Fitness To Practise

Just a few thoughts, anecdotes and experiences of a fourth year London medical student as he makes his way in the world of medicine. Enjoy!

[fitnesstopractise-blog]

Who would have thought? I lost 12 pounds using this!

[fitnesstopractise-blog]

So having just about recovered from the absolute disaster that was MTAS, the powers that be have come across yet another way to ruin the lives of junior doctors. The UK FPO - the organisation that assess and assign final year medical students their foundation year jobs in the UK - have announced that part of their assessment has been marked incorrectly by the automated system and, pending a manual remark, the job offers recently delivered to the inboxes of many an anxious medical student are now in the balance. Because medical life just wasn't quite stressful enough.

[cyanide-poisoning]

“Medical school is not a place for smart people but for those who are insane enough to dream of it, pray for it, work hard for it, and live for it. It is for those who are crazy enough to want the sense of purpose that fuels their veins. And if it is insanity, then let it be, for even if it means more sleepless nights, more examinations to pass, more years in the university and more sacrifices to endure, nothing will change. I will still keep choosing this path over and over again even for a hundred more days and a thousand more years. And nothing in this world can stop me from taking an adventure as worth taking as this, even for a million more lifetimes.”

[cyanide-poisoning]

Again and again..

I am made for Medicine and Medicine is made for ME..

[aspiringdoctors-blog]

Same. Even when I am so discouraged and frustrated and weep as I’m driving home from school, even when I don’t get to see my family for my birthday dinner until almost two weeks after my actual birthday, even when it’s almost 1am and I am still up… I wouldn’t change it. I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.

[fitnesstopractise-blog]

Couldn't have put it better myself.

[fitnesstopractise-blog]

Science Valentines, by Stephanie Burrows

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Me: So Mrs X, have you ever found yourself this constipated before?

Mrs X: No never this bad son, but it happens quite often for short periods of time.

Me: How often would you say it happens?

Mrs X: I'm the definition of a pessimist sonny, I put bran flakes on my prunes every morning.

[fitnesstopractise-blog]

Preventative medicine is bad for return business folks!

Courtesy of Explosm.net

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Interventional cardiologists. Or as I like to call them, the balloonatics.

Epic line from the Prof in lectures today

[ariellep]

[fitnesstopractise-blog]

Bullshit Bingo

A little game one of our professors told us today that he plays when he's questioning academics who shamelessly promote their own method of doing something, inspite of it's inherent flaws.

When challenged, you will get one of the following responses:

It's a very complex field

A clever response as it both makes the suggestion that not only are you, the questioner, too dumb to understand what's going on but also that he, the responder, is very much clever enough to wrap his head around the full complexity of whatever it is you're talking about. An insult and a boast in one.

It works 70% of the time

If I were to tell you that I can predict what side a coin will land upwards every time it's tossed, it's not going to take many attempts to show I'm bullshitting you. But if I said it works 70% of the time, at what point could you tell if I was telling the truth or not?

You need more training

The ultimate put down. Essentially, you're too junior to understand.

So if ever you ask a question and you get one of these responses, beware of bullshit.

[fitnesstopractise-blog]

Fascinating exploration of the similarities between musicians and surgeons. At the end of the day, it's all performance, isn't it?

[jayparkinsonmd]

(via The Ultimate Guide to Quitting Smoking | Greatist)

[cranquis]

Quitting smoking as a New Year’s Resolution? Congrats, you’re 11 days in — and here’s what you have to look forward to!

[fitnesstopractise-blog]

We had one ECG, ten consultant cardiologists, fifteen different opinions.

Lecturer telling an anecdote about what happens when a famous professor of medicine ends up in A&E with chest pain.

[fitnesstopractise-blog]

Problems with Petitions

Number of signatures demanding full disclosure of government documents relating to the 1989 Hillsborough disaster: 156,000

Number of signatures requesting the withdrawal of the Health & Social Care bill: 180,000

Number of signatures protesting the introduction of the Marriage Equality bill: 620,000

So basically we might have a failing NHS, a less than transparent government and police service, a financial system that still has little accountability to the people it serves and large corporations that pay as little corporation tax as possible but hey, as long as we all agree God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve, I'm sure we'll be alright . . .

Great job Britain, nice to see you've got your priorities in order.

[fitnesstopractise-blog]

Sir Patrick Moore 1923-2012

Just a small tribute to the late, great Sir Patrick Moore who sadly passed away yesterday at the age of 89.

Surely to be counted amongst the greatest science communicators of all time, and an inspiration for generations.

[medicalstate]

The fact that you are willing to admit that you do not know and that the amount of knowledge you still do not have scares you already shows me that you will make a great doctor. It is not a weakness.

A resident’s supportive feedback regarding my fears and concerns of learning in medicine. (via medicalstate)

[geengeeh]

[amongthewhisperingtrees]

Everything runs off the same energy system. Really Powerful image set.

[fitnesstopractise-blog]

Received request to cannulate Mrs P as surgical junior staff found it 'too difficult'. Please be advised venflon has been inserted into right antecubital fossa as per documentation. For future reference, please make junior staff aware the anaesthetics team is not an on-call cannulation service.

A note from anaesthetics registrar in a general surgical patients notes. I burst out laughing on the ward when I read this one.

I've seen a similar note left by the renal team about catheterisation.