Samstag, 15. März 2014

Im Krankenhaus II

OK, now I have started as a doctor in the hospital again.
I am a registrar, or RMO, for rural hospital medicine. I don't know how much this tells you. A registrar is a doctor after graduation and heading for a certain speciality status – usually after the first two years of work as an SHO, I believe. The SHO, “senior house officer”, comes lowest in the hierarchy, then the RMO, and then the consultant (the specialist).
I am supposed to do a mix of work in the emergengy department, on the ward, in theatre, and performing ETT (exercise tolerance tests).
I am wanting to acquire a few more skills around managing emergencies and to be able maybe to work in a rural hospital environment again as a locum, e.g. overseas. This is why I have done this step back from my GP work.
I have largely recovered from my ankle injury now, working half days for the first two weeks and then full time. Until now, in my first week, I have only worked on the rehabilitation ward, with patients recovering from fractures and strokes under physiotherapy and occupational therapy.

It feels like a plunge into cold water without being able to swim properly. Everyone is nice but busy with their own stuff and rarely someone explains me anything in a systematic way. I have to figure out most things on my own, expected to continue the work of my predecessor who left just before I came. What I have to do I mostly learn by reading in the patient charts, observing the consultant when she does her ward round twice weekly and asking the SHO on ward (who is also quite new).
The other day I dropped something during the ward round, a chart or so, and she said with a smile: “you are fired”. I laughed and responded “I thought so” because that is just what went through my head....

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