Meeting a body

This week, as I have another 3 weeks off before beginning placements, I asked one of the pathology lecturers from my medical school if I could shadow her and get some experience of the specialty.

Contrary to populer belief and silent witness, Pathologists don't solve crimes. But they do sometimes solve mysteries.

During my 2 days as a shadow pathologist I spent a lot of time looking down a microscope at potential skin and breast cancer samples, I sat in on a skin cancer and renal transplant meetings, and (most memorably) I observed a post-mortem!

The pathologist doing the autopsy was a good and inclusive teacher talking me through the procedure, testing my anatomy and pathology knowledge and generally getting me involved. If you're not very keen on grizzly details, cease reading now perhaps...

Post-mortems are not very glamorous affairs, the pathologists remove each of the organs in turn and slice them to look for any signs of disease and a possible cause of death. Often everything from mouth to the other end of the gut is removed in one piece and viewed as a system. For me a personal hilight (if you like that sort of thing!) was to finally see in the flesh and hold my first brain (for reference, the brain in the photo is not a real one!!)

Once they're done they organs are returned to the body (usually in blue plastic bags!) and the person is sewn up to be returned to their families. The pathologist informs the coroner of the main cause of death (and any other related factors that may have indirectly contributed).


Whilst the topic of pathology is hugely interesting (and hugely important, linking in with all parts of medicine), I think the day-to-day life of a pathologist is not for me. I would miss the patient contact ..... and probably have less friends too!

Moving on up!

Yesterday being in clinical phase got a bit more real when we received access to the clinical student web pages and a general timetable from now right through til finals!

Whilst I don't know yet where I will be for each 'block', this is what I will be doing over the next year, known as junior rotation.

• 2 'medical' blocks
• Surgery  
• General Practice
• Orthopaedics and Anaesthesia
• Psychiatry

What we do now know is that we do get a limited amount of holiday (2 weeks in summer when the new F1s start work and 2 weeks at Christmas) and the best bit - no major exams until March 2012!

Following these exams we get an elective where we can practice medicine somewhere exciting elsewhere in the world, then more blocks back in the UK until finals in May 2013.

Clinical induction starts on Tuesday, can't wait to get stuck in!

New Years Resolutions

2010 was a busy year, with 3 sets of major exams and a dissertation over the summer to take up the one main break we did get. Whilst it's a relief to be through all that, 2011 looks to be just as busy and more exciting, with clinical on the way.

Last night I was one of the thousands of people lining the Embankment of the River Thames in London to watch 2011 start with an impressive firework display. A memorable way to mark a new year and a new start.

'DrS' on the british medical association's Doc2Doc forum brought up the subject of New Years Resolutions. I pondered what mine would be.

• To actively try and get the most out of all the clinical experience I can get, and keep on top of my portfolios. 
• To find more time to read aroound the subject AND to read some non-medical books too!
• To keep this blog up to date (hold me to this!)
• To keep in touch more with my friends away from med school. 
• And (this is a more traditional NY resolution) to get back down to the weight I was when I started med school- keeping active in my downtime :-)

Happy New Year to you all from the mini-medic!