As part of my course, I have to see a mentor for two hours every week during my pre-clinical modules. Today was my first mentor meeting for this term.
I am so lucky to have the mentor that I do. She is a top emergency consultant and works at the local major regional hospital. So, basically, she is doing the job that I want one day. (Emergency medicine is still my first preference, with paediatrics and general practice as my other top preferences). She is very optimistic about my prospects of finding a job once I graduate, despite me being an IMG (International Medical Graduate) and the surging medical student tsunami in Australia. Geez I hope she is right.
So today we had a double session and we went through the first two cases - hypo- and hyper- thyroidism. It went well. It even went better over a pot of jasmine green tea and eggs florentine.
That was my morning. Now I'm home and my afternoon will be going through the second case study. I believe I can finish it today as I don't have work to interrupt me. I like to get the case study read and out of the way before moving on, although after each Learning Issue there is the associated readings, but I prefer to do those all at the end. I liked my method last week of reading the case study (and looking up any unfamiliar terms along the way), watching the associated Kaplan videos, and then doing the readings. The readings were easier to digest with a quick overview first from the case and the videos.
Yesterday, FYI, I had my first online lecture for the term. It went for three hours and covered the first case study. I was so glad I had done the pre-readings as you need to have done them before class to be able to answer the questions the lecturer asks. There are about 10 students in my class so we all get asked questions in turn. I felt pretty confident about most things, but once again I feel inferior to the nurse practitioners and osteopaths - they are already seeing primary presentation of hypothyroidism, for example, and ordering and interpreting tests.
My mentor told me every time I have a patient from now on, after I've finished all my paperwork and other duties for work, I should sit down and go through all the possible differential diagnoses for that patient, write them all down, and then write down how I would work that patient up as a doctor and what tests I should order. I will definitely do that from now on.
To be honest, I didn't realise until this week that thyroid problems could cause arrhythmias. I will look at that more closely now, although my mentor did say it's not exactly the most common cause (of bradycardia and AF).
Ok off to get cracking on this hyperthyroidism case study. My dog is already crying at my because I'm at the computer and ignoring him.
PS My iMac is going really well. I think it is one purchase I can definitely say has made my life better. Loving the iPad too.
I am so lucky to have the mentor that I do. She is a top emergency consultant and works at the local major regional hospital. So, basically, she is doing the job that I want one day. (Emergency medicine is still my first preference, with paediatrics and general practice as my other top preferences). She is very optimistic about my prospects of finding a job once I graduate, despite me being an IMG (International Medical Graduate) and the surging medical student tsunami in Australia. Geez I hope she is right.
So today we had a double session and we went through the first two cases - hypo- and hyper- thyroidism. It went well. It even went better over a pot of jasmine green tea and eggs florentine.
That was my morning. Now I'm home and my afternoon will be going through the second case study. I believe I can finish it today as I don't have work to interrupt me. I like to get the case study read and out of the way before moving on, although after each Learning Issue there is the associated readings, but I prefer to do those all at the end. I liked my method last week of reading the case study (and looking up any unfamiliar terms along the way), watching the associated Kaplan videos, and then doing the readings. The readings were easier to digest with a quick overview first from the case and the videos.
Yesterday, FYI, I had my first online lecture for the term. It went for three hours and covered the first case study. I was so glad I had done the pre-readings as you need to have done them before class to be able to answer the questions the lecturer asks. There are about 10 students in my class so we all get asked questions in turn. I felt pretty confident about most things, but once again I feel inferior to the nurse practitioners and osteopaths - they are already seeing primary presentation of hypothyroidism, for example, and ordering and interpreting tests.
My mentor told me every time I have a patient from now on, after I've finished all my paperwork and other duties for work, I should sit down and go through all the possible differential diagnoses for that patient, write them all down, and then write down how I would work that patient up as a doctor and what tests I should order. I will definitely do that from now on.
To be honest, I didn't realise until this week that thyroid problems could cause arrhythmias. I will look at that more closely now, although my mentor did say it's not exactly the most common cause (of bradycardia and AF).
Ok off to get cracking on this hyperthyroidism case study. My dog is already crying at my because I'm at the computer and ignoring him.
PS My iMac is going really well. I think it is one purchase I can definitely say has made my life better. Loving the iPad too.
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