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TSR Med Students' Society Part III

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Fair point. It was rather anticlimactic after Easter exams; the cynic in me says a lot of that was filler to stop us going home early :holmes:

Looking forward to firms anyway :h: been out shopping today to try and save face in the ensuing fashion show...
This week in the Fast Response Unit car is proving something else. Being in the car means you are usually first on the scene for everything.*

I've been on 12 hour nights this week so I usually get home right about now. Treated a 4 year old knocked down by a car whilst playing outside his house on Monday - second call of the night. Took 3 attempts to get a line in! Kid looked like he'd survive after we dropped him off at The London though, thankfully. I got the task of handling the family whilst the three other paramedics carried on the checks at the back of the van once we moved him from the roadside. *That was tough - screaming mother, crying aunty, puking random guy (?) on scene, the lot. All you could do was console them and tell them we were trying our best etc. The police on the scene were quite helpful actually for this bit. The thing with road traffic accidents is that everyone watches from their windows/front doors (sometimes even recording scenes on their phones), so we get warned to be extra focussed on the task at hand.*

Last nights shift was busy - had to deal with my first ever cardiac arrest! Blimey, that was scary! Compressions are tiring, especially if the only time I've done them was on Little Ann's in BLS! Like seriously! I had*a fan on full blast on me because I was sweating gallons! Oh and the feeling in your palms when you crack a few ribs is not the nicest of things ever! I hesitated a bit and looked up as soon as that happened, but carried on till the paramedic called it. Then we had to break the bad news to the family once they arrived. I think that was probably the most emotional thing I've witnessed since I began my shifts with the crew. So, so sad literally watching the news sink in. :sad:

Taking a few days off now though to try and enjoy the few weeks I still have left off for summer. The paramedic I'm with is getting filmed by a tv film crew all next week but I'm working during his shifts! Gah! Every single one! That was probably my one possible claim to fame for being the overly excited medical student on scene - it'll never happen now! :p:*
Sorry about the random asterisks - I typed this on my way back home this morning on my phone. :s
Original post by Medicine Man
This week in the Fast Response Unit car is proving something else. Being in the car means you are usually first on the scene for everything.*

I've been on 12 hour nights this week so I usually get home right about now. Treated a 4 year old knocked down by a car whilst playing outside his house on Monday - second call of the night. Took 3 attempts to get a line in! Kid looked like he'd survive after we dropped him off at The London though, thankfully. I got the task of handling the family whilst the three other paramedics carried on the checks at the back of the van once we moved him from the roadside. *That was tough - screaming mother, crying aunty, puking random guy (?) on scene, the lot. All you could do was console them and tell them we were trying our best etc. The police on the scene were quite helpful actually for this bit. The thing with road traffic accidents is that everyone watches from their windows/front doors (sometimes even recording scenes on their phones), so we get warned to be extra focussed on the task at hand.*

Last nights shift was busy - had to deal with my first ever cardiac arrest! Blimey, that was scary! Compressions are tiring, especially if the only time I've done them was on Little Ann's in BLS! Like seriously! I had*a fan on full blast on me because I was sweating gallons! Oh and the feeling in your palms when you crack a few ribs is not the nicest of things ever! I hesitated a bit and looked up as soon as that happened, but carried on till the paramedic called it. Then we had to break the bad news to the family once they arrived. I think that was probably the most emotional thing I've witnessed since I began my shifts with the crew. So, so sad literally watching the news sink in. :sad:

Taking a few days off now though to try and enjoy the few weeks I still have left off for summer. The paramedic I'm with is getting filmed by a tv film crew all next week but I'm working during his shifts! Gah! Every single one! That was probably my one possible claim to fame for being the overly excited medical student on scene - it'll never happen now! :p:*


I actually hate you! :tongue:

That is one of the most amazing placements a 2nd (OK 3rd Yr) students can ever dream of.

The perks of going to Barts I guess, easy access. :smile:
Pants. Someone's dropped out of our house for next year. Although we all have individual contracts, landlord and ex-tennant have told us to find another housemate. Everyone's saying we don't have to, because of the individual contracts, but kinda feel obliged to try?!
Original post by ilovehotchocolate
Pants. Someone's dropped out of our house for next year. Although we all have individual contracts, landlord and ex-tennant have told us to find another housemate. Everyone's saying we don't have to, because of the individual contracts, but kinda feel obliged to try?!


Post it on FB and in the Exeter Freshers group, there is bound to be someone needing a hosue, and on both medsoc groups. That way you cover all of PMS.
Original post by ilovehotchocolate
Pants. Someone's dropped out of our house for next year. Although we all have individual contracts, landlord and ex-tennant have told us to find another housemate. Everyone's saying we don't have to, because of the individual contracts, but kinda feel obliged to try?!


That depends if your contract is joint and several. You may have to cover the cost of the empty room otherwise between you. I would be careful about FB housemates though, pick people you know...
Original post by ilovehotchocolate
Pants. Someone's dropped out of our house for next year. Although we all have individual contracts, landlord and ex-tennant have told us to find another housemate. Everyone's saying we don't have to, because of the individual contracts, but kinda feel obliged to try?!


Surely you'd prefer someone you know than some random in any case?
Original post by n1r4v

Original post by n1r4v
Sounds amazing. If you don't mind me asking how did you get the placement?


Tbh, it can be hit and miss depending on the shift. Some nights, you're dealing with pissheads who are off their faces, lying on the pavement. Another pisshead mate, obviously inebriated by this point, sees this, thinks his mate is "unconscious", phones the ambulance, comes on as a high priority case on the system which means the Fast Response Unit have to be on scene. We also get a lot of first time mothers worried that their in labour when their contractions are still quite far apart.

But basically there's a pre hospital care program run here at BL where you deal with trauma cases and other emergencies on the road before they make it to hospital - you start off with the vans, move to the cars and then move on to HEMS cars. I got involved through my SSC and got told I can come back whenever I felt like it so long as he knew I was coming down.
Original post by carcinoma
I actually hate you! :tongue:

That is one of the most amazing placements a 2nd (OK 3rd Yr) students can ever dream of.

The perks of going to Barts I guess, easy access. :smile:


It's still pretty competitive to actually get the chance to go out on shifts with them as everyone wants to get involved. I was just EXTREMELY lucky to get involved during my SSC block this year and even luckier with my paramedic as he was in a Fast Response Car and not a van, and that he was nice enough to have me back even when my SSC block was over!
Original post by Medicine Man
X


Are you actually a member of the PCP or did you have it as a part of another SSC? I didn't apply to the PCP after I decided I wanted to use my SSCs for a mix of things and didn't want to have them all dedicated to it. I would have liked to do a few sessions though as an extra curricular thing. I wasn't aware that was possible and they made it out in the PCP lecture that if you didn't apply for it as a part of the big program you could sod off trying to get with the ambulance/fast response crews otherwise.

On another note does anybody ever wish they were training to be a vet? Whenever I visit a zoo/theme park with animals I always think I should have been training as a vet and that zoo vets have the best jobs in the world. Hmm.
Original post by RollerBall
Are you actually a member of the PCP or did you have it as a part of another SSC? I didn't apply to the PCP after I decided I wanted to use my SSCs for a mix of things and didn't want to have them all dedicated to it. I would have liked to do a few sessions though as an extra curricular thing. I wasn't aware that was possible and they made it out in the PCP lecture that if you didn't apply for it as a part of the big program you could sod off trying to get with the ambulance/fast response crews otherwise.


In second year, you can apply for the PCP SSC (assuming it is still an option next year) just to have a stint at what the PCP guys do for two weeks. If you're lucky, you can end up in an FRU car, but the majority complete shifts with the crew in the vans. You basically have to do your two weeks worth of shifts (a minimum of 5 shifts though there's no maximum) and sod off afterwards. I was lucky my randomly allocated paramedic was in a car and was willing to have me back whenever - some of them won't let you back though which is fair enough because they don't getany incentive for having us around even during the SSC block, and when we start off, we are usually a liability to them because most of us don't have any prior clinical experience. If you do get on the SSC (which is quite competitive and 'randomly allocated'), it'll help if you have a bit in common with your paramedic too (or suffer from verbal diarrhoea like I do) because it means there's almost always something to talk about at 4am when it gets a bit quiet and your eyes start to feel heavy; s/he is more likely to want you back on shifts with them even after your stint just for the company. You get taught a lot on the go too, surprisingly.

Chances are I'd probably never progress on to the HEMS cars (the only way I think to get on to them is through the actual PCP course), but for now I'm happy in the FRU car doing shifts when I want to and my paramedic would have me.

I think the BL Lifesavers society also run/are starting to run something similar to this too. Don’t quote me on that though but ask in September at freshers...
Original post by RollerBall
On another note does anybody ever wish they were training to be a vet?


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Original post by RollerBall

On another note does anybody ever wish they were training to be a vet? Whenever I visit a zoo/theme park with animals I always think I should have been training as a vet and that zoo vets have the best jobs in the world. Hmm.

It would be a pretty cool job, vetsci is supposed to be solid though, even harder than medicine I've heard!


Original post by Medicine Man
...


So jealous - sounds like it was an amazing experience and you must have been pretty good at it for them to ask you back! :cool:

Very useful having that roadside experience too, I'm sure.. I saw an accident last week (a girl standing on the corner of a pavement was knocked over by the back of a construction lorry turning the corner) and was amazed by how ill prepared I felt - DR ABCs were fine, no serious bleeding, but I think she must have broken both her legs.. I could only keep her warm for the shock and waited for the ambulance with her, keeping her neck and back still just in case.

Coming across something like that for the first time was scary - of course in retrospect there wasn't anything more I could do (I don't think?) but I didn't come across very confident at all.. So I can definitely see how traveling with the parameds would be an invaluable experience!
Original post by Tech
It would be a pretty cool job,




Although medical physics? How's that gone? Doing something like that I imagine would give you more of an appreciation for all the technology used and taken for granted every day in the medical profession, the romantic history of the discovery and development of the use of X-rays for example.
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Original post by Dr. Hannibal Lecter

Although medical physics? How's that gone? Doing something like that I imagine would give you more of an appreciation for all the technology used and taken for granted every day in the medical profession, the romantic history of the discovery and development of the use of X-rays for example.


Just going into it this year actually! I should have clarified that in my sig. :colondollar:

I am indeed looking forward to learning about the history of medical technology and the science behind it though :redface: Just started looking over the old a-level maths books, I'd forgotten how satisfying differentiation can be.. :coma:
Why all the vet hate? Hmm, maybe I should do some work experience or something.
Original post by RollerBall

On another note does anybody ever wish they were training to be a vet? Whenever I visit a zoo/theme park with animals I always think I should have been training as a vet and that zoo vets have the best jobs in the world. Hmm.


I wanted to be a vet for ages up until the last minute i applied on ucas. Didnt know if i had made the right decision for ages.
Thing is in the end i dont know that i could have worked the insanely long hours and i prefer humans now.
Original post by RollerBall
Why all the vet hate? Hmm, maybe I should do some work experience or something.

I get it, but the type of position that sounds interesting (i.e., the one in the zoo you mentioned or in an exotic country in a wildlife reserve) is likely to be difficult to get in to and you'd end up birthing horses and putting aged labradors with arthritic hips down for years before, if you're lucky, getting the role you want.
Original post by Kinkerz
I get it, but the type of position that sounds interesting (i.e., the one in the zoo you mentioned or in an exotic country in a wildlife reserve) is likely to be difficult to get in to and you'd end up birthing horses and putting aged labradors with arthritic hips down for years before, if you're lucky, getting the role you want.


I think that's why I never did apply in the end. And hey, my 10 year old golden retreiver has athritic hips :tongue:. Zoovet is kind of a pipe dream, I imagine the work isn't actually all that great either and a lot of "taking blood from a mile away to avoid getting mauled" every day.

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