Life as a House Officer in Malaysia

[drstress]

I am a house officer working in a general hospital in the city of Johor Bahru, Malaysia. I don't know how's other places but life here is hectic.

During my O&G posting, I reached hospital at around 6.30am and I have to finish seeing my patient before my medical officer/specialist do their round. I started my day with hypoglycemia and high corticosteroid and adrenaline. It is very stressful because within 1 hour or so, I have to see about 20 to 30 patients. I magine the time I have for each patient. I have to finish my round before my MO/Specialist come if not I will get scolding. It is unusual if I don't get scolded by them. But I understand that's life and they have to be strict to house officers to make sure work is done. I continue to work and if I am lucky, I get to have my lunch. If not, I have to rely on gluconeogenesis and adipolysis until my dinner comes which is around 8 to 9 pm. We have to do round 3 times per day. If I am not on-call, I call it a day at around 9pm. Worse still if I am on-call. I have to work for about 40 hrs. from 6.30am to 9pm the next day. I got 10 to 12 calls per month!!It is very very tiring. Again, that's life. Our hospital has the highest delivery rate in Malaysia (and I heard even in the world). We deliver 50 to 60 babies per day and sometimes even more! I get to do procedures like manual removal of placenta, instrumental deliveries etc. I must say the training here is tough but is good. My medical officers and specialist are not very friendly unlike other department I have gone through. I think there must be due to stress that makes them like that.

My other posting were much better. My MO's and specialist ar friendly and the stress is less. This is most likely due to the fact that we they are handling sick and ill patient and the medicolegal issues are less compared to O&G. In my internal medicine posting, I get to do procedures like peritoneal tab, chest tube insertion, centra line insertion etc. And over here you must have the initiative to learn as our MO's and specialist are too busy to teach us.

Despite having a tough life here, I do enjoy my housemanship. I hope you will post here to share with me your working experiemce in your hospital. Whatever it is, you must make yourself comfortable whenever you work. Then only you will enjoy your work!!

[stabilo]

how to see 20 to 30 patients in one hour? do patients have time to tell you their problems?

[drstress]

how to see 20 to 30 patients in one hour? do patients have time to tell you their problems?

Even though they have time, we have no time for that. That is how bad the situation is!! We only ask very few questions when doing rounds. I am not sure how's the situation in other hospitals in your country.

[stabilo]

now that is scary

[alvareznieves]

I want to tell you something about Indian Doctors.

One of my friend is a doctor at India.
I want to describe you my one experience about him.

We were in 3rd semester and we went for a film on one day.
When we reached at  cinema we saw one poor man asking for some money to eat their children.
At that time my friend was there he gave all money to that poor man.

at that day we manage to just visit the cinema but we haven't seen a movie.

Really when i remember this moment i really proud to being his friend.

I hope it also likes to you.
Thank you

[amanda]

many patient are suffering from the same situation to many countries like malaysia. it isn't new, it's in fact a resolved situation.

[naturalimmunity]

You can enjoy the fact that you can help (even if not very well because of lack of time) very many people. And there are just a few people in that place who can give the same help!

[belongcyl]

thats all right~

[Regine]

Don't ever let your work (or other things) drag down your energy. It is a nice thing that you are able to help other people in their sickness. People in the hospitals long more for human interaction, someone whom they can talk with. Just hang on there. As long as you're helping other people, nothing will go wrong in the long run.

[princecheck13]

To have survived this drafty period of hard-core work, as many would have proclaim, would make the better out of you, would make you stronger and make you more durable. Yet, seemingly, with all of these ongoing grill, I found myself being admitted 3 times in the ward and multiple times in the casualty bed; and I don't literally find that as a very comforting thought.

[Nikhil612]

That's a lot of patients. I guess its hard to give justice to the patients when there are just so many and not as many facilities to treat them in. We have the same situation here in India, where patients are just too many and even tough we have a lot of doctors, there just doesn't seem to be enough.
But situation sure is changing. Number of hospital beds, clinics and medical schools are increasing and capacity is being build at a rampant pace.

[naturalimmunity]

It is obvious that there is lack of doctors at your place

[heveen]

The above are a few stereotypical situations of how parent's react to their children's choice of ambitions and how they exhibit their preference of a medical pathway for their loved ones.

[ralssonjack]

It is a nice affair that you are able to advice added humans in their sickness. Humans in the hospitals continued added for animal interaction, anyone whom they can allocution with. Just adhere on there. As continued as you're allowance added people, annihilation will go amiss in the continued run.