Let There be Light

I have been an emergency registrar approximately forever. Some people’s training years form a crisp, well defined, early-adult life phase. Mine are evolving into a meandering opus. In early 2013, awake with a newborn in the wee hours of the morning, (a highly recommended setting for major life decision making) I concocted an audacious plan to Finish My Training. Rotations, exam sittings and an interstate move all slotted in with tetris-like precision, it was brilliant in theory but too fragile for in vivo conditions. Such was the interdependency of the various elements that an unexpected delay in the completion of one component wreaked havoc upon my carefully crafted path to fellowship, in the manner of my toddler son in a newly tidied room. Left slightly flailing, I faced the reality of further years in my prolonged medical adolescence without a clear end point upon which to anchor. If I wished to continue with emergency training, (and considering I’ve caught myself lying in bed reminiscing about putting a chest tube, I probably did) it was time to stop dreaming of the lush pastures on the other side of Mt FACEM, and focus on making life work just a little bit better in the here and now. There are numerous challenges associated with trainee life; exams, forced relocations and explaining to well meaning relatives exactly why you are still studying to name a few. I will assume, however, I am with the majority when I cite the decidedly unsexy roster as the main culprit in m...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Healthy Lifestyle Review Tech Tool Tech Tutes night-shift re-timer shift work shiftwork Source Type: blogs