Memoir of a medical intern…..Day 1

If I were to grieve about language barrier, I can say I’m already at the 5th stage of grief..Acceptance . I have in the last 3 days slowly accepted the fact that I’ll never learn how to speak Acholi. The native language here in Gulu , and so I have to use an interpreter for all my clerkships.

You realise I’m making a post about day 1 on day 2……Heheh, wait for the scoop.

Day 1 started off just fine. We started with orientation from the main hospital staff. About 4 hours of both encouragement and discouragement. I have to accept that I’m in one of the best internship sites in the country, and also accept that today, I found out that prisoner Is another word for intern. Plainly stated in the orientation.

Had a tour of the hospital, its clean and beautiful. I can already say I like it here. Duty was to start at 2:30pm of the same day. And it did.

Day 1 and I happen to be on the first night call duty…..yesssss, it happened. First, I’ll be doing obstetrics and gynaecology as my first rotation for the next 5 months.

I arrived at 5pm for my night call duty. You must have quick feet in this place. Its busy, the patients are many, and all must be worked on. Also to mention, I was the only intern doctor on night duty, till 8:30am the next morning for a brand new day, and I must be present for the first morning meeting at the department at 8:30am. I must have showered 😂, and also had breakfast and ready to continue the day. I.e create your own time.

I guess I was lucky, the first night wasn’t busy at all. I saw patients till midnight, slept in the Doctor’s call room and was woken up at 4am by a colleague from Paediatrics who was just finding his call room at that time to take a nap….yes, I know what you’re thinking.

My sleep interruption just got me going to ward to check on patients at 4am, and I slept after 1 hour, to be woken up at 6:10am by a nurse to go check on a referral in. The intern Doctor on call is given a phone which they must carry at all times during duty, and man, this phone is loud. It will wake you up even if you’re in the dream of your wedding😂.

Was quite interesting having to manage 2 wards, both obstetrics and gynaecology, plus theatre. The nurses and midwives did a great job helping out last night.

😊