope to) have to use them for the rest of my career!
For Friday morning I shadowed Dr Battcock in geriatrics. He already had another work experience student who had been shadowing him all week (this made me think how lucky I was to have experienced such a variety of things, not just seen one department for the whole week!). We had ward rounds so visited the patients who were due to go home the next day, and assured them of their worries and advised them about how to cope at home to start with. The patients were all so grateful to Dr Battcock for his care, which showed how he must have spent time building a relationship with each of them as they had all been there for a significant period of time. Their gratitude showed how a compassionate nature even in a professional capacity really makes a difference in any form of caring environment to patient's experiences of being in hospital.
I want to again express a huge thank you to everyone who had me shadow them, explained things to me, helped me when I got lost in such a big hospital (!) and took the time to answer my questions. I really learnt so much while being at Poole, and the experience has once again concreted my choice that Medicine really is the right path for me!
Charlie x
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