In Summer 2011, I spent a week with the Ophthalmology Department at South Warwickhire Hospital. This was my first piece of medicine-related work experience and it really helped me to realise what I wanted to do after school and university.
On my first day, I was taken around the department and my supervisor explained the various roles within the department and how the department, as a whole, worked. I spent the morning observing the Children's Clinic and Glaucoma Clinic. This really helped me to understand the main patient groups that people working in healthcare have to deal with. I also enjoyed learning more about Opthalmology and was amazed by the simple techniques that help to change someone's life dramatically buy giving them clear vision; such as, the use of prisms to help the two eyes to work together and the use of plaster patches to help strengthen childrens' weaker eyes.
I also observed a very interesting case where a patient had been in a motorbiking accident and the months of treatment she had to go through to help to get her vision back to anywhere near normal again. This case also showed me the wonderfully amicable relationship between the Ophthalmologist and the patient who had seen him many times.
In the afternoon, I observed a Doctor checking patients' eyes and explaining treatment plans for their various eye-related conditions. This helped me learn about the close contact between doctor and patient and the importance of communication within the healthcare profession, as well as teaching me alot about how the eye works and how modern-day medicine can help with so many conditions.
From Tuesday to Thursday, I spent the majority of my time; with nurses observing vision tests and injections of fluorescein or with the Ophthalmologists; observing Orthoptic Clinics. Although I had started my placement with the mentality that I wanted to be a doctor so that I could make a real difference in healthcare, these days helped me to understand how vital all the various roles really are and the great importance of communication between Nurses, Doctors, HCAs and everyone who works within a hospital.
I also felt that I learnt alot from spending lunch with the department. I really enjoyed the friendly atmosphere and the relationship between all the employees, it felt as if I was really part of a team and inspired me to want to work in a department like it when I was older. It also gave me a chance to speak to the Nurses, Ophthalmologists and Doctors about why they chose their careers and reaffirmed my desire to want to become a Doctor.
On the Friday, I went out to local primary schools with my supervisor to observe vision tests on reception class children. This was an area of medicine I knew little about and I enjoyed learning about the good that the NHS does for the people and how every child in the country's vision is checked at primary schools and the lengths the employees of the NHS have to go to, to ensure everyone gets the healthcare they deserve.
I thoroughly enjoyed my placement in the Ophthalmology Department that week, I feel that I learnt alot about the work NHS does, what I wanted to do with my life and how departments run within themselves as well as, as a whole hospital. During my placement I mainly observed but I also got to perform simple tasks such as handing notes out to doctors, helping elderly patients to get to their appointments and switching off lights for the fluoroscein injections. I recieved alot of satisfaction just from the smiles on patients' faces as they left and although I had done very little to help, I learnt from this placement that by helping others, you can gain great job satisfaction and really enjoy working and also that I definitely wanted to work within the NHS when I was older.
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