Sunday 26 April 2009

Tullamore: Week 3 (Finale)




My three weeks of commuting Dublin-Tullamore is now over. I had a good experience there, with the great Group 13, warm doctors and staff, nice hospital, lovely B&B and its host. My sincere thanks goes to Martin for hosting and entertaining us like a father with six instant naughty children.

Oh, and even though we were at the peripheral, Adrian never missed to play his role as a good rep (Thanks Mr. Huang for arranging things for us!)

ENT is up next for one week, in the Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Dublin.

Sunday 19 April 2009

Tullamore: Week 2

As I am now heading back to Tullamore, I am making my fingers dance on my lappy whilst enjoying the panoramic view of the Irish’s farms and ranches along the way, savouring the irresistible HB’s My Swirl. Alas, two weeks down, and one more to go.

There were only three people in Dr. Amir’s team last week- Hassan, me, and Gillian, a new S.H.O. who was doing her three days locum in Tullamore. She is currently practicing in New Zealand, and now is back in Ireland for a short while.

My curiosity rose as I heard Gil telling her life and career pathway. So I asked her more. Regarding her planning and aspiration for consultancy, nonchalantly with a delightful tone she stated ‘Well I don’t mind if I take it long...I’m not in rush, you now. I really enjoy working in New Zealand. I can go to the beach in summer, go for skiing in winter, travel around the country, and do whatever I want.’ ... and she does this alone and single, on her own.

Ok. So she is one of those type- Irish who do the travelling across the globe, and in the same time working to live. And among those who take it easy. Never really have a plan for her future. Although she seemed simple, there are lots of good value that I could observe from her. Among them are...

1. Communicative and patient-centred styles are among the significant ones. Because I could barely see this from most of my permanent supervisors who are none-Ireland-graduated, here.

2. Friendly and easy going. She joined me in the staff cafeteria for lunch, instead of disappearing into some door with the lunch tray as some of the doctors do.

3. Sister-liked. Despite the chatting, Gil would throw questions to me, and if I don’t give the answers that she wanted, she would lead me to it until finally I grab the key.

To Gil, I wish you good luck and all the best for your future undertaking! Thanks for being a great two-day-friend!

Tuesday 14 April 2009

Musim Bunga 2009


'Cepat betul pohon-pohon ini berbunga...'

Itulah antara monolog dalaman saya, tatkala menyingkap tirai di pagi hari, menjemput bilah-bilah cahaya sang suria untuk masuk ke bilik. Merenung ciptaan tuhan, lalu memuji-muji kebesaranNya. Pemandangan yang sama, tetapi diambil dalam jarak masa satu minggu.

"Yang demikian itu, adalah karena sesungguhnya Allah (berkuasa) memasukkan malam ke dalam siang dan memasukkan siang ke dalam malam dan bahwasanya Allah Maha Mendengar lagi Maha Melihat."

[Al-Hajj: 61]


Musim bunga ini adalah yang keempat, yang pernah saya rasai sepanjang berada di Ireland. Setiap pelajar mula merasa gembira dengan ketibaan musim bunga kerana ia merupakan petanda bahawa musim panas sudah tidak lama lagi. Bererti, sedikit masa lagi mereka akan pulang ke Malaysia, tanah air yang sentiasa dirindui.

Saya juga begitu. Kadang-kala di celah-celah kesibukan kuliah, hospital, program dan aktiviti, akan terbayang wajah keluarga, sanak saudara dan rakan-rakan di Malaysia. Dua bulan lagi untuk saat itu, InsyaAllah.

Dan rindu pun mula menggamit.

Wednesday 8 April 2009

Tullamore on Earth



County Offaly

(Irish: Contae Uíbh Fhailí) is a county in Leinster, Ireland, bordered by seven other counties: Galway, Roscommon, Westmeath, Meath, Kildare, Laois, and Tipperary. Originally the name referred to the Kingdom of Uí Failghe. The present county was shired in 1556 by Mary I of England during one of the Plantations of Ireland, and was then named King's County after King Philip II of Spain, and the county town was Philipstown (now called Daingean) until the nineteenth century. The county town is now Tullamore. Its former name of "King's County" is still used when the title deeds to a property are transferred from a seller to a buyer today.

Tullamore

is the county town and the marketing centre of a fertile agricultural district. It takes one and a half hour from Dublin by train. Among the imposing buildings are the Catholic Church of the Assumption, the Court House, and the modern County Regional Hospital. The whiskey liqueur Irish Mist is made in Tullamore.

I am posted here for my first peripheral hospital attachment :)


Saturday 4 April 2009

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.