The joys of being a junior doctor... part 1

...ePortfolio. I don't know a single junior doctor who loves it, but I definitely know a lot who hate it.

It's a hoop jumping exercise where you have to get various skills and competencies signed off and evidenced by people more senior than yourself.

Check out all the lovely green on there!

Now signing a piece of paper would be easy, but no, I have to send an email to people from a clunky and poorly designed website which they then have to log into to agree that they have seen me doing said skill and are competent in it themselves.

It could be easier.

On the plus side, I'm a completely neurotic freak and have got loads of mine signed off already.

Career development

Help, I cant decide which way I want to go in medicine. I always desperately wanted to do A&E when I was a medical student and now I'm not so sure.
As a student I always hated surgery and found it barbaric, yet now I'm really pining to see procedures and get involved. It's truly bizarre how much I've changed as a person.
When I started in August I lacked confidence and the ability to ask questions, now I'm quite comfortable managing patients and doing stuff under my own steam (although the concept of doing a mini-ward round on my own freaks me out).
And more amusingly, in July I was still a medical student, yet now I have 4 of my very own - and I bloody love them. I will be taking them for beer when they leave!
So yes, generally life is good and I'm thoroughly enjoying being a doctor, well at least for the moment.