Sunday, June 5, 2011

A time when i was an houseman

Not long from now i will go one step further in my carrier to become a medical officer. I have been waiting for this very moment since i am a medical student. Not to mention, it is the step nearer to become a specialist. : )
Houseman, the host of the ward, the tuan rumah of the house (quoted from my specialist), is responsible for every single thing happened in the ward including case note, xray, investigation, medication, review, presentation, patient's care, procedure.....including missing item or family members complaints. 2 years back, the time when i was still "neonate" in the game, i was so naive and innocent. I came to work every morning with the heart full of expectations and dreams. In my mind, i want to finish my round fast, take all the blood investigation and trace, remember all the cases and result in ward, arrange the case note, plan for the discharges and help the staff nurses. I tried very hard to present the case nicely to my medical officer or specialist but things do not always go smooth. Probably because i become nervous easily and my train of thought started to shake and become white out. Then, i was blamed for not knowing the patients under my care. The greatest mistake i made was too greedy. I was too obsessed with perfection and job list. I did not prioritise the job list initially. Then, i realised the more i do is not necessary the better.
I also learned that fresh graduates like me do not know how to organise the thoughts and present the important points that make people understand. Now, i understand, the rule of thumb is to know who is the audience and only tell what they want to hear. Too much of differential or description is rubbish.
Houseman is not equal to superman. we must learn our limitations and capability, do not bear every single responsibility on our thin shoulder. That is why the medical officer come into play. I learn that this is not a game for single player, it is a multiplayers game which involve medical officer, staff nurses, supporting staff and specialists. Every one has its own role. Always than not, the other players try to manipulate, abuse, misleading, threaten, blame, restrict freedom from houseman. For example, i scared to leave the round and have to resist nature call.:)
But having said that, without the tough training and extension, i would not be what i became today. Now i am looking forward to surviving in level 2 of the reality survivor game.