The Slog

I have turned down invites to go out and stayed in tucked up in bed on several occasions. What is happening? Could this be medic-burn out- syndrome. A disorder chracterised in both sexes with a peak incidence in the 3rd to final years of medical education. The symptoms include :

• Physical fatigue from long ward rounds, theatre and clinics
• Lack of motivation
• Not giving a toss about the present or the future
• Fear of the foundation programme and ending up jobless
• Mental fatigue from overcompetitive colleagues and keenos
• Obsessing over money and debt

If any of you have experienced these or similar symptoms, please leave a post sharing your experiences.

Management involves winning the lottery and lying on a hot beach for several months. Second line treatment is increasing extra curricular activities and exercise. Counselling or individual psychotherapy is indicated in severe or refractory cases.

The honey moon is over. 10 weeks till exams. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I love orthopaedics and rheumatology. It is such an interesting specialty which is comparable to drilling into my teeth for fun on a daily basis. Closed and open fractures.........zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Dermatology is interesting because it encompasses traditional clinical medicine and can enable diagnosis of systemic disorders. Also there is no dermatology on-call which is a bonus for future employees. I can imagine it getting a bit repetitive seeing some conditions a million times but that is true of most specialties.

Most wanted (1st two in my dreams):

• Miu Miu sunglasses
• Chanel Sunglasses
• Nelly Furtado album when it is released (June 26 in USA). It sounds hot especially No Hay Igual not promiscuous which is typical Timbaland- talk over every track I produce.
• Rihanna - A Girl like me. I love the S.O.S video- she looks great.
• Pink- I'm not Dead
• Grey's Anatomy DVD series 1

The state of music at the moment is shocking. Corinne Bailey Rae is about the only decent thing out at the moment. Yet I haven't bought the album. I will I just want the hype to die down a bit.

For spring trends check out the Telegraph's fashion website.

Easter

Exam went o.k. Went window browsing. I love it when the new spring trends enter the shops. Everything seems so fresh, fashion-wise. Home for the Easter Weekend. There was lots of sleeping, watching abysmal television and eating my body weight in food. I have to start doing some work and stop faffing around.

Memories & Dread

This week has been long and tiring, despite mainly wasting time I should have spent revising. It is the final practical clinical exam and the events of the year are taking it's toll. Or I am just lazy. My flatmates are not helping. Above is pictorial evidence of this. Their friends call the flat in the small hours of the morning and apparently using a hoover when normal people are asleep or not tidying up after yourself is normal behaviour.

Last Weekend I saw Inside Man in the cinema. I can't imagine why. Maybe it provided an incentive in the form of Clive. We are good friends you know, in my dreams. It was similar to Derailed with a twisting plot. Denzel was good and I finally figured out Chiwetel Ejiofor was the other cop after reading his interview in Marie Claire.

I braved the library during Easter. What was I thinking? My university doesn't do Easter. You've got more of a chance finding a seat at a Backstreetboy's concert during school holidays than you do finding a seat during Easter revision period. It brought back memories of revision for exams before all my friends graduated. Sniff sniff.. It's weird seeing a set of different people going through the same process my friends did. I realise after another year I am still in this institution doing pretty much the same thing. But the end is near, 16 months is not that long especially with a 3 month elective period.

I have just seen the group list for next year's rotations. It is full of hard core freaks who work 24-7 and don't sleep. A mix of the militant keenos and dossers. I am so lucky.

2006 ' Spring's trends look remarkable similar to last year's. Thank goodness boho is gone but oh no what will Sienna wear now? Lot's of white influenced by Chloe and Stella McCartney's collections. Polka dots, yellow, prints, high collars and stacked heels. Spring is here.