Another done and dusted

As this year almost comes to a close it’s not hard to appreciate how fast time flies, to be honest this year has been tough yet I can in retrospect say I have enjoyed every minute of it. I have worked with great doctors and learnt a host of knowledge I didn’t even know existed. Medicine is so broad and at times it can be overwhelming. I spent most of my 5th year at BARA( the biggest hospital in South Africa) something that was amazing as the high patient load and interesting people as well as doctors made For a great learning experience. I guess with all careers comes the downside this would definitely be those long calls. Having covered most of the rotations this year I feel that I enjoyed internal medicine the most. Like I said its been a great year and one that has made me change the way I think of many of the specialities in medicine. One year left to go and I know it’s going to be tough but I’m sure if I’ve gotten this far the rest shouldn’t be to bad, for those that are still trying to get into medicine , don’t give up, on a side note I will reiterate as I get many emails asking about the Wapt, I don’t have past papers for this and they don’t exist, the best way to study for it is to learn the stuff on the objectives. I hope this helps those who are interested. If you have any questions please leave a comment and I will try and answer it as soon as I can, have a look at other comments as often I get the same questions. 

I wish everyone all the best for the festive season and the new year.

So close yet so far

I'll start this post with an apology for not updating this blog more often, to all the comments that I have not answered I'm sorry but time has been going so fast and the schedule for fifth year has been extremely tight. 

So on that note fifth year... so close yet so far from the finish. fifth year has been great so far, being in the hospital most of the time is really different to the experience that we have been so used to over the last couple of years. Its not as relaxed as the last two years though there's a lot more involved and there is very little time to have a normal life, however this seems to be the life of medicine particularly at the beginning of every year. Thus far I have completed rotations in pediatrics, urology, ophthalmology and public health, each one having its own highs and lows but the differences is what keeps us going. So what can you expect for each rotation? well as i said each one is different but they more or less consist of shadowing doctors, receiving lots of tuts around the bedside with a real example of the topic at hand and after you done with the long day you normally come home to tons of reading, to further the information you learnt. It has been very interesting thus far and despite the high workload, its been worth it. I have to admit that I have seen so many interesting cases over the last 3 months and would not choose anywhere else to study medicine at this point because of the amazing cases we have in South Africa and the people who never seize to amaze you(they are really amazing).

Thing's Change

So Fourth year medicine finally-this year started with a rush on the 4th of January, interesting how medical school has no idea what holiday is. fourth year medicine is a bit easier then third not because the work is easier but rather the fact that you are well adjusted to the system that is in place. from the previous post their have been quite a few changes with the introduction of a new head of department, the biggest was the elimination of SAQS, so test now consist of ONLY MCQ from 3rd year onward, multiple changes have been proposed for the following years to come so many of my previous details such as test, PBL and HPD structure may not be applicable to you in the future, this is not to say they wont exist just the way they are conducted will most probably change. So far second year is going great though and even though you may not be in the most interesting blocks you can always find something to enjoy in medicine, the merge from first to second year is hardly felt as its more a continuation then a different year. the new additions this year is an integrated exam on the previous 2 years work as well as OCC- observed clinical consultation this is essentially a process whereby you are examined by a doctor who watches how you interact with a real patient(most other times they use simulated patients). The amount of work is quite a bit and hence the decrease in attention to the blog but ill try keep the information coming.

If theirs anything specific you are curious about or if you have any questions with regard to medical school please feel free to leave a comment.

The first couple months of medicine

PCMS stands for preliminary concepts in medical sciences... To me it stood for what did i get myself into, if anyone tells you medicine is easy they were doing it wrong. I guess looking back its not as bad as it seemed, but the 1st block is a big adjustment and a lot of work it consist of 6 main subjects mainly pathology, pharmacology, immunology, microbiology, bio stats and bioethics. The PCMS block is essentially the only block in which there is set structure to subjects, in the following blocks there are themes but more on that later. The biggest adjustment is the limited time for everything, in the PCMS block lectures start at 8am and end at 5pm everyday for most of the block and then you end up with about 3 days to study for the test at the end of the block... It sounds hectic but you get used to it pretty fast, the work inst hard but its a lot of work. The thing with PCMS is that it helps to level the playing fields, especially for those who come through to the GEMP program with little medical background... In all the subjects listed above it seems that PCMS covers a broad amount of work that will be touched on in more detail in the following blocks, a lot like a foundation for everyone to build on. The hardest part of the block for most is going to be pathology but with a bit of dedication this can be overcome, pathology pops up a lot in the following blocks, so giving it some attention from the start is not a bad idea. I guess for most of the subjects its dependent on if you've ever done them. But like I said looking back its not that bad and definitely do able.

LOTS-So the second block of the year is the LOTS block which stands for life on the streets, this block covers most of the themes that carry on through out the year, its not a full on focused clinical block but rather jumps around from git to HIV etc. The block is quite relaxed for many and gives you a bit of a breather after pcms, don't get me wrong its still important to continue to work hard through this as their is a lot of information. In the first week of the block you will receive your first case normally this is little Anna, you will start working through the case with your pbl group and the case will go on through the week with 3 pbl sessions the first on the Monday, then pbl2 on Wednesday and then a pbl3 on Friday. The first pbl session is an introduction to the case and is normally facilitated, during this session students are meant to receive information on the case and come up with a diagnosis and the test they would request, while the second pbl session is just group work where you receive more information on the case including the results you requested in the first session, the last session is a plenary ie. A session where the entire case is reviewed and the coordinator for that week will answer anything that is not understood. The pbl process runs every week from the beginning of lots till the end of 4th year. The cases are usually related to the topic of the week and helps you get a understanding of the main presentation, diagnosis and management of the most common problems. The other new thing that's introduced in the LOTS block is HPD/ hospital practice days, these are days where you get to dress up like a doctor and go into the hospitals, these normally happen on a Thursday so the mornings are spent in a hospital that you are allocated to and then a clinical skills session in the afternoon, these are normally quite fun and you will have to pay attention as the stuff taught in these will make up the practical exam. The HPDs are intended to allow you to practice the skills you learn and its important that you use them from the start to avoid coming up to the OSCE not having practiced. The last new objective is journal entries these are a reflection of the block, that has to be completed at the end of each block except the last of each year, the journal entry must be two pages long and can be on anything that stood out for you during the block, their are a few topics you have to cover but for most entries you choose the topic. generally the lots block is good, just don't be to relaxed as it can seem boring and stuff you think you know, but attending lectures is important.

CVS-Finally into the clinical blocks, stuff just got serious and much more focused. The
CVS block is definitely one of the best blocks of the year and one of the most important, that being said it is definitely worth your while going to class and paying attention. The work in the block comes up throughout the year so learn it well to prevent it haunting you later. One of the practical aspects taught in this block is how to read an ECG their are normally two practical sessions, these must be attended as i can assure you they are worth your while. The block is six weeks and their is quite a lot of pathology and physiology to master, the first weeks pbl case may catch you of guard but after that you should get the hang of it. Each week focuses on a specific issue as with the blocks that follow. The outline for this block is: Week 1- general physiology and anatomy, week 2- heart failure, week 3- hypertension, week 4- acute coronary syndrome, week 5 - ineffective endocarditis and week 6- genetic cardiac diseases. The week on hypertension is worth paying attention in, as it comes up again and again due to it being a common problem in our westernized world. The cardiac block is a great way to start the clinical blocks have fun and enjoy it.

After the above the blocks mostly follow a similar format and I'm sure you will get the hang of it. If you have any questions leave a comment below.

A work in progress

this post is just to let you know that this blog is something I do when I have free time and due to this not always being available, post may be quite spaced out, but I am willing to answer questions at any time... please feel free to ask.

Some things to consider.

So finally made it in to medicine and it feels great... the first few months have turned my world upside down. So I guess ill start with explaining how the GEMP program is laid out... GEMP1/year 3 and GEMP2/year 4 are essentualy one year consisting of 11 blocks (a block is generaly a system of the body this is true for all 9 blocks except for the first 2) after this GEMP 3/year 5 and GEMP 4/ year 6 is mostly clinical where more time is spent in the hospital. In terms of test these are normaly a multiple choice question papers and short answer questions. I got my leter of acceptance on the 21st of december, the date does change each year but its usualy around this time. If you are considering the route I decided to take, I think its important that you consider accomadation and all the other important things involved with starting at a new university as it does become quite rushed, medical school usualy opens around the 5th of January. The next thing is your final results, if you are currently studying, often these become a slight issue at the end as wits request an official copy with the universities stamp, these can be difficult to obtain by the date that wits requires it but normaly the people involved are understanding and will help you out. The next post will cover the first block.

If you have any questions please comment below.

So what's next?

I applied to the graduate entry medical program (GEMP) in my third year, the wits GEMP is a program offered by the Witwatersrand (wits) university that allows a graduate to jump into third year medicine based on passing a placement test and your marks at university, the test is known as the WAPT and covers mainly the 2nd year work done by medical students.  The requirements and all the information can be found on the wits website under faculty of health science. Despite the fact that any degree can apply there are some requirements like chemistry and math’s etc., it is at this point that doing a medical related degree can be to your advantage, although if you do a degree that is less time consuming it kind of evens out as this allows for more time to study for the test. Anyone interested in this should plan ahead as leaving it to the last minute can be overwhelming, it is a lot of work but perseverance will get you the results you need.  For more info on the GEMP click here http://www.wits.ac.za/academic/health/academicprogrammes/undergraduate/20190/gemp.html

If no university accepts you even after a degree in South Africa then what?

Well if no university will accept you after a B.Sc. then you can try the numerous alternatives overseas, For those that are considering this there are many universities in China as well as Mauritius where you will find high numbers of South Africans due to the shortage of space in South Africa, the only downsides to going overseas is the price and the fact that you will need to write a test to be allowed to practice in South Africa upon completion of your degree( once again I stand corrected on this point as some of the universities in Mauritius say that your internship is done in south Africa so I'm not 100% sure if the entrance board exam will still apply). The last alternative is  to go into an alternative medical field such as emergency services, pharmacology, occupational health, nutrition or sports science just to list a few, there are many more.