SGH - A Surgery Posting

And so my SGH Surgery posting ended on Friday, not exactly on a happy note, but it did bring me back to earth in more ways than one..

8 weeks.

1 hospital.

23 people to look out for.

It's been a trying & tiring 8 weeks. Somewhere along the way, the thought of giving up my responsibilities did cross my mind. It was just so difficult to coordinate the various lectures & tutorials, while trying to juggle the various egos that be. Certainly, many thanks to the people who helped me out and gave me encouraging advice and words along the way..

Ms Zainab - for actually handling one of the toughest tutorials to schedule, and for fielding my multiple phonecalls for room bookings.. =P

Sirui & Maaz - for offering good advice when i can't find rooms?!?!?! And for being really helpful reps in informing their own groups..

Jenica & Amanda - for tolerating & putting up with my idiosyncrasies & mood swings when the schedule doesn't pan out as expected.. For all your encouragment, thanks!

and the others! =) Thanks for all your encouragment! =)

Phew. Along these 8 weeks. I pulled out almost every trick I had in my hat to tie down tutorials and respective attendances for them. From arrowing people to present cases, to carrying "black pots" and presenting cases for fiercer tutors, to trying to "quell rebellions" =P on the final day when someone wanted a tutorial at 4.30pm on the last day. -_-"

SGH has certainly been 1 memorable experience.. I'm leaving SGH for TTSH with bittersweet memories.. All the screwings by the various professors.. The grief of administrative red tape..

My wonderful Surg Team 6 - all the doctors were so helpful and willing to talk to us! =)

Mr Tan, for actually bothering to teach us and talk to us when he first saw us;

Mr Cheow for trying to teach us too, even though it was apparent that he was a person of few words and highly shy..

MO Dr Chew for his humour and liveliness during ward rounds, and explaining all our queries, and showing us around all the good cases..

MO Dr Lin, almost like Mr Cheow! =)

The various HOs who walked into and out of our lives during these 8 weeks.. BH, Ced, PY, Kelly, ZW, Geraldine.. All have been really nice to us! =) helping us find cases, giving us impromptu tips and hints and helping hands along the way..

And of course, my wonderful tutor Dr Goh! You rock! =) You believed in us.. Giving us exposure in OTs with suturing & other procedures, for the excellent tutorials on the key topics,.. Even if we dun remember the information per se that we learn 6 months from now, as you said, the important thing is in the framework and the concepts, and the 3 of us are really grateful for your guidance and teaching!!

And of course, all the other HOs, MOs, Regs, Profs around, whose clinics we crashed, whose night calls we tagged along, whom we asked for extra tutorials.. Really thankful! =)

SGH is definitely a good place to learn.. Guess I will miss the familiar SGH grounds. I know I was griping about getting lost, but after 8 weeks, it's almost become 2nd nature.. Monday X-ray conferences, Friday M&Ms.. Flying to the nurses quarters to look for Prof C.. Kopitiam & HO Canteen.. The familiar cashier aunty at Cafe 155 who would ask where the 3 of us disappeared to when we din sit there to mug fo 3 days.. =P The 7-Eleven cashiers who recognise all 3 of us from our regular patronage of the food & drinks portions.. =P The surgical library where we had multiple tutorials & lectures..

Running out to the hawker centre next to Outram MRT for tang yuan & lime juice! =).. Hiding in the call rooms to grab a few hr's of sleep on night calls.. Slacking in the students centre and playing liero o_O .. The familiar wards 57 & 58 and all the short-cuts via the hidden stairwells.. =P.. And all the nice patients who were oh so patient with our irritating questions and physical examinations.. Thank you for the wonderful time & memories! =)

8 weeks is too short..

And now.. It's time for Medicine @ TTSH.. =) Prepared for the worst, but hoping for the best!