Crossroads

II.IV.V CROSSROADS That’s how it went for the rest of the rotation. Work hard, work harder – no time for play. But I was fine with that. It’d be over soon enough anyway. At that point, I had my future all mapped out. I was hoping to pass my exam so that by the time I finished my Foundation Programme, […]

Holiday Spirit

II.II.VII HOLIDAY SPIRIT To most people, the holiday season is all about the magic, the hope, and the lights that come along with it. Despite the cold, everything feels warmer, as if everything’s right with the world. A winter wonderland full of cheer and festivities. Christmas trees, Santa Claus, all the gifts you could possibly ever receive, all the eggnog […]

Floating

II.II.VI FLOATING As time went by, our situation in the neurosurgical department improved somewhat. Whereas before it was us house officers and a single higher specialist trainee (HST) keeping the department running, we now had two shiny, brand-new HSTs – Gary and Bob.  Having only just started, they weren’t quite exceptional yet, but at least they managed to offload some […]

Drowning

II.II.II DROWNING The word busy doesn’t even begin to describe the sheer amount of work one is met with in the neurosurgical department. I’d go in every single day far earlier than I was expected to in order to do the pre-round, something I’d usually do out of my own volition to speed up the ward round. During this rotation, […]

Desensitised

I.II.II DESENSITISED It was during my time in neuro that I realised I was not the same person I had been at the start. I never thought I could end up so jaded, so robotic, so heartless. At one point, I found myself almost intolerant and oblivious to other people’s woes. It comes with the job, most people would say. […]

START OF FY 1

START OF FY I I could hardly believe that my five years in med school were over. Med school didn’t end with applause or closure – we were still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. It felt like a door had closed behind me without asking if I was ready. I stepped forward anyway. Before starting this new journey, we […]