Spent 11 days in Germany, wandered (via the efficient germany rail system, despite it's strikes..) from Salzberg (ok ok while not technically in Germany, it's pretty damn close) to Rosenheim, Bad Aibling and Munich, to Nuremberg and Erlangen, Bamburg, then Berlin.
It was a hectic few days, but since my last european trip left most of Germany ungraced by my presence, I've had it in mind to travel through Germany.. That, and the fact that it's presence in modern history is infamous.
So I was lucky to have stayed with some friends along the way- Veronika the speech pathologist, and Gabi the doctor. Both I had met in Adelaide this year!

All I can say, is that I wish I had studied German. The people were friendly, the fresh produce was awesome (especially after England.. ) and the cities diverse and culturally alive.

This photo is from Nuremburg.

Well, it's been a while since I've updated this blog.
I'm getting ready for a trip to Belfast this coming weekend, and then a trip to Germany.
My travelling schedule is quite nuts- mostly because these trips have been last minute, and also because the cheaper flights are at times when normal people should be sleeping. My flight to Belfast arrives at 23:00.

Hmm.. Cambridge is the usual. Last week was the highlight of the elective, when an anaesthetist allowed me to do a spinal anaesthetic. Although this sounds horrible and difficult, it wasn't really... Maybe i'm getting desensitised to things in the medical world.. Actually, the one thing i was shuddering at was a clamp that was used to position a person's head during surgery. The ends looked like steal pencils, and were screwed into the patient's head. Talk about headache inducing.

Coming to the end of my elective in Cambridge. It's quite a beautiful town really.
On the weekend, went punting on the Cam and was quite pleased that i didn't fall in. My arms hurt for days afterwards though.
(For those not in the know.. punting is a form of (neolithic) rowing whereby someone decided that it would be great propelling the boat forward with a long wooden stick whilst standing up at the end of the boat. Madness.)

Oh, and this is perhaps the best photo i've taken! It's of 2 punts on the Cam towards Grandchester in Cambridge.

Well, here I am in Cambridge. City of scholar apparently. And bicycles. Lots of bicycles!

I feel like I'm back in school, shadowing doctors and desperately trying to orientate myself to a huge maze-like, ventilation deficient, concrete mass that is Addenbrooke's Hospital.

About my trip so far- Singapore (the 5 hours that i spent in transit) was great! I was shown the sights (including an elephant temple) and restaurants amidst the 35 degree humidity.

The trip to London was as good as it could be with dinner served at 11pm (Singapore time) and then breakfast at 2am (British time).. Then arriving at 5AM, because apparently we were ahead of schedule.
Met with Laura and she kindly took pity on my enormous bags under my eyes and shouted me a coffee. For the 4 or 5 days i spent in London with Michelle (my cuz) I battled the crowds in the tube, saw the tate modern (finally!), an awesome exhibition by Antony Gormley and generally explored the city. My feet were aching by 4pm each day! The highlight (or low light) was the 13p bagels I found in the East side of the city! Bargain!
I also saw a musical on famous the West End - The complete works of Shakespeare Abridged.
With my culture levels sky high, Laura, Tom and I organised a brief trip to Edinburgh- where the Edinburgh festival is currently in full swing. Lots of shows, and more culture... Apparently the Scots have a long history of battles, with everyone!

The rain and grey skies greeted me on arrival in Cambridge. Not much flooding though.

Meanwhile, I shall have to get used to paying $15 for a meal. My heart just can't take the shock every time i convert things back to AUD. ($18 for a burger king meal.. You've got to be JOKING!)

The walls are closing in on me making (yet another*) life changing decision..
To stay or to go??
I've got 2 job offers next year- one in Adelaide, one in Sydney.
Now, which am i supposed to pick??

... While I don't call Adelaide home, I am unsure whether I call Sydney home either. I'm living the life of a gypsy, really! I haven't lived in the same place for more than 7 months i suspect.
Moving back to Sydney would be another huge move, which i'm hoping will be somewhat permanent. (By somewhat permanent, I mean more than 12 months!)
But here in Adelaide, I've enjoyed my independent freedom, met some awesome people and hung out with friends who I will miss if i were to leave.
Hmm.. Decisions..

* Yup, Exaggerating .. or perhaps not

Packing packing..
You'd think i'd be used to it by now, after 3 and a bit years of gypsy-like moving.

Kinda stressed.. An assignment that I should be handing in in 2 weeks is barely done.

But anyways, an ethical situation occurred in the hospital i'm at.
I was seeing a patient who was visiting his daughter from China. So he spoke no english.
Anyway, he presented to hospital because of vomiting and central abdominal pain.
History and examination later, the consultant and I thought that an abdominal xray would be useful to rule out anything serious. (We were worried about a bowel obstruction, but this diagnosis wasn't the most probable, but the most dangerous in a way..)
Turns out that he didn't have proper medical insurance and couldn't afford the xray, let alone the treatment if necessary.

Scratching out heads, the doc and I came to the conclusion that we would get the xray, and it would probably show nothing and then we could send him home. Calling the Xray people, turns out an abdominal xray is $96!! (Which the patient couldn't pay.)

What would you do??

Well, the doc made a couple of phone calls and managed to organise free treatment for this unfortunate man.

Murphy's law came into play, because turns out that the xrays showed that he had a small bowel obstruction!
Which required a further abdominal CT and surgical consult with a possible operation.
Hmmmmm..

Again, a few more phone calls later, and the hospital would take care of all expenses.

It made me aware of how often we order (and how often patients expect) investigations and tests. A common blood test alone costs the state government about $50! An abdominal CT is in the thousands of dollars..
And this is all 'free' due to our medicare system. It's good to hear about the positives of our system sometimes. It's a shame it's taken for granted by so many (including me) though.

Today out of the blue, I received a call from the associate professor of psychiatry..
Ages ago now, maybe 2 months ago, I left a copy of my audit on 'treatment of amphetamine induced psychosis in emergency departments' with his secretary. I never thought that he would read it.

So he rang, and proceeded to give me feedback, quoting page numbers and paragraphs. He then asked if he could use my research in a presentation he was giving to other Department of Health bigwigs. -With my permission of course!

He then said that my audit is worth publishing in journal!

It would be a lot of work, in a small amount of time..
But I've never had anything published before.. (Aside from that clichéd short story i wrote in year 10 about a boy suiciding by drowning himself.)

So, after a week of being emotionally confused and physically sick, I'm excited! *dances*

Yay! For once people are visiting me!
Ed and Phil are driving down to visit me amongst other adventures..
My coz Amy is around this weekend too!

Bizarre. After 3 years of noone, then people!
*Feels loved*

On a random side note, today at the hospital i was taking blood and putting in a drip in a little old polish lady of about 80-something years old. Her 90-something year old husband was with her as a translator because she couldn't speak much english.
Anyways, I noticed as i glanced at her feet, that there were nude women on the back of a magazine. I took a second glance and noticed hyper-coloured text that went along the lines of.. "Call 1800-ADULTFUN"

... Errr i thought to myself..

I *subtly* lifted up the magazine to confirm my suspicions.
Yep.
Porn.
What are a 80 and 90 something year old polish couple doing with porn IN HOSPITAL?
I'm hoping that they were confused when they went to a newsagent. And the newsagent had a sick sense of humour. The other option is too freaky to contemplate.