I was hiding behind one of the cabinets when I took these..hehe
Hospital Attachment.
Due to the abundant time I have, I applied for hospital attachment and was granted three days in the hospital of my choice. I applied for a week, but they shorten it as October is one of the hectic months. So here goes..
18th October 2010, Monday
I reported to the pharmacy department at eight in the morning. I reached there at seven thirty, spent thirty minutes looking for the department office. Luckily I've foreseen this so I departed earlier that day. The lady in charge is a senior pharmacist. She gave me a brief introduction, then showed me a video of various departments of the pharmacy in that hospital. It was my first day, so the first hour I spent there watching the videos and listening to briefings. I wanted to familiarize myself with my name, so I introduced myself as Estherine. Surprisingly, all of them can remember it. In the end, I found out that, its because it sounds like a medicine's name, one of them told me that, hehe. Another pharmacist told me,it also sounds like an inhaler's brand. He showed it to me, its called Astolin, if I remember correctly. Ok, my name is quite fitting for a pharmacist then.
Later at ten, I was brought to the outpatient department. I tagged along with a trainee. She's very nice, she taught me how to fill prescriptions, how to label the medicine and some protocols of that department. All the pharmacists there are so friendly, I made a couple of friends there. There are some IMU graduates too, and a few who graduated from the University of Bath and University of Strathclyde. So I grabbed the opportunity to ask them how was it like, when they were there. They told me it was fun, and they miss it there, heightening my anticipation.
After lunch, I was brought to the inpatient department where they prepare drugs for the patients staying in the hospital. I tagged along with another trainee. She was in charge of the dangerous drugs where every vials need to be recorded and handled carefully as they were probably addictive, for example morphine and cocaine. She said, if one was broken or went missing, they have to report to the police immediately. She let me do the recording and paper work, as I can't fill prescriptions,obviously..She will be preparing the aqueous morphine the next day, however I will not be there because the next day, my schedule is fixed by the lady in the office as well.
19th October 2010, Tuesday
Reached at eight sharp, this time, I know my way. That day, I was supposed to spend time in the drug information centre. The senior pharmacist gave me a task. She asked me to find and read a few books, then classify and tell her how different the reference books are from each other. List of the books: MIMS annual, Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation by Briggs, British National Formulary, Stockley Drug Interactions, Drug Information Handbook, AHFS, Handbook of Injectable Drugs and Martindale's. The books are thick, and not very fun to read..its like dictionaries..So I spent two hours trying to read it and pick up the differences. After that, she gave me four drugs of similar use and asked me to look up for it from the books. I am to draw a table to tell the differences of the drugs in their administration methods,doses and so on. I typed it out but when I want to print it, the computer went haywire, and poof, all my works were gone before I know it..and such an idiot I am, I didn't save it first. So, I wrote it out on a piece of paper based on what I remembered, luckily its just four drugs, so I managed to remember most of it, except for dosage. And, due to my artistic handwriting, it wasn't easy to read..but she didn't mind..phew..
In the afternoon, I was brought to the clinical pharmacy department. I thought I can see how they do the ward rounds, but apparently, I wasn't allowed to, so they just showed me videos and gave brief introductions. The pharmacist in charge was strict, she asked me a few questions while briefing me, I felt like I was in an important interview, cold sweats all over.
20th October 2010, Wednesday
This is the last day of my attachment. This day, I was brought to the Total Parenteral Nutrition Unit. This is where they prepare the IV bags for patients who can't be fed orally, for example prematured babies. The place was sterilised,as the chemicals were injected directly into the patient,so it has to be sterile. I wasn't allowed to enter the clean room, where they prepare the drugs. I saw the room though, its a chamber with lots of doors, and the pharmacists who went in need to change into a few layers of clothings,gloves before they enter. The trainee gave me a few handbooks to read first before bringing me to the ward. I followed her to the neonatal ICU. She said its a daily routine, they have to check the IV bags everyday. I saw prematured babies. Felt so bad for them, they were under special monitor of the nurses and on tubes. One of them has chronic lung disease and has punctured heart. They are so little, and fragile.
After lunch, I went to the Cytotoxic Drug Reconstitution Unit where they prepare the cancer drugs. I wasn't allow to touch anything there because the drugs are toxic and dangerous. They said, if accidentally spilled, it will cause severe side effects. So they just explained to me how they work there. That was the end.
I enjoy the whole experience. The lady in charge of my schedule went into all the trouble of filling my time with important knowledges eventhough she was very busy herself. She kept checking on me when I was doing my attachment. She said she wanted me to learn all I can within this short period of training. I really appreciate her efforts. The last time I went to an attachment, I was left in the same department and practically hanging around doing nothing. She said it was normal because I don't have any knowledge regarding this sector yet, but still she made it different because she doesn't want me to go home the same before I came here, nice right?
I have decided to go there again after I enter my first year. She said I am welcomed to do so.
21st October 2010, Thursday
Its the day I went for my first French class. There's only five of us, hehe surprisingly, I was thinking how nice will it be if there's only five students the night before that. My instructor is a Malay guy who has been to France and lived there for more than six years. I was the first one to arrive, shortly,another girl came. She's very friendly, so we got to know each other and sat together for the class. She is a student from INTI, doing American Transfer Degree Programme, going into business course. She said she will be going to Paris for six months next year, an exchange student programme, thats why she needs to learn French. The teacher entered the room with a string of French words, where me and my new friend stood there, dumbstruck and completely ignorant of what he was saying. He laughed and started the class after introducing himself, in French..well, I don't know what he was saying except his name..so not really an introduction. Then he asked me to introduce myself in French. So I just copied what he said and substituted my name into his..hehe I figured that's my only chance of getting it right. No one laugh because we were all beginners. It went like this: Je mapelle Estherine, Jhabite a Cheras. hehe wrong pronunciation but at least I guessed correctly..
He said my name sounds like a French name, so he remembers my name. One thing bad about this, he kept calling me to answer questions..==
The class was fun. All of them were here for a purpose.One of them is a budding fashion designer who is going to Paris, so she needs to learn French. The other two are going to Paris soon too. I am the only one who learn it for fun..hehe kinda embarrassing when I said that. I was very happy that day because during the recital of French verses, the teacher praised me twice for reciting it correctly. Looking forward to the next lesson! Au revoir! hehe
In the end of this week, I realized something new about my name. It has no meaning, because I googled it before, but it sounds like a French name and a medicine name. Hehe..ok, its a weird name. Whatever..its just a name..a weird name for a weirdo like me, perfect fit.
Speaking of weird, I found another eerie song named Zombie by The Cranberries..the chorus part kept replaying itself in my head so I search for it after I first heard it on Fly FM..its quite nice..hehe I listen to weird music lately..but my choice of music genre is quite wide,classical,pop,gothic metal,opera,soft,emo,but not rap or metal rock..songs that are too noisy irritates me.. and I don't find it weird..only my sisters find it weird..and I think I am annoying them because I keep singing it..zombie zombie zombie~ hehe I love to annoy them, wahaha
I was hiding behind one of the cabinets when I took these..hehe
