
Back to reality
Tutorial 1:
Speculum
examination.
Clare manages
to get the device stuck in the plastic
model. The consultant assures her that the
real anatomy is "more forgiving." We sincerely
hope so.
Tutorial 2: Arrive for ward round at
8 02 am to be chastised. "If you were going
to see a play, you wouldn't turn up to the
theatre late now would you?" my consultant
insists. I try not to smile. Teaching consists of
the question: "Name all the vestigial organs
you know?"

ULRIKE PREUSS |
Tutorial 3: Awake from my recurring "elective
daydream" based in the Bahamas with
just enough time to get to the tutorial. Seems
decidedly empty - until we realise the small
print of our timetables says it's being held
two miles away. Luckily, I'm still lethargic
enough to bring back the conga line on the
beach. Use the lunch break to check my
email. Computer crashes as I type but, luckily,
someone from the IT helpdesk is on hand
to fix things instantly - and then I woke up.
Tutorial 4: Obstetric examination. Midwife
takes an immediate dislike to me. "Do you
want this lovely nursing student, who I have
personally supervised, to help deliver your
baby, or this new medical student could
'have a go'. I'm sure he's competent." Apparently
I got off lightly - it was her birthday.
Tutorial 5: Peripheral attachment. Friend
has to stop me from choking when a midwife
starts a conversation with us. Backslaps
required when our consultant comes to find
us in the cafeteria just to "introduce herself."
Try to wake up when the woman in the
accommodation office gets out a yellow
highlighter and starts marking out where the
local supermarket is.
Tutorial 6: Gynaecology clinic. Spend most
of it outside the consulting room door as
patients refuse to let me sit in. Registrar
decided to stretch my mind with a question.
"What's the first thing you need to learn
about any condition?" "The definition," I
answered. "Correct." After half an hour I
realised that was all I was going to get. Roll
on next week.
Jason O'Neale Roach fourth year medical student
Guy's, King's, and St Thomas's Medical School and former editor, studentBMJ
jasononeale@yahoo.com

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