A Day That Kept Its Shape

Please click the photo above to play the daily videoAfter the recent run of days that arrived already overflowing, this one came in at a more reasonable pace — and what a difference that makes. No clinic on the schedule, which meant, for once, the morning was mine to arrange rather than simply survive. I had time to sit down and plan, properly plan, with a coffee that stayed warm long enough to finish. There's a quiet luxury in that, in being ahead of the day rather than chasing it.

The trip to D7 didn't happen. I'd meant to go, but the day had quietly rearranged its own priorities, and the sensible thing was to let the plan go rather than force it into a shape that no longer fit. Some outings are worth defending; this one wasn't, not today. It will keep.

Anita was at the hospital today, which shifted the centre of gravity of the day somewhat, as these things do. I'll not dwell on it here beyond saying it was on my mind in the gentle, background way that the people you care about always are when they're somewhere you'd rather they didn't have to be.

Lunchtime brought teaching, which I find I rather enjoy when the day has left me room enough to do it properly. There's something restorative about it — stepping out of the doing and into the explaining, watching something land for someone who didn't quite have it before. It uses a different muscle, and on a balanced day there's energy to spare for that sort of thing.

The afternoon rounds went smoothly, which is the sort of sentence that sounds unremarkable and is in fact a small blessing. Smooth is what you hope for and rarely announce. Everyone where they should be, nothing alarming, the day declining to throw any late surprises. I'll take it.

By the time the rounds were done, there was actual time left over — enough for a stretch of television before dinner, which felt almost decadent after the week I'd had. Just sitting, watching something unfold that wasn't mine to manage, letting the evening soften at its own pace. Dinner followed, unhurried, the kind of meal you can taste because you're not also thinking about six other things.

There was a little paperwork to clear before bed — there always is, the quiet tax on every working day — but it was the manageable sort, the kind you can finish rather than merely dent. I worked through it without resentment, knowing the desk would be that bit clearer tomorrow.

And tomorrow comes early. An early start waits at the other end of tonight, so this entry, like the day, should know when to stop. A balanced day, then — planned, taught, rounded, paperworked, and softened in the middle with a bit of telly. Not every day needs to be remarkable. Some of them just need to hold their shape, and this one did, beginning to end.

MasterPaces Is Back

This was the third edition. The third edition of the MasterPaces program organised by Hospital Sungai Buloh. And the fact that I was invited the third time around as a faculty member was always a good thing.

The organiser was also nice enough to not put me on the Saturday morning slot, as I had clinic and ward round to do. Right after sorting out an admission, I rushed across to Sungai Buloh - only a 20 minutes drive via the NKVE, and got there in time for lunch and then straight to business.

Saturday was a mock day, where the candidates were divided into groups of four of five and they rotate across eight stations, allowing everybody to be assessed and thought by the faculty members. I had two sessions, an abdominal station, followed by station 5, the integrated clinical station where the candidates interact and examine a patient during a 10 minutes exchange. Fast and furious.

Sunday would be the mock exam day. Personally, I had to drive to Subang first, see my few patients, and then be at Sungai Buloh by 8.30. Early start .....

A Masterplan

It's always very tiring turning up at work after missing a couple of days. In my case, with the last couple of days away in Ipoh, I had plenty of catching up to do. None more so than the plan I was hatching with a Pharmaceutical company friend about a workshop in the next couple of months.

The plan initially came about a couple of years back with a former housemate from Sheffield. He was working with a Pharmaceutical company then, still is now, but only in a different division. We had this idea of teaching the specifics of antibiotics therapy to the Masters students or senior Medical Officer who will be Specialist in the coming few years. The first was held in Port Dickson in 2008. We were now planning the second instalment. The discussion just now concerns the venue and the content.

It was still in it's early draft and we were deciding on the suitable speakers. We had a few in mind. A few phone calls needed to be made. The timing will also soon be finalised but I can't see it happening before June.

Program such as this I feel is quite important as the alternative would be either flying the students abroad to conferences or flying in speakers from abroad to give a lecture or two. What we needed was more coaching and sharing of experiences rather than just a one-way lecture. In PD during the last workshop, we had a voting pad sustem installed so that questions can be answered anonymously. We Malaysian are always afraid to get things wrong even though we don't have clues what the answers were. That way, we can gauge undertanding in the crowd and address issues directly. I was hoping for more of these but once in a couple of years was a good start.

United 2 - Inter 0

Woke up early to catch the last 10 minutes of the Champions League matches. United was cruising away, while Arsenal were preparing themselves for the extra time at Roma. Vidic and Ronaldo scored that night. Arsenal went on to win the penalty shoot-out and might play United after the draw on the 20th. Spend the morning perfecting the CRF for the Febrile Neutropenia studies while sorting out other issues, amongst them setting out tinyurl for my future links.

Grand rounds and Day Care followed suit. The afternoon CME today was prepared by Dr Iqbal. He spend 30 minutes talking about Multiple Myeloma. The talk was preceded by a overview of Imipenem by MSD, who also provided some nice Turkish salad for my lunch. Spend the rest of the afternoon going through some Myeloma cases that might be published in a local pharmaceutical bulletin, followed by a short case session with the final year medical students, who are anxious with their upcoming Final MBBS in two weeks.

Currently stuck in the office waiting for the rain to stop, before going home to the kids and Anita. Had a handful of papers to mark later. 

Update on Thursday, March 12, 2009 at 10:24PM by Haris Abdul Rahman

Finally reached home at around 8. Completed the alteration for the CRF on Filemaker Pro. Have to catch some rest as I will be on call tomorrow. Might be able to complete all the paperwork in time for the weekend. Spent some time updating Idlan's page - link posted on the right!