Hi All,
I'm a 30y/o Australian Medical Student from Sydney, have also studied Medical Science.
Happy to answer questions as best I can about Medical Practice / Medical School from the perspective of a Medical Student.
Just to be 100% clear Med Student - Not a Doctor incase you missed it the last three times.
UQ have a special cohort of students from the US called the Ochsner Cohort which are additional to the domestic and other international students which do their first 2 years together with all the other local/international students and then go back to the US for their clinical years. These students top up the cohort to 500+.
UQ has the largest cohort per year however Monash has a similar number of total students (approx 400 per cohort over 4-5 years)
It shows. UQ medical school had terrible standards which allowed a terrible discrepancy in teaching and clinical exposure depending on where you were placed and what campus you went to. It was essentially all self directed learning with lectures and placements sometimes useful depending on where you were and who your supervisor was.
Just physically impossible with that many students. UQ definitely sold out. In comparison to the Griffith and Bond courses I've seen which seem much better structured and supported their students. We still regularly run into random classmates at work years later and had no idea they were in the same cohort.
I was speaking to someone associated with a specialist college (won’t say the exact name), and he thinks that Griffith is producing better Dr’s than UQ.
My niece is in year 11, what is your recommendation for her to be successful in Medical admission
It pays to get the process started early, if your niece is keen to do medicine then she should already be looking to which universities she wishes to apply for and what specific criteria they have. Obviously there is a high standard required when it comes to ATAR which with most universities requiring ATAR 95 and above to be accepted but realistically higher to then be competitive. She should practice UMAT (undergraduate medical admissions test) including tutoring and practice tests in-order to get the best mark possible because this also weighs in. Some weight the UMAT / ATAR equally when making offers.
It is also important to get an idea of the interview system used by the university, each uni is different and ask different questions but they are looking for the same qualities and trying to determine if the candidate is likely to succeed in the course. It also tests their knowledge on medical practice, what they believe the role of a Doctor to be etc..
They have courses that run throughout the year which give students the opportunity to sit a mock interview and get valuable feedback, these courses cost a decent amount of money, some people say that they're a scam, i personally didn't do one but I was very close and on face it seemed like it would have been really helpful.
Thanks for the fast response. Should she go for any particular subjects selection in Year 11 and 12?
Since I had been out of school for quite some time when I applied this wasn't really applicable for me but from what I understand she will want to be doing
Maths 2U + Extension if possible
Biology
Chemistry
The course is very science heavy in a broad sense, a background in those subjects helps A LOT, I see some students struggle in Bio if they didnt do bio in highschool same goes for maths etc.
Hi,
I too am aspiring to become a Dr. Went all the way to interview last year but was denied so I have to sit the GAMSAT again this year.
As my GPA was not that good, I intended to take another Bch to boost my GPA. Is there any reason why you went through the UMAT pathway as opposed to the GAMSAT pathway?
I went UMAT over GAMSAT as I had my eyes set on one particular university, this was for a couple of reasons but mainly because It was nearby and as I would still be working this was a significant contributing factor.
This was the same uni I studied medical science through and they had a system where if you had a good GPA with at least 1 FTE you could get a bit of a boost as well as living local and I had ticked both those boxes and unfortunately I too was denied at the interview.
I was disappointed because I had gone so far with the medical science purely to do medicine and I was rejected. I knew it would be tough as I was only applying for one university but I thought I was a good chance having such a good GPA. I then decided to throw my hat in the ring a second time, this time I didn't even get an invite to an interview at the previous university but was accepted into another. Not conveniently located, it takes me 2.5 hours each way on public transport to get too and from but thought it was better than nothing.
Basically UMAT over GAMSAT primarily due to the universities I wished to apply for.
dude UNSW is a bitch to get to if you don't live locally, do you live towards north west by any chance? (I assumed your first choice was MQ)
Yea its crao,I live outside of Sydney to help put that into perspective when I first applied I lived right on the M7 at bella vista but I had applied to UWS as it was close-ish, 5 years and I had previously studied through them. MQ unfortunately didn't have a medicine program at the time I applied.
Hi DrSyd
I've looked into the profession and was scared off previously from the stories of stress and abuse in the medical system
Is this a problem in Australia?
Will you have to work 100 hour weeks without time to raise a family?
Some medical students I've spoken to have spent so long in training that by the time they finish their training they have seen all their friends set themselves up while they can no longer afford to buy a home.
Hence all the posts from junior Doctors complaining about earning 65k in their first year.
What advice can you give to someone who is considering the profession but does not want to sacrifice their life for it
This appears to be a huge problem in Australia, I have read a lot recently about the pressures new doctors face and the rate of self harm is quite high from my understanding. I think its important to seek help when you're going through a tough time because there are people out there that are able to help and want to help. I personally cannot attest to this stress as i'm not yet at that level but I have heard from people i know in the profession that there can be some very long days and weeks without sufficient breaks in your first few years as a doctor.
Personally when the time comes I don't feel that I will be fitting the same profile as I am older, wiser and have worked for the government for over 10 years already so I know my workers rights and entitlements and generally in my career have always worked within my award. I think it catches a lot of new doctors by surprise as this will be the first proper job for many of them.
No doctor needs to work 100 hours a week in Australia - this is including ophthal/neurosurg/ortho unacreddited registrars who desperately want to get into their program.
All medical specialties are compatible with having a family - depending on your own personal and family circumstances. For some specialities it will be easier to start a family earlier than others given the immense workload - not just in terms of hours worked but also study required outside of hours - whereas some will be easier. Good family specialties include GP and ED. ED particularly, because of workforce issues more than anything, has a lot of part-time training and consultant positions available, which are quite attractive for young familymen and familywomen.
That’s a hard question. There are strong positives and negatives to the profession.
Medical school is largely fun and rosy, despite the pressures of exams.
Then, as an intern your hours are wholly dependent on what rotations you do. I worked from 80hours a fortnight up to 130. You don’t really get a choice in this. And every hospital is trying harder and harder not to pay overtime.
After this, it all depends on what specialty you decide to go for.
GP reg: 4-5 days a week
ED: rostered 80 hours (per fortnight) but does include nights
Physician training:100-120 hours
Surg training: about 100-120 hours
Most have on calls
Some extra specialised stuff requires (no joke) largely free “service reg/fellow” jobs where you work full time but get paid 0.2.
Other things need a PhD.
In short, most things these days require you to bust a gut. Most of my friends are satisfied. Some are now also very arrogant and money hungry
Hey DrSyd, I'm an RN of 20 years with experience in aged and end of life care.
I've had a crazy month with three senior patients being taken off syringe drivers after two and three days, and effectively making a remarkable and full recovery from the underlying disease that mimicked end of life.
Such occurrences make me very scared of new Palliative laws and the role of the families in initiating such steps.
Whilst I have 100% faith in the GPs i work with, it makes me think how easy it is to make a dreadful mistake with someone's life.
I'm not sure what I want to ask you out of all this, but perhaps your thoughts on getting it right and how to recover from getting it wrong?
You sound like a hardworking chap. Best of luck on your path.
Hey Wendeewoo,
Hats off to you for you many years working as an RN :)
Palliative care and voluntary euthanasia is such a hot topic at the moment and heavily discussed at uni. It makes for interesting debate and whilst I am in support for voluntary euthanasia I also recognise the importance of getting it right, life is so precious and any decisions about ending a life should be made with the utmost amount of consideration and care.
I have briefly read over the proposed laws and am still at ends with what I believe is the most ethically / sensible way to go about it and that brings me to your question. What happens when we get it wrong? I don't know how to answer that without writing an essay but my thoughts summed up in a sentence would just be, "we'll just have to wait and see". There are so many variables and like you said these things happen on a daily basis with 3 in your ward alone. I have heard many stories similar, how many times do you hear of doctors in favour of terminating life support but strong objections from the family keep it on and the patient ends up surviving to live a normal life.
Yep, wait and see I guess. It's the only thing that keeps me up at night… that fine line between comfort care and hastening the transition. I think with so much family input and the readiness to complain, sue and demand, this will one day be my undoing as an RN.
Aged care residents get younger, less sick, more demanding.
The older ones get less time and care, nobody to advocate for them and ultimately will be the ones 'helped' to expire.
Oh Lordy Be. I hope not…
What a ridiculous job we do.
G'day Doc this may have been asked but along with the rewarding times
What has been the i guess the worst thing you have witnessed or had to deal with
This is probably more so a question to answer in my career as a fireman - have witnessed the aftermath of some gruesome things. For me one of the hardest things is when we come to the aid of someone in their time of need and not knowing if they survived or not. This doesn't happen every day but from time to time and it always has me wondering, the idea of being able to provide continuity of care to patients is appealing to me.
I can understand that, I'm part of our Emergency response crew so we deal with domestic and some that are a little more difficult in other countries and international waters and wondering how things turn out once you have handed over keeps you thinking for a while luckily the last one turned out ok I had to retrieve IP from a vessel in Timor Sea who appeared to be suffering from appendicitis, so getting hold of a Helo getting it prepped for the medivac and holding an ambulance to transfer to the hospital with no guarantees it has to go if called on, I was fortunate to have certified helo trained St johns responders to travel out on Helo so the ship wasn't left without it's own medic bringing him back to shore then nothing for a couple of days. Turned out everything happened at the best place for them to deal with it, the appendix burst seconds prior to being removed. So full recovery and everything was good The company he worked for was pretty happy that the captain took my advice to stop all activities and steam towards Darwin to make the helo transfer as short as possible otherwise he would have been still on the vessel when it went and a few hours away from even getting to the hospital and not with a suspect appendix but a burst one.
As you say your glad it doesn't happen often but it leaves you feeling good when you find out it all ended up well
Great story.
@DrSyd: For you in your position having worked both sides of the fence so to say can only be a good thing for you. It would have brought you a wealth of experience and skills that some of your peers will not get or quite understand nothing beats experience. You have lived and learned so full credit to you and all the more credit to you because you saw the potential aftermath or ugly side of what the profession has to deal with and you decided to pursue it further.
Seems like you have the drive and the stomach and i wish you nothing but the best.
One thing i have found in others like you is that your awareness to read the full situation will be much greater than others and thats not something that can be taught in a book or through mock exercises.
@Toons:
Thanks so much for your support! I agree 100%, life experience counts for so much and funny enough you only realise this as you get older. It can be hard with my peers at times with a large percentage of them coming straight from high school, medicine will most likely be their first and only proper job.
I think this will help me cut through some of the BS and politics also.
@DrSyd: Too true however politics can be difficult wherever you go.
When it comes to real world application you will have a much better view of the entire picture and that nugget of common sense.
It's the same with our grad engineers I'd actually prefer if they did a year of practical application almost as a trade style apprentice in the Discipline they choose.
This will stop having things that seem right according to certain calculations but in real world application useless like a support beam for a data cable tray that you could lift by yourself so no more than perhaps 30 kilo on it own but it's shared load the support that was designed and built was rated to hold a ton, :-( and it didn't fit :-/
Some of the best engineers i've got have spent real time on the facility on the front line.
Would you ever consider going into medical research to learn more about certain diseases (i.e., perhaps pursuing a doctorate)?
Also, is research part of the training for becoming a medical specialist?
Cheers
Medical research isn't something I have considered at this stage. Potentially on the back of a medical science degree I perhaps would have ventured down this path although I pursued medicine as i enjoy the clinical aspect and enjoy the interaction with patients. To be honest I don't think I have the smarts to pursue a meaningful career as a medical researcher.
I do find interest in reading papers on the latest medical developments and I guess its required as a med student / doctor to be up to date with the ever changing and evolving world of medicine. Research is required in all specialties to an extent but I don't think its the kind of research to which you are referring I cant answer this sorry.
Thanks for the response.
Do you have to be really smart to ace the exams? (UMAT/GAMSAT? How much preparation did it take?
Just curious as I can't even recall my science subjects from school as it has been quite long?
The first time I sat down and went through my practice UMAT exam I virtually got every second question wrong or I wasnt answering it in the way it was supposed to be answered. It was a bit of an eye opener for me and I thought to myself, wow this will be tougher than I thought. But to be honest, I was a bit cocky, I ended up sitting down and studying the workbooks for some time and bought some more practice tests and did much better. I cant remember the actual breakdown of my score but i did ok.
The UMAT isnt so much about sciences etc, there was a bit of maths and abstract thinking questions, verbal reasoning etc.. I was hit with the reality of lacking high school maths / bio when I commenced medical science prior to medicine, it was a steep learning curve. As there was a lot of presumed knowledge, at the time I didn't even know how to use a scientific calculator properly. I had another student give me some tutoring which was super helpful and I am forever grateful for his assistance. I think if I went into Medicine without the background of the science subjects I did in med science I would have really struggled.
What are your views on religious influence over medicine and what do you think of euthanasia?
Firstly my religious views: I spent all my schooling years at a catholic schools and always had an inherit belief in God (Christianity) due to my upbringing. As the years progressed I became some what agnostic, but I appreciate that everyone had their own beliefs. I feel that modern Medicine should be separate from religion and free from influence, there are medical practitioners out there who withhold certain treatments as they are against their beliefs, although I appreciate that each person has their own beliefs I do believe that as a doctor you have a responsibility to be impartial to your own beliefs when treating others.
In saying that there are procedures in place which allow for this, and doctors are required to refer patients to other doctors willing to provide that service.
I did answer a question toward the end of page 1 on euthanasia which you might find interesting.
No different to my view for the clinician's religious views.
What are your views on patient's religious influence on their own treatment? Ie. Patients choosing synthetic/bovine over porcine where treatment outcomes can suffer greatly.
My view is that medicine should be separate from religion but in saying that I would try to cater to the needs of my patients including their religious beliefs should there be an appropriate alternative course of action.
However, in the situation you describe where the outcomes could be significantly hampered, I would make it very clear to the patient the likelihood of success with and without the treatment required so that the patient can make an informed decision. They can then decide if their beliefs should stand in the way of good health.
I have heard, and I'm sure you have too since you're asking the question, of couples withholding treatments to their sick children due to their religious beliefs. In this case I am a little hazy on the exact protocol but as I understand the doctors can get approval to give the treatment regardless if the parents give consent or not.
Im sure this could be looked up somewhere
@DrSyd:
Doctors (and other care providers) can act without consent of the parent if the procedure has no long term risks (which is BS as everything potentially does).
We can only act against parental/guardian consent if it is emergency treatment to prevent imminent death. Anything else, even if life saving but not an immediate threat has to be approved through the appropriate channels.
These are the simpler cases but you'll come across finer hairs to split. I started of with euthanasia as that is an easy one to. You will eventually get hippies who malnourish their children and withhold treatment. You will have elective treatments that can vastly improve the quality of a child's life and potential but you'll have to sit and watch the parents walk out the door and accuse you of being a charlatan.
As an aspiring GP, you will eventually dull your senses and act against your oath. Mass majority of GPs will dish out antibiotics and often for non-bacterial infections. ABs will lose efficacy and someone does get harmed but we have learned how to justify that through flexible ethics.
Finally, do you believe you can obtain informed consent (from the average patient) and will you always act only after you've obtained the legally described informed consent?
Hi Mate,
I am working in IT and doing it for last 10 years . I wanted to do medicine. I studied engineering in Electronics and masters in IT. Do you think I can switch career now if yes what path should I take to acheive this? Also if I succeed in getting a place do you think I can manage day job and full time study ?
Thanks heaps
Chris
Hey Chris,
I say do it! There was a profound moment in my life where i decided to take on this momentous task and I am so happy that I was able to achieve something I had set out to do so many years earlier.
You don't want to live your life wondering or asking yourself what if? My best bit of advice is to do your research, make a plan and then stick to it, getting a place on the course is almost the hardest part but its only just the beginning.
The study load is quite intense and nothing like anything I have ever studied in the past, the structure of the course keeps you incredibly busy. Unfortunately I am not overly gifted and talented so I really have to work hard for my marks which means that a lot of my otherwise free time is spent studying so this is something you need to keep in mind.
As for work, well this is the tricky part, uni is virtually 9 .- 5 monday to friday and the odd days that you get off are scattered all over the place so you cant make a regular arrangement that fits in with uni. If you can work nights it may help but this is the challenging part of studying medicine. I am lucky that I have a rotating roster which includes night shifts and reasonable flexible working roster so I am able to work around uni.
I'm gonna say it's almost impossible to maintain a day job while studying medicine. In clinical years, you will attend ward rounds most days from 7-something AM, and lectures/tutorials will often run later than 7PM. If you are considering switching, be prepared to only work a few days a week for a few hours.
Hey Mister Popo,
Yea it's not something i'm looking forward to embarking on. I am lucky that my work offers me the flexibility to change shifts and rosters to suit, by that stage I will have close to a year off work if I take my long service leave at half pay and then I could take 3 annual leave back to back giving me another 3 months off before really having to make alternate arrangements.
Did you study med or know someone who did? What did they do?
Hi! Thank you so much for making this ama! An eye opener.
Do you know of any postgrad degrees (besides nursing) that is related to the medical field? And pays relatively well? I'd love to study medicine but it seems to get quite a number of years (7) to be an actual doctor and earning acceptable rates, which is a wait (and cost, including the pricey GAMSAT, course fees, little CSPs, etc) I can't afford with my family situation. In fact, I'm regretting doing a BSc right now, but I'm n my 2nd year this year and I don't think stopping right now is the right decision. But I'm still interested in something in the medical field, but I can't afford the initial costs and current course fees if I don't manage a CSP.
Any advice would be amazing. Thank you!
Sorry to jump in. There is a lot of allied health courses which you could apply for including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, pathology, podiatry, optometry, speech pathology , Xray technician/radiographer, audiology, dental technology etc. I am not sure about the cost involved but if you are happy to work in a rural area, there is plenty of opportunities as there is always a shortage.
If you are interested in it, podiatry is not an in demand degree, getting a HECS spot shouldn't be too difficult.
Like DBBROS mentioned there are a lot of allied health positions you could work towards. Having a BSc behind you can help you get into those postgrad coursework, nursing is also a varied role if you want it to be. Not all nurses work in hospitals there are community health nurses, cosmetic nurses, nurses that work for pharma the list goes on.
If you want to do medicine you can try your hand at postgrad medicine which is a 4 year course and you will be earning money in your fifth year, granted not heaps but its a start.
Diagnostic Radiographer
Do u see traditional Chinese medicine as scam or science?
I know very little about Chinese Medicine but its around and they're allowed to practice so it must be doing something.
The further you go in your course, the more you'll realize that there's a whole lot of crap that do nothing and are allowed to flourish.
Heck, there are some that have found a way to be part of AHPRA even against sound AMA objections. The real medical professions were generally opposed to the formation AHPRA but it was forced on to them. Now, they dilute the standards and blur the lines of medical treatment in favour of this new pseudoscience of health and wellness.
Lmao second year preclin student with the name "DrSyd"
Jumping the gun a little bit don't you think?
Yeah it's not as if arts students automatically get to call themselves "Sandwich Artists".
Glad you got a laugh out of it - When I graduate I can suture your ass back on if you like.
That sounds particularly arrogant considering I'm an actual doctor.
You might think you're special for being a med student - we probably all did at some point - but once you get out of the classroom I think you'll find that that kind of attitude won't get you very far.
It was a joke humour mistaken for arrogance, apologies.
I disagree, in fact I don't feel at all special. I am 30 years old, I am over classroom politics, workplace politics I go to work to do my job and I come home, I don't go to UNI to make friends either I go there to get the work done and go home. There are doctors out there that walk around with a sense of entitlement and cant wait for the latest batch on interns and postgrads to come into the hospital so they can step up the pecking order, I don't have time for that bullshit. It even happens in my job as a fireman where other junior fireman put themselves above recruits as though they are far superior.
So this air of arrogance you are imagining simply does not exist with me and in fact those who know me would say the complete opposite - I started this thread to generate conversation, I made it quite clear that I was a medical student and that I would answer questions as best I can. In no way am I arrogant in my responses nor do I answer questions above my breadth of knowledge without making it clear that I am unsure or am only speaking from opinion.
Out of all the great questions that have been asked and topics raised you have been the only person to somewhat troll my post and given that you are an "actual doctor" I would expect that you be supportive and constructive rather than acting arrogant yourself by talking down to me like a subordinate. Through this post I have also met another junior doctor who has been an incredible inspiration and answered loads of questions for me without feeling the need to criticise.
PS: The username I chose is motivation - I do not attempt to pose as an MD and for all you know I could have a PhD.
I think your patronising "Settle down child" attitude is the arrogance here. Hurr durr I'm an actual doctor lol. Doctor of what? Social sciences?
dont worry plenty of doctors on this site actually, ozbargain is often on some computers at work :P
@ggkfc:
I'm logged in on every computer at work. Wouldn't take much to make me look like I have multiple personas.
@freakatronic: Sure beats a doctor of Chinese medicine! Suffering sexual dysfunction? - here mix this powdered tiger dick into your coffee and you'll be good to go!
Amen
Alot of people drop out in second year aswell. If 'DrSyd' is actually in his second year of medical as a student. Firstly the only thing your allowed to talk about is how you got into medicine, nothing else.
Im not sure where you're getting your information from Christy but I suspect you are being mislead.
I suspect alot of people are being mislead by you. Are you studying a bach of medicine in nsw and what term of medicine r you in?
i think what he is trying to get at is that you are doing an AMA as a relative inexperienced person in your profession(ie you are still at the beginning of becoming a doctor) thus, you dont have much experience besides teaching others how to get into a medical school, and passing the first year(s) of medical training only.
Please point to evidence of people being mislead, or consider that your suspicions may be paranoia??
From what I've read, DrSyd seems open/honest about limitations of knowledge, and discussion hasn't been around medical opinion, just being a medical student.
DrSyd has given lengthy thoughtful replies, contributed much that could help others, for no real reward. Your response smells like tall poppy cutting to me.
@Stitchy: He is not allowed to give medical advice if he is an actual medical student studying within the NSW medical program. All practicing doctors in nsw are well aware of that medical code. There are more specifics but he should be utterly aware of that. All i want to know is what term is he in and which campus is he at. Is that not a fair question?
@ozbjunkie: i noted that he was a medical student and mentioned that he should only be giving advice relative to his entrance into medical program. But here is what he proceeded with
It's fair enough but I had to re-book another appointment
DrSyd on 13/02/2018 - 09:18
This can be very frustrating, perhaps the Doctor had religious or some other reasons for not treating you etc…."
DrSyd on 13/02/2018 - 10:57
Keto diet is essentially another fad diet, sure it works but most diets work if they are adhered to. The science behind it is basic and its factual (which is helpful), its how we loose weight but this etc….."
3."Artofbargain 18 hours 49 min ago
Do u see traditional Chinese medicine as scam or science?
DrSyd 11 hours 5 min ago
I know very little about Chinese Medicine but its around and they're allowed to practice so it must be doing something."
Doesn't sound like a formal medical opinion to me.
1) possible explanation, cultural, not medical
2) not saying to do it or not, and info is not beyond a laypersons googling ability.
3) assumption and statement of ignorance.
@ggkfc: Hey ggkfc, the AMA is as a medical student not as as doctor though so people can ask questions within the scope of my current medical training or the process etc which seems to be what most people are asking about. I understand that I am only in my early years but I am not attempting to take on any questions out of my breadth of knowledge.
@Christy Bambi: This isn't medical advice, next time you see your gp and they ask "so what can I help you with today" you can respond with "Do u see traditional Chinese medicine as scam or science?" and then see what kind of response you get.
Its a bit different to "I have been getting chest pain for the last few days, what do you think it could be?" Providing an answer to that would be giving medical advice.
At the risk of feeding the troll, I'd like to share a response to Christy's PM which essentially states "drsyd should not be talking about other doctors".
"Thank goodness he is openly stating he is only a student, has limited understanding and no experience. And thank goodness for the internet where anonymity means that archaic practices regarding "don't talk about other doctors" are able to be brushed aside.
When we have an open medical system involving published error rates in hospitals, and an ability to see whether any mistakes were made during our own hospital stay, that will be a proud day for open medicine. Until then, threads like this give valuable insight into the otherwise closed and somewhat secretive profession of medicine.
How about you create a throwaway account and air some of your own issues with the profession. Public scrutiny brings reform!"
@ozbjunkie: Thanks for the support ozbjunkie. I too have exchanged a number of PM's with Christy and decided theres no point arguing with someone who's already made up their mind. She strikes me as the kind of person likely to comment on how the moon landing was fake, flat earther etc. I don't even think she's a troll, she genuinely believes what she is saying.
She is trying to claim that I am a fraud and that I am misleading people and breaking the law by providing medical advice. WTF Im a med student what advice do I have to give?
I think my intentions have been made more than clear and anyone reading through the thread would be able to see this.
Hopefully we get enough downvotes on her nonsense so we no longer have to look at it.
@DrSyd: It's all fun and games talking about your experience as a med student. If you are actually a med student. But its extremely obvious to anyone who is studying bach of medicine/surgery, that's not the case for you. Your some strange person who is searching for some europhic/homage feeling from helping strangers. This is because you have little or no validation within society and it hurts that little ego of yours. Prove to me that you are studying bach of med, i told you that i studied at Newcastle University, what campus are you studying at?
In 1996, as an intern at Western ED, I spent a good half an hour trying to talk down a psychotic patient. When the ED registrar debriefed me (after he eventually took over), he passed on a little (non-PC) life gem to me, which has had broad applicability across many environments - "You're completely wasting your time trying to be logical with a crazy person."
The more CB posts, the more thought disordered she sounds.
It would be fascinating to see CB's AHPRA registration details. Especially the "Conditions:" field.
OP, you come across as genuine, down-to-earth…and without any major personality or psych disorders. Goodonya for sharing your experiences on taking a road less traveled.
hes first year med apparently? what experiences has he got. Med parties….
Which campus did you study med at?
@Christy Bambi: Alright you got me, ill admit it, Im a fraud, you're right. I guess you can hang up your hat now feeling accomplished.
There is a proverb in ancient China during time of Confucius. An argument broke out between two people, one person is aggressive and think he is right, the other person ask Confucius about the matter, Confucius said, the person is right. The second person was surprised that Confucius said that. Later the second person ask Confucius. Confucius replied, of course the first person is wrong, but why would you waste your time arguing with him about it?
@savemedicare . Just seeing your comments here, it seems either you have a poor attitude or you have your nose out of joint for some reason.
This person is doing a great job and answering a lot questions in a pretty level way.
Stop looking for faults
I'm glad you aren't my Doctor. You remind me of the 'old school' style of Doctors full of arrogance and ego.
Was there any aspect of medicine which you (or another med student) thought may have been an issue, but which you found you were OK with, after repeated exposure ?
ie. I have considered studying medicine,however I have a phobia of needles going into me, especially seeing my blood come out (just something about it feels so wrong and I turn white and faint). Also I feel it might be an issue cuttinf people open as required, as I dont even like sharp knives around me, let alone something as sharp as a surgical scalpel.
Maybe it is quite different when you are focusing an important procedure on a patient, so perhaps that kind of overwhelms the uncomfortable aspect one wiuld normally feel when witnessing procedure done to yourself, or witnessing on TV (I have to look away when needle are being injected on tv, or when scalpel is seen being inserted on tv) .
I would expect there must be some med students who are quite uncomfortable or queezy at the thought of doing certain things. Im hoping it is something which goes away after a short time of exposure, or maybe your so focused on doing a good job, the uncomfortable aspect becomes quite secondary.
Cheers,
Pete.
Ps. Congrats on getting so far.
Thanks ozzpete,
With any phobia the best way to help get over it is by repeated exposures, I understand 100% your fear of needles and this is quite common. For me I cant really say I have a phobia with anything medical related, when i first studied medical science I was a little confronted with the cadavers during anatomy wet labs but over time It got better. Even now im still not 100% thrilled to "dig in" but I'm able to do it without it causing me any issues.
I think also being on the receiving end of treatment is different too because you're the one experiencing the discomfort. For me currently, I still have my own experiences of what its like being on the receiving end which hinder my ability a little because I am a little apprehensive that I will be causing pain to the patient knowing that what I am about to do could be painful. I guess time will change that.
Should I take the new weight loss drug SAXENDA?
I am close to financial ruin and have to start my life over. What should I do?
How often do you shower?
lol I shower 1 - 2 times a day depending if I can afford the water and If I have used saxenda or not. Sometimes after learning taiwanese I also have a shower.
Good on you Dr. Syd :)
Say someone likes you and you become their family doctor and the patient has a chronic illness that is also seeing a specialist long term - you review the medication and think some should be adjusted would you actually try to contact the specialist or would you just leave it be as not your field of expertise?
Good question - Im not a MD yet so Im unsure what would happen in the real world. If it were me, based on my current level of knowledge If it was a cause for concern of the patient I would write to the specialist suggesting a review of medications and then perhaps refer patient to another specialist for second opinion?
Perhaps someone with more knowledge could jump on this one - theres another thread AMA with a junior doctor good one to ask him. https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/361254
How readable is your hand writing on a scale of 1 (unreadable) to 10 (extremely legible) ?
Haha its getting worse as the years progress, actually i've been told I have really neat handwriting im sure this will change.
Do you think your wife understands what you have signed up for and the implications around family life? By that I mean the challenges ahead with exams, internship/residency shift-work, fellowship study/exams/costs, ongoing weekly CPD & practice meetings, after hours nursing home visits and so on?
dont forget the medical student tsunami, competition for training positions will be fun- look forward to do research papers and sucking ass
Glad you asked this, my wife doesn't understand, she is oblivious and it really upsets me from time to time. I will be stressing out over exams or coursework and she will load me up with things and I just tell her that I have too much on my plate and she just passes it off as nothing.
I currently do shift work, i've had to work christmas day/night, new years etc so this isn't an issue. When I commence work I really don't know what to expect, I have heard mixed reports from Doctors I know that say it isn't too bad and others really struggled. I know it will be harder than other careers I could have pursued but then again I didn't sign up because I thought it was going to be easy.
AJ, you sound like you're speaking from experience? Any advice?
Yet how do you manage to find the time to do an ozbargain AMA ? ;)
haha i'm on holidays for another 2 weeks.
Ahh yeah maybe UQ do the same thing, explaining that high number. On UQs website I found a page that suggested 280 domestic placements, 90 international.