Hello everyone,
Sorry it's been rather a while since my last entry...Please take that as a good thing ie that there was so much going on with life in Shetland that I had little time to write!
My six months in general surgery at the Gilbert Bain passed in a flash: another six months of excellent learning opportunities, great experience and lots going on socially too! The beautiful long summer days (simmer dim) and great weather enabled for some excellent trips exploring Shetland's stunning scenery. It was wonderful having family and friends up to visit, who were pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable the journey to these northern isles was. And even more pleasantly surprised by Shetland's majestic landscapes...
To be honest, I was extremely hesitant about the move to Aberdeen for my second year of training. It seemed so wrong to leave a land and people that I had come to love so dearly. I didn't like the idea of splitting that continuity and moving to a big city where I knew very few people, to a big hospital where I didn't know anyone....And that is me speaking as a positive-thinking person!!
And so it was much to my delight that I have found myself enjoying my time here in the Granite City thus far! I am currently working in psychiatry. I work with two consultants who each cover a respective geographical area (Fraserburgh and Peterhead respectively; fishing communitites). Each of them have their own community team, comprising psychiatric nurses, occupational therapists and social workers. I go on weekly clinics to either of the towns, seeing my own patients, and following them up. In hospital, I look after the ward patients, working with the team's in-patient psychiatric nurses. This environment (both in hospital and the community) provides an incredible opportunity to get to know patients and staff alike, and that wonderful ability to follow-up patients. I really do consider myself very lucky to be part of the team! My consultants are very supportive and are excellent teachers. In spite of the hospital's size, it has a friendly atmosphere, and I feel that I have got to know quite a few staff. What more could I ask for?
Outside of work, I have been enjoying running in Aberdeen's beautiful parks, river-swimming, going to ceilidhs and playing traditional music. We have even seen lots of shooting stars! I am very fortunate to be living with two friends who are paediatric trainees here: they have made settling in all the more straight-forward.
This weekend I am heading up to Shetland to join the Unst GP surgery's charity walk from Sumburgh to Skaw, raising money for The Sandpiper Trust and BASICS: two very worthy causes.
Hope you like the photos, which I will be adding very soon (once I have found my camera...)
