My clinical opinion suddenly matters
Posted on 7 August 2012 by Matthew Langford
0 comments
Days two and three have continued along a similar theme to day one. Although there’s now the added stress of finding out at the morning ward round how much you’ve done wrong the previous day. Luckily, that’s not been too much.
There have been quite a few challenges presenting themselves. One of the biggest problems is learning how to use the necessary computer programmes. Unfortunately they never taught us how to navigate the electronic prescribing programme at medical school, nor the test result programme, nor the imaging programme. These programmes are used a lot though, so you start to get used to them.
Organisation is another challenge. Although I knew I’d need to be organised for FY1, there do always seem to be new problems cropping up that need to be addressed and resulting in the ‘to do’ list getting progressively longer.
It’s also rather peculiar having other members of staff asking for your clinical opinion as though it actually means something. There have always been discussions during medical school, but never ones that actually altered a patient’s treatment. I guess that’s just part of being a doctor.
I do find myself constantly asking for help and badgering the nurses and registrars for advice. I felt a bit awkward about this at first, but it seems to be something that most FY1s do, and they have always been very helpful and encouraging.
It’s still incredibly scary going in to work in the morning and I do spend a fair proportion of my day feeling stressed, but there have at least been a few moments where I find myself actually enjoying something or finding something interesting. That was unexpected, but actually quite nice. I’m trying not to worry too much about what’s to come – I’m just taking each day as it comes and hoping it’ll be alright.
Posted in:
Foundation doctors
Tags:
foundation doctors
junior doctors