Oct 31, 2019

Part 4- Settling In [end]

On my second day of working in KK, I ran down a man with my car.




It was just after work. My fingerprint ID was not registered in the system yet, so I just walked out the clinic once the clock stroke 5 pm. I parked my car in front of the main building; the sheltered parking slots for medical officers were full and I don't have my favourite parking place yet.


My mind was in a dazed. After two days of learning the ropes of working in KK, I more or less managed to function serving the locals here, albeit only at 60% efficiency I gathered. I learnt the basics of antenatal ultrasound scanning, doing the RMEs (routine medical examination) for both the pregnant ladies and children, managing the diabetes mellitus and hypertension patients, and knowing when to refer to the district hospital or the tertiary hospital.


Before I reversed the car, I had checked the rear mirror and it was clear. But stupid me didn't realized that I did a left turn reverse. And who was there, minding his own business as he was putting his medicine into the basket case of the motorbike but an elderly gentleman with a DISABILITY?


The crash was soft but unmistakably "crunchy". I thought I only ran over a parked motorbike. I quickly went out to inspect the bike but to my absolute horror there's a man lying on the ground, his already deformed left leg pinned down by his own bike. I heaved up the bike, releasing the man from the weight and the other staff, who quickly went out to see what's going on, helped the poor man on his ground.


We assessed the man and he was fine. He repeatedly said he was fine, that he had nothing serious. But I was chagrined and feeling dreadful. The old man then rode his bike off with his broken side mirror without me having the chance to give him some money. There's a slight dent at my car's bumper but the dent in my heart was much bigger.


I met the old man, again, last month when he came for his appointment. Turned out he was in my care zone (I covered a certain radius of area here that covers a number of villages, including the one this old man from) and I was free to see him. When he came in to the room and sat down, as soon as we had eye contact both of us were remembering the day I ran him over. Both of us smiled sheepishly and we ended the consultation with a laugh.


There's too much to tell about what's happening in the last 4 months of me working here in KK. Much of it is uneventful. At times I do miss the craziness and the peculiarity of the cases found back in Klang, but with the advantages of lunch break, acceptable patient load and the very fact that I can go back home by 5pm sharp on weekdays (weekends off, uolls), I am liking this new workplace very much so.


With it, however, came an end for my ambition to pursue FRCEM papers. I took a few months to come to term with it, and as of now, I am not looking to pursue any paper, not even FMS. This might change in the future, but for now I am very much in the knee-deep preparing for a big chapter in my life and what may come later will just have to wait.


That's it for my last part of new MOship transfer posts. I will be posting less frequently about my work here (seeing that there's hardly exciting thing to talk about) and I foresee that I will actually post only 3-4 posts per year. This blog is far from dead, though. Just drop a comment if you guys have any suggestion/question and thank you for reading!







7 comments:

  1. Ouch. Nsib baik nothing untowards happen to the pakcik.
    Keep la writing, my friends in KK banyak je cerita2 yg diorg dok cerita.
    Usually abt MC seekers, those maternal or under 5 mortality cases or just plain rude patients.

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  2. Been waiting for your update! Happy to see your update and please continue to blog :) okay back to reading the post (too excited that I have to leave you a comment before I even read your post).

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  3. hey it's the same excited reader here again after reading your post :) please don't stop blogging, I believe you will be able to experience more things in KK, while there may not be as "eventful" as what may had happened back in Klang and its hospital, KK will certainly a place that is mundane yet at the same time allowing you to taste the simplest happiness :) keep up the good work Dr!

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    1. You're such a swell Anon! Thank you for reading my blog hehe

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  4. Hi Dr,

    Thank you for reading my comment. I am just a new follower of your blog posts. It is a pity that I just discovered your blog only recently. By the way, did you complete your housemanship in 18 months? I just realised from your old postings that you started your housemanship perhaps in December 2016 and got your full MMC registration in August 2018. It seems that you were one of the excellent HOs who managed to excel in the housemanship programme. Any tips? All the best, Dr and keep on posting. Don't let a new follower like me to be bereft of the benefits from your excellent blog postings.

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    1. Hello John, thanks for visiting my blog.

      Well, yes, I did get my full MMC during my last posting of housemanship and I completed my 2-year housemanship without any extension. I wouldn't say that I am excellent, tho, far from it. There's a huge part of luck playing into it amongst the usual diligent and preparedness.

      There's a lot of tips to talk about, and it is not always applicable to all anyway. I've talked a bit in my housemanship posts (there's a lot of them over the span of two years, so keep on reading LOL) and it's not enough to talk all about it here. Be a keen and hardworking doctor. Always offer yourself to learn and do procedures, especially for things that you're not good at yet. Don't talk back to the staff nurses, know early the politics of your bosses. Learn early who to avoid working with and how to save yourself from trouble.

      Good luck for your housemanship and keep on fighting!

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  5. Good post. Keep it up!

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