Incident Reporting - There is a significantly high chance that you will be filling up an incident reporting, or writing an explanation letter for shit that happens in the department. When I started, I was told, if you accumulate 2-3 of those under your name, your name is up for extension. I still don\u2019t know if it\u2019s a fact, but I\u2019d not worry about that too much.<\/p>\n
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Blood Taking \u2013 Have you ever tried taking blood from a neonate that weighs 800 grams? Yes, 800 grams. It\u2019s a bitch, but with a bit of effort, skill and patience, it can be done, and I\u2019m not talking about using an arterial line that has already been preset! Although not everybody will be trusted to acquire blood from a baby that weighs 800 grams, the bigger babies weighing around 2-3kg can pose a challenge, especially if your colleagues have had fun raping every visible vein.<\/p>\n
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Neonates \u2013 Neonates by themselves are cute and cuddly, and fun to trick. However, if you have to cover 110-120 of neonates, especially when you\u2019re working on a weekend or a public holiday, that\u2019s where things start getting messy. On top of reviewing each and every one of them, some of them require repeated blood taking, if they are under phototherapy or ventilation. Impossible? Not really, tedious; \u2013 quite so.<\/p>\n
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Gossip \u2013 One thing that I have noticed in Paediatrics is that, everyone gossips! I once complemented a colleague on her haircut, and she said suspiciously, \u201cOh shit, what have you heard?!\u201d Naturally I was confused and she said that this is paediatrics, and since we can\u2019t talk to our patients, we end up gossiping. Fun. It\u2019s not really a bad thing, but sometimes it gets ridiculous! Once, there was talk amongst the housemen that one particular MO is a Para 1 so she is taking leave to take care of her child! Ironically, said MO is unmarried, and still nulliparous. <\/p>\n
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Infection \u2013 Every housemen that works in wards 7D and 6B WILL<\/strong> get sick. Be it acute tonsilopharyngitis, or severe AGE, it will happen, there is no escaping it. I usually work through it, once with a fever spike of 40*C, but it isn\u2019t a pretty picture. I don\u2019t know what these kids have, but, Jesus Christ it\u2019s powerful.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Good Shit<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Safety Net \u2013 The department is great for first posters, as the safety net is huge. The MO counter checks everything you do and answers to all calls with immediate effect. In the beginning it\u2019s quite annoying because you are shadowed completely, but once you mature in the department, and they start trusting your management, it gets better. So naturally, it\u2019s nice to for once have that initial, \u201cSo guys, this is how we manage xyz\u201d instead of the \u201cAiya, this one also you dunno ar?\u201d.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Teaching-Orientated Department \u2013 The department takes pride in being one that expects all the housemen under them to be educated. Teaching \u2013 Compulsory, MO covers the ward while you go. Before you off tag, you must undergo several CPG teaching with senior MO\u2019s. Journal club where we discuss relevant research papers and attempt to apply it in our scope. It\u2019s not about getting the work done, it\u2019s about learning and knowing why you\u2019re doing what you\u2019re doing and how it works.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Awesome Specialists \u2013 Every\u2026single\u2026.one of them. All the specialists in Paediatrics (at least those who are currently in Paediatrics) are awesome. All of them are dedicated (in their own way) and make every effort to teach any houseman that is willing to learn. Rounds in the morning isn\u2019t just regurgitating the case, it\u2019s about discussing everything that is wrong with the baby, why it is happening, what we should do, and how we should do it. This means rounds end later than usual, but it\u2019s worth it! Once had a 30 minute discussion (note discussion and not grilling session) on premature baby and LBW babies, and introducing supplements. The specialist finished rounds with just me at 10 a.m. before she went on to the next nursery to cover the cases there. She started rounds at 8 with me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Procedure Galore \u2013 Anyone who knows me, knows that I believe in attempting everything the department has to offer. This department has tonnes of it. Of course not really surgical in nature but as with every department, I try to get full exposure by doing everything. Lumbar Punctures, UAC, UVC Insertion, Long Line (under HEAVY MO scrutinization \u2013 he insisted on holding my hands as I pushed in the guide wire!), SPA, Cardiac blood, Intubating neonates, and several others. The only procedure that I couldn\u2019t do was chest tube (Specialist only) and intraosseus as there was no case \ud83d\ude1b<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Colleagues \u2013 Team Work is awesome in Paediatrics. In Medical, it was, save your own ass first (I hated people who did that, and always took time to assist colleagues), in O&G the buck ended with you, and moved on to your MO, but in Paediatrics, sweet Jesus. Once I was working in the neonatal ward on a weekend with 120 babies to see. My colleague who was supposed to join that day turned ill and had to EL. I was doing morning rounds with the MO and word got out that I was alone. Without being asked, colleagues from other wards that had completed their work, came to assist. I shed a man tear seeing that. I don\u2019t know how the situation is with the newer people, but I tremendously enjoyed working with all my colleagues. If you needed help, all it took was a phone call and no matter what people were up to, if possible, they\u2019d attend to your need.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n So, I will, God willing be finishing Paediatrics on the 17th! Just have to chug it out for a few more days. My specialist came to the labour room yesterday and hinted to me that I have flare for paediatrics and I should consider it. I don\u2019t know if this is my calling. I\u2019ll wait till I\u2019m done with surgery to decide.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here\u2019s to looking forward to the next step;<\/p>\n
![\"2012-10-04](\"http:\/\/hypog.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/2012100413.38.02.jpg\" "\\"2012-10-04")
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