The way the program works here, as it does at most schools in Canada, is we spend most of the first two years of the program basically reading textbooks. There are lectures and group work sessions, though they generally direct you to the sections of the books you should pay more attention to. Then every three months or so we have a few written exams that everyone gets really stressed about but that don’t really matter in the long run. That’s pretty much how the last two years have gone for me.
This morning I wrote the final exam I should ever have to write on textbook/lecture material. We spend the next three months of the program is what they call “Transition to Clinical Practice”, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. The aim of this component of the course is to prepare us for doing things on hospital wards before we start ward rotations next January.
My first week back after the break is my GP intensive week. The week include practical sessions about “common infections in children”, “treating people with diabetes” and “motivational interviewing”; topics I have only read about at this point. Then we’re on to out Acute Care block, in which we cover topics like “CPR”, “Trauma management”, and “Suturing”.
I feel like after six years of trying to stay awake in lectures and memorizing random flowcharts and diagrams for tests, I am finally on the verge of doing something that’s practical, relevant, and interesting!
I'm also really looking forward to coming home in December. I miss everyone and can't wait to see all of you.
Dan
P.S. Jen told me expressly not to embarrass her… but she didn’t say anything about embarrassing myself so here goes:
