Been a while since I posted anything. Finished in Oban in August and I am now in GP at Grantown-on-Spey. I was much sadder on leaving Oban than I had expected. Though I had a good time and learnt a lot, I didn't realise how settled I had become until it was time to go. One of the nice things about the four year programme is being in one place for a whole year. Having been on the move every four months for the previous two years, being in one place long enough to learn everybody's names was a nice change. Oban was a great place to be for several reasons. Working in a small team and being the only doctor in the hospital at night meant lots of good learning opportunities. It was a bit scary occasionally, but there was always good support. By the end of the year, I felt comfortable handling situations which would have had me shaking in my shoes at the start. I would thoroughly recommend it.It was also a very sociable place to work. The fantastic summer brought many a barbeque, initially at the doctors accommodation until an unfortunate incident lead to a NO BARBEQUES dictat from on high.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-22780842
After this, we were forced to find other locations which included one of the consultants front garden and Tralee beach, which is also a nice place for a swim or a mess about in kayaks whilst the burgers are cooking. There was also a bit of a junior doctor's craze on juggling and something called poy, which is basically a bit like being a cheerleader, except there is a risk of hitting yourself in the face (or even setting fire to yourself if you are very daring). So a very jolly end to what was a great year.
Having left the West coast, we seem to have brought the sunshine away with us. I was back in Oban doing a locum shift last weekend and basically, it has rained since we left. Shame for the new team over there but we can't complain over here. We have had some great days out in the Caringorms both cycling and walking and also some kayaking in the Moray Firth, which has been amazing for wildlife spotting, with lots of dolphins and seals around. Working at the GP practice here is good so far but feels like a massive change from hospital work and I spend a fair bit of my time asking for help. I find myself thinking 'I would be OK if you were really sick, but I'm afraid I don't know what to do about your spots' . Luckily, help is available and I feel like I am learning a lot. The practice has about 5000 patients, mostly from the communities of Grantown, Nethybridge and Boat of Garten. In addition to the practice, the GPs also staff the adjoining Community Hospital and Minor Injuries Unit. They also answer the occasional BASICS call-out, which for those who do not know is a pre-hospital emergency service which all the GP partners at my current practice participate in. All of this means there is a fair bit of variety in the day. Whilst in general practice, there is also a requirement for working out of hours (36 hours in the first 6 month placement). So far, I have done mine in the local OOH service. Based at Aviemore, this has been good fun and also varied, from medical problems to the bumps and scrapes that one would expect in a centre for outdoor activities. Will post again soon, maybe with some stuff about GP life or maybe just another ramble about what we did on our days off. Thanks for reading.
Mike
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| Dr Fattah and (some of) the Oban Hospital Class of 2013 |
