“What Makes Anaesthetists So Special?”

It is a well-known fact that anaesthetic doctors in South African public hospitals have guaranteed pre-call and post-call. The medical officers that I know from other surgical departments, all appreciate the reasons we insist on safe working hours. I have never heard them suggest it be taken away. But management staff and senior consultants (of

Too Little, Too Late?

It seems like nobody cared about doctors working long hours until someone else was affected by it. Is it wrong for me to be bitter about this? That a layperson had to die before anybody cared about the doctors who were suffering? Ilne Markwat was not the first intern do die or suffer serious disability from exhaustion. If it was just her, and no other person injured, would anybody beyond her family and colleagues have cared?

Baby-CPR: Full Circle

The first time I partook in a baby’s resuscitation was during my fourth year of medical school. It was a disaster: the wall-suction malfunctioned, the nursing staff were in the precarious business of changing shifts, and all algorithms flew out of the window.

I vowed optimistically that when I was a doctor, I would not let a baby die that way.

I’m Writing Lists This November

Moving on: THERE IS A NEW SOCIAL NETWORK AND IT IS ALL ABOUT WRITING LISTS. (I think NaNoWriMo is cool but I’m trying something new this year.)

Being On Call Is Like Running A Marathon

… and none of that pseudo-philosophical “you have to pace yourself” bullshit.

The Post-Call Walk of Shame

When I’ve had a really rough night on call, the only way I can get myself home in one piece is to play the music in my car really, REALLY loudly. I can get a bit raucous. Yesterday as I was driving home after one such call, P!nk’s Walk of Shame came on my shuffle.

Three Months of Adulting: Flashback to my First Call

Today I’ve been working for three months. It’s almost hard to believe. My first rotation is almost over, and my next rotation will be anaesthesiology (they just won’t let up, will they?). My first call of Internship was on a Sunday. I was so nervous that I had an upset tummy that morning (but not

Operating with an Impeccable Surgeon

Wow. I was on call on Friday (24+ hours) and it was INSANE. I did not sleep once and spent probably three-quarters of the night in theater. One emergency C-section after another, a handful of ectopic pregnancies – and a team of two: one medical officer and one intern (that’s me).

Dear Doctor, From A Med Student

Dear Doctor I’m writing to ask you please to not do that thing. You know what I’m talking about. It’s a Saturday morning, or the middle of the night on an overnight call, or whatever: it is a time of day that nobody wants to be working. And we are working. Maybe we are working

36 Hours On-Call: For Reals

My school doesn’t allow students to be on duty for more than 24 hours at a time. The few times that a doctor has expected me to stay beyond 24 hours, I have always pointed out the rule and if they disregarded it, reported it. Because, seriously. But for some reason, we have one week