Source: perdanauniversity.edu.my
The atmosphere of a hospital is not unfamiliar to me. Ever since my late grandfather became ill, I had spent a good part of my life in hospitals. This is what motivated me to join an elective posting in Malaysia during my third year of medical school. Being a medical student abroad, I thought that it would help me gain exposure and also familiarise myself with the atmosphere and working style in the local hospitals.
Therefore, based on my experiences, I have penned down a simple guideline to help others ease into the process of applying for their own clinical attachments.
Choose the department you favour the most
Initially, I found this part to be tricky, since at that time I was not yet a clinical student. Having said that, I strongly recommend pre-clinical medical students to choose ‘Internal Medicine’ as the preferred department. Personally, I feel that internal medicine introduces you to a constellation of experiences in which you are honoured with the opportunity to learn fundamental basic skills (e.g. history taking, bedside manners, clerking, etc.). These skills, with practice of course, will help mould you into better and more competent clinical student. As for students who have already had their chance at experiencing life in clinical years, it is wise to choose based on your own preferences. You could either choose to dive into a department in which you know absolutely nothing about or you could go into a department that you are familiar with in hopes of further developing and improving your skills. Knowledge can be acquired in any department for that matter, therefore you should not be too worried about this part.
Submit your application to the hospital of your choice
Plan ahead! Applications should be submitted at least 3 to 6 months before your desired dates for the attachment. Chances are, the earlier your application is received, the higher the possibility of things going your way. This is to give you a better chance of being assigned to your favoured department and hospital. Once your application is approved, do not forget to report yourself to whom it may concern at least a week before the posting starts. Most of the time, you will be given specific dates to report for ‘duty’. Be punctual, tardiness is a very unattractive trait, especially in a medical professional. “Punctuality is not just limited to arriving at a place at a right time, it is also about taking actions at the right time.” – Amit Kalantri
Be prepared and proactive
This does not mean you should show up armed with knowledge only. Be an all-rounder; you should, to the best of your capabilities, be mentally, physically, emotionally and socially prepared as well. As medical students, it is very easy to be discouraged every time you meet or have a head on collision with an obstacle in your journey through medicine. Don’t feel worthless if you find that no one seems keen to help or teach you. People are busy and sometimes, even if they want to help, time seems to be the enemy. Fend for yourselves and try to be sponges. Absorb and learn anything and everything you can during your postings. Make the best out of the opportunities that come your way.
On the first day of my attachment, I was discouraged and almost had a mental breakdown. I couldn’t help but question myself time and again as to how, what and why I was spending my time being useless in the hospital during my summer holidays. I wanted to be useful, I wanted to know that my presence would be of little if not a lot of use, that I would be able to help someone or do something beneficial. I felt like a statue along the corridor, or a nuisance to the doctors and nurses, and I felt as if I could not learn anything since the doctors were already drowning in their sea of ward work and paperwork.
I mentioned this to my father and the following conversation took place.
Father: Why did you decide to do the posting? Is it because everyone else was doing it?
Me: No! I wanted the experience.
Father: If that is the case, being neglected, feeling awkward, having those kind of emotions are also experiences, aren’t they not?
That is when I smiled and thought that ‘Yes, those are all actually priceless experiences, more importantly they were MY own experiences’. Having one bad day does not give you the golden ticket to lose hope in the following days. I tried to toughen myself up and gathered the courage to keep moving on. I asked permission to tag along with the doctors and followed them for their morning ward rounds, clerked several patients myself and attended the weekly case presentations. During the three weeks I spent in the elective posting, I can sincerely say that my eyes were given a fresh and new insight into the world of clinical medicine. Where the theoretical plots you read in the books actually come to life and are translated into real life movies.
Mingle around
If you happen to bump into fellow medical students doing their attachment just like you, it will do you no harm to ask for a hand in favour if need arises. I met quite a number of lovely seniors who were studying in Ireland, Russia, and also local universities. I was blessed to have had the opportunity to learn from them and also to have endured the gruelling times when we were questioned by doctors together.
The final year students from Ireland even allowed me to tag along with them while they taught me a few tricks on how to take a good history in Malay which was different from the usual Arabic and English I was used to in Egypt. On the other hand, the local seniors brought me to their tutorial sessions and asked me to be their chaperon when performing physical examinations on patients of a different gender. I am ever so thankful for their kind guidance.
All in all, although I had a few depressing days and many fulfilling days during the posting, it will remain to be a very memorable experience where I was able to gain amazing amounts of knowledge on top of picking up a few friends along the way. To those of you who are considering to do your attachments, I hope this article will serve to be an initial guide or motivation for you to embark on your own journey of gaining knowledge. Be brave! Try to learn, learn and learn. As J.R.R. Tolkien would say, “It is not the strength of the body that counts, but the strength of the spirit.” Keep your spirits high and aim for the best.
Nuha Muneerah is a 5th year medical student in Mansoura – Manchester Medical Program, Mansoura University, Egypt. Learn about her and other YCP members under the Team page.