first field visit

had my first field visit today at Bridge Road, Richmond with another girl from my prac group.

i was so worried about being punctual, and luckily, we all were not late. :) went up the lift and voila! the clinic was there!

i was, inevitably, affected by the atmosphere in the room, especially that of the second patient. The symptoms presented weren't happy, of cos... otherwise they wouldn't be there in the first place. first patient was obviously more relax than the second one, sitting down, and leaning back, as compared to the second one, who went in and sat at the edge of the chair, fiddling with his fingers.

one thing i learnt about all these is that patients themselves tend to talk about their worries, and will want to tell you more about it, so sometimes, it's best not to interrupt them at all. however there are some patients who tend to talk and talk so we have to bring them back to the present situation and focus on the illness.

it is also very evident that the patients were really worried. the look on the face of the wife of the second patient.. my goodness. the constant frown. i really have no idea how, if i were the doctor sitting in front, to handle the possible bad news that he might have to present to them after more tests. it's just weird. yea. like my friend was saying.. "we shouldn't be affected by the emotions right?"

yah.. that's true. but how on earth can we possibly ignore the emotion involved in the situation that's presented to us? yes, we can all think about the situation, the illness, what it entails for the patient, but how can we possibly shake off the emotions inside us?

but i really have to say this. I ENJOYED MYSELF! learning by observing... cheerful patients are hard to find man. we need to have strong minds.

i have utmost admiration for the doctor, who, with his age (close to 70), can master the use of a palmtop! :)