How ah??

So, a junior of mine read my blog and asked me on what should be done during medical school days in order to become a better houseman.

I took some time to get it write but something is always missing, because I was never a good student and I am a DUMB houseman. 🤣🤣🤣

So, what I will write instead is what I feel that I should have done during my school days in order to be a better HO. 😉

Please be advised that I’m just a first poster in HO. What I’m saying is what I feel la ah…. Saye bengap dulu dan sekarang. 🤣🤣🤣

So, here we go. 

First and foremost what I feel is that as a medical student, go and learn la. Explore what medicine is. The art of it. We used to be so excited tau bile masuk OT. But haprak la, learn nothing most of the time. Jadi tiang je pun. Waktu student la waktu paling susah nak belajar. But at least, you need to see and know it.

Let’s say la ah. We go by procedure dulu.

Among my colleagues back in the school, more than half of them xreti masuk branula. Doesn’t know how to take blood. Never done it before until final year. As what I could remember, on the second week of my clinical life in Year 3, I dah pasang branula, ambik darah. Sometimes tak dapat, xpe. Practice itu penting. At least know how to do. Done it before. Remember, monkey see monkey do. I’m a monkey who loves doing.

There was a time when we had to do oncall in the hospital and it was a rainy day. Oncall was in the Emergency department and cases started coming. I was close with one of the HO back then and he asked me to assist him and insert branulas for the patients that had just arrive. My friends and I were just getting ready and all but only I was putting it in because they had never done it before, I offered them, yet they declined. Now that, is a big NO NO guys! 

Remember, take the chance la. I pun xmasuk banyak kali, but effort. I was then pulled by one of the MO in the department to assist on taking blood.

*disclaimer – I know how to put branula by then, but taking blood, nope, I don’t know how to do it even when it is like 10000x easier. I told him and he just sat me down, gave me a 15 year old kid, put his IPhone 5s there with a 30 seconds timer. He said, if I didn’t take it in 30 seconds, I’ll be thrown out of the department. I, having only seen the procedure before, managed to take it while there was still 2.09 seconds left. He then gave me about 20-30 patients to take blood. While my friends were flushing and giving IV medicine for the patients.

What I’m saying is that if you don’t step up to do it, you won’t be able to do it. What is the 1 thing you do as a HO the most? Being a Dracula. So start early la kan. Try among friends dulu. Poke each other with branula and take blood. Items all ambik je dari hospital. Even now my branula masih bump gak. Senior will ask to take in front of them and guide you. The learning process. No one becomes great at something at 1 try.

Secondly, get busy during your medical school life. Why? Only then you will know how to manage your time well. Go for programmes, into social services, sports, associations and etc. Don’t just indulge yourself into studies. Because during the HO time, you will still be studying. I remember just about 50% what I have studied before. Seeing new stuffs daily.

Thirdly, the more the merrier. What I mean here is that, the more cases you actually seen in your school time, it guides you better. Without seeing a case practically, the theory doesn’t stay. Trust me, even in exams, if you have seen the case before, at least have a 20-50% of idea what is it practically, you are safe. Make sure you see diverse variation of cases. Don’t just stick on 1 type of case ni. Even during discussions, have different type of cases. Only then, your knowledge grows.

Fourthly, learn the BASICS. That is enough. Jadi HO nanti, they won’t expect you to know the management all la. You know your basic that is needed, you know the core that is needed is sufficient, they will assist you to add more on what is needed.

Lastly, be proactive and always have the curiosity in you. Be curious o what are they doing, what can be done, what should be done. What is that, what is this? And be proactive in helping your friends and Doctors even as a student. You help them once, they will remember you and ask for your help again. And only this time of life, people remembering you that you can help them is a good thing. Because you can learn and gather skills. I have done spinal tapping, suturing pleural tapping during my school days by just helping them before. Go to ward at 4-5 am to help them take blood.

Go around ask your friends, how many of you have done the following during the school days: -
1. Branula insertion
2. Phlebotomy
3. Suturing
4. CPR
5. CBD insertion (continuous bladder drainage tau, not common bile duct)
6. Plastering
7. Dressing
8. Incision and Drainage

If you haven’t done this kan, go do it la. Trust me, berguna time HO. Take the opportunity. Jgn cakap xde opportunity la ah. I stayed in Hospital Shah Alam and Klang overnight multiple times and ade chance nak buat all this.

The thing is, are you willing to sacrifice some of your time to do it ke tak? Itu je. 

Trust me, I’m a dumb HO, embarking his way to be a better doctor.

Learn to be the person capable to be on that thin thread line between life and dead of a person. Don’t just learn as part of passing exams. That’s the main advice that I can give.

Good luck my colleagues.