6th, July 2023. 14:47.

Took a quiet trip down memory lane -read as my notes- and came upon my entry for the date above.

Here goes:

Completed my fourth year by the end of May. Had my final exams end of June. By the 3rd of July, we were flung right into clinical rotation. I can assure you most heartedly that we were so terribly exhausted from the long session that even though we were grateful and excited for the opportunity we desperately wished it could be rescheduled by at least one week! Anyway, if wishes were horses……

My first cycle was surgery. Right after the briefing on Monday, we were dispersed in different subgroups and given the location for the week. Myself and four other colleagues were posted to the Orthopedic Unit and General Surgery Unit.

By Tuesday morning I knew I’d ‘caught’ something in the air. I was feverish, had runny nose and despite best my efforts to hold it together, midway the shift I took permission and headed right home. I took Wednesday off and by Thursday I felt strong enough to return.

Thursday morning I walked upstairs to thr surgery unit floor and asked for the keys to the change room. I received some type of hostility and rudeness that took me by surprise. I stood outside the entrance for what seemed like 15 minutes, feeling completely clueless and confused before my other colleague Apurva walked down and gestured that another changing room was available upstairs. When we reconvened again, I had to ask her if something had happened in my absence because I just couldn’t understand why anyone would be so rude to me out of nowhere. And she explained that the day before, one of the Chiefs had a confrontation with the Floor matron for refusing to let students use the change room( which actually was the nurses room). Eventually, the other students and I ended up changing in the female washroom.

I’m going to say this, not out of spite, bear with me. One thing that continues to baffle me is how randomly hostile the hospital environment sometimes is. I mean, at some point you were also students? What happened to lending grace? What happened to being understanding? What happened to empathy?

Anyway, I joined two other colleagues in OR 1 ( this room in particular always smelled strongly of formalin and disinfectant.) Coupled with the humidity and the strong smell of alcohol, a few minutes in, my head felt giddy and I knew I had leave. I did. Thankfully, another OR was available. I asked for permission and the theater nurse Oksana so graciously let me in. It was a thigh replacement surgery. She and everyone else in that OR went out of their way to ensure I had a good angle, kept nudging me around and ensured that for as long as the procedure was on, I was more than involved! That single event formed the best part of my Surgery cycle!

I’m grateful for how wonderful the experience turned out to be and most especially for the kind and very understanding. Surgeon we observed under, Dr M.V Valeriy.

Procedures observed:

Day 1- Briefing, introduction and formalities

Day 2-

1 Neck Lipoma

2 Synoviaplasties

1 Inguinal Hernia

Day 3- sick leave( absence)

Day 4-

1 Clavicle replacement

1 Thigh replacement

1 Laproscopic cholecystectomy

1 Recal carcinoma excision, resection and. colon anastomoses.

Safe to say the experience was worth the ride.