First post of the year! First of all, Happy 2021 to everyone who is still reading my blog (probably just me talking to a piece of dry wall right now). I have successfully finished Medical which is my 3rd posting, which also means its the halfway point of my housemanship. Feels actually quite fast for a year to have just crept by.
Let's summarize my entire medical posting with 1 word, COVID. Can't stress how important Covid played a role in my entire medical posting. I started off my medical posting having to adjust because I came from O&G posting where patients are not sick, just a natural phase of life. Everyone has a very easy history that you just have to be aware of any past complications and how many weeks into their pregnancy are they. Everything was just so straightforward. The first few days were just me having no idea what to focus on, seeping through all the information like what do I need to present. After a while, things got better when I started to work with Dr Ong in another ward. Then, everything went smoother than before. Did help that I had some lovely senior functioning people to work with. Some of them were just first posters but work ethics were already +++. Made working so much easier. However, 1 month into medical, suddenly we had to have housemen to be in isolation wards to help at the counters. It started out with 2 clean wards, and 1 isolation wards, then cause of raising covid cases and more and more patients having SARI TRO COVID, we had 3 isolation ward and only 1 clean ward in the end. So basically for a month plus we just got sent into those wards to become full-time clerks. Do discharges, request scans, refer cases, do admissions, all for patients that we have never seen before, so you can assume how awkward it is to request scans during that point when a simple question of, does the patient have a green branula for contrast gets answered with a blunt "I don't know". LUL. Here is the funny part. Before the patient gets admitted into the iso wards, they are mostly from yellow zone in ED, which is the designated contaminated zone for SARI patients. Yet, housemen are expected to clerk, take bloods for the patients in YZ, but as soon as the patient is moved up to the ward, no... no contact. So don't you feel like the SOP makes no sense sometimes? Even for the public where last time a car could only fit 2 people and they couldn't sit like side by side. Like to be fair most of the people sharing cars would have been from the same family anyway. Then, no one wants to set proper guidelines and the samans don't make sense. Don't even get me started on the double standardness omg. Of course, that's not the main point of this post just side ranting on Malaysia's report card for the handling of covid 19. Started out wonderful, then threw it all away during the Sabah elections. Sure we can hear politicians claiming it's not due to that election, but facts don't lie. It just doesn't.
OK back to the regularly scheduled program of my life as a medical houseman. During my last month, I spent most of my time in the ED anyway. Won't say I'm the most efficient person in the ED after working with hyperefficient ppl like Vong, Iffah, Mariah. These girls are really next level when it comes to working efficiency. They cover so much. SO MUCH. Had a really fun time working with them. Honestly this time in medical I met so many amazing fellow HOs I kinda felt blessed. There were people like Preston, Jethro, Madihah, Sofia, Tharshinii, Farzainin, Chai, just to name a few. (Don't get offended if your name wasn't in, you know I appreciate u xD, that is if anyone ever reads this anyway). Definitely was also happy that there were so many ex PMC peeps here as well. Finally had the pleasure to work with Maryam (been so long since PMC days so it was definitely good to see her again, plus she got engaged halfway through the rotation, so happy for her too!). The rest of the PMC gang would be Zakwan, Sarah, Siti Sarah. Was a good time working with them. Also happy to meet some really lovely MOs along the way. Start off with the MO who was in charge of HOs. There were 2, Dr Diyanah and Dr. Farah Liana. I hardly worked with Dr Farah, so we weren't that close. Had a few oncalls with Dr Diyanah and she was really something else. She listens to your plans, she trusts you and she makes sure you get to rest and eat as well. Plus, she is confident and can manage to hold off the never-ending (sometimes trashy) referrals from ED. Also managed to share some clinic time with her during the final weeks. She was an absolute delight to work with, loved it. Some other MOs that were memorable to work with would definitely be Dr Ong, Dr Yim, Dr Firdaus, Dr Ting, Dr Azreen, Dr Jalil, just to name a few. Everyone has their ups and downs so its all a good mix to work with.
So also back to why medical rotation is being summarized by the word covid. To be fair, I don't think I learned that much from this medical rotation as I thought I would, or as much as I hoped I would. As I said, 1 month plus in Covid wards basically means you don't get to see patients, you don't get to do any procedures at all. Till today since I'm done with medical rotation, I'm still not very confident in doing medical procedures like any type of drainage. Seen FVC insertions a couple of times already so maybe yeah I can do that. Just generally I will have a lack of confidence when doing those things. Compared to Dr Ting who was a HO in HSAS as well. Well, he is on another level, definitely would have been the star houseman during his days. Junior MO but super confident and good at medical knowledge and the procedures. Like, that's the level you strive to achieve really. To be fair, I can't fully blame it on Covid, cause I've actually been really lazy since I started medical rotation anyway. I studied way less for this rotation compared to the previous ones, but somehow still managed to survive through it? For a person who was thinking of taking the MRCP, I was definitely way off track. Definitely. So don't expect me to be a good medical MO when I become a MO later HAHA. FML. Just don't wanna be a useless MO. Trust me, when HOs start labelling you as the useless MO, it's quite demoralizing.
Anyway, to be fair I enjoyed my medical rotation quite a lot. It was a fun 4 months, with really friendly people and specialists. Makes u unafraid to speak up and say what you think. Special shout out to Dr. Rosdina. Hands down, HANDS DOWN my favourite specialist. Started working with her when I was in my first month, having ward rounds with her, it just motivates you to be better. Even during CMEs her inputs are wonderful and I was lucky enough to have her as my assessor and CME supervisor. She was fun and the assessment was quite stress free (Although I have to say I really royally fucked it up lol. If I was the assessor I believe I would have failed myself, that's how bad it was xD). Also, near the end of my posting, I lent my stethoscope to my MO Dr Azreen who brought it with her to have rounds with Dr Dina in Resus. She lent it to Dr Dina and it was lost for a whole night. Somehow miraculously Dr Dina found it at 5am when she was rounding in resus again. Apparently it was at the cardiac table (which I assume someone else was using for a whole day before realizing it wasn't theirs and placed it on the cardiac table). What shocked me the most was, she knew I was night shift in ED that night and held on to the steths, drove to the hospital at night JUST TO PASS ME THE STETHS. This is some next level dedication and I really hope I become a specialist with values like her. It honestly is truly inspiring. So so many people to look up to in Medical, really time to improve myself.
On a side note, I got my Covid vaccination already!! Did the Pfizer one and the first dose has been kind to me other than a simple sore arm. Apparently the second dose is worse, so.. we shall see on 1st of April hehe xD
Anyway, am still single now. Reiterating every post about how hard it is to find anyone in HSAS at all. I did hit it off with some fellow Malay HOs (and one patient xD), but u know, it's always hard due to the religious difference. If I didn't care about the religious difference I would have still been together with Abigail LOL. I mean nothing against Islam and all, I really can't give up pork HAHA. It's just way too good. So, continue the hunt for a girlfriend I guess. Not actively, but if it comes, it comes.
Lucky enough to clear all my leaves at the end of the medical rotation. Took all my ALs and a few off days, managed to get 10 days off in a row. Obviously I wanted to use this time to go to Penang if it was even remotely possible, but due to the RMCO conditions set by the government, I was basically forced to be in Selangor for the entirety of my off day. It's still not too bad. Spent most of my time in front of my laptop as usual. Played a few games here and there, went out and tried a bunch of food that I've never tried. Also caught up with a few of my old friends as well. Had a very nice videocall with YiHwa, with Intan who is doing well in Ireland. Had a nice drinking session with Hon, David and Michelle, met up with the District Flare boys. It was a nice chill week I guess. Only yesterday I was notified that I'm going to orthopaedics next. How do I even feel about this LOL. It sucks. I don't like ortho. I DON'T LIKE ORTHO. I SUCK AT IT. OMG. ok rant over. Let's just put our heads down and brave this 4 months. It will pass by in a flash. I hope. Haiz.
As previous posts, stay strong and healthy, love you peeps, keep the positivity alive and see y'all soon hehe :) <3
One of the many times I've fallen asleep in the iso ward HAHAHA
Final oncall with Dr Azreen in ED. Was a lovely night indeed hehe :DD
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