1. Time to update my long-overdue blog - this time with my recent posting in Taiping Hospital for surgery. Having previously completed two weeks of medicine in Taiping Hospital, we returned now for two weeks of surgery instead. For the first week, we had daily bed-site teachings (BSTs) with the surgeons, and in the second, we had our sub-internship week where we would be expected to observe, assist and perform basic procedures that a house officer would be required to do.
2. My initial thoughts were that our surgery rotation seems to be more intense than medicine. While we only had 3 BSTs during medicine, we have one everyday during surgery. Also, our contact times with the surgeons are much more uncertain due to the very nature of their jobs - surgeries could be more complicated than expected, or emergency surgeries may pop up at any time etc. Therefore, BST's have been postponed or replaced far more often in this rotation compared to medicine.
3. In Taiping Hospital, there are only two surgical wards - Ward 17 and 18, for females and males, respectively. Every morning, ward rounds are conducted, in which the house officers do a round of presenting the patients' cases to the medical officers, who in turn do another round of presentations to the consultant. My friend Helmi and I would attend the ward rounds, then proceed to clerking and examining the patients ourselves.
4. During our sub-internship, we managed to practice some basic ward procedures, as well as observe some minor and major operations. The minor operations we saw included an excision biopsy to remove a sebaceous cyst from a patient's back, as well as another excisional biopsy to remove a submandibular swelling, the latter requiring general anaesthesia as there were multiple swellings below the neck. We also saw various endoscopic procedures, including a polypectomy - where polyps are visualised with a colonoscope and then removed with a snare.
5. In my opinion, the most interesting procedures were in the operating room. We managed to see four operations in total - a laparoscopic cholecystectomy to remove an inflammed gallbladder, an excisional biopsy to remove a right breast fibroadenoma (= benign breast lump), a wide local excision to remove a pilonidal cyst with rhomboid flap, as well as a right laparoscopic hernioplasty. Operations tend to be long and complex, and I've noticed that the procedures can change depending on what is discovered during the operation. For example, the laparoscopic cholecystectomy was converted to a partial cholecystectomy due to inability to visualise Calot's triangle (i.e. the gallbladder was contracted and embedded so could not be removed in its entirety). Another example was the wide local excision for pilonidal cyst - initially planned for rhomboid flap, this had to be converted to just the excision without flap due to the patient experiencing pain over the flap site despite analgesia.
6. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy - so the saying goes. In line with that, we managed to really enjoy ourselves in Taiping, trying the infamous Antung coffee (served everyday in our hotel), going for lunch together after classes, and even going as far as Kuala Sepetang (Port Weld) over the weekend for seafood. To cap off our rotation, Helmi and I had a really nice brunner (breakfast, lunch, dinner) at Sushi Mentai - where the servers immediately recognised us as RUMC students, probably due to our classmates coming here often. As we left Taiping, a small part of my brain (probably the hippocampus) reminded me that only 44 days remain till our final finals.
7. That's all for my blog today. I reached Penang safely despite the rain and traffic yesterday (Friday) evening. Thank you very much for visiting as always, and have a great one. Cheers!
Scrubbing in for surgery - Taiping Hospital
First day of surgery rotation and lessons were cancelled unexpectedly - so onwards to breakfast then :)
This is the famous Hutton Lane Roti Bakar
This is the famous Hutton Lane Roti Bakar
This is their roti canai with chicken curry and soft boiled eggs
- sounds like a strange combination but it tastes absolutely delicious!
Very unassuming location except for the long queue of people waiting for their food
Bringing the whole lot here today
L-R: Shang Chen, Yasmeen, Ishraq, Aiman, Midun, Rachel, Myself
L-R: Shang Chen, Yasmeen, Ishraq, Aiman, Midun, Rachel, Myself
Watching a minor procedure today
ERCP procedure - to visualise the hepato-biliary tree and also remove any gallstones if detected
Legend Inn - undoubtedly a legend amongst RUMC students
Kinda nostalgic to return to the Legend Inn
- after staying here for two weeks during medicine rotation
Back at Sri Annapoorana Restaurant for some delicious banana leaf rice
(and post-prandial somnolence after that)
Trying out Sejati Restaurant for lunch today
- catfish, fried green beans, and potato curry on a bed of rice
Okay how difficult is it to spell "Kevin"? Apparently quite...
Port Weld Restaurant in Kuala Sepetang (Port Weld) for some delicious seafood
I'm not good at translating names - suffice to say there were fried mantis prawns, steamed mussels, spicy squid, steamed tofu (beancurd), fried baby crabs, a bread bowl with prawn curry, and yau mak (i.e. Romaine lettuce)
L-R: Esther, Rachel, William, Khang Way, Myself
Khang Way and myself used to clerk together during paediatrics rotation when I was in C2021, so it was really nice to catch up with him over dinner :)
Raintree Walk @ Taiping Lake Gardens
To digest all that good seafood
An impromptu movie sesh (The Theory of Everything) with Rachel
Essentially a biographical drama of the life of renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the young age of 21
P.S: Sorry Helmi for using your bed
It's been a while since I had Nando's
Discovered the bottomless meal at Nando's - essentially free refills of either rice or coleslaw, as well as free drink refills. Because if there's one thing Malaysians love more than food, it's free food :)
Trying out one of two famous cendol restaurants in Taiping - Ansari Famous Cendol
My honest impression is that it was alright but nothing to shout about. The second cendol place was a lot better
Catfish, tempeh, and beansprouts on a bed of rice - a steal at RM10
Wan Ikan Bakar for lunch today - as recommended by Midun
L-R: Helmi, Rachel, Midun, Myself
Beansprouts, begedil, with the main course just out of view :)
The mains: A quarter leg of roasted chicken as well as a bowl of siput sedut masak lemak
(sea snails cooked in chili cream)
Contemplating my life choices after standing for over four hours observing a complex procedure in OR
22 plates of sushi and proud of it :)
What a memorable way to finish our two weeks here in Taiping!
