Tullamore: Week 1

Five days passed. I am much clearer now about our role and expectation than I was five days ago. My consultant Dr. Amir Khalil is a nice gentleman who has many stories to share. We first met him on Thursday morning. Originally from Afghanistan, he graduated for his medical degree in Budapest with Hungarian-medium and English is only his 5th language. He is a man with languages. Like Dr. Taffe, he also teaches us well. Even more, we were assigned with 'our own patients' whom we should present their cases and update their lab findings etc to him next week. Along the way, anatomy and physiology are expected too.

Apparently his team includes Dr. Rizwan, Dr. Hassan, Dr. Shakir. Then come Ronan and I. It surprised me to know the numbers of Muslim doctors here who came from the Mid and South of Asia and Africa. And so do Ronan. In a conference held last Thursday noon, I felt like I was somewhere in the Middle East, rather than in Ireland. Sometimes, it is quite a struggle to understand many English accents, coming from the midlander Irish patients to the various international doctors. Beautiful challenge though.

There are a few Irish doctors, whom most I met in the A&E wards. Helen and Christine are among my favourite. ...so much to share if I were to write them all here.

Basically, here are some of my observation of Tullamore Hospital in the first week:

1. The ratio of both Muslim:non-Muslim and male:female doctors are about 7:1
2. The doctors and colleage in my team wear only blue-tonned shirts and neck ties and colours between white and black. Is it a male medical syndrome?
3. The Irish elderly are not too far compared to the Malaysian elderly; they do match-making about you too!
4. Quite a number of patients are actually lonely and depressed with their life. The clues are more evident if you spend more time talking to them.
5. The medical students make very good gossipers. They bad-mouth doctors so well!
God, please...I dont want to be in!
6. Tullamore is beautiful. MaasyaAllah.