1) Few things in life bring me more joy than being able to continue this blog post, which has been on extended hiatus since August last year. Of course, using up all my annual leave to spend time back in Malaysia has given me that opportunity. In addition, it has also allowed me to re-evaluate and reconsider the things that I value most in my life.
2) Picking up where I had last left off, I have completed my first rotation as a Foundation Year 2 doctor, in the field of rheumatology. Although I had started this rotation with the assumption that it would be a relatively easy and straightforward one, I was proven wrong rather quickly. As the first on-call for most days of the week when I was there, I was essentially doing the job of a senior registrar (at a payscale of an F2 doctor), alongside all the patient clinics booked under my name. On top of this, I would get referrals from GPs and consultants who probably should have been speaking to a rheumatology registrar or consultant rather than myself. To clarify, rheumatology is a very specialised field of medicine, and the majority of referrals that I received had nothing to do with simple arthritis (which I can manage), but rather complex rheumatological conditions including MGUS approaching smoldering myeloma, inflammatory myositis, polyarteritis nodosa with aortitis, Still's disease, to name but a few. Suffice to say, it wasn't the simple straightforward clinic job that I had anticipated, although I did pick up a thing or two while I was there. Having said that, I really benefited from having some really dedicated rheumatology consultants who took the trouble to explain things and answer any questions I had.
3) Moving on from rheumatology, I have since gone on to general practice in Biddulph. The patient catchment network is huge, with the practice serving a population of approximately 11,000 residents. As such, there is tremendous time pressure to see patients in a timely manner, with fully qualified GP's being allocated just ten minutes (!) to see each patient. Speaking from experience, ten minutes is not enough time to even scratch the surface of any consultation, let alone rule out all the red flags, perform the relevant physical examinations, order the relevant diagnostic tests, and start the necessary management / make the appropriate referrals, as well as signposting and safety netting. On average, GP's see 37 patients per day, which is well above the recommended maximum of 25 patients. Of course, as I am not a fully qualified GP, I am allocated more time to see each patient, and I have the added luxury of being able to discuss with the GP on call (otherwise known as the "duty doctor"), should I have any concerns regarding a patient. So far, I have found this rotation to be really interesting, as you can never predict which patients that will walk in. From newborn babies to 95-year old patients, or those with substance misuse and / or mental health conditions, to those who are perfectly healthy and just need a bit of reassurance.
4) At the end of the day, I have spoken to many GP's who started out intending to specialise in various fields (e.g. trauma & orthopaedics, cardiology, infectious disease etc.), who somehow ended up in general practice. Speaking to them, the most commonly cited reason for the career change was time and flexibility. Unlike pretty much all other specialties, GP training lasts only three years, and it is one of the most flexible options out there. After competing training, GP's have the option of becoming a salaried GP, a GP partner, a locum GP, or pursue other fields including academia, research, or they could complete an extra year to qualify with a specialty interest and perform specific procedures. Compare and contrast this with other specialties, which on average take around 7-8 years after completion of foundation training, and the appeal of general practice quickly becomes apparent.
5) I mentioned at the beginning of the post that taking some time off work has given me the opportunity to reflect on my career aspirations, as well as the things that I cherish most in life. Over these last few months, I have been working very hard without much rest. As a result, I have not found much joy or meaning in my life. This was essentially a warning bell for me that it was time to take a nice long break and ask myself a simple question - "Where do I see myself in five years?" While I have given much thought to this, I still do not have my answer. But what I do know is there are certainly more things in life than just work. While I have applied for a few specialty training programmes in the UK, I am very much open to considering other options as well. At the end of the day, only time will tell where I end up, but I will be happy with whichever path life takes me.
6) The decision to come back to Malaysia for holiday was a simple one. Winter in the UK has not been very kind to me, and certainly the desire to come back and see my parents has not helped either. The feeling of excitement from counting the weeks, then days, then finally hours till I returned home was simply indescribable. As I type this, I am happily reunited with my parents, on my second day of a three week long holiday, with the iconic Petronas Twin Towers in full view from my hotel room. This is what I cherish in life.
7) In the upcoming posts, I will once again be promoting the beauty and diversity of Malaysia, as I round up my third and final day in Kuala Lumpur (the capital) before returning to my hometown, Ipoh. Working abroad has certainly taught me many things, which I may explore in a future post. But right now, I am more than happy living la dolce vita. Stay tuned for more posts and pictures very soon. I hope everyone is doing well, take care and stay safe. Cheers!
Apart from the first one, all other photos are in chronological order from where I last left off my blog, to the point where I touched down at Kuala Lumpur International Airport :)
Reunited with the family - the greatest feeling ever
Time warp back to sometime in Aug last year, when Nabeel and myself went for a movie night :)
Getting ready to watch "Blue Beetle" at the Vue Cinema in Newcastle
Oh would you look at that - a Perodua Myvi!
(rather curiously re-batched as a Daihatsu Sirion in these parts of the world)
Fish and chips the length of my forearm (almost)!
Going to need new pockets to carry all these devices, along with the expectations of all my patients
Breakfast post night-shift with Jason - who has opened my eyes to horizons beyond the UK
I'm not going to lie - there were days when I felt they should just give me the title already XD
Aspirated my first knee joint, on my way to send off the samples for joint culture analysis
On this day, we gathered at Mirchi to cap off the end of my four month stint in rheumatology
Authentic Indian cuisine
I can't name a single curry here, but everything tasted great :)
Huge thanks to everyone here (consultants, registrars, staff nurses, allied health professionals) who got me through this placement in one piece
An impromptu handshake with Dr. Dutta - clinical lead for rheumatology at Haywood
More joint fluid to be analysed
A snowy day in Newcastle-under-Lyme
Biddulph GP is absolutely massive, as it should be given it provides service to 11,000 residents
Xmas time in Newcastle-under-Lyme
Proof that I do indeed still have a pulse, and am therefore still alive
Getting on the number 9 bus has been the bane of my existence throughout my GP placement
With Clarence and Raymond, for an impromptu Mexican feast!
I so miss Boojums! This reminded me of how much I love Mexican food :)
Finally, the big day has arrived - time to say a temporary goodbye to the UK
Flight to Doha for 0745, gate info to be announced
While waiting for my first flight to Doha, Qatar
Stopover at Doha for a butt-numbing 8 hours
I literally spent an entire day sitting
Hamad International Airport is absolutely humongous
My gate terminal was C80, which suggests there are at least 80 gates for departure - insane!
Reliving my inner child with some video games to kill off some time
Kuala Lumpur International Airport (Terminal 2) has never looked so beautiful :')
Finally, I am back in Malaysia
No more work-related stress for a while
And so the journey begins!
