Owner: Unprotected Text URL:http://uptext.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2007 06:49:24 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: A scallywags journey through medical school. Site statistics:Click here
Unconditional Love 2007-07-28 06:12:00 After sending proof of my degree results, and sorting out the necessary criminal records check and immunisations UCAS updated and informed me:It’s just nice to have it in writing!
Dawsons Freak 2007-08-03 19:02:00 Okay so let’s start with the pictures.Was a fantastic day to walk around London, and showed off the charterhouse square fantastically.And another:Front of Dawson:Some of the rooms:The entrance to charterhouse: (looking from outside Dawson)And the green just outside the halls, a seriously nice place to relax:So you may have noticed a complete lack of inside the halls shots. Let me explain, oh and the following conversation isn’t in the slightest bit exaggerated, it actually went like this:Me: “Hi, I’m going to be living in Dawson next year and seeing as I was in London today I thought I’d come to ask if it would be possible to have a quick look at one of the rooms?”Site manager #1: “Have you got an appointment?”Me: “No, do I need one?”Site manager #2: “Yes you do, look you can’t just turn up here and expect to be shown around.”Me: “Okay, sorry is there any chance I can get an appointment for today? I won’t take more than a minute…”Site manager #2: “NO Read more:Freak
Life Lessons 2007-08-02 05:40:00 I received an e-mail from Barts asking for all my old exam certificates for enrolment. This sparked a furious search for them only to end with the realisation that I never picked some of them up from my old school in the first place. Panicked, I phoned the admissions department who told me I shouldn’t have received that e-mail and all I needed to send was my degree certificate (which hasn’t actually been issued yet) at the end of the month.Lesson learnt – Ignore non-specific admissions e-mails.Last night I went out to a reunion meal with some old school friends. I was a little bit pissed off to spend £18 at this supposedly ‘cheap’ restaurant. I also happened to be starving by the time food got to me and finished my spaghetti bolognaise and side order of chips, pretty much as soon as we started. I had to sit for literally 20 minutes waiting for the others to finish theirs.Lesson learnt – Don’t ever expect a cheap meal out at a swanky restaurant, and pace yourself when eat Read more:Lessons
Paths Crossed 2007-08-08 10:25:00 Headed back from London last week took much longer than expected, but was made all the more pleasant by a conversation with a fellow passenger for most of the way. Now, usually I tend to keep myself to myself and rarely engage in conversation with strangers. In fact, I didn’t even spark up the banter, but engaged in response until the doors of flowing conversation were opened by a guy called Sam.Sam was an American, and judging by previous experience it is not so surprising that a foreigner were to chat nonchalantly to a stranger on a crowded train. He was pleasant, affable, and appeared interested in what I had to say. He remarked on how London is very different to other city’s he’s lived in, especially in that a lot of people are reluctant to talk casually or even accept a passing smile. He told me that people he works with on a daily basis will blank him everyday at the station even though they recognise each other. He asked me why that was, and although I knew exactly what he Read more:Paths
Addicted To Bass 2007-08-11 13:06:00 Picture this, it's Freshers week, everyone is anxious and making an effort to get to know each other and it feels like such a false, forced environment. One eager fellow fresher comes up to me and introduces themselves as Zahra. We chat for a while, the necessary yet mundane banter – Where are you from? What are you studying? It all gets forgotten amid the introduction overload of freshers week. Then I decide to try and steer the conversation onto something slightly more interesting. Me: “What’s on your iPod?” (I noticed her headphones)Zahra: “Ah gotta luv my RnB, so lush” Immediately regretting asking, I probe further… Me: “Oh right, so you’re a clubber?”Zahra: “Yeh totally, luv clubs that’s what I luv about London”…Zahra: “Lik since I got out of skool I just can’t get enough bass, you know wot I mean?”Me: “Err no not really…” That killed it. I know we’re all nervous, but honestly the only thing I was thinking of at the time was “You mean t Read more:Addicted
Burnt food for thought 2007-08-14 07:20:00 A random collection of thought
s…because I can.How odd, I seem to have got my first terms student loan instalment already, despite not having enrolled yet. Still, can’t complain as I might get a few quid interest on it over the next month.*****I’ve also got the timetable for the first two days of med school. Unsurprisingly it is concerned with enrolment, orientation and course overviews. Sounds like a riot.*****Why is it I have such anxiety talking to strangers? I try damn hard not to seem antisocial yet when I am buying something at the checkout, or stopped in the street, or answer the phone I get the same under-scrutiny sensation and all eloquent conversation dissipates into colloquial gibberish (on my part anyway).*****Am I gonna have to start shaving more regularly at med school for patient contact? I like my scruff, even if it does itch like hell sometimes.*****Has my family lost direction? Since my bro broke up with his girlfriend he’s been quite depressed. He used to be t
Phone Call 2007-08-18 07:40:00 Last night I got a call from my mate’s girlfriend. Needless to say she isn’t the sharpest tool in the box (and this is a pretty blunt box). Ever since she found out I got into medical school she has occasionally phoned me up asking health-related questions, to which I usually reply ‘go and see your doctor’. Last night I felt that I had sufficient knowledge to provide an answer for her:*Phone rings*I pick up my mobile and see the caller ID – ‘Beth Mob’. I sigh, knowing what was coming up.“Hey, what’s up?” I asked, trying to sound genuine.“Heeeeya! He’s ill today and I was just wondering if you could tell me something?” she replied.“Okay, what do you want to know?”“Where abouts is the abdomen?”…“The tummy” I said in a strained tone, expecting another follow up question.“Oh! Okay, thanks for that. I was just a bit worried, you know what I’m like!”“I certainly do” I replied, knowing she wouldn’t cotton on to the sarcasm. I wished him a sw Read more:Phone Call
Feeling the Heat 2007-08-23 06:51:00 Med school is now just over three weeks away, and will mark the end of this everlasting summer (seems strange to think the last time I had any teaching was back in March). Further induction material has been published online, including the Freshers fortnight outline – a jam packed two weeks of entertainment. Don’t get me wrong, I’m looking forwards to it for sure, but I am experiencing the familiar anxiety-induced dread of starting over.For me, anxiety comes in two forms. Firstly there is the constant ebbing of an overactive brain that manifests itself through trepidation and tongue-twisting of my sentences. Secondly, if it gets really bad I throw up. When I started Biomed I would throw up most days until I got over homesickness and found my niche. I had medication, but haven’t taken that in the past three years. I doubt I shall be sick this time round, but the rest of it will certainly be felt.Everyone gets nervous, we’re all in the same boat, I know. But combining my disdai Read more:Feeling
Things about me you probably didn’t know: 2007-08-21 11:57:00 1. I have spent about a quarter of my life abroad2. I taught myself to drum and play guitar3. I broke my arm when I was 7 literally diving off a climbing frame (we were playing a swimming game and I got a bit carried away)4. Contact lenses drive me crazy but I still wear them most days5. My favourite food is spaghetti bolognaise6. I love rock/punk rock but also Avril Lavigne and Nelly Furtado7. When I was younger I wanted to be an engineer8. I have had two general anaesthetics9. I had two tortoises when I was younger but they got cold and died10. I suffer from severe middle child syndrome11. I have flown a plane (as co-pilot) 7 times before12. I hate summer and love winter13. People say I have a worryingly good memory14. I hate clubbing15. My room is filled with photo frames with the manufacturers inserts as I never got round to printing off any to put in them (seriously, on my desk is a black and white insert of a couple staring out into the ocean with '7X5 Solid Oak Frame' in bold
The Bad Samaritan 2007-08-27 08:11:00 I was 18 when a friend and I finished our A-levels and jumped on a plane to celebrate our new found independence. The day before we left I sat my last exam at the school I’d been at for 7 years, finishing with ample time to reminisce over the times I had there and the fact that 24hrs from then I’d be on the other side of the Atlantic.We spent 6 weeks travelling the length of the entire east coast of the USA. It was a time of new beginnings, leaving the country without supervision, the end of our school days, and the start of university was looming on the horizon. Needless to say, we were young, carefree and having the time of our lives.There was one point in that journey that has stuck in my mind. It was a hot and humid night in July. We had just spent the day in Jacksonville, Fl and were waiting at the station to catch our train to Tampa. The journey itself would take a mere 3 ½ hours, and with the train departing at 7pm, allowing time for us to reach our accommodation for a good
Wake me up when September starts 2007-08-25 05:46:00 I’m not a mornings person, nowhere near. In fact, I would recommend that no one engage me until I have established my day at least one hour after waking. Let me explain:8:00am – Drifting slowly into the edge of consciousness as the cortisol from my sleep-wake cycle kicks in.BP = 110/708:02am – The recycling lorry trundles along the road, glass smashing and my open window at the front of the house make a bad combination.BP = 118/768:04am – I pull myself out of bed, woozy and tired I skulk over to my bedroom door, open it and trip over the laundry basket that had been tactlessly placed right in front of my door.BP = 128/868:05am – Regain my composure and creep over towards the bathroom, which happens to be occupied. I wait a few minutes before giving up and going to the crappy bathroom.BP = 131/908:07am – Wash my face, step back to grab for the towel and in doing so I tread directly onto a rusty nail head stealthily sticking through the carpet. ‘BASTARD!’ I yell, and stri Read more:September
Wok a bargain! 2007-08-30 11:18:00 Oh yes, you’re reading the blog of a proud new wok-owner:Cost me under a tenner, so I was pretty damned pleased. Even better, it’s a carbon-steel non stick wok. It’s better because I won’t be living off a diet of Teflon flakes (unlike last year when our undomesticated arsehole housemate scratched the Teflon off with wire sponge).But the bargains don’t just stop there, oh no. It’s pretty geeky to start buying textbooks before I’m there (this is the first one I’ve bought) but at just £5 it would be criminal not to. It’s pretty old, and I’ll end up buying a decent new anatomy book at some point but it may come in useful, who knows.The only thing that tainted my shopping spree had to be getting approached four times by chuggers from the same children’s charity trying to sign me up. Of course, I kept on walking and ignored them or shook my head at them, but it seriously pissed me off. Our town seems to get it worse than most others. They may well be collecting money f
Crazy... 2007-08-29 09:17:00 Medicine = t- 17 daysMe thinks I should start getting the essentials, trouble is I can’t remember what I’ve got and what I need…Should I bring my George Foreman grill? After all, it’s so good he burnt his face on it.How many pots and pans?Maybe I should get a massive wok…What about cutlery and cooking utensils?Should I bring my guitar? (I don’t want to be seen as ‘that’ guy*)Which Biomed books would be worth bringing?Do I need to bother with smart shoes and clothes?When should I pay my tuition fees?Why do I need so many passport photos?How the hell am I gonna move all this stuff out next summer??What’s with some of the other freshers in the Facebook groups declaring that “We’ll be the maddest bunch of medical students Barts has ever seen, innit?” – Seriously, that is so retarded. I feel inclined to tell those people to grow the fuck up, only I have to be non-judgemental and polite, particularly as I may be living with them next year.* ‘that’ guy is a perso Read more:Crazy
Does not commute 2007-09-20 09:33:00 We’re walking to lectures, it’s around 8am and there is an oncoming mob of Liverpool street station commuters. I wait at the traffic light slightly dazed by the morning sunshine and stare blankly at the other pedestrians waiting to cross. One hurried lady walks out, sees a silver BMW coming towards her and runs across the road in a fairly graceless manner to avoid getting hit.All I do is watch expressionlessly.“Yes darling, it’s called a car” she declares to me as she passes.Right? I’m clearly the idiot here…We made it to lectures on time. I had a badass sore throat, and sat through the lectures swallowing what little secretions of saliva I could to soothe the burn. The second lecture was however, hilarious, inspirational, eye-opening. London is quite tiring right now; I think we’re all finding it so. I’m trying to establish a daily routine and settle in but at the moment it feels as though I’m not living in London, but simply existing in it.Apologies for the short
My first day at med school 2007-09-17 13:23:00 Q. What is the most unpredictable way to start medical school?A. Have the very first person you meet ask “oh! are you the blog guy?!”More surprising still, was when quite literally the exact same thing occurred with the second person I met.That’ll teach me to blog without a pseudonym!(And seeing that they will probably read this at some point, I will take this opportunity to say “Hey! Fancy a cuppa in the kitchen??”)*****The first night was a ‘mummies and daddies night’, where freshers are paired up with current students (the parents) who have to look after their baby freshers. My dad is an alcoholic, but he did buy me a drink, told me to join the water polo society and suggested I should cheat on my girlfriend as it was my first night (I was NOT impressed).Needless to say, it was an uncomfortable conversation - being the sober one. Trying to be non-judgemental, I’m taking it with a pinch of salt. I got a text the following day asking if I’m settling in alright, and a
The Night Before Medicine 2007-09-14 15:41:00 Twas the night before Medicine
, when all through the house,Harry was up late, agitated and rouse.His crates and bags ready, packed with due care,In hope that morning would soon be there.He lay there all snug in his single bed,While visions of freshers week danced through his head.All the while the house fell silent, counting down hours till dawn,He could not sleep, could not unwind, let alone yawn.When all of a sudden arose such a clatter,And he sprang from his bed to see what’s the matter.Gently, he prised open the laptop screen,But it turned out to be nothing, just MSN's routine.So he browsed for a while, checking his blog stats,But no one had visited, and nothing to look at.Now Facebook! Now Google! Now Hotmail! Now Play!On YouTube! On Blogger! On Amazon and eBay!All the while the seconds ticked on,And Harry grew weary of the internets song.And so he decided that that was that,He closed down the computer for a night cap.As morning broke and the birds did sing,Harry awoke to those Read more:Night
Summer by numbers 2007-09-12 10:30:00 In the style of Cal (who hasn't done one recently)Of the 84 days of summer…2 of which I worked…7 of which I went to London…75 of which I sat on my arseI read 3 books…of which 2 were goodRestrung my guitar twiceDrank beer on 54 of the nightsHad one mother of all hangoversWent on holiday 0 times (I am too poor)Had 68 arguments with my mother…of which I won 68 (at least in my eyes)Had 17 arguments with my little brother…of which I lost 15 (outfoxed by a 13 yr old)Graduated once…of which 3 bottles of champagne were drunkSaw 4 films at the cinemaWatched big brother for 6 and 1/2 weeks before getting boredLearnt two new recipesBought one pair of new shoesDanced the fandango onceVisited my med school twiceWent to four birthday partiesHad to get up before 9am 8 times…of which I overslept twiceGot up past midday 42 timesGot up past 2pm onceHad two hair cutsShaved 6 timesReceived 24 comments about my scruffReceived 0 compliments about my scruffSent 213 text messages…and 16 e-m Read more:Summer
Faceblogged 2007-09-09 06:06:00 It’s a little daunting to think that I am now in my last week of holiday. This time next week, I shall be mingling with my new hall mates probably discussing the previous night’s activities, deciding what to do for the rest of the day and feeling sufficiently out of my comfort zone… probably.To recap on this past week’s highlights:Hair – cutFriend – remindedFreshers pass – postedTuition fees – paidEssentials – boughtGuitar – restrungAnd that explains the lack of posting, or rather lack of anything to post about.Thanks to Facebook and the perhaps abusive way I have used it, I now know the names and thumbnail sized faces of three people who I shall be living in close proximity (i.e. pretty much next room) to myself. They did declare their room numbers in the freshers groups, so I have not turned out-right stalker as this may come across. I can’t decide if I like knowing before hand, as it almost takes the surprise out of arriving at halls. Certainly three years ago
Plan A 2007-09-05 09:12:00 Medicine = t- 10 daysThey say moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do in your life. I may not be leaving a career, selling a house, changing the bills, saying too many goodbyes or transferring an entire household content’s to another property, but I am moving, and I am concerned for one thing…In my single-parent family only one person is able to drive. Unfortunately for me, she hasn’t any balls either (pardon the expression, this is NOT a dig at women drivers). As I’m moving to central London my dear mother has point blank refused to take me and my possessions on a Saturday to my new halls. In all I’m a little thankful for this as sitting in a car and trying to direct her around central London would likely be the most traumatic event of the year for me.In the knowledge of all this, I asked my best mate from home if he could take me this one time. I’ve promised a free lunch, generous amounts of petrol money and gave 3 months advanced notice. I hate asking
Things I would cite as the bane of my life: 2007-09-01 17:35:00 1. Plastic packaging when there really is no need for it2. When people pronounce Iraq: ‘eye-rak’3. People who declare themselves mad/random/crazy to compensate for a lack of personality4. People who boast about how much they drank the night before (look, we get it, you’ve got a small penis)5. Cricket on TV, all the time6. Cards with glitter on (and I don’t want to look like a 13yr old girl at a school disco when it sticks to me)7. Bloggers inability to publish a post without fucking up the layout (especially when pictures are involved)8. Offensively fragrant body wash (who really wants to smell like a mango first thing?)9. Flatulence jokes10. Cheesy clichés offered as worldly advice (well, it happens to the best of us…)11. Anyone who takes Facebook seriously12. BTHomeHubs seemingly endless seizures13. When people eat too loudly14. Chuggers15. Pushchairs, on busy streets with militant mothers at the helm (especially those designed for more than one infant)16. Bumping into peo
Interprofessional Entertainment 2007-09-25 13:47:00 Interprofessional Education – that’s what I wasted my morning with. I guess this is my first insight into the bizarre world of NHS teamwork strategies. I’ve always been a cynic with regards to these sorts of things, so it is no wonder I have taken such a stance. In my opinion today was not really about forging the ideals of a slick and well-oiled multidisciplinary healthcare team. But rather concerned with reacting to some government target in which all medics, nurses, therapists, etc are put in a room together so they can say “well look what we’ve done to improve the NHS, we do listen to our patients, we are committed to healthcare teams”.Did I learn anything? Not really, only that we are all as reluctant to speak up when put in this very artificial environment for an hour and told to work as a team.There was a lovely speech and language therapist who introduced her self and asked what I was studying. When I told her I was studying Medicine she asked “Oh! So are you goin Read more:Entertainment
FunMed: Step Right Up 2007-09-23 17:03:00 So tomorrow marks the start of medical school teaching, and as I understand the ‘Fundamentals of Medicine’ module is neither fun nor medical. I have had more than enough induction talks for my liking, and am just about ready to start some real work, no doubt this time in a few weeks I shall eat my words.So on tomorrows menu we have gross anatomy and microanatomy lectures for starters, followed by a microanatomy practical for the main. Unfortunately for me, I have a 3 ½ hour gap in the middle of my day. Not really long enough to come back to halls or do anything useful. I may spend it exploring the wonders of Whitechapel (Shitechapel as it has become branded) but I don’t really fancy getting pick-pocketed.I get my first session of PBL on Tuesday afternoon, and am not really sure how to feel about it. For one thing, I am the only one in my group whose name I can pronounce so I hope the other students don’t hold it against me when I cock up their names.Socially med school is fant Read more:Right
Problem Based Learning 2007-10-02 15:43:00 You know all those swanky high-gloss images in the medical school prospectus featuring eager young medics participating in intensive PBL debates? That clean, trendy and fully equipped room full of wonderful gadgets like interactive whiteboards, computers for every student, plasma screen televisions networked together in some sort of euphoric PBL dream?Wake up, it’s all a lie.To start with our PBL room has a crappy whiteboard with scribble that doesn’t wipe off at all, a ragged tatty appearance and the climate of Siberia.There is an awkward atmosphere ebbing as we nervously dissect the given scenario. No one really wants to chair, or scribe for that matter. I’m the only grad in my group, which is proving more of a burden right now. I may have more extensive knowledge of the scenario but it is hard not to come across as a smart-arse when I try helping clarify terms or explain concepts I’ve come across in Biomed. That’s not to say no one contributes, there are a fair few members Read more:Problem
, Learning
Prosection Introspection 2007-09-30 14:51:00 As a child I would occasionally daydream on long car journeys or before I fell asleep at night, pondering what death is like. Back then as a naïve child with an overactive imagination I used to think that although you were dead, you could still feel what happens to your body on some spiritual level. Because of this I thought the idea of cremation was horrific, that you would feel the intense burning of your remains somehow. The same superstitious logic could therefore be applied to dissection – that you would somehow feel your body being cut open, manipulated and dissected out. I would shudder at the thought of such horrendous agony, but even as a child I knew it was a silly idea. So why was it I still shuddered at the thought of somehow hurting this prosected specimen? I guess I’d hardwired that false notion into my brain and couldn’t help myself - it is an intrinsic reflex now.Because of this mindset I had as a child I also used to think being buried and slowly decomposing wo Read more:Introspection
Reassurance 2007-10-12 11:24:00 "Seriously, if you tie a donkey to the medical college I guarantee you that in 5 years time it will graduate.""You don't need morals to be an expert in medical ethics, in the same way you needn't be a potato, to be a potato expert."- Lecturer on medical ethics
Karmacology 2007-10-07 17:38:00 About a week ago I attended an emergency medicine society meeting in the basement of the Royal London hospital. I actually really enjoyed it, there was a short quiz that us freshers sucked at (though not too badly, surprisingly!) and a mini-lecture with lots of gory photos and information in it. For example in an explosion did you know your ear drums burst and sinuses literally explode? I didn’t ever consider that, though it makes perfect sense in retrospect.Later in the session we spent time putting on cervical collars and practising a log-roll for c-spine immobilisation. You wouldn’t think that it would be that hard for several people to roll a casualty following a ‘ready, brace, roll’ command. Yet, it really isn’t that easy to synchronise, trust me. I left the session feeling pretty elated; I really enjoyed the glance at clinical medicine, no matter how basic it was. Hell I felt like a medico-god, briefly.Of course karma had other ideas, as a group of us made our way to St
The sweet with the bitter 2007-10-04 07:57:00 The Anatomy Room Whilst staring at a clearly enlarged heart (not far off dinner plate size!) which had been cut in halves through coronal section, one of the anatomy professors walks over to me and quizzes me on the atria, ventricles and major vessels coming in and out of it. I pause for a second whilst noticing this black/gray grainy material in the walls of the heart chamber. “Is it like this because of haemochromatosis?” I blurt out. … “Err, well it could be?! Why do you think that is then?” The professor asks me, looking puzzled. “Oh err…saw it in Greys Anatomy.” I reply, clearly not thinking about what I was saying. His face lights up. “Ah! Excellent! Glad to see you’re reading up on these things!” Comes an over enthusiastic reply. I smile sheepishly and walk on to the next specimen. That wasn’t the Grays Anatomy I was talking about. ********** Cell Biology Practical We’re trying to convert milimoles and micromoles of creatinine into correct units for an
Reasons I'm not problem based loving it 2007-10-16 14:56:00 1. Being chair with flu“So-cgh has any-cough one f- f- f-cghgh found out any reas-cough reasons why this per- person resorted COUGH to COUGH taking COUGH dru-COUGH COUGH COUGH”2. Ridiculous scenarios“Mrs C was relieved the baby was born with no obvious defects; her husband had been born with an extra finger on each hand.”3. Having to grade ourselvesTutor: “So out of five how do you think you’ve done for this one?”Us: “Can we have five?”Tutor: “No, not yet”Us: “Errr…”4. Being the only grad in my group5. Still not knowing the names of a few other members of my group despite it being the 4th week…6. The seven-step approach“Okay so moving on, step 4 – organise explanations to form a tentative solution”“Haven’t we sort of already done that one? I mean we could do it but we’d just be repeating ourselves…”7. Deciding on a new chair and scribe“So, who wants to scribe next?”“Anyone?”“How about you??”*looks at student*“No, seriously my Read more:Reasons
Great Expectations 2007-10-15 15:35:00 It seems that the old adage of medical student ‘glamour’ is true. The adage that is, not the reality. Recently I have found myself coming under relentless questioning from eager friends and family for the nitty gritty details that make up the first month of medical school. The reality of course, is there are very few, if any.Take for example the recent phone call I had with my mother:“So have you been in any hospitals yet?”“No”“What about GP practices?”“No”“Met any patients?”“No”“Seen anything interesting??”“No”“Had any tests or work back?”“No”…“So…what did you do today?”“I watched a video on pregnancy”“Oooh that sounds exciting! What was it about?!”"Pregnancy.""Yes I mean, what happened in it?"“We’ve seen it before on BBC, you know the Robert Winston one”“Ah”I got asked by my friends probing questions into the life of clinical medicine the other night. It was quite fun to burst their balloon and tell them all I’ve Read more:Great
, Great Expectations
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