Medical Life Letter of Explanation.
I know that I haven't written in long long while... but I hope this post will kind of make up for it.
On failing to present a history of a patient, I was asked by my consultant to write 5 full pages of explanation as to why I did not have the history. 5 pages is a lot... I have not even written five pages of essay or even short stories that I so love to write. Anyhow I managed it, and am off the hook, and this is what he said to me "You get to keep your stud on the same side." (He had warned me that if I failed to produce my homework the next day he would rip off my nose ring and put it on the other side of nose- that would have hurt...sigh*)
So here is that famous 5 pages of explanation for your perusal.
"Respected Sir,
I, the student who did not take the history of Mr. ..., who had been admitted to ward 8 on 07/11/2014 and transferred to ward 12 and back and forth and then transferred to Medical Intensive Care Unit on 10/11/2014, would like to, in these few pages, offer an explanation as to why I had not taken the history.
I have two reasons that I can offer that are genuine to at least myself and I would be very grateful if sir would kindly consider them genuine as well.
Firstly, I was the Trainee House Officer (THO) from 3/11/2014 to 9/11/2014. Therefore, when I returned to my regular responsibilities as a medical student on 10/11/2014, I was having a 'hang-over' like effect due to the reduced number of hours of sleep that I got in those 7 days. With this statement, I am not referring to the THO period as neither bothersome nor useless, but it was tiring never-the-less.
The second reason that I would like to present, which is the main reason that I did not have a history is, the patient was admitted to the hospital on 7/11/2014 and when the patient was allocated to me on 10/11/2014, he was already transferred to the ICU. Since I had not met the patient before, I was not if I needed to go to the ICU and take the history, and since he was critical enough to be in the ICU, I assumed he would not be in a state to give history. I inquired from few of my friends and colleagues if I need to go to the ICU and take the history but they weren't sure either. I, therefore, checked the 'Discharge Book' and found the Patient's name on it, which I interpreted to mean that the patient was officially out of the ward and would be re-entered in the 'Admission Register' on his return from the ICU. Therefore, with the understanding that my responsibility was to take histories from only in-ward patients (except while in clinics), I did not seek further opinion and/or advice from others on whether I should or if I need to go to the ICU and take this history.
These two are all the reasons I genuinely have to support myself as to why I failed to present the history of Mr. ... in the ward round on 12/11/2014.
Having given reasons, I would like to add that I am now acutely aware that it reflected on my lack of interest. Since the moment sir spoke of it, I have bee feeling very ashamed of not having taken more interest in the duties and responsibilities delegated to me and that I should have followed up my patients wherever they are, especially as long as they are in the Teaching Hospital of Peradeniya.
With this feeling and idea in mind, I went to the Medical ICU on the noon of 12/11/2014, few minutes after the class was over. It took me while in the ICU to locate the patient but before I could, they asked me to step out of the ICU as they were about to take an X-Ray inside. While waiting outside, I met with the patient's beautiful wife and asked her about him, his presenting complain, what happened to him and his current status. She was very co-operative and talked very well. I was glad to find that she spoke fluent English. Language has always been a restricting factor for me, and the reason why I often do not talk to the family members of the patients I clerk despite having inquiries to from from them regarding the patient.
After having got a general idea about the patient, I walked into the ICU again, a second time to find that they were preparing to take him back to the ward. As there was much hustle there, I decided to talk to the patient back in the ward. I went ahead to the ward with the plan to wait for him there. As it was visiting hours, I opted to wait for my patient in the Student Room and check on him in about ten minutes.Here, I would like to admit this and not without shame, that while waiting, because of hunger and tiredness, I fell soundly asleep. I was asleep for over an hour when the first of my friends returning back to the ward woke me up. As I woke up I realized that I was absolutely famished and my stomach was growling. Even though I was instructed to take history without lunch, and put on a Dextrose IV drip if I was hypoglycaemic. I would like to sincerely apologize for instead I decided to take my lunch (especially in preparation for my next class).
This whole incident has been a series of mistakes for which I am very regretful and on reflecting I feel deeply ashamed on not having done my duties as expected and instructed of me.
I have failed to uphold the responsibility of a pupil and/or as a medical student. I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to my instructor, my teacher, sir, for my mistakes and sincerely hope that sir will kindly consider it and give me another opportunity to prove my enthusiasm and sense of responsibility towards my duties.
At the end of this explanation, here I would like to extend an oath to uphold my responsibility with more diligence in the future and to the best of my ability not provide an opportunity to my teachers, instructors, my colleagues and my patients of complains, now as a medical student and in the future as a doctor.
In conclusion, I would like to thank sir for this assignment, as it was an experience like standing in front of a mirror and assessing oneself. Now I know my defects better than I did and I would like to sincerely assure sir (and myself) that I will strive harder to improve myself everyday.
Thank you"
On failing to present a history of a patient, I was asked by my consultant to write 5 full pages of explanation as to why I did not have the history. 5 pages is a lot... I have not even written five pages of essay or even short stories that I so love to write. Anyhow I managed it, and am off the hook, and this is what he said to me "You get to keep your stud on the same side." (He had warned me that if I failed to produce my homework the next day he would rip off my nose ring and put it on the other side of nose- that would have hurt...sigh*)
So here is that famous 5 pages of explanation for your perusal.
"Respected Sir,
I, the student who did not take the history of Mr. ..., who had been admitted to ward 8 on 07/11/2014 and transferred to ward 12 and back and forth and then transferred to Medical Intensive Care Unit on 10/11/2014, would like to, in these few pages, offer an explanation as to why I had not taken the history.
I have two reasons that I can offer that are genuine to at least myself and I would be very grateful if sir would kindly consider them genuine as well.
Firstly, I was the Trainee House Officer (THO) from 3/11/2014 to 9/11/2014. Therefore, when I returned to my regular responsibilities as a medical student on 10/11/2014, I was having a 'hang-over' like effect due to the reduced number of hours of sleep that I got in those 7 days. With this statement, I am not referring to the THO period as neither bothersome nor useless, but it was tiring never-the-less.
The second reason that I would like to present, which is the main reason that I did not have a history is, the patient was admitted to the hospital on 7/11/2014 and when the patient was allocated to me on 10/11/2014, he was already transferred to the ICU. Since I had not met the patient before, I was not if I needed to go to the ICU and take the history, and since he was critical enough to be in the ICU, I assumed he would not be in a state to give history. I inquired from few of my friends and colleagues if I need to go to the ICU and take the history but they weren't sure either. I, therefore, checked the 'Discharge Book' and found the Patient's name on it, which I interpreted to mean that the patient was officially out of the ward and would be re-entered in the 'Admission Register' on his return from the ICU. Therefore, with the understanding that my responsibility was to take histories from only in-ward patients (except while in clinics), I did not seek further opinion and/or advice from others on whether I should or if I need to go to the ICU and take this history.
These two are all the reasons I genuinely have to support myself as to why I failed to present the history of Mr. ... in the ward round on 12/11/2014.
Having given reasons, I would like to add that I am now acutely aware that it reflected on my lack of interest. Since the moment sir spoke of it, I have bee feeling very ashamed of not having taken more interest in the duties and responsibilities delegated to me and that I should have followed up my patients wherever they are, especially as long as they are in the Teaching Hospital of Peradeniya.
With this feeling and idea in mind, I went to the Medical ICU on the noon of 12/11/2014, few minutes after the class was over. It took me while in the ICU to locate the patient but before I could, they asked me to step out of the ICU as they were about to take an X-Ray inside. While waiting outside, I met with the patient's beautiful wife and asked her about him, his presenting complain, what happened to him and his current status. She was very co-operative and talked very well. I was glad to find that she spoke fluent English. Language has always been a restricting factor for me, and the reason why I often do not talk to the family members of the patients I clerk despite having inquiries to from from them regarding the patient.
After having got a general idea about the patient, I walked into the ICU again, a second time to find that they were preparing to take him back to the ward. As there was much hustle there, I decided to talk to the patient back in the ward. I went ahead to the ward with the plan to wait for him there. As it was visiting hours, I opted to wait for my patient in the Student Room and check on him in about ten minutes.Here, I would like to admit this and not without shame, that while waiting, because of hunger and tiredness, I fell soundly asleep. I was asleep for over an hour when the first of my friends returning back to the ward woke me up. As I woke up I realized that I was absolutely famished and my stomach was growling. Even though I was instructed to take history without lunch, and put on a Dextrose IV drip if I was hypoglycaemic. I would like to sincerely apologize for instead I decided to take my lunch (especially in preparation for my next class).
This whole incident has been a series of mistakes for which I am very regretful and on reflecting I feel deeply ashamed on not having done my duties as expected and instructed of me.
I have failed to uphold the responsibility of a pupil and/or as a medical student. I would like to offer my sincerest apologies to my instructor, my teacher, sir, for my mistakes and sincerely hope that sir will kindly consider it and give me another opportunity to prove my enthusiasm and sense of responsibility towards my duties.
At the end of this explanation, here I would like to extend an oath to uphold my responsibility with more diligence in the future and to the best of my ability not provide an opportunity to my teachers, instructors, my colleagues and my patients of complains, now as a medical student and in the future as a doctor.
In conclusion, I would like to thank sir for this assignment, as it was an experience like standing in front of a mirror and assessing oneself. Now I know my defects better than I did and I would like to sincerely assure sir (and myself) that I will strive harder to improve myself everyday.
Thank you"
I would like to know. What happened to the patient?
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