'Student Doctor'

Being a doctor is not about making big money; it is about touching people's hearts with the kindness, the rahmah and Mercy of one human to another.

Alhamdulillah, I've been in my first ever block in the clinical phase of phase 2. Yeay! I'm a 'student doctor' now, as some may put it. Placed in Kettering, which is about 30 minutes away from Leicester, and we (my clinical partner, Lily and I) had to stay there over the weekdays and only come back in the weekends.

First impression of Kettering
Day 1: there are soooo many friendly faces, everyone was so helpful, and wanted to help these girls (us) who looked so lost and innocent (perasan) in the hospital. We were not sure of where to go and head to, as our consultants were away for a skiing trip. Hehe.

Fortunately we had a mentor, Dr K (a FY1* dr, who is probably only 2,3 years older than us), whom I thought was a female when I saw 'her' name on the list of mentors. And I managed to embarass myself by phoning him up and saying "Hello can I speak to Miss K, pls?" ;p But he was allright with it, although he did brought that up later just to laugh at us!

We followed him in that first morning, and he taught a lot of stuff, and quizzed us on some medical facts as well. We examined some patients, interviewed one with acromegaly (big hands!), one with Alzheimer (he couldn't remember any dates, things, where he was), one with suspected multiple sclerosis ( with a deviated tounge due to neural problem) and one lady who had a lung lobe removed 40 years ago and is now suspected with breast lump. Dr K actually asked us to do breast examination on her, but since we were never taught that before, declined his offer. And he even asked us to take some blood, in which we refused as well, as we had never had any teaching/practice before!

And there was a patient who did not seem very fit, mentally. She was going on and on about some random stuff and practically making no sense at all. But there was one doctor, whom I really respect, who actually listened to her rants and ramblings and nodded as if he really understood everything that she was saying. Definitely very good communication skills there. To just listen to the patients and making sure the patient really trust you as a doctor.

-to be continued-

*freshly graduate doctor