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Roasting : BCT XIII

  Hello all Today was a bit of a rollercoaster. Someone made me feel less-than, like I wasn't worth much. I think more than others its the imposter syndrome from within that makes me question. But when I took a step back and looked at my day, I saw something pretty cool. I learned how to roast chicken, ( Youtube university) and I pulled off hosting a party for eight awesome people. It hit me – despite the rough start, I had an amazing day. If I met somebody who would pull this off and feel unworthy of themselves , I would pep them up. Life's boot camp taught me that even when someone tries to rain on your parade, there's always a silver lining waiting to shine through. Cheers to learning, growing, and turning the not-so-great moments into something amazing! 🌟 Here is a picture :) So far so much Cheers!

The blue eyed boy :BCT Series XII

Hello everyone, In the middle of my busy night shift when I was working in the pediatric emergency department, a little dynamo named 'L' brightened up everything. This five-year-old with big blue eyes brought a daily dose of joy into the routine chaos of medical tasks. 'L' and I had our own special routine. We'd chat about superheroes, give each other high-fives like we were champions, and turn taking medicine into a playful adventure. Pills became magic potions, and inhalers were dragons to be conquered. It was a couple of hours they were in ED. He said he does not like the colors initially later after lot of 'talking' he gave in. It was finally to say goodbye to the lovely family with some medicines and advice. As I glanced at him, with a quick, excited shuffle, he handed me a crumpled paper from his coloring book. On it was a drawing of a blue elephant – his masterpiece. His eyes sparkled with innocence as he scampered away, leaving me with a heart full o

Code Kitchen - Where Emergency Room Skills Meet Culinary Thrills: BCT Series XI

Hello all, Welcome back to the BCT Series, where life is an adventure, and the challenges are as diverse as the flavors in a well-cooked meal. In this edition, we delve into the world of "Code Kitchen," where my culinary journey evolved from disaster to delight, all thanks to a dash of homesickness and a sprinkle of Emergency Room (ED) magic.  Kitchen Catastrophes to Culinary Triumphs: Let's rewind the clock to a time when ordering takeout was my culinary specialty. I was a horrible cook, to put it mildly. However, fate took me to the UK, and homesickness became the unexpected sous chef in my kitchen. Yearning for the tastes of home, I decided to brave the world of pots, pans, and spices. My culinary experiments began with ambitious attempts to mimic my mum's cooking. Spoiler alert: it didn't go well initially. Burnt offerings and unidentifiable concoctions became my signature dishes. But, as they say, necessity is the mother of invention, or in my case, the mothe

Directionally Challenged Club- Navigating Lost Enterprises with Google Maps : BCT X

Hello Welcome to the latest edition of the BCT Series - where getting from point A to point B feels like solving a Rubik's Cube blindfolded. If you've ever been accused of having a personal vendetta against maps, I'd be the undisputed gold medalist. Yes, dear reader, you are officially a member of the Directionally Challenged Club, and this is your time to shine. The Chronicles of Lost-and-Found: Remember that time you tried to catch a bus in Oxford but ended up on a magical mystery tour of the city's back alleys? Or the thrilling adventure of missing trains in London and Reading, as if they were playing hide-and-seek with you? If getting lost were a profession, you'd be the CEO of your very own 'Lost Enterprises.' My friends don't just call me "directionally challenged"; they've probably considered putting a GPS tracker on. But hey, who needs a sense of direction when you can turn every journey into an unexpected adventure, right? Google M

Diverse perspective on Mental Health: BCT Series IX

Hello Welcome back to my boot camp transformation series, where I'm sharing my journey of unlearning and relearning in a candid, humorous, and fun way. Let me take you through an eye-opening experience I had at a Quality Improvement (QI) conference, where mental health was a major topic of discussion. Trust me, this one's a rollercoaster! Mental Health Matters  I found myself at a QI conference, and let's just say it was a mental health extravaganza. Mental health was the star of the show, and I was about to get an education that I never expected. The highlight of the conference? A lived-in experience practitioner for mental health patients. This person was like a real-life superhero, helping not only those struggling with mental health but also their families understand why they behaved the way they did. It was a revelation, to say the least. Unconscious Bias and the Elephant in the Room One of the most fascinating takeaways from the conference was the discussion on uncons

Unlearning and relearning: BCT Series VIII

Hey there, fellow explorers of life and self-improvement!  Buckle up because I'm about to take you on a hilarious ride through my boot camp transformation series.  Picture this: I'm on a quest to unlearn and relearn, and one of the first things I need to do is drop the massive baggage of my past perceptions. In particular, I've got some juicy stories about my experiences with doctors back in my homeland that I just have to share. Unlearning My Past Perceptions: So, in my old stomping grounds, doctors were like the wise sages of the medical world. The whole experience often felt like an episode of "Doctor Knows Best." Sure, they were experts, but I couldn't help but think they needed a dose of humility with their prescription pads especially with their junior colleagues! A Diametrically Opposite World: Fast forward to my new digs, and boy, have things taken a turn! Here, it's like doctors are the rock stars of the healthcare scene but they are not the only

Dietary and Financial Conversions : BCT Series VII

Hey there, my fellow boot campers!  Welcome back to the latest episode of my Boot Camp Chronicles. Today, I'm going to share a story that's all about conversions, both financial and dietary. It's about how my journey from pounds to rupees not only affected my wallet but also transformed my lifestyle into something healthier and happier. 🌍💰🥗 The Currency Conundrum As an immigrant in the UK, one of the first challenges I encountered was converting pounds to rupees. It felt like deciphering a secret code every time I went grocery shopping or dined out. I'd look at a price tag, try to do the math in my head, and usually end up with a befuddled expression. It was like playing a never-ending game of currency bingo. Cooking Up a Storm The constant struggle with currency conversion led me to a life-changing decision - I decided to embrace my culinary skills. Instead of relying on takeout or dining out, I ventured into the world of cooking. It was a bit daunting at first, but

Rude Patient Surprise: BCT Series VI

Hey there, fellow boot campers! Welcome to the new episode of my Boot Camp Chronicles. This time, I've got a story that's equal parts surprising, funny, and heartwarming. It's about a run-in with a rude patient that took me from one end of the cultural spectrum to another. 🏥🤯 The Rude Patient Encounter - A Familiar Scene As an ED doctor, I was no stranger to dealing with difficult patients, especially the ones who weren't exactly poster children for politeness. Back in India, it was par for the course; you'd meet folks who'd make a grumpy cat look like a ray of sunshine. But little did I know, a culture shock awaited me in the UK. A Pleasant Surprise: The Unsung Heroes Here in the hospital I joined, nurses didn't just roll with the punches when faced with rude behavior; they were like knights in shining armor, ready to defend their territory. Patient records documented every instance of bad behavior, and security was called to handle those who crossed the

Hilarious Adventures with MS Teams: A Quality Improvement Comedy : BCT Series V

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

The Pediatric Frontier : BCT Series IV

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