My First Day In Medical Posting – Tagging Day 1 | Housemanship Diaries

Tell us about your first day at something — school, work, as a parent, etc.

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Finally, my much awaited posting… Medical!

Ever since I was a first poster, I have always looked forward towards the Medical Posting but one I decided to keep as my last as I wanted to “learn“ and understand the posting rather than just “float” through.

This served as a disadvantage in other postings as when it came to simple management of hyperkalemia or hypokalemia, I wouldn’t know, neither hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia.

Instead, I simply memorised my way in terms of the simple management and “referred to Medical” rather than actually learning to correct them myself in other postings.

Thus, I went complex and complicated first prior to building my way up.

My first day in this much awaited posting was on the 11th of December 2024. I had just completed the Surgical Posting and was on a 5-days-break.

On my first day, I was allocated into the “Perimedical Pool”. Deemed as probably the “worst place” to be allocated in. Thus, as usual, the fear starts creeping in.

I started asking around in regards to my job scope as well as the superiors.

Most of them advised to just arrive on time, which I did, at 7am sharp.

That morning, I was allocated to handle the “Yellow Respi” zone of the Emergency Department.

Thankfully, I had a good friend who was my partner for the day.

We began with tracing x-rays of the patients as well as their blood investigations.

After we have gone through all of the patients, we began with our morning reviews while awaiting our medical officer and specialist.

The medical officer arrived and started reviewing the patients with my friend. Here I was, on Day 1, extremely blur.

I introduced myself to the medical officer and he proceeded to tell me to go about my own reviews while he assessed the other patients with my friend.

Alright, here we go again, just like in every posting. Just how and what am I going to review?

Soon, the specialist came and I proceeded to follow the rounds as I was used to in the Surgical Posting where we all followed the grand rounds.

Instead, I was again asked to proceed with reviewing the other patients in the other cubicle while they go about their rounds.

Feeling quite lost and left out, I proceeded as such. Before I knew it, I reviewed all the patients in that particular cubicle just in time when the medical officer and the specialist came.

Thus, I started presenting and writing, still being tuned to the work culture in the Surgical Posting.

Just like rounds in the other postings, we presented, followed, write and after rounds, proceeded with discharges and carrying out the active joblists.

Surprisingly, I had time for lunch.

Afternoon rounds started at 2pm with just the medical officer and my superior was more than kind enough to start explaining and teaching me as to why certain things are as such.

After the PM rounds, I proceeded to screen through the casenotes and update the list of patients in my zone as well as to take any STAT bloods. Before 6pm, I went for my early dinner.

Considering I was tagging, I had to stay till 10pm whereas the rest who are “Short Day” or “SD” went home by 6pm. Thus, from 6pm till 10pm, I was actively screening through the casenotes in the Yellow Zone, Yellow Respi Zone, Red Zone, Red Zone 2, CSSD, EDOU, Green Yellow Zone and updating the list as well as to take any needed STAT bloods which mainly included blood cultures.

A little before 10pm, I approached one of the medical officers to get my signature for the day and went home.

That concludes my first day of tagging in the Medical Posting which surprisingly turned out rather well. For the first day at least.

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My Morning Routine Being A House Officer Leader In The Surgical Posting | Housemanship Diaries

Related Posts:

• Reflection Of The Surgical Posting | Housemanship Diaries
• My Experience as A Plastics House Officer | Housemanship Diaries
• The Wards In The Surgical Department | Sarawak General Hospital
• My First Day In General Surgery – Tagging Day 1
• My First Night Shift In Surgery | Housemanship Diaries
• The House Officer’s Dilemma | Housemanship Diaries
• Surviving A Month Of Tagging In My Fourth Posting – Surgery | Housemanship Diaries
• Appreciation Towards The Medical Officers (MOs) – Housemanship Diaries
• My Downfall In Surgery Which Led To My Extension – Housemanship Diaries
• 1 Year Of Housemanship Update – Housemanship Diaries
• Another Good Advice I Will Remember For The Longest Time – Housemanship Diaries
• Enjoying The Journey – Housemanship Diaries

There are three main leaders in the Surgical Posting. One is in charge of curating the weekly schedule, the other, in charge of ward and cubicle / bed allocations as well as to reallocate if there are any people who took emergency leaves or medical leaves and the third one, in charge of our attendance at work.

I was the daily allocator. Being the “allocator”, I would be in charge of designating the house officers to the selected cubicles of both the male and female surgical wards (MSW and FSW), the Peri, EMOT and ETD as well as to look for substitutes if there are any last minute changes or leaves.

Usually, I will prep my allocation in advance after the schedule leader has done the schedule and make necessary changes along the way. The leader in charge of the schedule usually determines which person works the night shift and when as well as to approve any leaves. Usually, the house officers will be divided into their respective wards.

The night before, I usually run through the suggested allocation in the “Leaders Group” with the medical officers in charge of the House Officers to screen through.

After receiving the green light from them or making necessary adjustments, I would then upload the list in the House Officer’s group. Thus, they would then know where they would be covering.

The list is usually sent in the “MOHO” group, meaning the group containing the House Officers and Medical Officers at 6:30 a.m.

Thus, I would wake up and be on standby at 5am everyday, even on my off days as I would wait for any messages should anybody take medical leaves or emergency leaves and make the necessary adjustments needed.

At 6:30 a.m sharp, I forward the daily allocation into the “MOHO” group.

If I happened to be working on that day, I would pause in between work just to send and then go about my work.

However, if I happened to be on leave or having my off days, I would then return to sleep or go about my other activities after 6:30 a.m.

It was an interesting experience having had the privilege to hold the position as one of the posting leaders.

Related Posts:

• Reflection Of The Surgical Posting | Housemanship Diaries
• My Experience as A Plastics House Officer | Housemanship Diaries
• The Wards In The Surgical Department | Sarawak General Hospital
• My First Day In General Surgery – Tagging Day 1
• My First Night Shift In Surgery | Housemanship Diaries
• The House Officer’s Dilemma | Housemanship Diaries
• Surviving A Month Of Tagging In My Fourth Posting – Surgery | Housemanship Diaries
• Appreciation Towards The Medical Officers (MOs) – Housemanship Diaries
• My Downfall In Surgery Which Led To My Extension – Housemanship Diaries
• 1 Year Of Housemanship Update – Housemanship Diaries
• Another Good Advice I Will Remember For The Longest Time – Housemanship Diaries
• Enjoying The Journey – Housemanship Diaries

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About Me | Privacy Policy | Contact Me

Reflection Of The Surgical Posting | Housemanship Diaries

Can you share a positive example of where you’ve felt loved?

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As you can see based on the prompt that I would be answering, Surgical Posting is definitely the place where the environment among the superiors felt more like a family to me and I’ve always felt the love and care towards one another and the patients in the whole team.

Prior to entering this department, I’ve always had my doubts and fear considering that I’ve heard numerous negative comments in regard to the department. Mostly, the department was deemed “toxic”.

However, upon entering there during my first day, I was guided and encouraged to follow rounds even when I seemed rather lost. I was not reprimanded or shouted at but instead I was guided and taught.

No doubt it is a tiring posting and after having completed my tagging period in all of the 5 major postings (Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Surgical and Medical), the tagging period in the Surgical Posting is the most tiring for me.

This posting sort of reminds me of Orthopaedics except the amount of patients are full-blown, never ending with random or common surgical-related issues and the patients are even more unstable.

The thing about being in this posting is that usually when an order is given by our superiors, it is expected to be carried out STAT, meaning immediately and they will usually keep checking in to know the progress and status of the patient which is both good and also annoying. Good because it keeps you on our toes and ensure things are being carried out. Bad as the day could be burning with multiple issues and joblists and there is lack of manpower and you barely had time to sit or even had a drink and next, you’re being summoned again.

However, looking back, I definitely enjoyed every bit of my journey over there. Eventually, I was given the responsibility of being one of the leaders in this department, the daily allocator to be exact, by my friend.

This unknowingly deepens my relationship among my superiors as we would constantly reach out to each other.

Along the way, I made friends with the nurses at Male Surgical Ward and I will always be grateful for their help.

The Surgical Posting also made me realise how much I enjoy Surgical-based and that I am one. Despite my initial interest in Medical upon entering my housemanship journey, I realised that I love hands-on more and I need to “see” the issue. For example, if a patient complaints of abdominal pain, assess the patient, send some blood workups which might help and in your direction of care as well as scans.

Most of the time, the issue is identified through the scan with the blood workup being highly suggestive. Thus we move on from there.

I can’t quite explain. Somehow it just make sense to me just like when I was previously in the Orthopaedics Department.

This posting is also where I spent the longest time. I entered the posting on the 4th of July 2024, which is around 5 months as I took a break in between due to my injury.

The Surgical Posting definitely holds a dear place in my heart. Upon bumping into my old superiors, I still greet them with joy and a smile, reminiscing my good times within the department.

If you are due to join the Surgical Posting, please prepare yourself both mentally and physically.

In my opinion, the Surgical Posting is a physically tiring and not as bad as it seems despite the multiple negative remarks. Perhaps, it was a different experience for others but in my humble opinion, it is NOT a toxic department. At least at the place that I am practicing in.

Have faith, hang in there and try your ultimate best everyday in both your work as well as in trying to learn the most you can out of this posting and journey.

Related Posts:

• My Experience as A Plastics House Officer | Housemanship Diaries
• The Wards In The Surgical Department | Sarawak General Hospital
• My First Day In General Surgery – Tagging Day 1
• The Worst Morning Shift In General Surgery | Housemanship Diaries
• My First Night Shift In Surgery | Housemanship Diaries
• The House Officer’s Dilemma | Housemanship Diaries
• Surviving A Month Of Tagging In My Fourth Posting – Surgery | Housemanship Diaries
• Appreciation Towards The Medical Officers (MOs) – Housemanship Diaries
• My Downfall In Surgery Which Led To My Extension – Housemanship Diaries
• 1 Year Of Housemanship Update – Housemanship Diaries
• Another Good Advice I Will Remember For The Longest Time – Housemanship Diaries
• Enjoying The Journey – Housemanship Diaries

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