17:40

It’s a normal day; you woke up on time, had breakfast, showered, put on your scrubs with your most comfortable trainers because you’re scheduled to be on call tonight. Grabbed your stethoscope, a giant water bottle and walked out. “It’s a beautiful day to save lives” you say to yourself as you arrive at work.

What’s been happening since we last spoke

Wow! It’s been awhile since I’ve done this. I can’t remember the last time I sat and wrote anything down so much so it’s almost feels unnatural. There’s so much that has happened though, so much I need to catch you up on.

Advice for freshers (Things I wish I knew before starting university)

Irrespective of your background, university will be new to you, it’s a new environment, a new phase of life, you’ll meet people from all kinds of walks; different races, different age groups, different religions, different sexual orientations, different nationalities and such. Understand that this is suppose to be a time in your life for cultivating relationships, for growth and self-discovery.

Finally a final year student.

There are things you absolutely look forward to going into medicine; the moment you get to tell your loved one that you’ve been accepted, your first day in class, passing your first exam, owning your first stethoscope, pair of scrubs, lab coat and obviously the day you get to wear all 3 at once. You look forward to the first time you set up IV access successfully, the first time you correctly diagnose a murmur, your first delivery, the first time you assist in the operating theatre, the first time you save a life, the day you become a final year student and the day you graduate. There’s obviously so many other firsts but at this moment these are the ones that come to mind.

Yann-U-Mentally (an 18 hours Obstetrics call)

I was one of the fortunate or unfortunate 3 students (depending on your stance) scheduled to cover the 9th of August, women’s day for an 18 hours shift. We were expected to be at the hospital from 7am till 1am the following day. I had on a clean ironed set of scrubs, my stethoscope, measuring tape, obstetrics wheel, protocol book and a bag full of food; I was fully equipped for this call.

Yann-U-Mentally (My first night in Trauma)

Our Trauma rotation starts with a 13 hours weekend shift. As a clinical group we must decide amongst ourselves who’s going to cover which shift starting from 6PM on the Friday to 6PM on the Sunday. I was one of the four brave souls who had decided on covering the Saturday night. This would have been my very first exposure to trauma, ever! and my first overnight shift so I was nervous but really excited too.

The response letter (after the WAPT but before medicine)

This was the moment everything I had done built up to, this was the moment I had had multiple nightmares and dreams about. A moment I could honestly never fully anticipate a reaction to. A moment I feared almost as much as I craved. I had completed my first degree, I had applied for GEMP and successfully passed the WAPT, I had done everything I needed to do, I just kept hoping it would be enough.

The wait (After the WAPT but before medicine).

3 hours and 90 questions later the worse had past, that’s what I told myself coming out of the WAPT (Wits Additional Placement Test). I had done my part and it was time for Jesus to grab the wheel. That was actually a great mentality to have, pity it only lasted a few days. Before I knew it I couldn’t get the thought of my results and what would happen after I got them out of my head.

Before Medicine (The WAPT)

With the 2017 WAPT (Wits Additional Placement Test) just a few days away and having interacted with some many applicants over the last few weeks, I found myself reminiscing a lot about my own personal experience.

Let’s GRADUATE together (Useful tips that have saved my clinical year thus far)

Here are some useful tips I’ve picked up on that have truly saved my clinical year thus far.