housemanship insanity
Lately I've been boggled by work in surgical department and other things. My head of department (HOD) is an eccentric man who has a short temper and gets angry over the smallest things, ending his fiasco with threats for extension for house officers simply because he cannot fire the medical officers or surgeons in the department.
What agony.
As it is, I have probably finally earned my extension merely by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Yesterday, he was furious because the clinic was running slowly, and everyone got scolded and blamed. The end result was me and another friend getting "DEFINITELY EXTENDED" from him.
I was also assisting in his operation theater today, with the usual sombre mood hanging in the air, until he leaves the theater that is. Got bombarded a bit, but I was grateful because my medical officer saved me most of the time by hinting subtly when I should or should not step in to retract or assist.
Aside from that, we house officers in this department have been working up till 8p.m or more everyday, including weekends for the last almost 2 weeks. We are also doing on calls by the way.
My first on call this month on Monday ended up with me not having ANY sleep at all for about 36 hours cause I had never ending work to do the whole night, and even had to help insert a chest tube at 5a.m. I also only managed to complete my rounds during on call alone at 1a.m plus, despite having 6 patients, and HOD on call with me. Thank God he didn't come that night or I should might as well just hand him a letter asking for an extension in my posting.
There are like 50 patients in the male ward. We are expected to know every patient's details i.e whether they are eating well, what their latest potassium level is, etc, which we are trying hard to do now.
I sometimes think this punishment is a good thing for us, but it's very tiring. Some of my colleagues have families, babies at home, and we spend more than 12 hours a day at work. Our patients actually think we stay in the hospital itself, cause they see us all the time in the ward.
I'm saying this because lately there has been another outcry in newspapers concerning the welfare of house officers. It has been stated on and off since forever, but after a while, it will die down like a bonfire simmering away to embers before someone feeds it more fuel again.
House officers have always suffered, it's a known fact in this country. Our patients see us suffering, and they pity us, but no one does anything about it. Our medical officers sympathize with us but they tell us that they suffered worst or the same thing as us, and so indirectly they have the mindset that we have to go through it since they went through it in the past.
Specialists and consultants and HOD's are a different category. So far, I have been blessed with nice specialists in general, but this HOD is a pain. I'm predicting that he will get a heart attack soon as he is a heavy smoker at the age of 43, cause I find that most eccentric, grumpy HOD's or people in general will only change once they have a heart attack. Wishing them to be dead is being too kind, which is what almost everyone in my surgical department is praying for at the moment :D
Housemanship is tough, but the attitude of the specialists, HOD's, medical officers towards house officers really plays an important role in the learning process. I learned a lot to NOT be like a lot of people. Take the good, forget the bad. I tend to remind my colleagues now that just because some people are mean to us, let it just serve as a reminder to ourselves not to be the same people we currently dislike. What goes around, comes around.
To all those who are going to be house officers or studying in medical school, I wish you all the best and I pray that you will have the determination to succeed. To those who are already house officers, do keep your goals in your mind always so that in times of discrimination, scoldings, unreasonable and unjust treatment (which will happen OFTEN) during your housemanship training, it will not break you.
Be strong :)
" Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deutoronomy 31: 6
What agony.
As it is, I have probably finally earned my extension merely by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Yesterday, he was furious because the clinic was running slowly, and everyone got scolded and blamed. The end result was me and another friend getting "DEFINITELY EXTENDED" from him.
I was also assisting in his operation theater today, with the usual sombre mood hanging in the air, until he leaves the theater that is. Got bombarded a bit, but I was grateful because my medical officer saved me most of the time by hinting subtly when I should or should not step in to retract or assist.
Aside from that, we house officers in this department have been working up till 8p.m or more everyday, including weekends for the last almost 2 weeks. We are also doing on calls by the way.
My first on call this month on Monday ended up with me not having ANY sleep at all for about 36 hours cause I had never ending work to do the whole night, and even had to help insert a chest tube at 5a.m. I also only managed to complete my rounds during on call alone at 1a.m plus, despite having 6 patients, and HOD on call with me. Thank God he didn't come that night or I should might as well just hand him a letter asking for an extension in my posting.
There are like 50 patients in the male ward. We are expected to know every patient's details i.e whether they are eating well, what their latest potassium level is, etc, which we are trying hard to do now.
I sometimes think this punishment is a good thing for us, but it's very tiring. Some of my colleagues have families, babies at home, and we spend more than 12 hours a day at work. Our patients actually think we stay in the hospital itself, cause they see us all the time in the ward.
I'm saying this because lately there has been another outcry in newspapers concerning the welfare of house officers. It has been stated on and off since forever, but after a while, it will die down like a bonfire simmering away to embers before someone feeds it more fuel again.
House officers have always suffered, it's a known fact in this country. Our patients see us suffering, and they pity us, but no one does anything about it. Our medical officers sympathize with us but they tell us that they suffered worst or the same thing as us, and so indirectly they have the mindset that we have to go through it since they went through it in the past.
Specialists and consultants and HOD's are a different category. So far, I have been blessed with nice specialists in general, but this HOD is a pain. I'm predicting that he will get a heart attack soon as he is a heavy smoker at the age of 43, cause I find that most eccentric, grumpy HOD's or people in general will only change once they have a heart attack. Wishing them to be dead is being too kind, which is what almost everyone in my surgical department is praying for at the moment :D
Housemanship is tough, but the attitude of the specialists, HOD's, medical officers towards house officers really plays an important role in the learning process. I learned a lot to NOT be like a lot of people. Take the good, forget the bad. I tend to remind my colleagues now that just because some people are mean to us, let it just serve as a reminder to ourselves not to be the same people we currently dislike. What goes around, comes around.
To all those who are going to be house officers or studying in medical school, I wish you all the best and I pray that you will have the determination to succeed. To those who are already house officers, do keep your goals in your mind always so that in times of discrimination, scoldings, unreasonable and unjust treatment (which will happen OFTEN) during your housemanship training, it will not break you.
Be strong :)
" Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deutoronomy 31: 6
posted by yeoslian at 9:29 PM
2 Comments:
Jiayou! I really admire your determination and optimism <3
Hello siew lian. Thank you for a wonderful post! I've just had quite a bad day today in the ward as i was the only house officer to mend the ward. Was really busy the whole day and i didn't have time to sit till i finishid at around almost 8pm. It's funny how u post this up at such a timely manner. Thank you for the encouragement! Whenever i think i'm suffering, i think of you guys back in Malaysia who are working even harder.
You too stay strong. God bless ;D
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