Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Zoonoses

Friday night was fun, ended up in a bar in Marylebone with some friends then soho later on. I had very little sleep because I got up early on Saturday to help at the conference. The AIDs conference was very good. I particularly enjoyed the lectures covering the treatment of HIV in adults and children.

What is it with people on mobile phones on the bus? Grrrrrrrr. We considerate passengers have to endure people shouting at the top of their voices about their lives/chatting to someone on speaker phone/ playing the latest 'tuunes' on speaker phone. I'm glad you all have mobile phones but I just want to travel in peace and quiet.


My trawl through pathology continues, currently microbiology, my favourite subject area. I think it's the fact that it is badly taught in the early years of med school. Zoonoses??? Had a tour of the microbiology lab at the hospital today. The consultant microbiologist was very funny and it was an eye opener seeing where the millions of path specimens end up. I saw herpes simplex infected cells under the microscope, gram stains, how they process blood cultures etc. I suppose I see the point of learning about the microbes. Did I mention the infectious diseases presentation I have to give on Friday?

Lots of elections for various medical associations and I fear many people are thinking of Foundation year 1 (F1) job applications next year or am I being cynical? Yes I am with good reason. BTW I need to hand in my elective application forms, get the ball rolling and all that. Most people in my year finish exams this week so there should be more going on. I saw my fresher son today and he actually thinks first year is hard work. I resisted the urge to remind him that it gets worse.


My flatmate is singing at her university Christmas carol service on Thursday and yours truly has been invited. Friend's birthday soiree on Friday. BMJ careers fair and university cultural show on Saturday. Should keep me sane..... just about.

Friday, November 25, 2005

Vital signs

Most wanted: All the James Patterson (too many) and Patricia Cornwell (two after blowfly) books I am yet to read. Lipstick jungle by Candace Bushnell. ABC network in the US bought the rights and it is being touted as the next sex and the city. The new Mary J Blige album The breakthrough , Floetry's Flo'Ology and Chris Brown's debut LP. Two weeks free holiday at some billionaire's Caribbean mansion. Back to earth.

Why is Jamie Foxx releasing an album? 50 cent's starring in a movie. Let's use the 8 mile concept, hire a model/actress Joy Bryant for the male vote, have lots of songs by guess who? 50 -I got shot a billion times-cent and we can make a completely original film lots of young kids will want to watch. I'd rather have my appendix taken out than watch anything 50 cent/Usher/Nelly act in. Acting is a talent, you either have it or you don't. Stage school is one way of nurturing the talent and I find it disrespectful to legendary actors such as Pacino, De Niro, Samuel L Jackson that these musicians think they can create talent from nothing. The only reason a lot of people watch the films is to see if these artistes are any good.

Got the Ray J song stuck in my head still and I actually like the Pussy Cat Dolls. In my opinion the Latin- African American girl, Melody is much prettier than the main girl, Nicole.

HIV/GUM ward round. Relaxed, funny staff and an all round change from some of the stuffy ward rounds I've been on/X-ray meeting I've fallen asleep during. I am attempting to crawl through the pathology course we did over the summer. That's over 100 lectures folks. Haematology is soooo interesting, do you know the WHO classification of myelodysplastic syndromes? No? Neither do I or anyone who isn't some haem professor. Presently, I occupied with the society stuff. Occupational Health informed me that they will have to 'bleed' me for measles, mumps and rubella antibody titres in lieu of elective health form filling. A few friends are going to roller disco this weekend but I am attending an AIDS conference. Rollerskating to music is so retro and I'm very jealous.

Friday, November 18, 2005

Fun

HIV and GUM is looking like an alternative career path for yours truly for today at least. Mainly because the staff seem more laid back than in most of the other specialties we have been attached to. HIV is one of the few infectious diseases I actually enjoy learning about. Sorry to the Legionella/ Schisto fans out there (all 2 of you). I got grilled by the Registrar today but in a nice way. If I didn't know it, he would give me mini tutorials in between patients. The consultant looked like she could be a med student, so young but a specialist in her field. Everyone is relaxed probably because of the high level of trust between the health professionals and the patients. I am going to stop now because I am sounding like a piece of coursework for general practice or communication skills.

Tomorrow involves searching for a birthday present for a toddler. Joy Joy .....

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Yo sushi


I went round to a friend's flat last night and we made sushi. It was so much fun, like cooking with your mum when you're little. Today I saw Constant Gardener starring Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz. It was very good. Especially the moving camera angles. Debate on euthanasia in the evening (I'm on a roll with the talks). Extremey interesting issues raised. My main criticism is that the people who drafted the send bill on 'assisted dying' do not seem to have thought through the practicalities. The criteria patients have to fulfill (terminal illness, unbearable suffering, competence and the request must be made voluntarily by the patient), is subjective. I can understand the arguments for both sides but I think if the bill is introduced, we will be venturing down a slippery slope. Not everyone has good intentions as that GP bloke who killed his patients (Shipman) exemplified. Of course patients should be treated with dignity and reserve autonomy however providing assisted suicide as a potential therapeutic option makes me uncomfortable.

Off to bed soon, day of clinics tomorrow.


Photo from http://ro.altermedia.info/images/euthanasia.jpg

Monday, November 14, 2005

Sexual History

We survived the weekend. There was window shopping, dvd watching and a cinema trip. Surprisingly she didn't want to do anything crazy and I may have given her the false impression that I actually have a life. In her shoes was surprisingly good. Cameron Diaz probably played herself but I love Toni Collette. Ok I don't love her, I thought she was hilarious in Muriel's Wedding.

First day of my Infectious diseases/genito-urinary medicine rotation. Lectures with the main thread being the staff have heard it all in terms of sexual activities and we must get past our own embarrassment in order to ask questions relevant to the patient's presenting complaint. The health adviser clarified what 'fisting' and 'rimming' are. I must be the only one on earth who didn't know. Or am I? Write in folks......

This afternoon was spent finding a winter coat. The result of my labour-black, knee length, smart wool jacket from my old fave H&M. Whilst I'm here, the new Stella McCartney Collection is interesting. I won't be buying any of it 1. I can't be bothered to flog it to some poor sod on eBay (hang on...) 2. Every woman and her dog will be sporting something from the collection ala boho. I've realised some women are crazy because they will fight over clothes and shoes. Think January sales or Faith 20% off days.

I've got the Ray J song 'One wish' stuck in my head. Very loud girl talking on her mobile for 30 minutes on the bus and ignoring all the evil stares from the other passengers. We are all glad you're seeing Baz but we don't want to know your life story or what you got up to at the weekend.

Saturday, November 12, 2005

Impending visit

I went to a lecture by Professor Emeritus Sir Gustav Nossal from the University of Melbourne, titled 'Global Health Advances in a Troubled World: 2005 A Turning Point?' It was interesting. He focused on the global vaccination programme made possible by funding from Bill Gates' foundation. Vaccinations readily accessible in the West are not available to children in the developing world. International Health is a rapidly advancing research area with lots of funding coming in. Prof. Nossal admitted that there is still much to be done but many advances have been made.

Friday night was the most fun I've had in ages. Met up with some friends I haven't seen for a bit. There was alcohol and music and the details shall remain with us till the grave. On saturday I got lost in Battersea/Clapham (they don't call it Clapham Junction for nothing). The bus to west London comes every hour apparently. Club/society meeting on Tuesday night. I'm helping with their publicity and it will involve using my creative talents (whatever they are) to produce work of a high standard in a short period of time. Also met my fresher child for the first time after a pregnancy I don't recall very well. It was an emotional meeting and reiterated the fact that I'm officially old. I tried to remember first year and the memories have merged into an indecipherable mass of thoughts. I probably depressed him with my musings on the years to come. I apologise in advance and will pick up the psychotherapy bills.

The rest of the week was the usual cycle of waking up, going into the hospital, eating and sleeping. Today marks the end of my neurology firm. The field really interests me and I am not ruling it out as a future option career-wise. Met up with my friend who just returned from his elective in New Zealand. He had a brilliant time and now I'm really looking forward to it.

My next task in between HIV/Genitourinary medicine, is to get all my elective paper work sorted out. For three months next summer, I will hopefully if they accept me, be gaining medical experience at a few establishments in North America. Need to sort out the health vaccination paperwork and book in for a Chest Xray as I'm told this carries more weight than a BCG scar as proof of the absence of current tuberculosis infection.

My cousin is coming to visit. She's 17 and starts university next year. I am tired from almost four months of the' first term'. Ideally I would like to sleep for a month but onwards and upwards. I'm trying to remember17............ obsessing over boys, clothes, gossip. partying and boys. Think the O.C without Daddy's credit card.

Thursday, November 03, 2005

Mobile Phones


It's that time of year again. I have to decide whether to switch networks and or which phone to get. I am very indecisive so I've had to start thinking early. It's a toss up between the sony w800i (packed with multimedia features), Samsung D600 (sleek but hard to text with compared to nokia or sony) and the nokia N70 (looked a bit bulky in the shop).

My new discovery is the sony Ericsson w900 phone which is black (or white), sleek, 3G, has 2.2" 240x320 pixel display, rotary mechanism, 2 megapixel camera and 470 Mb of memory. I think it's safe to say this (see photo) and that ipod 30gb thingy (see previous post 13/10/05) will be top of everyone's Christmas lists this year. Santa if you're reading this.......................................

Signed up for the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Careers fair today. I decided to do something positive towards my future. Nothing to do with reading accounts of doctors graduating from Bristol and Leeds, moving back home and collecting job-seekers allowance as they cannot find senior house officer (SHO) posts. Some of those articles are so sensationalist.

David Blunkett resigned again. The media and the publics' obsession with 'celebrities' private lives is out of hand. They are human beings who make mistakes. As long as he does a good job and does not break the law, who cares? I can bet in 6 months time Kate Moss will be fronting even more campaigns, on the list for all the fashion events or telling her story on Oprah. Speaking of celebrities, what is Sienna Miller famous for again? Oh that's right she dated Jude Law. Liz Hurley comes to mind. It would be interesting to see what they put down for job description on forms- ''entertainer''?

Image from http://www.mobilegazette.com/sony-ericsson-w900-051017.htm

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Rant

Apparently everyone is getting a knightshood from the Queen/ presenting their project at some conference/ doing their elective with the prime minister. That's all very well but is there any need to brag? It has taken me five years to realise that most people in my year are freaks in some way and I may not be a freak ( my psychiatric assessment not withstanding). I don't sleep in the library, suck up to consultants, live exclusively with medics or do everything with the purpose of getting a house job. I must be a weirdo. Perhaps I should start wearing belly tops and mini skirts on ward rounds. But will I be happy? Does it matter? Imagine doing a fun course at a non competitive uni where people actually have lives and nothing stuck up their butts. People say uni days are the best days of your lives. Not when its 6 years.

Could my irritation be due to the lengthy ward round just finished? Or the fact that I'm sick of a minority of self-centred medics who think the world revolves around them and take every oppurtunity to put others down. Perhaps it is the fear that one day my personality will evolve to become like theirs and there will be no cure. If this happens let me know and make me eat humble pie.