Hi, my name is Joe. I’m one of those pesky third year ScotGEM students currently out on placement in a remote corner of Scotland. It is a place that is teeming with fabulous wildlife—I have made many a friend among the local seals during my wild swims along the coast… they clearly thought I was one of them. The place I’m in is Wick. I thought it would be nice to pen a ScotGEM story about a day in Caithness General Hospital (CGH), which is to be found bang in the centre of the town. It’s a real do-it-all hospital—from managing the most acute cases like dealing with a road traffic accident, to helping a frail and elderly patient back into their home in the community.
So, what is an average day in Wick like? It starts with a bacon sandwich in my accommodation which is on the hospital site. Note, one should not have a bacon sandwich every single day – a day off a week is required (or so I hear). Then comes the arduous commute, a whole 20-metre walk to the front entrance. The clinical day kicks off with handover at 8am, where all inpatients are discussed and handed back over to the day shift by the knackered night staff. As a student this is the time you nod as if you know what is happening, but in actual fact the consultants might as well be speaking Klingon. A little secret though is that over the years at medical school you begin to understand little bits of that strange language they converse in. Beyond this you are in a daze of medical jargon. This is when I stumble up to the third floor, a mystical place where appendixes enter but none leave; this is the surgical floor. The morning is normally spent helping out with the surgical lists for the day, this can range from a relatively simple vasectomy to far more complex surgical procedures. It’s truly amazing that those many hours spent in anatomy classes in first year, which at the time often felt so devoid of clinical relevance, are now at the forefront of my mind when standing over a patient with an open abdomen. My goodness, I am so appreciative of those classes now.
Next, I run down to the hospital canteen (there is definitely a pattern emerging here). First things first… CHIPS. Next, a strong cup of tea and a good think about the morning. There is always a lot to learn in a short amount of time and sometimes you just need to take a moment to consolidate what you have seen in the morning.
After lunch, it’s time for the best that Caithness General has to offer….. the marvellous Emergency Department (ED). For me, this has been one of the most enjoyable parts of being at CGH. As a student (under close supervision from a doctor), I’m able to help assess the patients coming into the ED—this includes ordering imaging like x-rays and clinically relevant blood tests. This is the first time as a medical student that real serious thinking is needed (well, in my case) about why I am asking for certain investigations. It really involves thinking about the clinical relevance of what you are doing. It is fantastic and terrifying at the same time. I should note here that the staff in the hospital are hugely supportive, everyone from the consultants to the catering staff (there I go again… food) they all are so happy to help students out. After an afternoon in the ED I’m usually very tired, but not tired enough to skip going for a swim at the local pool to round off the day. It’s a great time to reflect about what I have seen that day and how I can improve my learning to become the best future doctor that I can be.
Thanks for reading. Please note that eating chips, bacon rolls and fried goods are awfully bad for you if consumed regularly. This was taught in Week 1 of ScotGEM.
