The First Week...

...was a bit of a whirlwind! In the first week our supervisor Dr. Branko Sijnja (pronouced 'bronko sonia' or simply 'bronk' by most of his patients) got us to meet all the people we'll be working with. OTs, nurses, physios, sexual health clinic, District nurses. Lots of names I can't remember, but lots of smiles and disbelief that we have chosen to spend so much of the year here.

The highlight of the week was going to a mock crash with the fire and ambulance crews.

At the moment I only really have the before and after shots here cos we were too busy in the middle (panicking) to pause and take pretty pictures of the fake blood. It was all amazingly realistic though. It took us 45minutes to get four people out of a small red mazda crashed down an embankment. The four (very good) actors simluated a serious chest injury (tension pneumothorax), fractured spine, haemorraging pregnant woman, and unconsious man (?subdural bleed). I'll give more details when I get hold of the other photos...

On the road...

My first mini placement is going up to the GP in Milton three days a week and then up to Lawrence on the thursday. I only just got my licence earlier this year *blush* and am loving it.

It's a fair bit of travelling (about 250km/week). The other day I got stuck behind a stock truck and was late for the first appointment I was supposed to sit in on, but it's all good.

Maybe its just cos I love this stuff, but I think the landscape is just epic.

Welcome to RMIP 2008

Hi. Today it's been three weeks since the school year started and two weeks since myself and two other 5th years (jenny and lisa) moved into 'The Palace', Balclutha.

We are 2min walk from the hospital/BalcluthaGP clinic. Half an hour drive from Milton GP clinic, and about an hour from Lawrence (especially when you keep stopping to take photos like I do.)

We're based over these three places to cover all the normal stuff 5th year med students study: Paediatrics (kids) Obsterics and Gynacology (women stuff) Emergency Medicine, General Practice, Public Health, Orthopedics (fractures) ENT and Opthamology, plus all the stuff we covered in the 4th year (hearts and lungs and guts and stuff.) A lot to do in a little place...