Healthcare Society

Yesterday was our college's annual Freshers Fayre where first year students are able to sign up for societies (clubs) that second years either create or take over.

My friends Emily and Shauna took over Healthcare Society, but weren't able to run the stall due to lessons and illness. So I took over the stand for 3 hours, and I loved it! So now I'm 1/3 a leader of the Healthcare Society! I'm really looking forward to it, I hope to maybe do talks on first aid and Makaton but next week (Friday lunch) we will be talking to the students about their desired healthcare career. Until then!

Southampton University Open Day

On Sunday the 10th September I went to Southampton University's open day with my mum and sister. They had free shuttles from West Quay to Highfield campus which was really helpful (and also very very busy and full!) We arrived at roughly 10am and visited the information fair first to check in. I spoke to the Health Sciences (nursing) stand where a really kind 3rd year student told me about - the course in an honest way- how the placements can be really intense 12 hour shifts and long terms compared to others (3 week summer). BUT also how rewarding it is, and about NHS professionals. My sister spoke to the psychology stand and also visited the talk, while I went to the EPQ talk. The talk was good, however I think it was designed for those thinking of starting the EPQ rather than those (me) who have almost finished! However they only offer an alternative offer if you achieve an A or above.

I even downloaded the Southampton app which allowed me to plan my day and events to go see, which I found to be really useful and helped my time management. The campus is beautiful, with a stream and garden. I also got to peek at the yellow dance studio, which I would love to dance in as part of one of the many many societies they have to offer! They also gave out free cupcakes and a lot of information packs! I didn't look at the library as I had seen it on my research trip, which I wrote about on my other blog. Overall I love the university, as of now it's my first choice!

GP Shadowing

On the week of the 20th of August I did work experience up in Newcastle where I got to shadow my uncle who is a Doctor and his colleagues at a GP surgery! It was an amazing opportunity to experience what the job is like. 

I got to sit in on consultations and observe patient conversations and issues, and the solutions to them. I also got to see the 'behind the scenes' of the receptionists (and they have a lot on their plate- constant phone calls and paper work!) as well as shadowing a nurse who performed a lot of immunisations on babies, as well as dressings and swab tests. 

Apart from my uncle, I also got a chance to stay with a junior doctor and the practice's main GP to be able to observe different doctors' approach to patients and their problems. I loved the patient contact part, and how you really form a relationship with them and know they're back story (some doctors know the family from different generations carried on!). I

 was surprised by the amount of paper work though- there is sooo much! My uncle also did home visits which was also different from normal appointments, as some people experience 'white coat syndrome' and the atmosphere in the environment of the patient's own home is a humbling experience- as they're often bed ridden or severely ill but show such appreciation towards doctors (even if sometimes there is little help that can be offered). 

I made notes of everything that happened during that week, as well as taking photos, so I'll post it within a few days!

Care Home Afternoon Tea and Painting

On Tuesday and Wednesday at the care home we did painting with the residents (which unfortunately wasn't very popular) and took them downstairs to the restaurant for afternoon tea and cake which they loved!

Carehome Resident Board

Yesterday I went to the Care home to re-do their monthly activities board. I shall be going in again tomorrow to hopefully do some painting with them!

Moving On Day

On Tuesday the 4th July my college ran 'Moving On Day'- a day where lessons are cancelled and students are given the opportunity to go to talks and exhibitions about their chosen career path; where that be work, apprenticeships or university.  It was fun, useful- but it all depends on what grades I get!

First, I went to the Exhibition in the sports halls were I spoke to different universities such as Southampton and Oxford Brookes about Medicine and Nursing (which I've been looking a lot into lately). I also got a bunch of leaflets on gap year volunteering opportunities in South America, Africa and Asia such as conservation trips and teaching English to students. My friend and I would especially love to g to a Spanish speaking country to develop our Spanish.

I also attended 4  talks..

Adult Nursing: Hearts and minds matter - Talk from nurses at the University of Southampton on the 6 C's and what their university has to
offer. Also got to visit their simulation van with their new technology in learning with a mannequin to treat.

Healthcare: Routes into Healthcare - This talk from the University of Bristol spoke about Nursing, Social Work, Midwifery and Bristol applications.

HE: UCAS Talk - Talk from an admissions member at the University of Surrey on personal statements, types of offers (conditional/unconditional) and advice..etc.

Healthcare: Alternatives to Medicine (Healthcare Sciences) - Talk from Southampton Audiologist about Audiology, Respiratory Therapy, Cardio Physiology and what they consist of.

Biology Olympiad Intermediate

On Tuesday the 27th of June I did the Biology Olympiad but this time it was the intermediate level. It was fun to participate as it was good practice for applying biology knowledge, however again I didn't gain enough marks to be awarded with a score of 41/75

Parity Disco

On the 30th June I helped supervise Parity's charity disco for the disabled. I manned the food stall. As more and more people came in with their carers, the crisp bowls began to empty which kept me busy refilling!😃 There was also a tombola stand and an information stall for newcomers to advertise Parity's day care and other services. It was a lovely disco, it was lovely to see even those in wheelchairs busting out their moves on the dance floor. The disco lasted from 6:30-10pm where we then cleared away the balloons and food and anything else needing tidied. It was very sweet that I was given a box of chocolates as a thank you for helping! Parity's website click here

Donating Blood

On the 21st of June it was my first day giving blood, 4 days after turning 17 after waiting for years to be old enough. The nurses were so kind and they made me eat food beforehand to make sure my sugar levels were good. They also had to prick my finger and see if it floated or sunk in water to test for iron levels. If the blood sinks to the bottom within 15 seconds, hemoglobin levels are good enough to carry on with the donating procedure. It was a long waiting period, but I didn't mind as it was a good sign that so many people were giving blood. When it was my turn, I was told to use my right arm as my vein was bigger on that side (and the nurse  had trouble finding my small veins). It only took 8 minutes for me (max 90 minutes so I'm so thankful my blood is fast😋) I have to admit- it did hurt. It felt like a nettle sting but the only problem was that it wouldn't fade away as you have to constantly squeeze/contract your muscles to mechanically push the blood out. However, I feel the more I donate, it will eventually feel painless! I was the only young person there as well which made me feel a little bit proud. 

On the 8th of July, I also got a text saying which hospital my blood was sent to. I like the idea of these texts, it makes me feel really happy it's in use and more "real" DONATE: https://www.blood.co.uk                             

EPQ Telomeres

I'm doing my Extended Project Qualification on Telomeres, and so I decided to make a separate blog to record everything related on there: http://telomereepq.blogspot.co.uk

Yesterday I interviewed a Lecturer/Doctor and on Monday I'll be going on a research trip! But I shall be writing about them on my other blog instead.

Care Home Updates: Training, Projects & Pimms

On the 31st of May, helped out at the care home for an afternoon in the sun where residents sat out in the balcony drinking pimms and eating crisps. I also finally got my induction pack and badge! I was so thrilled when Pam (one of the dementia residents) remembered who I was, guess my long hair is memorable!

On the 2nd June I finally got round to doing my e-learning in Mental Capacity and Deprivation of Liberty, Data Protection, Employee Self Service and something else I don't remember..

Yesterday the 6th June I painted 3 ladies' nails and was giving the task of doing this years Scrapbook competition of each musical encounter the residents have had during their stay. Sounds like a hefty job but I'll try my best~~

Nails for the Residents

Spent my afternoon at the care home on Sunday the 13th May going around painting the ladies' nails and giving them manicures! It was the first time I did this activity with them and they seemed to really enjoy it so I hope to make it a regular occurrence soon! :)

Parity Family Fun Day

Really quick update as I've been gone the last month due to exams! Last month (30th April) Parity the charity let me help out again at their fun fayre where I ran the kids races consisting of sack race, egg and spoon..etc. I only did a 2.5hr shift which went by so quickly but it was so much fun to see all the kids happy and help raise money/awareness.

Dementia Awareness Level 2 Course

On Friday the 21st of April I went to Mayflower Court in Southampton to do my care home training in Dementia. The day lasted from 10-4:30pm and I thoroughly enjoyed it (I even sneaked a look at Southampton Uni afterwards). I was the only volunteer there, but was accompanied by other
Anchor carer employees. We learnt about the symptoms (memory, communication, recognition), different variations, as there are over 120 types of dementia (Alzheimer's, Vascular, Frontal temporal Lobe..etc), the causes of Dementia (e.g. strokes), the sections of the brain, the effects, and person centered care. A few of the facts I liked learning most were..

• 10% of all diagnosed dementias are mixed.
• A doctor cannot be certain of the diagnosis until post-mortem examination of the brain.
• Writing is the hardest thing your brain ever learns to do.
• The 3 impairments: Agnosia - Sensory information inability. Aphasia - Speech inability. Appraxia - Task Performance inability.

It made me realise that I knew residents with each impairment, and learnt how to be there for them in 'Person Centered Care' (under the Care Act 2014 Regulation 9) as well as gaining an insight into how it feels to suffer with dementia when we got to experience impairment glasses, arthritis gloves...etc in the practical session of the course.

The course was the perfect balance of having fun and being educated on a serious issue, over all I found it extremely interesting and will value and act on the new things I have learnt.

 

 

Care Home Sunny Day

Went back to the care home today after a while of being gone. I work in the Dementia sections, so the residents didn't remember me so I got that chance to introduce myself again and get to know them better. I spoke to Steven about traveling (we've both been to China. Spain and France), his two sons and their education, as well as Sherlock Holmes! I said hi to Aubrey and Iris, two lovely ladies, however they spoke very quietly that I couldn't carry the conversation for very long. This will be my goal for next time!

I then took Pamela and Iris to the balcony/mini garden as it was a very warm and sunny day. I made them tea and got them cold water and we spent over half an hour talking about their past jobs as typewriters and their children..etc. Iris, although quiet, is very sweet and eager to join in conversations which was nice. Pamela was very chatty and we got to know each other quite well and had lots to laugh about. When it got too hot and they wanted to go back to their rooms, I headed off and they were kind enough to walk me to the stair doors (I didn't want them to go downstairs as Pamela has a walking stick) to check I got home safe and t thank me for my company (which is soo sweet!)

I had a lovely time and hope to go back soon. It's great experience and just feels like making friends :)

UCAS Convention

UCAS convention at Surrey university on Monday the 13th of March was great fun! Went around stalls of so so many universities (that took up two giant sports halls) and got the chance to speak to their representatives about course and uni information, as well as being given lots and lots of prospectus to read! That'll keep me busy :)

Rare Disease Day - Royal Holloway University of London

Friday February 24th, the day I visited Royal Holloway University of London for the Rare Disease Day lectures!

After a 2 hour train journey and a 20 minute walk, my friends and I found ourselves walking up the beautiful hills of the university campus. (We were shocked that the castle was part of it!)

At 9:30am, Dr Rafael Yanez gave a presentation on the introduction to rare diseases, The statistics were astonishing; In Europe alone, 1 in 2000 people are affected with a rare disease (which there are over 6000 discovered). He spoke of the importance and need for researchers and doctors, as gene and stem cell therapy are developing but there needs to be more awareness and funding.

At 10:10am, Lauren Roberts from Genetic Alliance UK (charity here) spoke about "SWAN" patients, who have syndromes without a name. She showed us the affect of rare diseases on the people and their families. 6000 children each year are born with SWAN, but only 50% are tested. It's hard to find treatment, care and help when you don't even know your own diagnosis, My heart definitely goes out to them all.

The lectures then unfortunately over-ran on schedule, so Sean Kelly and Alberto Malerba gave presentations on 2 rare diseases: Ataxia Telangiectasia (A-T) which affects children;s balance and motor condition, and Oculopharyngeal Muscular Dystrophy and the chemical aspect of it.

We were then all split into groups and escorted to the exhibition, which was full of different charities and organisations we could speak to and find out further information and make donations. It was so much fun, I brought a whole bag full of brochures and leaflets home!

Then at lunch, I got to explore the campus with my friends. It was truly stunning, with a castle (which has a restaurant, library and sleeping quarters..etc), on-site convenience store, live music bar, modern accommodation buildings and so much more.  I'm heart-broken that the university doesn't do undergraduate medicine courses- or else I would definitely apply (although biomedical sciences look tempting too so we'll see...!)


Afterwards we all got the chance to use the massive labs and do experiments representing recessive and dominant genes, and whether the outcome "baby" would be affected, unaffected or a carrier of a rare disease. After that, we then got to go "speed dating" around different stations, where students spoke about their experience and university/ course information, as well as all the extra-curricular and other opportunities. This was a very helpful session, I found it so informative and persuasive!
We then split into groups and were given case studies to analyse of potential patients, and make or diagnosis. We ten went through the answers and reasoning (my group got it all correct!) and were given haribos as a prize. We then spoke to more students with any further questions, before departing the beautiful university to catch the train home.
I loved it and learnt so much, as well as making new friends.. and it was free! If you get the chance, definitely go to a rare disease day event near you (every February).

Events here
University here

SJA Disco Duty

Example report, very simplified

On the Friday that just passed (10th Feb) my sister and I had our first ever duty as first aiders at St John's ambulance.

It was at a police-held disco for teenagers, where we had to treat one girl who was experiencing pain in her ankle while she was wearing a leg brace.

Thankfully it wasn't a horrific injury, and the girl just required an ice pack while the adult first aiders examined her ankle for any fractures.

I filled in lots of paper work though (for legal reasons) which are quite lengthy but in my opinion really fun! As you have to write in detail of what happened, all patient information, medical history, allergies..etc.

Luckily the girl was fine and eventually went back to the party, but later returned with further pain so we stayed with her and just had a chat to make sure the patient was okay and to try and distract her from her ankle.

Hope to do some more duties soon!

Medicine Masterclass at the University of Cambridge

An early 6am wake up was required for the 3 hour journey ahead to trial Medicine on Saturday the 4th February, 2017. 

My dad drove me to Cambridge and as we arrived early, I had the opportunity to do some sight seeing of the local area.

Then at 11am I walked into the ground of Cambridge University to the Lady Mitchell Hall, where I was signed in and given a wrist band, and escorted to the back of the lecture hall. It was already so full of people, there were extra seats placed against the back walls where I sat. 

The first lecture was called "How blood goes round the body" presented by Dr Dunecan Massey. I found this lecture very interesting, however extremely hard to keep up with. It required further knowledge of biology and physics that I did not know- so my notes on this lecture are very messy! It was evident that the lecturer was very clever and clearly knew what he was talking about (I hope I'll be like that one day!) He spoke about the 2 theories of blood: purple Nutritive and red diffusive, veins-collecting system, arteries-delivering system, organ perfusion, cardiac output...etc, as well as the people behind the discoveries! 

At 12noon, the second lecture began called "Nature's Medicine Cabinet: from root to remedy" by Ms Sonja Dunbar. This was probably my favourite lecture as it was easier to understand and was interactive with the audience. We learnt about the 'Scarcity-Accessibility Hypothesis' and basically how nettles, lemons, mustard plants, aloe vera... etc are used to treat or cause medical side effects. Some students were chosen to smell and guess different natural remedies, and there were several opportunities for us as students to discuss questions and answers such as how much it costs to develop a drug from idea to market (answer: £1.2billion!) What I found most interesting was how Chilli's (capasaicin) are structurally similar to vanilla, and how the spice is detected by humans but not birds (and why that is).

We then had a lunch break at 1pm where chocolate was given and I was able to meet up with a few of my friends who also went along and discussed the master class thus far.

Then promptly at 1:30pm the final lecture began on "Pain and lessons from the naked mole-rat" by Dr Ewan Smith. This talk was about pharmacology - the study of how chemical agents affect biological systems, as well as nocioception and the experimentation with naked-mole rats. It was found that the mole-rats did not detect acid as painful, and Cambridge university carried out research as to why this was. We were also shown a very cute video of how the mole-rats lived within the university- no abuse of course!

Then lastly at 2:30pm Dr Smith then invited current university students to the stage where they informed us how to apply to Cambridge, tips and advise, as well as an open Q&A with the audience on their life at university and extra course information. The day then came to a close at 3:15pm officially, but the students were kind enough to stay behind and answer any other questions that we had.

Over all, the master class was highly informative and really gave an insight into university life and how fascinating medicine is. 

I found this event through their website and the total cost for the ticket was £20. However, Medicine isn't the only Master Class offered as there are so many available to try. I would definitely recommend it to students who are unsure of what they want to study, or just want to test themselves of suitability.

Link to Master Classes here

Thanks Cambridge University for the incredible opportunity! 

Cadet Supervisor & Updates

As of the 11th of January my sister and I were given the opportunity to volunteer at Cadets to look after and assist the Badgers (younger first aid learners) every Wednesday as part of being St John's Ambulance older members of the pre-teen/teen unit.  I can't wait to carry on building my communication skills with younger children and widen my understanding of St John's and first aid.

We also have a first aid duty coming up to supervise a local disco, which I look forward to as I've never applied first aid publicly before!

I've also booked several tickets for various medicine-related courses and talk for the following month so I can't wait for a busy and informative February.

And lastly, I got an e-mail a few days ago from one of the Doctors who spoke at InvestIn's Young Doctor Programme (link to my post about them here) which was such a lovely surprise! So happy that my post was actually read and liked by the course director. He even asked if this blog could be used as a reference in future talks and be linked to their social media, which of course I happily accepted! So thank you Dr Manik :)

Medical Mavericks

The Medical Mavericks Workshop at college on Tuesday the 10th of January was so much fun and a great way to start the new school year! The company came into school to set up different medical stations to let students try different tools and activities while learning various healthcare pathways.

I had the opportunity to have 2 ultrasounds: one I did myself of my heart, having to be careful to use the £2000 ultrasound machine (yikes) and have cold cold ultrasound gel up my ribs which was very entertaining and I managed to get my friend to film it for me, as it's not every day you get the chance to see your own heart in action! 

The other ultrasound was done by one of the members of staff at Medical Mavericks on my wrist, where I discovered I have no more growth plates (meaning I've reached my full growth capacity at 5"5 tall😆) which was fascinating to discover, I didn't even know it was possible to tell when your bones have stopped growing! 

Wrist Ultrasound

wrist growth plates missing

I also had a photo of my eye taken showing "tiger stripes" which are only present with Asian heritage apparently, which was done using similar equipment to those at an opticians when they need to analyse your eye. I wonder which bit indicates my poor eye sight...

Photo of my eye!

We also had the chance for other activities within the hour and a half session to draw blood from a fake arm using a needle- even though the fake veins were larger than normal it was still quite hard to do without puncturing the patient! 

You could also measure blood pressure, wear eye disease goggles (such as tunnel vision), explore different career options, have an ECG printed and have several respiratory tests (I have a lung age of 1, yayyy!) [by the way apparently the photo of the tar jar is what collects in your lungs if you smoke 10 cigarettes for a year so please don't smoke]. 

Everything was incredible I'm so happy to have been able to partake in it so thank you to my college and Medical Mavericks☺️ 

Check out Medical Mavericks (located in Wolverhampton) here

The Tar Jar

ECG set up

ECG print

Drawing Blood!

Debra & Care Home December Updates

Hope everyone had a lovely new year! I was a bit carried away with Christmas so here are some updates:

On the 22nd of December I volunteered for Debra again except this time I took my sister along and we wrapped presents for charity! People in the shopping center would come to us to rap their Christmas gifts for a donation in return. It deemed really popular and raised over £2000 throughout the Christmas week.

I also volunteered at the care home on the 19th and 24th, where on the Monday I helped move some furniture and assisted residents around the home. On Christmas eve, I was given the task of playing the piano and singing some Christmas carols! It caused some complications of me learning the songs in a different keys and the lyrics being printed in a different order... but it was certainly an experience! At least everyone felt in the Christmas spirit. A few days ago on the 2nd of January, I also took my sister in to sing "songs that won the war", and that definitely seems to be a favourite among the residents :)