The First Week

My first week of 4th year is over. It's been busier and more tiring than I could have imagined and loads of it was just induction!

On Thursday we ended up with an impromptu early start to our practical anaesthetics exposure as a day of lectures was cancelled. Each of us was put with a different anaesthetist in a different theatre, scary stuff considering we usually go in pairs.

Over the next 2 weeks of anaesthetics we're all expected to do 10 cannulas and 10 laryngeal mask airways. Pretty daunting since we do very little invasive things in 3rd year.

I managed to impress myself by keeping my 100% cannulation success rate (it doesn't sound as impressive when I then tell people that I've only done 2 in my life). I also managed to put in an LMA right first time which was surprisingly simple and really satisfying. Spending time with the anaesthetists I realised that it's definitely a career I'd consider for the future.

On Thursday I even got free lunch and a pen with the grand round. It wasn't soggy hospital sandwiches either, it was lovely warm lasagne with lots of veg too. Num num num.

Lily xXx

Induction Day

I made it into uni on time! Hurrah... always a good start when it's an induction.

Started the day off with free tea, coffee and pastries. Num num num. They spent a surprisingly short amount of time boring us all with boring stuff we've heard before and got straight into the interesting stuff. Timetables. Timetables fascinate me. I'm obsessed by knowing where I'll be at any particular time in the next few months. In fact as soon as I get a timetable I breathe a sigh of relief. These timetables are so complicated they have loads of colours though, which is a bit intimidating, but I think I've got to grips with the 3 different timetables I've been given!

I start of with 3 week of anaesthetics. In this I'm going to get lots of chances to cannulate and stuff like that, which will no doubt be really useful although I must admit I get so nervous doing practical skills at first. The hospital I'm placed with manages to give us 1 on 1 experience in theatre with anaethetists which means even more time to practice skills.

After that I have 3 weeks of A&E and then 6 weeks of rheumatology and orthopaedics. Although I have these timetables I'm guessing I'll know a lot more what to expect when I get to talk to those who are doing it before me.

Madsadgirl asked how my ferrets are. Great but naughty is the answer. Hugo the little one is getting really big now, but also really mischevious. It was his 2 month birthday yesterday. He's in the nippy stage but is really cute. Luckily him and Archie get on really well... Hugo's favourite treat is nibbling on his earwax. Yummy! On Saturday I'm hoping to take them to a ferret show but I need an extra pair of hands.

Lily xXx

First Day of Year 4

I survived the first day! ...Just

It always frustrates me that I have to get up early for the first day of anything only to have my time wasted with the same talks on plagerism/exams/general conduct. Thankfully that's done for now, although I do have an induction at my placement tomorrow which should be just as thrilling.

The more interesting part of the day was my first lecture/seminar. This was about advanced trauma life support. Interesting stuff. I'm really glad they took the chance to go over this all the first day... would have looked pretty stupid starting an emergency medicine placement and not knowing any of it.

Tomorrow I have to get a bus through loads of roadworks and I'm really worried that no matter how early I leave I'll be late. This stressing out isn't helped by the fact the boyf is staying at his mum's tonight and maybe all week, so I have noone to talk sense into me.

Lily xXx

T - 7 days...

I think that's what I'd say if I was a spy or secret agent counting down until next morning. Although, not being a huge fan of James Bond, I may have got that totally wrong. Bascially 7 days until term starts.

My 5th year at uni and my 4th year of medical school. The last 4 years have gone so quickly that it's a little scary that I only have 2 years left. In a weird way although the time has gone quickly the start of med school seems more like 10 years ago in my mind, and my intercalated BSc just seems like a distant nightmare.

Even though my summer holiday hasn't been as long as it would usually be, I'm suffering the boredom that long holidays bring. At least in previous years I had loads of friends who were on uni holidays, now it's only the medicine lot who have the whole summer and everyone scatters all over the world as soon as the holidays start.

I've got nothing I aimed to do this summer done. I haven't even got to the bottom of the wash basket. On the plus side I feel nice and refreshed which is the main thing.

I'm going to use this week to sort myself out for uni. I've already bought a few bits and bobs. An academic diary. A few new cardis, a pair of trousers (which I need to take up), and some cute pixie boots which will probably be too uncomfortable to wear to uni more than once, but at least on that day my feet will look nice.

I'm thinking of getting a hair cut this week. My hair is pretty unruley so I always get worried about haircuts. If they cut it too short it just goes crazy, and I really struggle to maintain any style, hence the keeping it long and boho. Unfortunately on placement I can't just wear my hair down all the time, so I need to get something done so I can wear it up. At the moment it's so thick and heavy that it hurts to have it up in a bun. Fingers crossed the hairdressers won't do anything too awful with it!

Lily xXx

London Tourist

Although I've lived in London on and off for a large part of my life, having this staycation has allowed me to see it as a tourist for once. Admittedly apart from eating out I've been pretty lax about doing touristy things but I've really enjoyed myself.

On Monday the boyf and I went to the Tate Modern and spent our evening eating a meze at the Real Greek. Tuesday we took the car out and discovered Tunbridge Wells. Wednesday we had an amazing day at Leeds Castle which is confusingly in Kent. It's beautiful with loads of gorgeous gardens. It's just a shame the weather wasn't better for a picnic. There is also a really confusing maze there that we tackled. They also do Segway tours of the place, which is a must for next time. Thursday we did a London Duck Tour. You go in a WWII car/boat on both the land and water!!! Afterwards I ate my bodyweight in dim sum. Yum yum yum. Yesterday we took it easy and decided to take the two ferrets for a walk in the countryside. For a change I got lots of smiles more than weird looks and noone asked me what kind of dog/money/rat/hamster they were!

Today I'm off for lunch at The Narrow, which is one of the Gordon Ramsay pubs. The nicest thing about it is that it's set right on the river, so on a nice day the view is pretty good. The food isn't bad either!

I'm already getting excited about starting term again in a week. We're starting to get lots of emails telling us bits and bobs that are planned for the near future from uni. Unfortunately no hint at a timetable yet so I have no idea how demanding or not this rotation is going to be.

Lily xXx

Staycation

So, as my birthday present the boyf offered to take me away for a long weekend somewhere towards the end of my holidays.

Because of the new additions to the family (...so I got ANOTHER ferret... more about that later) and the fact the idea of struggling our way through a busy airport over the bank holiday seemed like torture, we decided on a staycation instead of a vacation.

So for the next week we're going to fill our time with lots of lovely touristy things we can do from home, and nice meals out. If we get a sunny day Leeds Castle in Kent is pretty high on my list of things I want to do, and the boyf fancies the London Eye one evening and maybe a little river cruise. We were also thinking of perhaps driving out to the countryside, finding a nice hotel and having a quiet night away where someone else cooks breakfast for us in the morning.

So... more about ferret #2. He's called Hugo. He's teeny tiny weeny at only 6 weeks old (although he's a big boy for that age). He's prone to temper tantrums and is currently in his cage screaming at the top of his voice because I won't let him out. I think Archie is slightly bemused and slightly pissed off. To be fair I'd be pissed off if I had to share a room with something so little but so loud.

I've had to put them in separate cages as Archie is about 4x bigger than him and plays a little rough, although it can't be bothering Hugo too much as he keeps going back for more.

Just over 2 weeks until uni starts again and I'm really excited. I need to go smart clothes shopping as I ended up throwing out most of last years clinic clothes which had completely worn out. I've already got a new academic diary. It's nice and shiney and new! I love new diaries!

Lily xXx

Transport Worries

With roadworks etc it'll take me almost 2 horus to get to my next hospital placement in the morning. It's a half hour bike ride according to TFL.

So off I went to get a folding bike. It's red and shiney. I've kind of forgotten hwo to cycle, but I had a practice the other day and apart from being wobbly I was OK-ish. There are a few problems I came across.

1. Cycling is hard work... I forgot my inhaler. Had an asthma attack. Not clever.

2. I kept slipping off the front of my saddle. Why? Any tips on how to stop that would be appriciated.

3. Gears... wtf?! I have no idea what to do with those.

Any cycling in London tips would be muchly appriciated.

Lily xXx