So here is a review of my psychiatry placement, on the whole its fun and I have enjoyed bits of it but I dont think its for me.
One good point is the ward rounds, or lack of ward rounds. I could very easily get used to the equivalent "ward review" where you get used to patients coming to you, sitting on nice comfy chairs with tea, biscuits etc
ECT was a good eperience. I had mixed feeling before I saw it, having images of people I have seen with epilepsy in my head had made me think it was quite barbaric. But it has been proven to be safe and effective. And after talking to the consultant in charge I can say that I am definitely in favour of ECT, its no more barbaric than half the drugs doctors give to patients or the trauma of surgery.
However psychiatry is far more emotionally draining then either medicine or surgery. After sitting in on clinics my emotions are all over the place. In medicine its important to switch off mentally at the end of the day and with psychiatry I find it harder to do so. Is this me, or is that what working with patients with mental health problems does to you?
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It's why most psychiatrists are on the bend themselves.
ReplyDeleteI'd agree it's rather draining - I could never do it as a career myself, but I can see the attraction.
ReplyDeleteIt's a bit of a party stopper when you say you're a psychiatrist though, no-one wants to talk to you as they'll think you'll psychoanalyse them! Or is that just me?
I do find I'm performing a mental state examination on everyone I meet - "no obvious gait, good posture, made good eye contact . . . . "
ReplyDeletehehe I look forward to my psychiatry placement...
ReplyDelete"It's why most psychiatrists are on the bend themselves."
ReplyDeleteIndeed. As I was told, on starting psychiatry, "You can't play with paint, without getting splashed!"