All 10 entries tagged Rachel

Applications!

Before we broke up for Christmas we had 2 group work sessions on careers and applying for speciality positions. We were given the opportunity to think about what things were important to us in the first session – whether it was things like location, money, work-life balance, being in a management position, research, and many more. We all had a completely different list of things, and it was interesting to hear what everyone thought.

The second session looked more at applying for jobs. We were given a list of the applications per job for last year, and could see which specialities were the most competitive. We also looked at how many people applied for multiple specialities, and how many applied for GP alongside a hospital-based career.

The main idea of these sessions however was for us to start thinking about what we can be doing now that will tick off boxes in our applications later on. It was encouraging to see that a lot of the skills that we need evidence of we have already been doing, or could easily start doing. For example, evidence of working in a team can be shown from our CBL sessions.

In September we will have our second Student Selected Component (SSC) opportunity, and this time we are to each take on a research project. This will tick off another box or two! We can choose whether we want to do lab-based research, perhaps questionnaires in patient experience, or an audit for example. We also have the option to either select a project from a list that the university has created and found for us, or arrange and come up with a project ourselves. This allows us to find something that we are really interested in, and even tailored towards possible career paths.

As I am interested in potentially doing Paediatrics, I would love to do a project in that area. Even though a lot of the things we need to check off on the application forms are generic, it would look great if I did end up applying as it would show an ongoing interest. This was one of things that they suggested to us in the sessions – if you have an idea of what area you’d like to go into then we should make the most of any opportunity to show an interest. This could be attending a talk or conference, writing an essay or doing a poster, or perhaps even choosing your elective in that area.

Another great way to show interest is also to be a part of that speciality’s society. A lot of the societies are looking for a new committee at the moment as the final year students are preparing to hand over and leave. Being able to write that you held a committee position would not just look good for showing a keen interest but also help demonstrate different levels of responsibility.

Even though we still have a way to go, it is helpful to have an idea of what to expect in the future and perhaps begin to prepare. It is crazy how fast this term is going already!

Megan Earle : 06 Feb 2015 11:35 |  Tags: Mbchb Paediatrics Patients Rachel Warwick Wms |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Happy New Year!

I always think that the Christmas holidays go so much quicker than any other. It’s always filled with the last minute rush of present buying, visiting all the family, and of course eating too much. Then you have your New Year’s Eve celebrations and that’s it – it’s all over until next year. But we were fortunate to have a whole 4 weeks off for Christmas this year, and therefore I can’t complain too much. We also didn’t have any exams to revise for, or work that particularly needed doing so if you wanted to have a proper break you could. I had been intending on going over last terms lectures and things ready for next term but instead made the most of being able to earn some money and have a bit of a rest!

We start our Core Clinical Education block when we return, and this I am very much looking forward to. We will have 3 rotations within the block and I am fortunate enough to get to have time at three of the hospitals – Warwick, UHCW and George Eliot. During each rotation we will experience different specialities, such as cardiology, respiratory and haematology. We will spend one day a week in GP or out in the community like we did last year. We will also then have every other Friday back in uni where we will have lectures and continue our CBL work.

I am a little nervous about how I am going to adjust my learning to the clinical environment but getting to spend the last few weeks of term in the hospitals and chatting to the older years has helped. We have also picked our clinical partners and having the opportunity to choose someone that you know you work well with has been great. I am with someone from my CBL group, and so we have worked a lot together before. I also know that she is great at calming me down when I get stressed!

We also have the winter ball to look forward to when we return. I went to both the winter and summer balls last year, and both were great fun. It’s always nice to have an excuse to dress up! This year it’s masquerade, and there will be face painting again – you’re never too old to have your face painted and especially not when you get to add glitter and gems to match!

It will be strange not being in uni as often, although I’m sure the first years will enjoy having the building to themselves! But getting to spend more time in hospital will be great, and I hope it will help me to put everything together and apply what I’ve been taught more easily. I will let you know how it goes!

Megan Earle : 29 Jan 2015 11:07 |  Tags: Mbchb Newyear Rachel Warwick Wms |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

A day in the life of a GP!

A few weeks ago I spent a day shadowing various healthcare professionals at a GP surgery. The majority of my GP experience comes from my own visits so I was looking forward to seeing what really goes on, and getting to spend time with other members of the team.

During the day I spent time at reception, with the nurse, in the dispensary department, going on home visits and sitting in with the GP for their afternoon clinic. Getting to experience so many different aspects of the practice was so interesting, and enabled me to see a wide range of patients.

In reception you would have the regular patients who loved to have a quick catch up, the patients who didn’t have time to wait for the receptionist to answer their questions, and then everyone in between. As the morning got underway the surgery got busier and busier – the phone rang incessantly and more people had follow-up appointments to book. I got to see how the electronic system worked and how every clinic was coded and ordered.

When I spent time with the nurse I mainly saw a variety of injections – whether it was for a new-born, contraceptive needs or elderly vaccinations. The nurse was great at communicating with patients of all ages – and I got to see how best to deal with a screaming infant who did not want their MMR jab, even with the bribery of stickers and sweets!

The dispensing part of the surgery was really fascinating. My GP at home doesn’t have one so it was great to learn how they work, and which patients are eligible to use them. It was also interesting to see all the different ways prescriptions can be ordered – email, phone, paper... And then just how real polypharmacy is – some patients would have boxes and boxes of tablets. The pharmacist highlighted how it is just as important for them to check the different medications as the doctor, sometimes they can suggest a better alternative or a possible reduction when they are going through a prescription.

Having the opportunity to go on a couple of home visits was great. Neither of the patients really needed to see the doctor for anything important, they were both more of just a chat, but it showed how elderly patients in particular appreciate seeing a figure they trust and can open up to. Conversely, it also showed how sometimes such patients can take up a lot of time, and increase the pressures put on GP’s schedules.

Finally, sitting in on the afternoon clinic! I loved seeing again the real mix of patients that attended. Sometimes the doctor could guess what the presenting complaint was going to be, but other times it was completely random. It also gave me the chance to see what questions I would ask, or what areas I would examine and how that differed to what was actually done. I learnt a great deal and went home with a list of things to look up!

All in all I really enjoyed my day and am looking forward to my GP placement later on. I liked it a lot more than I was expecting, and therefore it made me re-think my preconceptions for various other specialities.

Megan Earle : 18 Nov 2014 12:01 |  Tags: Generalpractitioner Gp Mbchb Patients Rachel Warwick Wms |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

The MedSoc Calendar

So we’ve just had Doctors and Nurses – the biggest night of the MedSoc calendar, and the highlight of the fresher’s week if you’ve just started. This was the second time I’ve been and it still lived up to its expectations. The best part about it is that being a girl you get to wear scrubs (which are so comfy) and get a night free of high heels, whilst laughing at guys dressed up in fish-net tights and fake eyelashes. Some people really go all out and have fantastic costumes! Getting my housemates ready has created a lot of entertainment both years. Each year we have had a shopping trip to buy them tights, make up and nail varnish (much to their regret the following morning!), and then we take as many photos as possible to embarrass them with afterwards. Last year two of my housemates decided to go as Florence Nightingale styled nurses!

I think a big reason that this night is such a success is that every year group gets involved – even some students that have left come back for more! It is also one of the very few events to be held in Coventry – which makes a nice change for those us who live in the area as our taxi fare can finally be reduced! Getting to know new people hidden behind a beard or under a blonde wig is also a great laugh! Although you may see a few too many hairy legs on show!

The next big night that occurs at the beginning of term for the fresher’s is Medic Parents Dinner! This is where as a fresher, you are paired with a second year (who becomes your ‘parent’) and you are invited round for dinner to spend some quality time with them. You then you head out with the other fresher’s and their ‘families’ for a night out in Leamington. Mine last year was really good, and a great way to get to know more people from the year above. ‘Parents’ and ‘children’ are paired at the beginning of the year at the ‘Meet the Parents’ event so everyone gets introduced to their ‘family’ before the dinner to save for any awkwardness! These pairings are made according to previous study, work, and any hobbies or interests. This means that everyone should have found at least one thing in common that works as a good first discussion point!

Throughout the year there are many other social events, including balls and curry nights. Every social I have attended has been a lot of fun and has allowed me to mix with more students that are not in my CBL group or who I might not necessarily see much. Prices for events are also often discounted if you are a MedSoc member so it is definitely worth joining – plus you get free entry into Altoria every Friday so what other reason do you need?!

Megan Earle : 13 Nov 2014 14:13 |  Tags: Mbchb Medsoc Rachel Student Warwick Wms |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Anatomy!

Anatomy. The subject I dreaded before beginning at Warwick. So much to learn and so many difficult names! In my previous degree we had some anatomy but it wasn’t taught very well and therefore I remembered near to nothing when I started Medicine. However, even though I still find that it can be difficult, I have found it a lot less daunting than I first thought it would be.

We started pretty much straight away with anatomy, and that first lecture was a killer. Thankfully though that wasn’t the case for the rest of the year and I recovered! After I got used to the terminology and got my hands on a copy of Gray’s, things massively improved. The anatomy lectures were the best delivered lectures in my opinion and complicated topics were always covered again to help you process the information. We also had access to online recordings of the lectures, and extras for further help, so that meant we could go over the content ourselves if we needed to in our own time.

At the beginning of each module we were supplied with an anatomy workbook. Every week there would be questions to answer and pictures to be labelled, before a session in the surgical labs at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire where we spent time with plastinated specimens and had smaller group teaching. Going through the workbooks before the session really helped to cement the content of that week’s lectures and made it easier to engage in the anatomy sessions at the hospital (they also made for a great revision tool). The sessions themselves were also great. I loved getting to see the specimens and begin to appreciate the relationship between different tissues.

We also had access to 3D recordings of the specimens so that we could zoom in and appreciate a particular structure in more detail. At the end of the year we got to spend time with fresh tissue and this was fascinating. Having it at the end of the year meant we could name and identify a lot of structures that we probably never knew existed when we started! We also had revision stations at the end of each module with clinical cases based on the anatomy we had covered. This was a really helpful way to put everything together and understand how important being able to apply our anatomy teaching is.

During these anatomy sessions we also had seminars, where we would cover difficult aspects of a topic in more detail and at a slower pace, or ask questions about anything we had struggled with. I found these seminar sessions extremely useful. The repetition of key information through lectures, the workbooks and the seminars meant that things slowly made sense and were (hopefully) remembered when it came to exams!

We had radiology seminars during the anatomy sessions as well. It was a challenge, and still is, to be able to orientate and identify what different images were showing but these sessions were great at gradually introducing us to the world of x-rays, MRI and CT scans. We even had sessions where we could have a go at using ultrasound to look at each other’s abdomen and chest. This was great fun, albeit difficult, and we began to understand what the position of the probe meant we were actually seeing!

Having access to all of these different resources and teaching methods really helped with my learning and understanding of anatomy – and hopefully this will continue to be the case!

Megan Earle : 15 Oct 2014 11:13 |  Tags: Anatomy Mbchb Rachel Warwick Wms |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem