End of Y2

With sincere apologies for the delay, please find attached a letter outlining the outcome of your Research Scholarship application.

Brilliant. A pit of sheer despair in my stomach. I have to read a letter of rejection now. But....

The Panel was impressed with your application and consequently has decided to offer you a Research Scholarship for your project entitled: “Classification of Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia into Clinically Applicable Genetic Subgroups through Machine Learning Enabling Delivery of Precision Medicine”

The show goes on! For the first time since 2014, we have a Summer Research Scholarship!

Ever since those January results, it's been a really tough five months. A lot of pensive moments of:

- Is this as good as it gets for me? Am I just set out for clinical work? Can I be an academic oncologist? Am I good enough to be a research student again?

But you turn up to lectures each day, get your notes done. Take a quiet study room over a group study room. Practice your OSCEs nearly every day in Easter. Condense and synthesise your notes. Address your society commitments - Emergency Medicine and Academic Medicine (Conference went well!). Maybe, just maybe, your Summer Research Project application gets accepted. And lo and behold, we are back!

Its a bright sunny day in Newcastle - summer is truly here!

OSCEs have also just rounded-up and here are my uber-quick thoughts:

Day 1:
1/10 - Hand Exams
Felt fluid. Covered the major bases before failing to do a Phalen Test! Examiner said 'Well-done' at the end. What a jokester.

2/10 - Information-Giving to a Mother with a Child with Viral Ear Infection requesting Antibiotics
Quite straight-forward to explain that antibiotics aren't recommended at all for viral infections. Six minutes is a long time so easy to waffle (guilty!) but overall managed to address concerns of the patient's mother.

3/10 - Cranial Nerves (except Eyes + Ears) Exam
This is a tip. Assume the volunteer is a patient not healthy. Covered all the major nerve components and concluded the station. Job done? No, just before the end I asked the patient if her loss of smell was real. Turns out she was a patient. Oh dear.

4/10 - Lower Leg Swelling History
Covered this well as I could have (given my very open questions leading to lengthy verbose replies). A slightly too focused family history may cost me.

5/10 - Blood Pressure
The sound of Korotkoff sounds was simply music to my ears. Remember to write the date of the BP.

Day 2:
6/10 - Sexual History of Vaginal History
Empathy sensitivity and delivery critical with this one. Felt I covered those domains well (despite some slight day two first station nerves!).

7/10 - Breast Exam
Another highly sensitive station. I felt I covered this well.

8/10 - GI Exam
Time was tight for this one! Inspection was lengthy but comprehensive. It was a race to finish on time and I did not quite manage to squeeze in our post-examination recommendations. Good otherwise.

9/10 - Headache History
A lot of systemic symptoms to get through beyond the headache and general symptoms. Felt I managed the best I could. Oh yeah and listen to the patient. They'll tell you a lot more that may tick further boxes.

10/10 - CPR
With work on my oxygen delivery technique, I think we'll be okay with this one in the future.

And that wraps up second year! Results in just under a month. Clinical placements start next week in North Durham (lots of new people to meet!).

Even better days are still ahead!