Health Screening Day, A day as a Medical Practitioner
Written on 25th April 2009
Our Team for the day
Don't I look serious? =)
Just having fun
It is a great day today. I volunteer myself for a volunteering program under AMSA (American Medical Students Association). The program is called Health Screening Day. I was already interested when I first received the email from them.
What is this Health Screening Day all about. This is a program in conjunction with the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) and Boots Pharmacy.
The aim is to provide the public with blood pressure screening and glucose testing, as well as raise awareness about the importance of normal blood pressure and diet as a factor in preventing heart attacks.
So yeah I have to do a blood pressure and glucose testing check up. Well it is my first time doing this medical practice as I am still in premedical program which I am not expose to the practical. So this is kind of an ealier exposure for me to the medical profession.
So it started with a practice session on friday, 24th April 2009, with all the volunteers given a recap on the procedures. How to take the blood pressure and glucose testing. Well for the others, it was a recap but for me, it is a new knowledge. All other volunteer-mates are from 1st,2nd, 3rd and 4th meds plus there are from 2nd year GEP. So I am the most inexperience of all.
It is really hard on hearing correctly the wushing sound but after few tryouts (sound like basketball game hehe) I am getting good at it =D
well for the blood glucose testing, we have to pricks patient's finger and take few droplets of blood into the small device which will calculates the amount of sugar in the blood.
So on that day my shift is at 2- 4 pm. When I arrived at 1.30 pm, there is already a loongg queue. OMG, there is a lot people who really want to know the status of their health which is a good thing. I am getting nervous now. Gosh what am I suppose to chat with the people, I don't want to sound very 'cold' towards them.
My first patient is a lady. She is nice. Well my first experience is really bad. I myself was confused on how to put on the cuff properly. Hazukashi! (read: how embarassing) I have to appologise a lot of time.
Did I mention that on my name tag is written Khairul, Medical Student, but on others for example Sinead Connor, 3rd Year Medical Student. I think they don't want the people to be scared of getting examined by me if they put on my name premedical student. Ahakz!
Anyway, from all of my patients, there is one person who has low glucose level (=3.7), one person with higher systolic level (=155), one person with higher glucose level (=7.3).
It sounds dangerous don't you think isn't it? but not to worry, the first person has a low level due to he has not had his lunch yet. Before he had his blood examine, he told me how he had a family history of diabetes and how relieved he is that his glucose level is lower than the normal range which is 4 - 7 . I just assured him that he is fine and he should get something sugary drink and good lunch to get his glucose boost up. Just maintain your diet and improve it with a lot of fruit and veggies.
The second person, he is quite old, I'm guessing he is above 60 years old. Well he is quite fine because his diastolic is 81 even though systolic is 155. The normal range is <120 face="verdana">The third person had his lunch or to be exact, a brunch (read: lunch + breakfast) an hour before the test. So he might had consumed a lot of food. well like I mention above, the range is 4 - 7 and his level is 7.3. not that much increase but as a procedure I still advise him to see a GP but I still said that it might due to your brunch that made it higher than it suppose to be.
Just to clarify, this glucose testing is going to count the amount of glucose on that particular time. So it easily influence by the food you consume on that day. But still, there some people who had a lunch but still within the range. So if it is above 7 due to the food, it is advisable to see GP if there are any other problem with body.
Oh I like to mention this one guy who asked a lot of question compare to others. He is a pHD grads (Computer Science) and just finished recently. So he is very eager to know what is this and that. Reminds me of my abah (read: dad).
Also I encountered one patient from Hong Kong which not able to speak English very well and therefore it is a challenge for me to speak in the simpliest way for her to understand. It is a good experience.
there are around 3-4 Asians which one from Hong Kong and others from Phillipines.
For conclusion, it is a great experience and exposure for me. I learnt how to interact with the patients and how to create a warm conversation by including the environment, for example the weather, shopping (well it is situated in a mall), who do you come with? bla bla bla...
Basically it is a grand experience that I will never forget and I love to do it again and again.
p/s: Now I know how the doctors felt especially in a GP which they have a patient every 10 mins from 7 am to 6 pm. You can have back pain you know huhuhu. Need a MASSAGE! =(
Our Team for the day
Don't I look serious? =)
Just having funIt is a great day today. I volunteer myself for a volunteering program under AMSA (American Medical Students Association). The program is called Health Screening Day. I was already interested when I first received the email from them.
What is this Health Screening Day all about. This is a program in conjunction with the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) and Boots Pharmacy.
The aim is to provide the public with blood pressure screening and glucose testing, as well as raise awareness about the importance of normal blood pressure and diet as a factor in preventing heart attacks.
So yeah I have to do a blood pressure and glucose testing check up. Well it is my first time doing this medical practice as I am still in premedical program which I am not expose to the practical. So this is kind of an ealier exposure for me to the medical profession.
So it started with a practice session on friday, 24th April 2009, with all the volunteers given a recap on the procedures. How to take the blood pressure and glucose testing. Well for the others, it was a recap but for me, it is a new knowledge. All other volunteer-mates are from 1st,2nd, 3rd and 4th meds plus there are from 2nd year GEP. So I am the most inexperience of all.
It is really hard on hearing correctly the wushing sound but after few tryouts (sound like basketball game hehe) I am getting good at it =D
well for the blood glucose testing, we have to pricks patient's finger and take few droplets of blood into the small device which will calculates the amount of sugar in the blood.
So on that day my shift is at 2- 4 pm. When I arrived at 1.30 pm, there is already a loongg queue. OMG, there is a lot people who really want to know the status of their health which is a good thing. I am getting nervous now. Gosh what am I suppose to chat with the people, I don't want to sound very 'cold' towards them.
My first patient is a lady. She is nice. Well my first experience is really bad. I myself was confused on how to put on the cuff properly. Hazukashi! (read: how embarassing) I have to appologise a lot of time.
Did I mention that on my name tag is written Khairul, Medical Student, but on others for example Sinead Connor, 3rd Year Medical Student. I think they don't want the people to be scared of getting examined by me if they put on my name premedical student. Ahakz!
Anyway, from all of my patients, there is one person who has low glucose level (=3.7), one person with higher systolic level (=155), one person with higher glucose level (=7.3).
It sounds dangerous don't you think isn't it? but not to worry, the first person has a low level due to he has not had his lunch yet. Before he had his blood examine, he told me how he had a family history of diabetes and how relieved he is that his glucose level is lower than the normal range which is 4 - 7 . I just assured him that he is fine and he should get something sugary drink and good lunch to get his glucose boost up. Just maintain your diet and improve it with a lot of fruit and veggies.
The second person, he is quite old, I'm guessing he is above 60 years old. Well he is quite fine because his diastolic is 81 even though systolic is 155. The normal range is <120 face="verdana">The third person had his lunch or to be exact, a brunch (read: lunch + breakfast) an hour before the test. So he might had consumed a lot of food. well like I mention above, the range is 4 - 7 and his level is 7.3. not that much increase but as a procedure I still advise him to see a GP but I still said that it might due to your brunch that made it higher than it suppose to be.
Just to clarify, this glucose testing is going to count the amount of glucose on that particular time. So it easily influence by the food you consume on that day. But still, there some people who had a lunch but still within the range. So if it is above 7 due to the food, it is advisable to see GP if there are any other problem with body.
Oh I like to mention this one guy who asked a lot of question compare to others. He is a pHD grads (Computer Science) and just finished recently. So he is very eager to know what is this and that. Reminds me of my abah (read: dad).
Also I encountered one patient from Hong Kong which not able to speak English very well and therefore it is a challenge for me to speak in the simpliest way for her to understand. It is a good experience.
there are around 3-4 Asians which one from Hong Kong and others from Phillipines.
For conclusion, it is a great experience and exposure for me. I learnt how to interact with the patients and how to create a warm conversation by including the environment, for example the weather, shopping (well it is situated in a mall), who do you come with? bla bla bla...
Basically it is a grand experience that I will never forget and I love to do it again and again.
p/s: Now I know how the doctors felt especially in a GP which they have a patient every 10 mins from 7 am to 6 pm. You can have back pain you know huhuhu. Need a MASSAGE! =(
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