#286

Not sure if I can blog about this but no names shall be mentioned so it should be alright?

We're the second batch of cardiac students adopting this new teaching method where we have lectures and tutorials in Year 2 Sem 2 Term 1, followed by attachment in Year 2 Sem 2 Term 2. Similarly in Year 3 Sem 1, we'll have lectures and tutorials in Term 1 and attachment in Term 2. The 14 (?) batches before us did their attachment and lectures, tutorials together. Meaning for 1 year, they have to report at heart centre from 8 to 5 fully packed with lectures followed by attachment or attachment then lectures. Sounds so tiring. That's why they came up with the new method.

However, the first batch with this new teaching method was said to not score as well in ECG & Rhythm Disorders compared to the other 2 modules. Probably because it was all theories and no hands-on, making it hard to visualize how it works. Hence, for our batch, they slotted in ECG attachment (With real patients!! Although sadly, I only got to watch. :( ) to let us get a "feel" in hope that we have better understanding.

The Prof in charge of coordinating SP Biomedical Science Cardiac Option with Heart Centre had 2 lectures with us and he felt that it is not very feasible to just study theory first because we wouldnt understand what he     was talking about without seeing the actual equipment.

So, ta-da. CVL (Cardiovascular Lab) attachment today with 2 other classmates. The rest are separated into 2, 2, 3 for their attachment on other days because the procedure rooms cannot hold so many people. CVL does invasive procedures. I was so excited hurhurhur.

Initially, when we had a talk about the 3 different options we could choose from (Medical Technology, Cardiac Technology and Research), I thought we would get to see the heart and in an operating theatre when they talked about invasive procedures for cardiac option. That's partly why I chose cardiac hahaha. Weirdo, I know. But I think it's damn cool. *-*

But, no. In CVL, they mainly punctures a hole in your radial (forearm) artery, the femoral (groin area) artery, or internal jugular vein (neck; not common, but some doctors specialise in doing through here) to get a guide wire through to the heart for ballooning/stenting up the clotted arteries.

Yep so no seeing of live heart pumping in front of you. That's major surgery and performed in operating theatres. Oh ya sidetrack for awhile, do you know that Singapore only performs like 2-3 heart transplant per year. I didnt expect so few cases from watching Grey's Anatomy haha but that's in US and Singapore is only this small.

Right, CVL.
We were required to bring in a new "sterile" pair of shoes for today and for our attachment in CVL next year. Put on scrubs!! Like those in Grey's Anatomy hehe SO COOL. Wanted to snap a photo but I dont think Im allowed... And hair bunned and all into shower cap. Hehehe.

Didnt know what the med tech was doing and how she know when to key in the info, where she got the info from.... Just b l u r. X.X Our role as technicians is to key in when they put in the guide wire, the size of the guide wire, what guide wire it is, when they put in the balloon, when they put in the stent, when they give heparin (anti-coagulant to prevent the blood from clotting when they were performing the procedure), etc etc etc.................... We have to face THREE FREAKING SCREENS. Tell me how a person like me who cant multi-task is going to pull this off.

We saw a naked man. Same feeling as when I was having ECG attachment. Stunned. Because they were going to go in from his femoral artery.....

Learnt more from the other med tech as she went through step by step from the start yay. Felt happy because im not veryyy confused. At least I learnt something. Which I may probably forget by the time we're supposed to have our attachment but at least something came out of today's short attachment.

From the 6 weeks im in heart centre i've come across this like a million times. "Smoking is bad." Ok i was exaggerating haha. A few doctors mentioned it during lectures. Because smoking is a major risk factor for most, if not all cardiovascular diseases. Because smoking makes the blood thicker and easier to coagulate to form clots etc blah.

Long post. Once in a while haha.