For my undergraduate juniors,
jeng jeng jeng
Under threat of DEATH and immeasurable pain and torture, Zyryx, as the Dude, unmasked, bares it all..
Housemanship's biggest secrets, finally revealed..
Zyryx:
ok im back but i got kinda lost.
What do you wanna know actually?
I can speculate..probably by the time you got here evaluations will be the norm for every new dr..unfortunately for you, but maybe for the better. although it would be weird for a relatively poor med system like malaysia to suddenly evaluate the universities overseas which are definitely in higher standards according to the world, which they initially recognised..im a bit tired
Nerd:
Haha. I didn't expect an answer straight away, dude. Go catch ur breath.
And yes i've heard about the exam thingy tho i'm not overly worried about it. I mean really, whats 5 yrs worth of overseas education if i cant pass one back home (confidence much?? Hehe)
Anyway, What i really want to know is the working conditions, the hours, the on-calls u're expected to do per month, the assessments, the criteria to which hospital u're sent to (as u might imagine, i'd prefer to be close to home) etc etc
and maybe, if after all that u find urself still willing to divulge me with classified info, the wage (a rough guesstimate will do).
Thanks in advance :)
P/s: i understand u're a busy man (as i imagine all docs are), so take ur time to answer (if u want to answer at all that is). I'm in no rush.
Dude:
umm..about the exams..maybe the first few batches will find it a problem, and the new universities without seniors. But only initially. No one really has the time to make new questions for an extra exam previously not needed anyway, IMHO.
Assessment is difficult for me to tell about. I suspect it falls on the specialist supervising. Some do drastic stuff like making sudden spot checks on log books (typically left to the last minute to fill- you dont have much time with your work anyway) and automatically (cruelly) extend another 3 months of your life in that particular department. The worse part is rumours tend to be considered true and getting extended indirectly because of that happens too. Please dont be one of those who do that. The knowledge part is mostly clinical...they want to know if you can actually make a proper assessment, diagnosis and management plan of the most common conditions, at least.
Housemanship life is actually getting better. You get 1 day off every weekend, depending on your posting, if you're lucky, and more people means more time for teaching,study and stuff...but for training you'll have lesser chances to do procedures, as there are more of you. still it doesnt mean life wont be as bad as they say. working life is always different, no matter what field you're in.. work = 7am-5/6/7pm x 6days/week, 25 days per year allowed for sick/leave, including public holidays and between postings, and what you do affects the efficiency of the hospital, the patient's diagnosis, and ultimately the morbidity and mortality of you patients. You might feel small and useless, being the lowest in the pecking order... but remember that you will be part of the system, and a vital one, even if you dont feel it. Try not to take it out on the nurses or patients too much, or even your own fellow housemen.
A houseman can be wrong, allowed to make minor mistakes, and miss certain things, but you are expected to learn from it and improve.
Now I feel like a truism factory. So I'll stop there..
To answer your question, I might end up writing a book. Which is a good thing if I did and get guys like you to buy it and live life rich and not working anymore..now isn't that every writer's dream.
Money-wise.. my friends who graduated from Australia and Ireland, and worked there made much, much, much, (consider walking to the toilet and coming back and I still havent finished) much more money than working here..Heck, I guess even your monthly allowances from the government isn't much difference from what I make.
the wage is like this...basic starting wage is around RM2500, and you get critical allowances, housing/hostel allowances, collar allowances etc and it will be about rm3500+ (usually about rm3600 upwards) no matter what you do. Now, add your calls..each calls will be around rm100-110 (for HOs), and you get to do these charmingly enjoyable 24hour-long working marathons (and continue normal working hours the next day, again depending on where you work) about 7-15 times a month.
(15 is life-changing, if I was a Buddhist, I'd claim I achieved a state of Nirvana at the end, if I was a Christian, I met Jesus a.s. and saw the Pearly Gates, I saw stars in the day and a bright light at night, with the donkey's voice frantically telling me to stay away, and I learned certain truths like it's perfectly normal to wear unwashed, unironed shirts to work, and if I dont smell it, and no one says it does, it doesnt smell)
I dont think you'll get the pleasure of doing 15 calls, but prepare to spend the rest of your life (well, this depends on your choice later) to spend every 1 in 4 days of your life in the hospital. Oh sorry, where was I?
rm2500--> rm 3500+ + rm700 = rm4200...it's around there.
Of course you can choose not to claim your calls, working for charity or just plain ignorance.. and get about rm3500+.. Now why do I say this?because I did that for nearly a year, and I know a few who do..usually the ones nearly breaking down.
I still consider it as payback to the govt, or for my sins, but I suggest you don't do it, and try to take care of yourself in that 2 years housemanship. I was forced to leave most of my hobbies and interests.
I went online, but I nearly stopped blogging,
I never read/finished any books/novels other that select comics and protocols/references (which is another thing I wanna tell..try to keep doing something to keep yourself sane).
I never took photos.
I only cooked simple meals once every few months,
I didnt play football for 2 years (it's not my favourite sport, but it is a form of exercise..I still tried to cope with other forms of exercises, but none on a regular basis like during my student years).
Meeting friends and family became precious moments I try not to miss. A free day is far between and I either spend it sleeping (I'm not very good at time management, which is a miracle how I got to finish housemanship) or doing something meaningful.
If you plan to get married, married people have more responsibilities, but they get someone close by to support each other, so it might be a good thing. Some have problems, like staying apart (1 klang HO's wife, another HO was in Sabah), children/pregnancy, and one unlucky girl I know got divorced after a few months, but it was only that one and I dont really know the details.
Maybe I should have divided my answers. Like I said..it'll take a book to answer everything well..otherwise this answer is more like bits and pieces. I hope this helps. Dont get down because of it. Our profession has a lot to offer. The choices you can make are so varied, you will get what you want in the end (eg time, money, work-life balance, an interesting life, a way to help people, etc) if you really want it, InsyaAllah
Tomorrow: Part II of the Inquisition - an astonishing turn of events unfolds!
No comments:
Post a Comment