DR. WAJEEHA ISSUES

Hey there, pals! Get ready to join me on a journey filled with hilarity, mishaps, and some good-natured self-deprecation. It's the story of how I, an ED doc turned Quality Improvement Fellow, stumbled my way through Excel and MS Teams like a lovable goofball. 🤣🏥💻  I'm here to take you on a journey filled with laugh-out-loud moments, facepalms, and a lot of humble pie. The Excel Expedition: Navigating the Spreadsheet Jungle Imagine a doctor who's usually all about stethoscopes and prescriptions suddenly being thrown into the wild world of Excel. Those cells and formulas might as well have been from another galaxy! I swear, the numbers had a secret pact to make me feel like an absolute rookie. MS Teams: The Virtual Carnival of Chaos Now, MS Teams was like a virtual carnival, and I was the clown who occasionally forgot to put on their big shoes. Back-to-back meetings felt like an endurance test, and sometimes I'd pop into a meeting incognito because I'd forgotten to

Hello again, fellow adventurers!   Today, I'm taking you on a journey from my initial terror of pediatrics to becoming a relatively more confident pediatric ED doctor. 🚑🧒🏥 Pediatrics: The Ultimate Nightmare As someone who had previously worked exclusively in the adult Emergency Department, the thought of dealing with pediatric cases sent shivers down my spine. It was like being thrown into a realm of medicine where my common sense seemed to vanish faster than a magician's rabbit. 🎩🐇 My first pediatric shift was nothing short of a nightmare. I felt like a fish out of water, struggling to swim in a sea of tiny patients with big, soulful eyes.  A Horrible Start, But a Heartwarming Reception Let's not sugarcoat it – I was horrible. The pediatric ED consultant, bless their heart, and the nurses must have wondered what they had gotten themselves into. My lack of confidence and knowledge was painfully evident. But here's where the magic happened – they didn't let me d

Hello all, Inspired by my colleagues in the QI team use principles of QI in daily life, I have tried to put in my health Journey into a driver diagram. .

Hey there, Welcome to the part three of Boot Camp series transformation. Buckle up because I'm about to take you on a rollercoaster ride through my journey as an immigrant doctor in the UK. Imagine this as your backstage pass to the ups, downs, and everything in between. The Wild Ride : So, picture this: In my head, I believed I had a decent command of the English language. In fact, back in my hometown, people would often say, "Wow, you speak English so well!" Little did I know, that compliment was about to be flipped on its head when I landed in the UK So, there I was, fresh off the boat (well, plane, but you get the idea), all set to conquer the UK as an immigrant doctor. The first clue came when I had to navigate the London Underground, where every station announcement sounded like it was in a different dialect altogether. Accents that I'd only heard in Hollywood movies were now part of my daily life. My confidence? Well, well, well... I hail from a place where Eng

Hello people In this installment of the Boot Camp Transformation (BCT) Series, I'm excited to share an experience that has made me reevaluate some of my own behaviors and attitudes. It all started with a seemingly mundane act – holding the door open for a stranger, a choice I had never made before. But what prompted this unexpected shift in my actions, and what did it teach me about the impact of small gestures on our lives? Breaking My Comfort Zone Let me preface this by saying that I've never been one to engage in what some might call "chivalrous" acts, such as holding doors open for others. It's not that I was consciously against it; it just wasn't something I typically did. However, as I continued my journey in the United Kingdom, I began to notice something peculiar – strangers were often holding doors open for me. At first, I didn't think much of it, but as it continued to happen, I realized that it made me feel genuinely cared for and appreciated. I

Hello everyone  In this first article of the BCT Series, I share a heartwarming incident that took place in a clinical setting, reminding me of the power of empathy and human connection. A Caffeine-Free Decision Let me preface this by mentioning a somewhat peculiar fact about myself – I avoid caffeine in any form for the past eight years. So, you can imagine my surprise when I decided to brew a cup of coffee for not one, but two patients in the hospital today .Lets share one. It wasn't an impulsive decision. Instead, it was a response to the circumstances that unfolded before me. The lady I made the coffee for had been suffering from a chronic health condition for decades. She was alone, with no family by her side, and visibly upset by the slow pace of the healthcare system. An Unexpected Gesture I'm not entirely sure why I decided to make coffee that day. I do not know how to make one! I thought of doing it in the hospital while on shift for someone else ( Strange!) It wasn

Hello all, Let me first confirm the pictures in the blog have been picked up from canva :) Life's most significant transformations often happen gradually, almost imperceptibly. Yet, they leave a mark on who we become. My decision to move to the United Kingdom was more than just a relocation; it was my personal boot camp in the University of Life. I realized that change is challenging to appreciate unless it's measured, and thus, I embarked on a journey to document the little things that would make my experience worthwhile. Welcome to the Boot Camp Transformation (BCT) Series, where I share my story of measuring and embracing change over the course of stay in the UK. When I set out on this adventure, I had no idea what lay ahead. Just an opportunity to grow physically, emotionally, intellectually, and culturally. I decided to chronicle this transformation through the BCT Series, a collection of observations, lessons, and moments that would serve as benchmarks for my personal gro

Hello all, Life often throws us unexpected curveballs that challenge us to step out of our comfort zones and grow as individuals. My decision to move to the United Kingdom at a not-so-conventional stage of my life was one such curveball. I viewed it as my personal odyssey, a unique opportunity to learn valuable life lessons that couldn't be acquired any other way. In this blog, I'll share my thoughts behind my unconventional move, the personal growth I hoped to achieve, and the journey that led me to the United Kingdom. Its not to seek validation but probably tick some thinking caps. After first 3 decades of life ( I know what you're thinking, haha ) reality hit and I realized that world was not as opportunist as dad told you, not as nice as mum sugar coated, not selfish as your senior told you, not as brutal as your boss told you. Its somewhere in between you are out to find your world , your balance. Seeking Independence on All Fronts As I approached a certain stage of my

Dear all! There was no better time to write down my favorite blog. I would wonder how I would react to turning 30. I saw a lot of friends catching cold feet while they hit the milestone, some remained in denial. Honestly, I am having fun. Alhamdulillah. As I look at my previous years, I find myself reflecting on the myriad lessons life has graciously taught me. Along this journey, I've collected wisdom from various experiences, each shaping my understanding of self, relationships, and the world around me. As always I have some 'gyaan' to share. 1. Patience Is Key "What is meant for you will find its way." 'What you seek is seeking you.' This mantra has been a constant companion through the transitions—moving to a new country, navigating a different workplace, and diving into a new job. Waiting for the right moments has been a pivotal lesson. 2. Water: Nature's Elixir Amidst the whirlwind of changes, I discovered the unparalleled refreshment water offer

Hello people Since I have cleared my OSCE in one go, I feel it's my duty to journal what all I have done to make it work.(humble brag).Thanks to ChatGPT for helping me pile up some humble generic sentence to make this blog wholesome.(Just kidding). The MRCEM OSCE exam is an integral part of the qualification which tests the clinical and communication skills of candidates. For Indian students pursuing this qualification, preparing for the MRCEM OSCE exam may seem daunting. However, with a few tips that helped me sail through fine. The thing that helped me the most is acclimatizing myself to the UK Clinical Setting Before appearing for the MRCEM OSCE exam, it is imperative for Indian students to understand the clinical setting in the UK. Sometimes , all they want to see is how you behave , your body language, your tone , and your organising skills. Diagnosis is not a critical thing here. You will not fail if you get a wrong diagnosis provided that you have done it systematically. So

Hey all This mandatory post was due. As someone who has taken part in life saver courses, I have always been fascinated by the idea of emergency preparedness and the importance of knowing how to react in life-threatening situations. However, there is another aspect of the emergency response field that is just as crucial to saving lives: simulation and quality improvement. The annual World Emergency Day provides us with the opportunity to recognize and appreciate the efforts of emergency responders around the globe. It also serves as a reminder to continue to improve the systems and strategies in place for efficient and effective emergency response. Simulation training is an effective tool that can be used to enhance and refine the skills of emergency responders. It provides an opportunity for real-life scenarios to be replicated in a safe, controlled environment. This enables responders to hone their skills and practice their responses to various emergencies, ensuring that

Hey all,  This is the only page where I think I can flex the fact that my parents endeavour to send me to English medium school was successful. Why IELTS? It's required to register your MRCEM qualification with British Medical Council. Why IELTS over OET? Doctors are paid peanuts in India. I didn't want to spend money over an English Exam.  My Result? I got 8 overal . So , I qualify to give you 2 cents on what and how to study. Online or offline? I recommend taking online exam, its smoother and less stressful. Coaching? No. Longlive YouTube. How long did I take to prepare? 1 month lazing around. Focussed 8 days. What all did I read?  Read the article. Understanding Ielts pattern.  1)This is a great video where the speaker in her Indian accent explains about the exam pattern and how to get through.  https://youtu.be/2bthz0jYges 2) E2 is all about English exams. They speak British English accent. Their videos are to the point. In fact, sometimes overboard. They have about 20lakhs

Hello everyone, I'm excited to share with you all that 2023 is a reap year! It feels great to see all the hard work and effort I've put in over the past couple of years starting to take shape (Alhamdulillah!). As a resident, I was always curious and would ask numerous questions that would sometimes irritate my seniors around me. However, not much has changed except for the fact that I'm no longer a junior resident and my audience has changed. But to get to the point, I used to conduct several audits to validate my arguments, but unfortunately, none of them were published. I was only able to pull off two of them till the poster presentation stage, but that was it. Publishing my work always seemed daunting and intimidating, and I would procrastinate so much that my mentors eventually gave up on me and my research endeavors. A month after my residency, I was left feeling clueless about what to do next. However, I tapped into my potential in YouTube, podcasts and re

Hello people,  Let's compensate for the  three months sabbatical!  My first touch to the concept of leadership was in 2020 as a team leader of 6 doctors in final year of my residency , I clearly remember me getting overwhelmed, taking a time out to let it settle. There has not been any looking back after that. Overtime, I came across the LEAD-ER course by society of emergency medicine India in 2021 which discussed subtle changes in thought process to look at the problems through a different perspective. The course was extensive where concepts were given in bits and pieces over 1 month with online interaction followed by offline face to face workshop that extended over 2 days.  My curiosity towards thinking of a leader never ceased and I continued my research on how leaders think by following podcasts of world and business leaders to broaden my horizon. One day, I stumbled upon this course by NHS Leadership academy that spoke about subtle biases we carry and face everyday.The prefac