Sunday 9 January 2011

The gong sounds and the dance goes on...

Another few months have passed, once again many things have happened in close succession, with the time for big decisions rapidly approaching. Two weeks consisting of exams to test six years of work, the announcement of where I will be working next year, the decision of what direction I'll be going in, and a relocation to Germany all await me... Good thing I've got a loving saviour with a good track record, he who can be eternally relied upon, the ultimate giver and sustainer! Reading the Psalms this year has been a fabulous reminder of this :-)

Quick recap on 2010:
  • Jan to April - Many clinics and medical departments in Salford (west Manchester)
  • April/May - Ash cloud cancelled my placement in Germany. Wrote an essay on limb amputations instead...
  • May-July - Mega-research project relating to kidney medicine (abstract hopefully submitted next month - woop!)
  • August - Rearranged ash-cloud medical placement in Dresden, Germany, this time without the essay requirement (doppel-woop!)
  • September - Clinic with an awesome Christian doctor in lovely Budapest, living with some German PhD students, and making weekend excursions to explore Budapest, Wien/Vienna, Pecs and Kiev. Also the chance to do the saline solution course with some really encouraging Russian/Ukrainian doctors and medical students.
  • October - Placement in surgery (Salford hospital), great insight into what a job on the wards will be like next year... potentially manic!
  • November - Working at a GP practice in Wigan. Thems very nice pies they make in Wigan.
  • December - Anaesthetics/Intensive care in Bolton. Was a really great placement, would love the chance to work in this field post-qualification.

The year to come...
  • January - Final exams, find out where I will be working (Preston, Stockport or Oldham), trip to Greece, relocate to Homburg, Germany.
  • February to May - Praktikum in Homburg, Saarland. Rotations will include skin/STI, heart, intensive/emergency and digestive medicine [Derm/GUM, Cardio, ITU/A+E, GI]. Good church sighted through a fantastic 'God-incidence'
  • May - Return to Manchester to tie up last part of medical degree.

  • Summer - A return trip to eastern Europe/Russia in a Christian medical context? (Am open to suggestions!)

Wishing you a really blessed 2011, treasuring all that God has done for you in his son!