Little Victories
All the year 2 med students have a list of examinations that they need to perform for a clinical tutor this year. I finished my list today with a cardiorespiratory examination. I know it’s a small victory but finishing the list was a huge relief, and a little bit of a marker in the sand. I have been previously going through the clinical examinations wondering if that’s really what is done in practice, as it all seemed like a little bit of an abstract song and dance to me. But today I felt like I knew what I was looking for, and why. I felt as though I was, despite being a bit nervous, able to balance talking to the patient as a human being, being aware of what they needed while still doing what I needed to do. And it felt great. The tutor I was with was very encouraging and more than willing to teach while examining. Also, in the actual examination I was able to discern what was happening to the patient, which is one of the first times I have done that without really asking the patient what is going on, or knowing the background from the history. I know that it’s a pretty minor thing, but as I said, it’s a little victory. And with years and years of training ahead of me, I need to take the little victories.
My reward after all this? Three written words:
It’s a small step I know, but I find it pretty encouraging.