1) Just over a month now into my job as Foundation Year 1 (or F1) doctor in the UK. A brief overview of a typical "normal working day" (NWD) for me would be as follows: updating the handover list before 9am (if not already done), prepping the patient notes as much as we can after that, starting ward rounds with the consultant at 9am, updating the jobs book as we go along, delegating the jobs after the ward round (usually around 12 or 1pm), completing some jobs before going for lunch, then coming back and completing the rest, or handing over to the night team if there are any outstanding jobs at the end of the day.
2) A typical normal working day is a 9-5 job, however I had only one normal working day yesterday, before having long days for the next three weeks. Essentially, "long day 1" extends from 9:00-21:00, while "long day 2" is from 9:00-19:00. Most of the time, long days (for me at least) are split between two departments - my day job in the gastroenterology ward (from 9-5), and thereafter in the acute medical unit (AMU), emergency department (ED), or frail and elderly assessment unit (FEAU). Every department sees different types of patients, so I've been exposed to a variety of interesting cases especially outside my day job.
3) These past few weeks, I've been really busy preparing for the Prescribing Safety Assessment (PSA) - which we have to pass before the end of Foundation Year 1 if we are to progress in our training. There are three exam dates in a year, and I sat for mine last week. While it is an open book test (you can search the British National Formulary or BNF), the main challenge is time constraint. There are 60 questions to answer in 2 hours, with the first two sections counting for the majority of marks. After an initial scare in setting up my laptop for the exam, I managed to barely finish in time. According to the website, results should be out in two weeks - so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
4) In summary, working as an NHS doctor has been really rewarding - I've learnt a lot and have a whole lot more to learn. Time to keep working on building my portfolio then. Thanks very much for visiting my blog, and have a great week ahead. Cheers!
A sunny day today :)
Made sunnier by the fact that it was my off-day
Back to work then I guess...
Trying out authentic Thai food at the "Art of Siam" in Newcastle
Sharing life stories with my good friend Clarence
Massaman curry with rice was stunning -
rich and creamy curry with just a hint of spiciness on a hot bed of rice
Sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream to end the meal
Apparently the Doctor's Mess organise an official event once a month - this evening we were at the Orange Tree, and in front of me is a massive beef skewer
A ginormous dish of chocolate brownies with vanilla ice cream
The Clinical Education Centre (CEC) - where we have most of our fortnightly teaching
I've recently discovered the library at the Clinical Education Centre - perfect for some quiet time
What I've learnt from the hospital cafeteria is that they do Curry Thursdays and Chippy Fridays
Can't remember what this was called but it tasted really good
I pass by this area on my way back from work every day
- it's most likely a park but I've never entered yet XD
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