Juniors beginning to make their own way

[Feanor]

So Junior #1 is just completing year 2 in Medical School in Edinburgh.

The last 2 weeks, he's had placements:
1 week shadowing a nurse, and the second week in an A+E ambulance.

He's described the second week as "Seen some shit", and I don't doubt it.
The weekends on ambulance crew are a bit of a zoo.

[Oscar's dad]

The son of one of our MEMWNS riders is a medical student and he came out with us a couple of Wednesdays ago. He too said hospital placements were something of an eye opener. I like seeing young people getting to grips with the real world!

[Veloman]

The son of one of our MEMWNS riders is a medical student and he came out with us a couple of Wednesdays ago. He too said hospital placements were something of an eye opener. I like seeing young people getting to grips with the real world!

Did he wear a helmet?  I only ask if his experience in hospital placement has affected his perception on risk.

I recall an oncologist nurse who smoked because of the stress of his role even though he knew the risks.

[Ruthie]

Surprised he didn't see much shit the first week. Nurses clean up wheelbarrow loads of the stuff.

[hellymedic]

Shit is benign compared with blood, guts and violence IMO.

[Oscar's dad]

The son of one of our MEMWNS riders is a medical student and he came out with us a couple of Wednesdays ago. He too said hospital placements were something of an eye opener. I like seeing young people getting to grips with the real world!

Did he wear a helmet?  I only ask if his experience in hospital placement has affected his perception on risk.

I recall an oncologist nurse who smoked because of the stress of his role even though he knew the risks.

He was wearing a Magic Hat as does his dad. Not sure if their motivation for doing so. 

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Surprised he didn't see much shit the first week. Nurses clean up wheelbarrow loads of the stuff.

Nurses clean it up before the doctors get there.

[clarion]

I recall an oncologist nurse who smoked because of the stress of his role even though he knew the risks.

I used to see the asthma consultant in Derby - a brilliant man called H. Morrow Brown, who revolutionised asthma care via the use of desensitisation - who smoked like a chimney, even while seeing asthmatics in his consulting room!

[Kim]

Smoking is perfectly ordinary medic behaviour, surely?  At least amongst the older generations for whom smoking was normal.  Stressful work that's not particularly conducive to giving up, innit.  See also: Alcohol.

Goes with every other example of an expert in $foo maintenance being sloppy in the maintenance of their own $foo.


(Obviously there's no shortage of counter-examples, but they aren't as memorable.)

[Cudzoziemiec]

My grandfather was a surgeon. Qualified around 1930. He didn't smoke at that time but found the aroma of tobacco from his colleagues in their staff room (or whatever the term is) so alluring he decided to take it up. For some reason, he chose a pipe rather than cigarettes, and found it took so long to get the thing lighted and going properly that by the time he was just getting into a smoke, he'd be called away to a consultation or whatever; so he never actually did become a smoker.

[Ruthie]

Smoking is perfectly ordinary medic behaviour, surely?  At least amongst the older generations for whom smoking was normal.  Stressful work that's not particularly conducive to giving up, innit.  See also: Alcohol.

Goes with every other example of an expert in $foo maintenance being sloppy in the maintenance of their own $foo.


(Obviously there's no shortage of counter-examples, but they aren't as memorable.)

Not so much now.  Not since they removed the staff smoking room from the operating theatre suite.  A few die-hards, obviously.

[hellymedic]

My (then) five-year-old brother once saw an Eminent Paediatrician privately at his home.

As Paediatrician put down his pipe, brother asked "If you're such a good doctor, why do you smoke?"

I don't think this chap ever forgave my brother...

[Feanor]

Thread Necromancy...

Junior the Elder finished his Medical degree a couple of years ago, and has recently finished his 2 years of apprenticeship, called Foundation Years FY1/FY2.

This co-incides with Junior the Younger graduating from his Theoretical Physics degree, so they have both taken a break and gone together on a 3 month climbing trip to Canada and the US, which involved some Big Wall stuff in Yosemite. They are due back in the next week.

The Younger graduated back in summer, but due to strike action by staff at Edin Uni, the papers were not marked. They were presented with blank certificates at the ceremony! The lack of actual grades has been a problem for many reasons. Applications for PhDs are stalled. For some, their immigration status has been revoked.

But last week, he finally got his result: Mphys (1).

He's looking at PhDs in areas of Quantum Field Theory, and Quantum Electrodynamics.
I'll explain that to anyone who asks. Not.

[barakta]

Great news for Junior the Younger and glad Junior the Elder has survived F1/2 and hope both have great next opportunities coming up.