My first posting as an intern (aka. a "house surgeon") is in the Department of Community Medicine, and this is equivalent to being given a paid vacation. The only problem is we have classes once a week. I thought I was done with this particular annoyance after third year, but it turns out that Community Medicine is like Hepatitis C. It just doesn't go away.
I've been "working" in the hospital for two weeks now, and am just starting to understand the dysfunctional inner workings of this fine institution which happens to be a state-of-the-art tertiary health care centre (allegedly). This is what I've learnt so far:
1) The Staff Nurse will be in a permanent bad mood, which will only worsen at night. She will also frequently say things like "Doctor! You cant use a separate syringe for each patient!". Take that, WHO.
2) If by now you still haven't pricked yourself somewhere somehow, you're not working hard enough
3) The Department of Sexually Transmitted Diseases should be re-named the Department of Awkward Conversations. Not a day goes by without hearing something like "Demonstrate how to wear a condom" or "How much money did you give her?"
4) Forget the principle of Universal Precautions. The hospital works under the principle of Universal Politics. Take any two people from a department, and chances are, they've got some reason to hate each other.
5) If you have nothing to do, leave immediately without making eye-contact with anyone you meet along the way. There is always something to do.
I've been "working" in the hospital for two weeks now, and am just starting to understand the dysfunctional inner workings of this fine institution which happens to be a state-of-the-art tertiary health care centre (allegedly). This is what I've learnt so far:
1) The Staff Nurse will be in a permanent bad mood, which will only worsen at night. She will also frequently say things like "Doctor! You cant use a separate syringe for each patient!". Take that, WHO.
2) If by now you still haven't pricked yourself somewhere somehow, you're not working hard enough
3) The Department of Sexually Transmitted Diseases should be re-named the Department of Awkward Conversations. Not a day goes by without hearing something like "Demonstrate how to wear a condom" or "How much money did you give her?"
4) Forget the principle of Universal Precautions. The hospital works under the principle of Universal Politics. Take any two people from a department, and chances are, they've got some reason to hate each other.
5) If you have nothing to do, leave immediately without making eye-contact with anyone you meet along the way. There is always something to do.
