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Showing posts from May, 2021

Accepting Emergency Medicine - When EM is a chance but not a choice

Hello people, I found a comment on my youtube channel , it was by somebody who has not chosen emergency medicine by choice but happened by chance. So , this doctor has issues "accepting" Emergency Medicine as his speciality .One cannot force ones thoughts over other but... I did share my perspective. Here is the comment. However my opinion is as follows                                       It's a practice in good institutions to let residents perform the procedure independently after they are done assisting and doing it under supervision. Your active participation is must. I have been intubating patient since 3rd month of my residency. We let a junior in 4th month intubate under supervision.Soft skills help. You can try simulation first. You can superspecialise . The growth never stops. If you give your mrcem exams , you can superspecialise with FRCEM. My advice , your call whether you take it or lea

Discussing -Non Medical Life Threatening Emergencies : Emergency Medicine Day

 Hello people ,  On Emergency Medicine day , It will be great if we discuss about non medical life threatening Emergencies. What are they?  "violence and abuse" We have accepted it as a part of Emergency Room like people accept toxic relationships. This toxic doctor patient relation is overrated. Human is a social being responsible for his action . We are aware of exceptions.  While explaining this to oh so smart public will take time. As I write this innumerable doctors across the globe must be facing it through some wretch.  Problem We are taught to be indifferent to it and move on. Even if you ain't taught this , the atmosphere everyday makes you like that. You are going to face violence and abuse like you're going to face sick patients.Celebrities are for autographs , Medical personnels are here to replace punching bags. What can we do ? A barrier and a harbour against violence and abuse is to be created. Competence makes the difference.

Emergency Medicine Day - How discussion can help Emergency Medicine grow

Hello people A self proclaimed EM fanatic , today is my Emergency Medicine Day. The 27th of May. What would a 3 year old Emergency Medicine Resident have done on Emergency Medicine Day ? Cut a cake ?Clap hands for the awesome spirit I have had , munch the cake and walk away. As I grow another year older , surviving a pandemic... I have concerns.On this Emergency Medicine Day , I intend to not just cut a cake but also a piece of mind to think about growing my speciality apart boasting it. The Frontline EM is the gatekeeper and security net of the hospital which is already under a lot of pressure.Even in the middle of the night, even during the Holidays, even when they lack proper protections or when they are understaffed With COVID the EDs were more stressed and stretched. I sit down to think and work over services that could possibly minimise the physical and mental burnout.  How discussion helps ? Encourage citizens to talk about it As an undergraduate , I knew

The murky fever : A doctor who is a pathetic patient

Hello people Sometimes your mind gets too overwhelmed , so you decide to write things down so that it feels lighter. As emergency physician , I have honestly not gone into the causes of fever beyond certain point. Probably, its  almighty way of teaching me fever evaluation through highway.  Its been almost a year , that fever has been a frequent visitor. In the pandemic that we're in , it has freaked me out n number of time . The thoughts that would crawl into my head are did I bring COVID home by any chance. The day or two would be horrible till I would get my covid report. The negative report would be a sign of relief , but the fear of false negative would keep me away from friends and family.  The disappointment of being struck at home just thinking and taking care of yourself when the country has hit the rockbottom during the pandemic is huge.Kills everyday. This works out if it is once or twice , I got tested for COVID 19 eight times, tested positive once . Now, if

Transitional Millennial Emergency Physician

Are you a 90's kid in the hospital jungle ? Read on . If you ain't , then you definitely should! Lets vent together. Generations have not become a part of conversation but generations have become "the" conversation at work.We are seeing the wave of millennials to come to work.We are preparing Gen Z to come to work.We are preparing for natural disasters. We are preparing for 23-year-olds to come to work. Transitional Millennial Emergency Physicians: I take the credit of this term. We are people with mixed ethics, ethics of millenials and GenZ. 90s borns we are actually stuck at workplace. Why? Let me explain. 1) We are not the first but third generation of emergency physicians. We don't have the BEST ERs , but not like they were in the stone age ( Early 2000's). 2) People know we exist . Not sure of what we do.  3) Its assumed we know everything or nothing. 4) The bar to cross on is high. 5) Things what ER Physicians did in 8 years, we are expecte

Control 4 remote to grow

Hey all  The idea of growth is so controversial . Its subjective. The role of knowledge is again subjective. What happens to most of us is we stop studying after college. After which we eventually find employment, and the charge of the growth is handed over to our employer. The struggle of working ass off begins. The struggle of doing things which are right according to their perspective begins. Why not? They have been here for longer time. Its convenient isn't it? To follow path that's already carved. There is nothing wrong with it.  Things begin to get monotonous, people pleasing behaviour overtakes. We mentally put our credibility in somebody elses hand. Like a childs growth milestones your career milestones begin to be predefined. Why  and how knowledge and exposure helps? When you read more, not just about your field but about various other fields. When you try various things. Risk things , at least to an extent ... you grow. The growth begins to bo

Empathy in a sentence

Hey all As emergency Physicians , we are expected to have empathy , all time . Like a stethoscope it's supposed to hang around the neck.  Sometimes we are so emotionally triggered ourselves it becomes difficult to empathize with others. In a pandemic like situation , you might have just declared somebody dead, on point B another patient is yelling because his meal is late by x minutes. You have to calm them down . Empathise with them . Walking away stating that's not my job doesn't help.    It's like when you're on an airplane and the flight attendant tells you that, in an emergency, put the oxygen mask on yourself before supporting others. The point is that sometimes we need to tend to ourselves before we can be available to others. Self-Empathy is your relationship oxygen mask. With it, you will be more internally resourced and able to create resolutions that value all parties. Having venting resources helps. But sometimes these situations

VIP taxi in Emergency department

Hey all This article is picked from Dr Anthony Rodigin USA , was published on the iem journal. Found it really nice. Thought of sharing it. During your emergency care career, you will not be able to avoid seeing the so-called VIP (very important…) patients from time to time. Whether it’s a VIP according to someone else higher up, general society or even your own perceptions actually does not matter – the end game is one and the same. The best time to ponder and prepare regarding your future approach to VIP patients is now – before you are in the midst of the actual situation. Now, if you are an idealist, things may seem blatantly easy. You shall and you of course will evaluate each one of your patients the same, regardless of anything about them! It may in fact feel insulting if someone were to insinuate that this case deserves or requires that “special” or “above and beyond” care. Doesn’t that imply that all of your other patients so far have been getting just average or so-so treatme

Don't shrink with shame , Grow with vulnerability

Hey all What is really interesting is that it is not actually the shame itself that stops us from trying new things or doing what we want to do. It is our own unwillingness to embrace the feelings of shame and transform it into something rewarding. -Reclaim your power and choice – instead of letting shame decide your limits -Make shame, guilt, and anger your allies - instead of your enemies -Understand your own triggers and how to navigate them -Better meet your needs for respect, acceptance, belonging, and freedom? You don't grow unless you accept your vulnerability. So far so much

What will people say?

Hey all ,   I received a call from a colleague... He seemed sad and expressed his concerns. "Wajeeha , I am feeling bad for us.  We've not cleared our exams. People are going to say , we've taken 5 years for a 3 years course. It won't look nice. The Royal College Might or might not conduct the exams. Everybodys plans have been stalled. What do you want from your life?." I replied, All I want from my life right now is good health. To be healthy enough to jump back to work.  Don't you think just being alive is an accomplishment in itself after having worked in a deadly infectious atmosphere? I have plans. I am working on them. Exploring them. They will work out when it is time.  I honestly have never chosen a doctor for myself based on the university he has graduated, the number of attempts he has taken to clear exams . The years of expertise he has? Yes, that's a point I'd consider.  As a junior, I've never respected a senior

Thoughts after failing twice...

Hey people So , today is a 101 year old speaking her mind out. This apparantly is the first time , where failure didn't bother me after having put efforts into something. Not even a bit. Not sure if my priorities have changed, or I have turned tougher . I have never been so sober after failing the same exam twice. I've never failed so terribly. For those who don't know, it's my SAQ , FRCEM.  So , do I lose my vision ? No . My aim is still to be the emergency physician, not the best in the town, but someone who can help improve the quality of Emergency Medicine by improving quality of education, practice, protocols.Its just not a word aim ... It's a capacity , an endlessly renewable resource . If this needs me to re-read my book again. Bring it on 🤠👽😎 So far so much