Summer's out, let the hard work commence!

So we are already two weeks into the second year and it’s feeling like the summer was ages ago. Although, this term our timetable is much nicer than it was last year, so we can’t really complain! We no longer have our Friday sessions at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire for anatomy, and now have a full day in hospital on a Monday. We also have a lot more free time during the week which allows us to go over the days lectures, do the Self Directed Learning work that has been set, and basically work at a much more relaxed pace.

The first week back mainly consisted of lots of holiday discussion. Most people wanted to make the most of our final long student summer and so went on fun, exciting holidays. Some people worked at jobs back home in order to have enough money for this next year (the NHS bursary can be great for some, or a real pain). For others it was just simply a time to relax and get away from studying for a while. A few lucky students went to Grenada for an anatomy master-class and spent five weeks doing dissection in the Caribbean. But whether people backpacked across Asia, or simply lounged on the sofa catching up on TV, I think everyone came back feeling more ready and prepared for another year.

Our second year starts with a 12 week block called Advanced Cases 1. This block is intended to build on what we learnt last year, adding more detail and information, and assisting us in understanding more about what is involved within the healthcare setting. It is also to help get us ready for after Christmas when we will be on placements. Our Mondays in hospital, for example, are split between bedside teaching (similar to what we had for half a day last year), procedural skills, and clinical learning opportunities. The clinical learning opportunities are to help give us the chance to spend time with various healthcare members and departments within our hospitals and GP surgeries, including management areas. Last Monday we had our first day and I had a great time first shadowing a matron and then spending my afternoon in the mortuary. It was fascinating finding out what matrons actually do – it was a lot more about ensuring the best opportunities and care for patients than I had realised. It was also really interesting to see what exactly goes on in a mortuary, and to understand how important it is to have a good relationship with all staff members to guarantee the best care, during and after life.

All in all I think this year will definitely bring new challenges and difficulties, but now that we have done the hard part of laying down the ground work, it should be much more enjoyable. Not that first year wasn’t – but I think after already having three years of a lecture based course I am looking forward to getting onto the wards, and hopefully we can start seeing what we have learnt and begin applying it!

Megan Earle : 09 Oct 2014 13:08 |  Tags: Gp Healthcare Mbchb Rachel Summer Warwick Wms |  Comments (0) |  Report a problem