Discipline of Rural Health - Faculty of Health Sciences - The ...

HRH
− Boys, be prepared to do a lot of sitting out of consults. Many women will go to a female GP or
OBGYN because they don’t feel comfortable with their own GPs, so don’t take it too bad if you have
to sit out.
− In general, you will still see and do a lot more than you would be in the city so don’t panic if you
have to wait a few days before your first pap-smear
In General
− Although the temptation exists to go for a ‘gp style’ consult with patients when you do your own
consulting, try and go through the motions that they would expect in an OSCE. This will keep you in
fine tuning for the End of Year, as well as make you seem more professional to the patients. Also,
you will often have to wait for a GP to finish their own consult before seeing your patient so there is
no rush to finish up quickly.
− Think about your MiniCEX forms early. Do more than 4; then pick-up on your mistakes and submit
your best results. Try and get them from different sources or places (such as with the OBGYN,
physicians or surgeons if you are lucky)
− Find out the expectations for being On-Call in the ED, and then expect to see a whole lot of nothing.
Unfortunately, everyone that comes into the ED will not be gushing blood or require emergency
treatment. Often, they will be patients you would normally see in GP clinic but they had nowhere
else to go.
− You will have to see a lot of paediatric ear pain for every suture, and you will have to see a lot of
sore-throats for every chest pain. But the acute cases that require greater management will be
worth the wait (usually)
− Don’t be a hero; it’s ok to not know how to do some things or not know how to treat everything.
Often, the old saying of ‘see one, do one, teach one’ will come in handy and before you know it you
will be able to do much more than you thought you could.
− Also, it’s ok to tell a patient you are not sure of the exact course of treatment for them, and you will
confirm this with a doctor.
When you are first travelling to a rotation ....
− Get some good music for the drive up there; it is vital to a much more enjoyable trip. If you are
heading through Wakefield, the bakery is not what it used to be. The pies are now mince fillings, so
go with their sausage rolls and donuts
− In terms of packing, try to contact someone who has been at the site you are going to in order to
find out what is already there. You will have a tendency to over-pack, so knowing that you will not
need to bring pots, pans and sandwich presses will make you a little lighter.
− Many of the SGRHS libraries are well stocked with books therefore think of the vitals that you think
you will need and reference regularly. Also remember the internet is great for resources and will
direct you. Full textbooks are online through MD Consult so this will again save on space
− Try and pack something for your relaxation and downtime. This may be an instrument (talk to your
housemates for this one), DVDs, board games or even exercise equipment
How to find a geriatric rehab case with little stress.
− These can be a little difficult to locate at times, however, the important thing to do is to get in early,
think about the patients you are seeing and assess whether you think that they are suitable or not.
− Remember that most of the patients who will be admitted to the wards of your hospital will be in
the geriatric age range. As they have acute problems that need management, they will be suitable in
this regard. However, the secret is to try and find one with that little something extra that makes
them an interesting case. Screen all patients through your mind, keep an eye open and you will find
a geriatric patient quite easily
− In terms of the Rehab case, it is not always possible (near on impossible in most cases) to find
someone who is undergoing acute rehab for major conditions that can be of interest in the local
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