Day 10 - It's about performance

I literally did not sleep much over Sunday, only 1-2 hours, rushing my supposed long case and 'Back Pain' presentation. And still, could not get it done. My visit to the city to follow up my patient was a waste of time - due to inefficient public transport on weekends. So anywayz, as the hour approaches at 1pm, I was panicking over lunch as the resident suggested that I should at least know what I'm talking about, the reason for including certain points, so that I don't get shot down left-right-centre. As I entered the room, 1 of my registrars told my consultant supervisor that he was happy with my performance, and the consultant asked him, "Really? So how much he bribed you?" *swt*

So I was alone with that consultant in the seminar room (scary wei), and as I went through my presentation, he was happily sitting there enjoying his lunch box. But I was really thankful that he did not ask any particularly tough questions, though I look a bit awkward when could not answer a few things. After my presentation, he even nicely showed me how I should include CT scan photos of the patient in my presentation, instead of just copy and paste the results. Then, he sent me off to get lunch (I didn't coz fast and pray, but I was quite surprised he was in a good mood)..

Then things changed during clinic, when he made me clerk and examine 3 patients, and write in the notes (ie act like a doctor, then he will evaluate my case notes).. drawback was everytime he saw the patient with me, I was a bit nervous and tongue-tied while presenting to him, and he asked all 3 patients "How you find the medical student? Should I pass him? Coz he still not up to my standard you know.. Just say he's not good you know, and I will make him repeat the whole year all over." The patients were a bit 'pai seh', so they just give face and say, "He is nice." (I think I better not go back to clinic, coz if 1 patient not happy with me, then gone case) But I must say that most of his patients are happy with him coz when he performs surgery, he pays particular attention to cosmetic aspects of the patients (especially females).. 1 old lady was so happy that her brain tumour was removed with a keyhole surgery over her eyebrow (nobody even noticed the scar much), whereas other surgeons wanted to make a wide incision across her forehead.

I duno why I always get foreign patients whom I have difficulty with communication. This time it is a middle-eastern guy who was telling A-Z of his headache symptoms.. Anyway, last case of the day, of all things to do, my consultant asked me to clerk a patient with a rather.. complicated history. Retroperitoneal tumour debulked, with some remaining parts left at the L5 region to preserve neurological function, currently on annual MRI follow up. Let's see, she's got splenectomy for ruptured spleen, pancreatitis, hypothyroidism, pernicious anaemia, and now sciatic nerve pain. And you want me to present that? 6pm when everybody has left the clinic, I was still sitting there writing everything from start to finish, including management plan. Anyway, that last patient was a memorable one, coz she was pretty cheerful and smiling throughout the whole interview, despite her predicament.