Abstract Conferences

Since the MRCS exams have been done and swept under the carpet, my focus has been ticking all those other academic boxes for attending courses/conferences and presenting my projects at them, particularly closed-loop audits (Clinical Governance - light bulb moment!).

It's worth spending your downtime periods, scouring the various specialty websites for a list of there events, and deadlines for abstract submissions. I've realised more and more of my abstracts, are more abstract! Yet, they get accepted; admittedly, before I've even collated the data.

No one really pays attention. Afterall, with the 100's of journals out there willing to accept any substandard publication, you're guaranteed a poster/publication eventually. It's a self-necessitating wheel. In order to progress in surgery, we have to publish/present. In order to publish/present, we have to complete an audit. In order to complete an audit, we have to carry some sort of nonsense excercise whether it is important or not.

Welcome to the future of Clinical Governance I say!

Paediatric minor op reward

So a quiet on call, and I'm referred a young girl (for sake of confidentiality, she was less than a decade old) who was suspected of having a wooden splinter stuck in her finger. The ED doctor said there was pus and being a young patient, he felt she needed the surgeons to tactically remove it.

So I met the delightful girl with her mother. After reviewing, it just needed a bit of local anaesthetic exploration. They agreed.

I set up the minor ops room in ED. Whilst injecting the lidocaine (local anaesthetic), all I could hear was giggles from the child. I looked up to see tears. I assume the object of fear hadn't been experienced, so she didn't know whether to scream or laugh and the sensation of stinging pain and sight of her own blood.

However, success ensued; I removed this wooden log of a splinter, placed it in a specimen pot for her next "show and tell" at school, then bandaged her up.

As I was clearing up, she sprung up and ran over to give me a big hug. Now all I can say is, I nearly became tearful with joy. This is one of the few times I've actually received sincere gratitude from a patient. Usually patients like to complain because they've waited an hour to see me. However, this reward is what motivates me. I'm still joyous today. Happy patients make happy doctors. So thank you little girl for making a doctor happy.