Trepidation

Hi,

Here I am, sitting at home, getting ready for an early nights sleep, but anxious about tomorrow. I have completed a few shadowing days working with the F1 who currently does the job that I will be doing from tomorrow onwards as Dr Internal Optimist.

The shadowing days have been a mixed bag. There were a few boring days of lectures, then a big night out with the other incoming F1s on Friday to 'get to know' each other. A good start! This week we have had a couple of days on the ward, following the current doctor doing our jobs - mine was very good - very well organised and had loads of time for the patients. I have to remind myself that he has a years worth of experience on me, and is effectively now an 'SHO'. I hope that I am not expected to be quite as efficient when I start, but I will definitely try!

In the past few days, I have been quite effective, spending a lot of time trying to get patients with problems home from hospital, the most difficult one being someone who is a drug user, has no home, no GP, but we need to discharge while keeping his medications going (so he doesn't turn back to heroin again) and keep his wound dressed. Trying to get a hostel or home to take him was difficult, but he couldn't live in hospital for the rest of his life. He is meant to be going home tonight, hopefully when I go in tomorrow for 'Black Wednesday' he will not be there.

I think it is the things like that where you can make a huge difference by pushing a bit and making an effort, rather than just leaving things to sort themselves out over weeks. I hope I can keep up the good work over the next few months.

Wish me luck, I will keep you updated!