HAPPY long weekend, friends! Much needed rest & Me time after a challenging week on my new medical rotation. After much reflection throughout the week I realised the one important lesson that I have learnt - it is vital to have a high level of patience, tolerance and resilience to survive as a medical student!
I’m nearing the end of my first clinical year, counting down the days till I get to go home for Christmas, only to want to leave again after a week and rapidly running out of fuel as self-doubt builds inside me.
My team palliated a number of patients this week with one passing away the day after. Each time we break bad news or hear about the passing of a patient I can feel a knot tying at high speed in my throat and the tears trying to escape my lacrimal ducts. I stood in the background pretending to scribe as the family members cried out, the consultant emotionlessly switching off the oxygen and IV antibiotics, then walking over to the patient’s daughter and patting her on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. The team then carried on smiling, chattering mindlessly about how they saw it coming and rounding as if none of this just happened. Frustration builds inside me. While I recognise that I must learn to detach myself enough to not take this sadness personally, I also recognise that I do not want to become a robot where I am unable to show my patients that I do care. Every day I am learning the kind of doctor that I aspire to be. The kind of doctor that I would want if I were the one lying on that hospital bed.
On my playlist this week helping me push through was Niall Horan’s new song - Too Much To Ask. Whenever I hear it it reminds me that hard work does pay off and it gives me reassurance for leaving my family and small town in Ireland. Also, makes me so proud to be Irish!
Through all my moaning I do try to look after myself by eating right. These stuffed mushrooms were such a good protein replacement. Delicious on its own, as a burger patty or with eggs for breakfast. And I’m not even a huge fan of mushrooms.
Large flat mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, fresh coriander, onion, garlic, lemon
Trim the stem off the mushrooms. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Finely chop the coriander, garlic and onion. Quarter the cherry tomatoes. Heat some olive oil on a pan and sautè the onions and garlic until aromatic. Turn off the stove and add the cherry tomatoes and coriander. Season with salt and pepper and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly.
Place the mushrooms cut side up on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Divide the mixture amongst the mushrooms and drizzle with olive oil. Cover with foil and bake for approx. 15 minutes then remove the foil and bake for a further 10 minutes until the mushroom is tender.
Serve while still hot and fresh!
(I don’t eat cheese but if you like you could top it off with a cheese of your choice in the last 10 minutes of baking)
