Med School Diaries: Back in the Action

My first week of the new term is over, and a basic description for the week would be “loving the library”. I really need to be in the library as much as I can, its the only way I can get through the year successfully… which I need to be more than ever. 

This week was my first bedside teaching session. I’m really excited about the opportunity to learn in the hospital; I am in Warwick Hospital rather than UCHW which I think will be a really good place to do my first bedside placement. It’s a smaller hospital but still amazingly equipped and contains the same things that UCHW does including an A&E and ITU. Next week is when we really get started but it made me really motivated to be on it with work this term. I want to be confident in my work and in myself when I talk to these patients. 

This block is a neuro module, full of nerve tract anatomy and thousands of brain scans. I’ve been finding it difficult to understand the concepts mainly because a lot of what you learn is unable to be seen but assume from symptoms. I really find it hard because there is nothing to see, no particular organ. It they aren’t often clear on the scans when you aren’t sure of what you need to look for. 

I’ve been baking this week and was so on it with my meal prepping which I think helped me deal with the late nights in the library. I made cake bars to make it through my snacking this week and welcomed today’s study session with cinnamon rolls which are always a firm family favourite and now a positive with my study group

Friday couldn’t come quickly enough, not because I wasn’t enjoying myself, but I gave me the knowledge that there was no new information to be learnt until Tuesday! It meant that I had time to catch up and confirm information which I really needed with something as complicated as this. Where I have fallen behind before is by ignoring things I don’t understand until the last minute, which means related things also get left and misunderstood due to lack of knowledge. 

“This week was hard, next week is going to be hard too. But after that it gets better”

Next week is going to be just as hard. I am worried that my mental capacity will be this issue next week, mainly because of the pressure I feel under. Hopefully it will go well and the words of my anatomy tutor will ring true – it will be hard, but it will get better… one can hope!