Overdue

My masters assignment is now one day overdue.  It just didn't get finished yesterday.  It's now 7.30pm in the evening and I've only just started looking at it now.  It really wont take long as I only have the referencing to clean up, checking the 1.5 line spacing and correct font, and finding the coversheet etc to go.  Should be done in an hour.  A day late is about -5% I think.

I spent the earlier part of the day mowing my lawns (got a new lawn mower yesterday!) and installing my washing machine (got a new washing machine finally today).  I also had much fun doing the "preliminary"pack for my trip which is where I lay out everything I'd like to take, and then secondary pack is where I divide the preliminary number of clothes by two. 

Things are getting more exciting now as I was checking the weather in Kathmandu, Lhasa, and Paro.  I already know Taiwan is hot and humid (yay), I wasn't sure about Kathmandu (average of 23oC in September) and Lhasa and Paro are fairly mild at about 18oC.  Of course I got Mt Everest Base Camp which I can guess with much accuracy will be cold to very cold.

I'm also trying to hook up with a fellow ambulance person in Nepal as he has much to do with a few clinics over there despite this trip supposed to be being a "tourist-only" trip as I haven't had a pure "for pleasure" holiday in three years due to study and volunteering.

My work vehicle is a Mercedes

Writing assignments

So I have to finish writing this assignment for my masters by tomorrow.  Tomorrow I want to just be referencing, proofing, and submitting so I want to finish it today.  It's much more difficult than I first thought due to all the statistics I need to find.  I'm at work today and tomorrow.  I only just came back on from my fatigue break at 12.15pm as we were out until 2.15 am this morning.

Anyway, seeing as I have so much to do I must go now.

I other news, I went to a city hospital last night for work and there were about a dozen small children in the ED and I thought to myself that I really want to do paeds, which is another reason to be pursuing the US residency path as you can go straight into paeds there, but in Oz you do Internal Medicine first then a fellowship (I believe).

Emergency paediatrics with a sub-specialty in tropical medicine would be my ultimate.

Op-shopping and my life update

This post is so massive it needs sub-headings.....(I need to lay off the RedBull....)

Op-shops, animal welfare, and the environment
So I've been getting into op-shops lately (that's "opportunity" shop which is like a charity or thrift store for all you foreigners).  I was so stoked today to find a long black down-filled jacket for $3.50!  At first I wanted to get a North Face one for over $500AUD.  Then I was horrified to learn they are only $250 in the US and I couldn't get a new one online and sent to me.  I saw some on ebay a little cheaper - around $200-250.  Then my friend just got back from Tibet and she scored one for about $30AUD.

I got a good new silk-blend sleeping bag liner from ebay for $12, so even if I have to hire a sleeping bag I will feel ok in my liner.  I'd love to buy a good -20oC one though cause I get so cold and I want to do some camping this Summer - I already have a light one and a medium one, so a heavy one would be great (I know -20oC sound too wam for Summer, but for me it's a real comfort knowing I wont be too cold).  I also need a new swag, but that's for another adventure.

Other things - I also picked up a pair of cargos, a short skirt and short shorts (for over legging), and a longer, flowy skirt for my modesty especially in Nepal - all were less than $3.50 each.  Apart from saving money, time, and recycling (well, reusing I suppose, but anyway...), I'm mainly most happy about the down jacket because I've been battling a moral dilemma bout it.  I normally avoid leather, silk, and sheep skin, and I only eat meat once a day - and only free range chicken, beef once a week, and some seafood (mainly fish and mainly the ones which aren't being over-fished which you can find a guide here for Aussies, and here for worldwide), avoid dairy, I only get pets from the pound etc etc.  I try and consider the animals in my choices.  I'd love to be vegan but it's really impractical and quite difficult to make sure you diet is full of the essential amino acids and omega-3s etc.  Anyway, I am happy I could at least get a recycled down jacket - those little geese didn't give up their bodies for nothing.

My upcoming trip
So my trip is finally coming together.  It looks like I have most things if not everything already.  I hope to tread lightly as possible and eat locally.  Mainly backpacking so the souveniers will have to be minimal and thoughtfully chosen.  My last leg of the journey is thorugh Bhutan so I;m hoping to pick up a traditional dress.  Through Tibet I wouldn't mind some prayer flags, althogh you can get them here in Australia quite easily.  Those spinney prayer thingys (I just Googled it - they are called hand prayer wheels) will be good too.

Medicine
Now, study.  I have requested that OUM transfers me into the MD program.  I am currently in the MBBS, designed for Aussies and Kiwi following the traditional Commonwealth model.  The difference is only a matter of a few weeks extra clinical placements in which I would do a sub-internship, hopefully in the US and hopefully in emergency, family, or paediatric medicine.  However, recently OUM has decided to examine MD students on the basic sciences separately as they were finding students were having difficulties in the USMLEs in these areas.  So, seeing as I want to sit the USMLEs, I asked to go into the MD stream which is apparently more difficult, and is definitely more expensive.  Some people would avoid these two things like the plague.  Not me!

Personally, I feel I am most lacking in the basic sciences so I kind of like the idea of being pushed more in this area.

I had been considering residency in the US since the get-go, and with recent developments in Australia it seems like IMGs are going to have a hard time getting internships.  I am also fond of the idea of internship in Samoa, however I didn't realise until yesterday that the wage for interns is only AUD$15000pa!  That's less than 10% of what I earn now.  It's really only a problem in I have a mortgage that needs contributing to, or other Australia-life commitments.  At least it is a good incentive to get my finances well-and-truely in order by then.  So, that new car I was thinking about getting is not going to be got.

I am friends on Facebook with an American OUM student and she told me the US OUM grads have been really successful at gaining residency.  I must ask her in which discipline.  The OUM curriculum advisor told me the sub-internship clerkship is really important for getting one's foot int the door for matching into their residency programs.  I think I will be good at this after going through the paramedic clinical placements and then graduate program - be super-dooper friendly, seem intelligent and thoughtful and competent but not over confident, work your butt off, be the first to arrive and the last to leave, have no other life outside of the placement/grad work, offer people drinks and food and make their life easier not harder, and most importantly, did I mention food?

Masters
Yep, so I'm supposed to be finishing my assignment right now (I'm at work again) which is why I drank the RedBull but instead I sewed buttons and holes up on my new opshop purchases, made a healthy lunch (to try and prepare myself for the diet of lentils coming up), discussed MoH things with my sister, and chatted to my work partner for today who is an IT guru about using my mobile phone as wifi for my laptop at work (we only have one PC and it can be inconvenient) and using wifi instead of internet roaming data stream while overseas.  Whew.  Oh, and blogging.

Ok must finish this essay.  I've done 1100 words out of 2500 and it's due in 2 days.  Wish me luck!

Satisfied

I finally got my term results back and I'm "satisfied" on my happiness scale.

My bosses got the sack

The executive board of my ambulance service got the sack today by the health minister.  Initially I thought this was a good thing until I realised the CEO has remained.  I don't want to get the sack by expressing my thoughts here, but in my opinion I'm not happy with the way the current CEO has steered us since coming into power.  The word "service" was literally dropped from our name, and the ambulance business model as been attempted to be implemented.  I might be a bit of a tree-hugging hippie, but even the extreme right-wingers must see running the public health service as being fundamentally different than that of running a profit-making business.  I'm confused.

Anyway, today at work I got stuck into my masters assignment.  If I can make that kind of progress every day this week I'll be very happy.  Now I'm getting into it, I'm getting into it.  I think I might even be learning something valuable for my future career and life's education in general.

Still no reply in regards to my missing term grades from med school.  Still my happiness factor cannot be measured.

Grades and happiness

Here is my formula for happiness using the end of term grade:

2(End of term grade - 50)/10 = happiness score

Use the happiness score on the following scale:

0 - devastated
1 - very very unhappy
2 - very unhappy
3 - unhappy and considering a career change
4 - consolable
5 - trying to remain positive
6 - slightly relieved
7 - satisfied
8 - happy
9 - very very happy
10 - massive ego mixed with questioning the integrity of the course

Here is an example:

I get 85% for my end of term grade

2(85-50)/10 = 7

I would therefore be satisfied with a grade of 85%.

Sunshine makes everything better

Another glorious day of sunshine here.  I think I have survived another icy winter.  My mood and energy levels are improving exponentially.

I spent the day doing housework and gardening.  I'm now at work waiting for the day shift to return - they wont be long - in order to take over their (better) ambulance rather than take home the "spare".  Of course I was also suppose to write my assignment today but with the weather and the number of chores that needed doing, I couldn't resist getting out there in the garden.  I'm quite pleased with how things are coming along (slowly, slowly).  I feel even better to have done something physical to counter-balance that terribly boring day I had yesterday in the lectures.

I'm still waiting for my grades from last term.  Samoa time yet again is dragging on.  I paid on Thursday.  I allowed a lag of 24 hours, that's fine, for that information to get to all the right people.  Then there was the weekend.  Then Samoa is a day behind.  But today is Monday there.  Oh, I know, I bet it's a public holiday there today.  They seem to have a lot there compared to here, however their culture is a lot more focused on lifestyle than getting ahead.  I think that's why I love it there so much.

Training day

I had my annual training day for work at the regional head office today. It was ok as the first half was clinical. After lunch was a struggle in the stuffy boardroom. I swear I was hypoxic all through the medico-legal session.

Hens

Final MoH duties

Hole

This is the holey dog escaped through today. He's 40kg.

At work

Seven working days left until holidays!  Yay!  And that includes a training day, so only 6 left on the road (with six nights of call, unfortunately).

I just looked at my ambulance station's stats this morning, and our workload has more than doubled since changing onto this new despatching system.  This could be a very good thing if we want to get funding for a proper night-shift here and stop doing call... Ah... a girl can only dream....  The good thing with more call-outs though is more money.  It seems to be getting a bit easier to meet my tuition fees right now.  Feeling fairly good.

Masters - Essay one of two has been commenced.  I'm giving myself until the end of Tuesday to complete it.  It's about the epidemiology and burden of STIs and HIV in India and the second part requires me to decide on priorities for programs in the prevention of STIs and HIV.  It feels strange to write an essay again seeing as I don't do them in med school right now, but I'll just work through it systematically as usual.  Start with the heading and subheadings, collect data and references, and mould it into a coherent piece of writing.

Easy?

Fitness update - it has totally been sacrificed for everything else in my life.  I had a great conversation with a guy at work that is the perfect picture of good health and fitness and I watched him throughout a working day and he had already gotten up really early for a run so was planning to do not a lot after work, then spent the rest of the day preparing and cooking meals every few hours, shopping for more fresh groceries etc.

My other friend at work that works out every day puts all her energy into getting a workout done that everything else gets done second.  She eats fairly "normally" though but is not a high performing athlete like the guy from the first story.

So, what I'm trying to say is I haven't found that perfect balance for me yet but I'm still searching and I wont give up because right now I feel soft and sluggish.  Yuk.

Ramped

I'm currently "ramped" at the hospital, which means my patient is stuck on our ambulance stretcher at triage because there are no hospital beds available.

Not good at after midnight. Not good out of our catchment area. Not good when I haven't been able to complete an 8-hour rest break in over 24 hours now. Not good that I've now been up for 18 hours and am probably going to be past the 20 hour mark by the time we make it back.

But it's all ok because tomorrow is my last day for the week.

Overheard in a patient's house

OVERHEARD IN A PATIENT'S HOUSE

Paramedics attend the house of a very sweet, very elderly yet sprightly lady living home alone in a fairly remote rural area.  She had earlier called her doctor to tell him she felt unwell. The doctor then called for an ambulance to attend.

After assessment, the patient refuses transport to hospital.  The paramedics try to educate the patient on the phone number to use in case of an emergency.

PARAMEDIC

"So, if we leave you at home, and if you ever feel unwell, do you know the number to call the ambulance?"

ELDERLY PATIENT

"No..."

PARAMEDIC

"It's 000"

ELDERLY PATIENT

"Oh, is that it?  Just 000 and I can get you two to come to my house?"

PARAMEDIC 

"Yes"

ELDERLY PATIENT

"What if I feel well?  Can you just come over for a cup for tea?"



Peters Projection World Map

Spherical map (winkle Triple projection)

Spherical map laid flat (Mercator projection)

Lat/Long map

Peters Projection Map ("an area accurate map")

I just got my new, laminated Peters World Map.  The Peters map is interesting because it depicts the world in an "area accurate" form, meaning 10sqkm of land will take up 1sqmm on the map, for example, whether it is in North America or Africa.  A regular, more commonly found map would look more like the first three, where you can see, for example, Africa and South America appear much smaller in ratio to the land mass of North America and Europe.

When I first came across this map I was horrified to learn I'd been exposed all my life to what initially seemed to be a deliberate attempt of the "west" and the "north" to make their countries seem geographically more superior, thus inferring greater political significance on the world's stage.

Then I thought maybe it's just the way the spherical map "unrolls" that makes the top-heavy northern hemisphere stretch out further.  I think this might be partially true.  Then if you look closely at the third map, the Lat/Long map which has the latitude and longitude marked out, you can see the southern hemisphere has been ripped off.  The latitude lines not only "cut-out" before they make it all the way to -75o, the spacing between the most northern latitude lines is much greater, thus distorting the northern hemisphere an making it appear larger (this one doesn't have Antarctica in it, but if it did the space between the lat lines would still be compressed).

So apparently a lot of people were outraged when this Peters map first got released in the 1970-80s.  I've only just found it.  I'm fairly outraged on behalf of us southern hemispherians.  Not us wealthy Aussies, but the poverty-stricken south with whom I feel I identify with so much.  Outraged to learn my mind has been tricked all it's life with such an optical illusion of ?political motives.  It initially seems so benign, but I can't help thinking "What about all the other more subtle things we can't prove objectively with a tape measure?"   All the subliminal racist images regarding those people with dark skin.  A 3yo baby with a massive tummy, retracted incostal ribs, eyes bulging out (imagine images from the 1980s Ethiopia famine) - I can hardly imagine that image on a white child.  Oh but "they" are over "there".  Yeh, over there on that massive friggin continent called Africa.  Are the numbers so overwhelming (what's a few million child mortalities?) that we shut off now?

I just don't get it.

But then again I do.  I'm doing it right now.  In a way.  I'm sitting in my house that could home about 50 Burmese refugees.

I must confess, I was driving in the ambulance today past a windfarm, talking with my coworker about why people are blocking windfarms in our town (one wind turbine could power our entire town).  We decided it was due to jealously and greed, and people not believing/caring about climate change (under the guise of other arguments of course).  I then thought to myself "Well, if us humans die out then so we should.  We friggin deserve it we're so selfish and stupid."

Then I remembered that humans by nature would rather be right (as in correct) than have a favourable outcome, as unintuitive as that sounds (that's why pessimism is so addictive - you're either always right or pleasantly surprised).  So I should probably try and change my mindset.

So, I try and think like an optimist.  I believe every problem has a solution.  I'm not a defeatist yet.  What can we do?  Well, I think we can only do so much. 

Firstly, I try and wake up each morning and think about how I can be generous to others. My co-workers, my family and friends, and of course my patients.  I also have a job which contributes to the greater good of humanity (I think) and I try and utilise my work time in this way, to cultivate a more harmonious world by showing compassion, even when I really don't want to.  But even the Dalai Lama only has so much time and so much attention span.  I've seen him live, and he did get distracted at times.  I like that he's only human.

I try to lobby for what I believe in.  On this blog, with my election vote, with the occasional Facebook status update, and with the way I generally live my life.  Sometimes I even fill out a petition and I've even written to my local Member of Parliament on occasion. 

I vote with my consumerism power.  I believe the consumerist dollar is one of the most powerful things in the world.  You don't like a product because it's not Green, then don't friggin buy it.  Speak in actions rather than words.  Say you would prefer Green, Free Trade, and Cruelty Free over cheap by only buying those products.  Of course, consume LESS, but when you do, make good choices.  We can't always be perfect, but strive for 80/20 (80% "good" choices).

Inform and spread the word.  Tell people about what you do.  Sure, don't ram it down their throats.  Noone likes that.  Lead by example.  Make it attractive and "normal" to be a conscientious world citizen.  Like an add that's on the radio atm, "be enviro-normal, not enviro-mental". Show that it's not a strain to care about things.  You're not a "bleeding-heart", or a hippy tree-hugger without a job.  You're intelligent and you've got a good, strong character.  Every wants that.  Character is power.  Even the shallowest of people want that.

9 days (of work) left....

I'm back at work after my tonsils have begun to quickly retreat thanks to good ol' penicillin (thank you Alexander Fleming).  My sister suggested I should get a box to take with me on my trip just in case, and perhaps take a double-course this time due to these two attacks being so close together.  No, she's not a doctor, but she has had tonsillitis many times before she finally went under the knife (well, diathermy actually). 

I have to see my GP about high-altitude medication and overseas vaccinations anyway (I have finally found a good GP for the second time in my life).  The Australian Government website Smartraveller is pretty good for general advice.  I like to look at it before I go anywhere and also register my itinerary plans "just in case".

Apart from that, I feel as far from a medical student as possible.  This is a good thing in one respect, but generally very bad as there is so much to cover I should be reading every day.

Sick. Again.

Apologies for the lack of posts but I've been battling tonsilitis AGAIN. Yep, I can hear the sound of the ENT surgeon's diathermy machine already.

Status quo and spark of motivation

Yes, same ol', same ol' here.  Just working, enjoying freedom from med school, looking forward to holidays, got lots of social plans on my days off etc.

I think my brain is already on holiday.  I don't want to do overtime, I'm finding every excuse to not do my Masters readings, and what PT course?  My house is looking tidy though and I've been flicking throough House and Garden magazine, and I have heaps more energy at work.  I feel sorry for my work colleagues as I've been operating in a constant state of  half-dead, but I didn't really notice that until now.  It's funny how you accept that because you're a med student you just automatically have no other quality of life.

I've been reading the Mothers In Medicine blog a bit lately.  Not because I'm a mother (unless you count my dog and cat), but because other blogs link back to interesting articles about juggling home life and work, choosing the right partner, and some other interesting aspects of being a female that is successful in the workforce.  Anyway, it's given me a bit of much-needed inspiration.

Just had a really sick acute pulmonary oedema patient.  I haven't had a full-field APO for ages.  It was good to do someone that was actually so acutely and time-critically sick.  I was sure he was about to arrest.  Thankfully he didn't and our treatment brought him back in the right direction.  We picked him up from the bush nursing hospital where they rarely do sickies and the staff need a lot of paramedical direction.  I was the treating officer and it kind of felt good asking the other paramedic to do this, the Div 1 nurse to do that, the nursing student to grab me this, and the doctor (GP) on scene if it was ok for her to give a drug that we dont' carry but he needed.  It went smoothly, efficiently, and I caught myself mid-IV cannulation drawing parallels between that situation and what it would be like to be an ED doc running an arrest or similar.  I really think emergency medicine is for me.

And it was just what I needed.  More motivation to continue studying this long, long (and expensive) journey through med school.

Void

Nothing much is happening right now.  Just working, occasionally reading something for the Masters, doing stuff around the house and garden now the weather is improving.   I'm sewing this weekend on my spare time - just making a skirt/dress/wrap/top thingy (convertible for travel) by hand as I find it extremely therapeutic. 

Hence, I haven't been chained to the laptop and I haven't posted for awhile.

Mensarian

Just went to my first Mensa lunch today. It was very interesting and fun. I'm glad I went.

School fee blues

My massive med school tuition fees are starting to get me down.  I know I'm really lucky to be able to travel and afford things like a new fence when I need them, but it's frustrating to work my ass off and not get ahead at all.  I really noticed it when I just took two weeks off work sick and only got paid my base wage (no overtime or call-out allowances).  Another 4 years of this it going to hurt.  I'm going through a phase of doubt while sitting here going through my miniature bank accounts. 

Ugh.

Well only 4 1/2 weeks until I go away. Geebus!!!  That is totally scary.

Well I haven't done my workout today yet, despite sitting here in my trackies.  I think I'll go do that now to try and lift my mood.  Maybe I'll have an epiphany or at least more optimism in regards to the financial situation.

So unfit

After just 2 days of manual labour around the house I am so sore, so tired, and feel like the most unfit slug/blob in the whole world. So horrible enough to friggin do something about it.

In bed now resting my aching body.

Must find trackies in the morning. Actually looking forward to it. I have all day spare at home while my fence gets finished.

Goodnight.

Maintain-ence

One of the problems with working full-time on an on-call roster and studying medicine is there's not much time for anything else, including house maintenance. So, now I'm on a break from med school I'm busy busy busy with all those jobs I've been putting off around the house.

Finally the weather is improving! Just when I thought I was going to get osteomalacia.

TV for pets (part 2)

This morning's show: Strange car pulling up in neighbours drive way

Affluenza

I learnt a new word today.