Interest in medicine Flashcards
Have you read any interesting articles about medicine
A recent article I read is about a successful kidney transplant taken from a pig.
Earlier this year in Boston they took a kidney from a pig and genetically modified it then transplanted it into a 62 year old male with kidney disease.
The patient had previously had a kidney transplant that had failed so he was on dialysis which took up many hours of his days.
What is Gillick competence
Where under 16s should have the right to make their own decisions about healthcare.
Although parents can get involved, there should be the case where teenagers have control over their own bodies.
What are the 4 pillars of medicine
Beneficence: To do good
Non-maleficence: Do no harm
Autonomy: Give patient choice to choose freely
Justice: Ensuring fairness
How has the shortage of nurses impacted quality of patient care
. Nurses are incredibly important in the NHS. They contribute hugely to the quality of care that is provided for patients, having more patient contact than many other healthcare professions. They provide both physical and emotional care for patients, and cater to patients daily needs.
They also may take on specialist and leadership roles, as well as more diagnostic roles (nurse practitioner).
. One impact is an increased workload on existing nurses, so they will be under more pressure and will be more likely to burn out. This could definitely compromise patient care, as it may be less personal so patients could feel less heard.
. Longer waiting times as nurses perform many routine procedures such as taking bloods, which is vital for information for surgeries and diagnoses. Other healthcare professionals will feel more pressured due to this increased workload.
. Risk of missing signs of worsening conditions: Nurses have the most patient contact so usually would notice a change in behaviour that may not be picked up by other members of staff. So existing nurses will feel more rushed with patients and won’t be able to learn their behaviours to notice a change in it.
What is your greatest weakness
I’d say my greatest weakness is that I tend to procrastinate before starting a task. This is definitely a problem because it stops me reaching my full capability and can sometimes mean that the task is rushed and isn’t completed to the standard I want.
This could be a problem in medicine as you’re working in a time pressured environment so it is very important to maximise productivity to ensure patient care is not compromised.
However I am currently working on it and one way I’ve found is making sure to do my hardest tasks first to stop them piling up which can be quite overwhelming.
What is your biggest strength
I think my biggest strength is definitely my motivation; I always make sure to finish any tasks I start to the best of my capability.
In particular I started violin in year 7 and made the plan to get to grade 5 before stopping, and luckily I did and completed it in July. I also completed duke of edinburgh bronze, silver and gold.
So I am a person who always finishes what I start, and I believe this is important in medicine, especially in medical school because it is a long and hard course so being someone who doesn’t quit is a good skill to have in this field.
What do you think are some jobs of being a doctor aside from the clinical side
. I think one thing many doctors do is research into an area that interests them. For example I was doing work experience with some consultants who chose to take a few months away from the clinic to focus on research they were conducting for Imperial College. I loved learning about ventilators, for example ventilator induced lung injury caused from one lung ventilation.
. It is a doctor’s duty to educate themselves on recent discoveries in medicine to provide the best possible level of patient care. In particular I spoke to a consultant who explained to me that every 5 years they have to be revalidated so they are compared to the professional standards set by the GMC. This is important because it forces doctors to stay educated and always meet the standards set for them.
. Another thing doctors do is attend meetings to discuss things that went wrong in medicine, and how to fix this in the future. A lot of being a doctor is reflecting, and also discussing as a team to find a cure for maybe a rare disease. In St Marys I attended a live discussion with consultants from all specialties come together to talk about interesting cases and it was amazing to see them putting their minds together to find a diagnosis for each patient.
. A consultant on my ward was conducting research with patients on problems they think are present in the hospital. For example many were upset in the Intensive care ward about the noise levels at night as it can be very difficult to sleep if people are talking or healthcare professionals are tending to patients.
Why do patients complain
- I think people complain because they either feel lied to, or like information is being withheld from them. In particular, one woman I encountered had been moved in the middle of the night without being asked and was visibly upset the next morning understandably. I think she felt very strongly because of the lack of communication that there was with her, so she was afraid doctors weren’t telling her about a part of her condition. Luckily a junior doctor spoke to her to explain that they were short staffed that night so had to move her last minute, and this seemed to calm her down.
So I think a good way to respond to a complaint is to be direct and truthful with the patient and majority of the time they will understand.
. Also another reason is to raise a concern to hopefully change a system. I helped conduct a survey in the hospital where I asked patients what we can do to improve their care and many explained that the toilets were out of order, or people were too noisy at night.
These patients possibly complain to improve the system for future patients
Is is important for a patient to complain
Yes I believe a patient doctor relationship works two ways and is based on trust so it is incredibly important for patients to feel they can come forward when they’re upset about something.
In particular, in the nursing home an elderly woman came to me to explain how controlled she felt and how she felt she had no freedom. When she told me this I encouraged her to talk to the manager about how she was feeling, and in the end we worked out a solution where every time I came to visit (which was twice a week) I would take her outside to sit by the canal and chat.
Without her complaining to me this change wouldn’t have been brought about so I think it is very important for communication within a healthcare setting.
What is a time you made a mistake and how did you fix it
When I first started volunteering at park run, my job was to scan barcodes from runners when they crossed the finish line, and these would be uploaded with their times on the system.
However I didn’t know how to work the machine initially so the first few runners I scanned didn’t get their times uploaded. This must have been horrible for them, because imagine coming first in parkrun and there not being proof on the system.
In the moment I apologised as much as I could, and immediately went to the run director to explain my mistake and fortunately he was able to work out the times and places of the first couple runners.
I then asked him to teach me how to use the app to make sure I wouldn’t make the same mistake in the future.
