First few days

Sg Buloh Hospital:

Day 1:

Took the Guthrie Highway, and I reached the place in 40 min.

I brought the necessary documents: surat lapor diri, passport photo, latest payslip, etc to the administration office, eager to get a fresh start at my new place of work. While filling up the relevant forms, the clerk called me to the Pengarah's office. As I sat down in front of him, I expected him to give a briefing about the hospital, welcoming me to his terrority. What shocked me was that he was just looking at my surat lapor diri for about a minute, then suddenly looked up to me and said 'U nak masuk Paeds ye? Paeds dah penuh. I hantar u pegi Medical.' I could suddenly feel the blood rushing to my face. Medical? Owh man..the last time I did medical was in 2007..How could he be so mean? I practically begged him to send me to the department that I wanted..I mean, I'm really sure that's the field that I want to specialise in, and I've been doing paeds for more than a year..Why is he being so unfair?

He was giving me the numbers, saying that the medical department has less MOs compared to paeds..I finally gave in..

I was asked to report to a specialist there and she introduced me to her collegues. I was put in charge of the male medical ward.

Day 2

Took the NKVE highway today, and I reached Sg Buloh in 22 mins, driving at 120km/H. Not bad right?

The HOD instructed me to change to the female ward and I had to do rounds with the specialist. On this day, I was REALLY frustrated with the computer system. Why is not user friendly at all! My collegues were really good at it, after all, they've been using the system for the past one year or so. At one point I just felt like smashing the computer right in front of me. Personally, I feel like I'm spending more time in front of the computer, struggling to make a simple entry, and spending less time with the patients. It is very unfair.

As I was really slow in assisting my specialist to do the rounds that day, he became inpatient and he typed everything himself instead. I felt like my presence was more of a burden to him..Come on, dragging the laptop to each patient, plugging in the plug to the power source everytime we shift the laptop, in case it hibernates and the laptop hanging every now and then --it is really a test to my patience...

Not only that, since I was in charge of half the ward, I had to do referrals, arrange for urgent scans, trace blood results urgently, etc. Not like I haven't done all this before, but it is much different now as everything is computerised. I felt like a houseman all over again, doing donkey work and writing all the things that I've to do on a piece of paper, and rush to do everything by 5 o clock that day.

Day 3

I'm beginning to get the hang of the computer system, but my specialist remained sarcastic as I am still slow, and still incompetent in managing medical patients on my own, or so he says...My stress level was getting higher and higher, but I kept a smiling face at work, as I refused to show people how frustrated I am deep inside..

I came back from work, not willing to even look at the computer anymore...

Day 4

I reached the ward at 0745, determined to start my rounds. I felt like my pace is getting a bit better now, but I still could not finish all my work by 5pm..it is just so ridiculous as the amount of work that I had was much less that what I'm used to in HTAR, and yet, I tok such a long time to complete a task, just because I'm not used to the system. Sigh..How long will I take to be competent with my work?

Day 5=today

Took the day off as I've to go to Banting later to present for the mortality meeting. A presentation that I should be worried of, and yet I feel happy as I'm going back to my 'comfort zone' today afternoon..

Well, at least I've the weekend off tomorrow..something to look forward to..