Read his post here: Ukrainian CPR, Russian Life Support and the Boris Yeltsin Classification of Heart Failure IV: Pak Abu Dies.
The post has ignited an array of heated up discussions in the blog itself; some opinions are pretty rational while some are just downright personal.
MUAR shared a similar story, commenting on POTS' post.
First of all, I would like to offer my condolences on the death of Pak Abu. It will not be the end of the story. As long as we are keeping these CSMU grads in the hospitals as doctors, there will be a lot more 'Pak Abu' Let me share my experience with CSMU grad doctor with u all: One day, i was seeing a patient in the ward, who was admitted for uncont DM / HPT. That patient was clerked by a houseman (CSMU grad). Let's introduce to you this great great houseman. She is "Legend" in my hospital. She stays in Medical department as a houseman for more than 4 months already (2 months tagging, currently allowed to start on call but with supervision by another H.O). Well, she had written down on the clerking sheath "Fundus examination -- no papilloedema, no haemorrhage". I was so 'impressed' that she was able to see the fundus of a patient with bilateral immature cataract. So the next step, i called her to come, and tested her about fundoscopy, and few more simple questions. I was totally speechless after I got the answers form her 1) Did not know how to use opthalmoscope, did not even know how to switch on the light 2) Papilloedema is "swelling of the whitish part (she pointed to her sclera) of the eye" 3) Normal SBP = 110 to 130 mmHg 4) Normal DBP = 100-110 mmHg 5) Normal PR = 90 - 110 bpm 6) Normal Spo2 = 90-95% 7) Paroxysmal Nocturnal Dyspnoea = patient feel SOB at night only, not during daytime 8) Orthopnoea = patient feel SOB on sitting up position 9) ECG --> "mute" Imagine, she is the first doctor who attends all the patients admitted for U.A., Decomp. CCF, AECOAD, AEBA, etc.... and yet she doesn't even know the normal range of all the vital signs, simple ECG interpretation, and some simple basic knowledge! She is not the only one among CSMU grads. 9 out of 10 of them have the similar quality. Imagine how tension our MO here are to oncall with them, and how unsafe patient is to be handled by them! I still remember when i first joined surgical department as a houseman, on that very first The day i met the head of department -- the best surgeon, and the most dedicated doctor i have ever met, he showed me the House-Officer's Protocol and asked me to read it out one by one. 2 things i still remember by hard till now: (1) Housemanship is a period during which you will undergo a lot of Special High Intensity Training (S.H.I.T). (2) Patients who come to you, trust their lives in your hands...DO NOT BETRAY THIS TRUST...there can be no greater sin. Well, I wouldn't say that I was a good or the best houseman. But i can say it out confidently that i have equipped myself with basic medical knowledge during my medical students life, to allow me to practice clinical skill and management of common diseases during my housemanship. CSMU grads, generally, well-known as poor knowledge, attitude suck, arrogant, tin-tin kosong berbunyi! Housemanship is not for you to learn basic medical knowledge. You are supposed to undergo S.H.I.T, and polish up your clinical knowledge and skills. Please, stop torturing your MOs and patients! Do whatever you want, but not a doctor please!
While Spinosum tries to offer an amicable solution.
There is one solution to this:To those MOs and specialists who are "extra-cautious" over those Russian grads, probably u all should stay in or stay by your houseman. Clerk all the cases, see all the cases, and do all the procedures - with ur HOs tagging along.
Stop those hierarchical sh*t, eg. going out of hospital, staying home during on calls etc. Just becoz u r an MO or specialist! ;)
Most MOs and specialists will ask the juniors to "call them when any problem" or "reluctant to come in during emergencies" - only give phone consultations and orders, plus some scoldings (thinking its a way to teach the juniors).
If u really really care for the patients, u should be staying by the patient or carry out duty just like an HO - rather than thinking u have already "gone thru the torture years" and now u must "have more freedom and higher hierarchiecal privileges"!
Its a norm in govt hospital nowadays. No one can denies it. Even I do that too sometimes to my juniors! ;P
So if u r just being unlucky to have such a "moronic" HO under u, u just have to buck up a little. Order the nurses to inform u of unstable cases every instance, and not just the HO! That way, u will get first hand info from the ward situation, and u will rush in to give early aid! Afterall, we love our patients, dont we?
It is bad to blame the HO after Pak Abu died... and blame Russian grads for that.
I choose to be a fair person, and critical one. No doubt the Russian grad HO has done a terrible mistake this time by not calling. But just frankly asking "where were the senior docs at that time?"
U can extend the HOship of this lady doc. But the same time, u must also from now on, make sure that u stay in all time, and order the nurses to inform u of EVERY case so that u will anticipate any danger!
I speak from experience, and this is what my well-respected boss did the last time whenever the HO or MO is incapable! He stays in!
Despite the rather harsh tone and negative attitude towards Russian and Ukrainian medical graduates, POTS has only but this intention:
Epilogue:
To my dear readers from the Russian and Ukrainian medical schools, this short article would have served its purpose if you are outraged after reading it. May your anger and rage be translated into a greater determination for self improvement as opposed to running down the critics and skeptics around you. I am speaking to myself as I write so.
What say you?
RELATED POSTS
Concern Over Russian Medical Schools
I am deeply devastated over how we have been graded as the 'rubbish' product of the medical world. We should put an end to this. Can't deny that we do lack some skills that other countries. But who are we to blame but ourselves? Medicine is never confined to what the teachers provide or what we read from text books. There's so much to learn out there, the internet is there to feed us with abundance of info, and i am sure some teachers will be glad to discuss about current medical issues which are not in the syllabus.
ReplyDeletePractice makes perfect. The phrase which should be in every bloody mind of medical students. Go, be active during patient examination. Don't take it for granted, just because you have the case history in hand after that.Another alternative, is to read up on case studies and work up the diagnosis. There's tonnes of them in the internet. Remember that you are allowed to make mistakes AS A MEDICAL STUDENT. BUT NEVER AS A DOCTOR.
Russia / Ukraine have produced among the greatest and famous doctors in the world. They are among the leading countries in medical research and new findings. Our teachers are actively involved in international conferences and mostly are defending their new theses on something. Malaysia's contribution towards medicine is microscopical comparitively to Russia. SO WHAT'S THE REAL PROBLEM HERE?
All critisisms must be of a basis, Personal or not. I still think that we have to play a big role to CHANGE this negative perception of Russian/Ukrainian med students. NO POINT COMPLAINING. SHOW TO THEM THAT WE ARE CAPABLE. AND WHEN THAT IS REALIZED, I AM PRETTY DARN SURE THEY WILL SHUT THEIR MOUTH.