HOW TO SURVIVE ON BOARD

YOUR GUIDE TO SURVIVING THE HIGH SEAS

HOW TO SURVIVE ON BOARD

HOW TO SURVIVE THE WARDS

The Good News...

Pirate skills are medical student skills too...

YOU WILL SURVIVE THE WARDS!!

The Bad News...

You can’t dress as a pirate

Treasure MapsX MARKS THE SPOT

• Right place at the right time• ‘Home’ ward• Accident and Emergency• Medical Admissions/Assessment Unit (MAU)• Surgical Admissions/Assessment Unit (SAU)

You are the cabin boy

• Patients and their families• Consultants• Nurses• Registrars• More junior doctors• Other staff (ward clerks, health professionals)• Check with nurses before seeing patients

Know your crew

• Firm• Year group• Clinical school staff

Dr Jonathan Silverman

Long John Silver

Be Prepared

• Non-pirate clothing (bare below the elbow)• ID• Stethoscope• Pens• Notebook• Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine• Other • Tendon Hammer• Pen torch

Pirate-Patient Patter

• Your introduction • Practise!• Clinical and Communication Skills

Bravery

• You BELONG on the wards• Be confident and self

assured• Don’t be put off by set-

backs

Perseverance

• You don’t find the treasure on your first voyage

• And as obvious as it may sound, you will not be suturing and saving people from day one

• Some days are slow• Maximise breaks• Use time efficiently

Politeness

• Do not ‘arrrrrr’, or address people as ‘me hearties’ on the wards

• Give people an incentive to help you• Don’t eat all the chocolates!

All hands on deck• Clerk and examine lots of patients• ‘First telling’• ‘Home’ ward• Clinics• A&E • MAU and SAU (particularly in DGHs)

• Practice forming differential diagnoses• Practice clinical skills –be brave!• Follow patients to procedures

Teaching

• Formal teaching: lectures, seminars, ward based, clinical supervisions

• Informal: FYs, registrars, consultants, specialist nurses,

and your lovely stage 3s• Broad and simple • Overviews

Ask stupid questions

• It’s probably not stupid• It’s always better to know than not to know

Ship’s Watch

• Your timetable• Protected patient time• Hospital at different

times of day• Know when to go home

Everyone needs a parrot

• Have someone to share experiences with• Personal perspective• Peers• Senior people• DOS• College tutor• Supervisor• Firm consultant

Grog Fests

• Clinical school • Doctor’s mess and Firm

Parties• And if grog and sea shanties

aren’t your cup of tea...• Sports teams• Pantomime• Choir• Other societies

Feel like you’re sinking?

• Don’t panic!• Overview of the systems • Examining• History taking

Non-Piratey Summary

• Familiarity with people and places• Preparation• Bravery• Perseverance• Politeness• Get stuck in• Don’t panic .... Have fun!

If we’ve taught you nothing else...

At least you’ll know how to be a good pirate!

Questions?