Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Another whine

You know what I'm looking forward to next year?  Not having to wander the halls of the hospital like a lost sheep, desperately trying to find a patient to do stupid history/examination practise on.

I really dislike it.  Once I find someone who is cooperative I am as happy as Larry.  But I hate having to charge into someone's room and ask them to let me do them no good whatsoever by repeating stuff that has already been done to them a thousand times by more experienced people who were doing it for a good reason rather than to fulfill a course requirement.

The people I feel sorriest for are the patients that the other medical staff steer me towards.  They steer me towards the people who are newly admitted, younger than most of the older folks on the wards, and have "interesting" health problems.  "Interesting" meaning "serious".  So these are young, otherwise healthy people, who've suddenly had to be admitted for some unexpected and life-threatening problem.  They're still getting used to the idea themselves - the last thing they need is someone like me rubbing their noses in it.  I think it sucks.

Next year will be different.  Next year I'll be actually contributing something to their care, so I'll be more of a symbiote than a parasite.  I can hardly wait.

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