a blog about my journey to an MD

First week back

Well I’m definitely rusty, not sure how good I was at seeing patient before but I’m definitely a lot slower now!!

I had a shift on Saturday and in the morning I failed to recognize a pt that was 7 months pregnant but by the end I was counseling a patient on his diabetes.

First day back to clerkship in a post pandemic world

Things are definitely not what they were but we are leading with resilience

Given unecertainty of my education currently this is now a blog about my puppy

Hello!

I know it’s been quiet from me for the last month so thank you for remembering I still exist!

We were just told yesterday that our clinical duties have been suspended for 2 weeks. That’s all we’ve been told so far. I’ll study for my current rotation (psych) in anticipation of the exam at the end of April taking place as planned.

There’s lots of uncertainty right now so I’m not really sure what else I can do until we hear more. Hopefully the 3rd year clerks are able to go back to the hospitals in April and our electives will proceed as planned in September🤞🤞

Other than that, for the time being I’ll do my part to ‘flatten the curve,’ participate in social distancing like everyone else and try not to panic!

Night shift in the ER

Staff kept me an hour late so I finished at 4:00am

Feeling decidedly mediocre these days

No matter how hard I try or how many days ornights I sacrifice studying

I’ve never in my life been tagged in something so that was fun! Thanks!!

Birthday: Oct

Zodiac: Libra

Height: 163 cm (5'4")

Last song listened to: Happy by Oh Wonder, but also just their entire new album (no one else can wear your crown)

Hobbies: running - I run most days and used to run varsity during undergrad I haven’t posted about it much on here but I’m thinking I will sign up for my second marathon in may

Favourite colour: green

Last movie 👀: I honestly don’t remember the last movie I watched in its entirety, the last movie I fell asleep watching was bladerunner 2049

Favourite 📚: Paper towns, John Green - It might not be the best literary work, but at the time in my life when I read it, it had a profound impact and taught me a lot about life, and the world

Dream job: as a kid the answer was actor, as a semi-adult the answer is youtuber (kidding, sort of) but the realistic answer is Obstetrics and Gynecology, but also considering Cardiac Surg right now

Back in scrubs for my first week in emerg!!

We had some ‘on borarding’ the first 3 days where we practiced resuscitations and management of common airway emergencies

Simulations are really fun, and you really learn what kind of person you are in those situations. I felt like I stayed pretty clear headed and made some good contributions

Thursday and Friday I had my first two shifts, it was h e c t i c

Didn’t get too many outfits pics this week because it was an exam week and most days I was running out the door.

Today we wrote 3 exams from 9-2:30

I studied really hard this block in anticipation of the marathon day of exams. I’m really proud of myself, I feel like medicine is starting to make sense and I’m understanding it in a way I didn’t before.

All three exams today were far better than my first 2.

Also now that 5 have been written I only have 5 left between now and August!

Outfits of week

Really enjoying dressing up after 10 weeks of scrubs!

Also here’s a close up of my eyes in honour of optho week. I took this photo after the opthomologist told me my eyes were hazel 👀

I’d like to hear what you guys think, I’ve always thought hazel but some people like to give me a hard time and say they’re brown

A new week, a new rotation!

Happy to be out scrubs for once!

This week I’m on opthomology. Highlights include watching a cataract surgery, drainage of a stye and removal of a foreign body from the cornea.

You can definitely tell it’s the best paid specialty in Canada. Opthomologists are by far the happiest and most relaxed doctors of any that I’ve met.

Took it easy today and prioritized self care

Went for a run, sat down for a nice breakfast spent the day studying at my desk and then had a nice dinner while the sun set

Happy Monday

Here’s what my day looked like

6am alarm

7 roll up to hospital, to study for a little before starting my shift

7:40 meet my first patient and preform a preop assessment

8 In the OR for first surgery (a laparoscopic hysterectomy). Attempt to put in an IV and intubate with an endotracheal tube. We did 3 hysterectomies today and we finished really early!

2 finish the final surgery

2:30 go for a run

4 head to campus to study

5-7 read about obstetric anesthesia and resuscitation

7:30 head home

8 dinner and pack my bag for tomorrow

9 relax and review que cards I made on fluid status evaluation

Yesterday was a very cool day!

I really like anesthesia so far, but the best part by far was when the surgeon didn’t have an assist so I got to scrub in and be his assist!

We took out the most massive hydrocele ever!

And we’re back!

Just finished my first 2 days of anesthesia.

I have to say, the break was nice but it feels so good to be back on the grind again. I feel like I’ve learned a lot the last 2 days.

Clerkship is such a weird time, you’re only ever doing the same thing for a couple of weeks. So you’re constantly being thrown into new situations, completely different topics.

Sometimes I get overwhelmed by how much I have to learn, it amazes me how quickly you can become (at least a little) proficient at something when they throw you in the deep end.