Somebody once said to me that there are two types of clinical students- those who spend all of their time with patients, and those who spend all their time with books. Sir William Osler's famous quote comes to mind: "He who studies medicine without books sails an uncharted sea, but he who studies medicine without patients does not go to sea at all." In my typically smug, self-assured style, I decided to be somebody who managed to balance patients and books.
How wrong I was!
Three times in the past five days I waited at the train station before the sun had lit up the sky, and three times I left the hospital long after the sun did. Last night, I went back to the hospital after dinner purely because I wanted to see how my patient was post-op, and say goodbye before she was discharged. Is it so wrong to be interested in patient follow-up?
And the corresponding lack of book study is also true. I have done little study this week, and have not bumped into that nice chinese intern with his free tutes. But my time at the outpatient clinic was beneficial, at least.
I still hope to go on call..! I don't think I am being too keen, am I?
a29d53a7c7b4b6f9ab7248cdefba78ea
10 months ago
You decided to be somebody who managed to balance patients and books and now that you've switched hospitals and have gone to a different rotation, do you find that you have managed to achieve your goal/aim?
ReplyDeletexoxo!! <3 your sister :)