Janka's log

Well, so much for writing a blog weekly while trying to adjust to a new job and writing a PhD thesis at the same time.

Since people always ask the question, here is the answer.

Working at a basic health care center has been fun. A lot of that is, I suspect, because of the unit I am at, which is small, has an ethic of doing things sensibly instead of what stands in the book, has a team leader with a brain in his head and his feet solidly on the ground, and has gotten away with ignoring a lot of the most crazy city standard ways of doing things by being some sort of a "pilot unit" for changes.

Patients are mostly nice. Their agenda regarding their health and what should I do for them is not always parallel with my idea of the same, but that's life. It is not all "eternal flu and complaining granmas" as the prejudice seems to go; in fact the way the work is orgnanized results into there being relatively little of that unless you happen to be the walk-in nurse or doctor for the day.

Contrary to another nightmare, I am also allowed a fair amount of control in how much I work. I make my own daily schedules, deciding how many patients I see, etc, and while I am nowhere close to the numbers my more experienced colleagues are able to handle so far no one's complained -- actually quite the opposite, I have been told to make sure I won't overdo it and take enough time to think while learning.

Speaking of learning, I find the tutoring system for beginners at the location excellent. We have a consulting doctor dedicated to answering questions from new colleagues, and she actually answers her phone pretty much always, and at least knows who knows if she doesn't herself. She also come to where we work to consult me and another beginner for an hour weekly, for less urgent questions. So we are well covered.

Downsides? It's gods-damn hard work, compared. Yes, I know, over-worked researchers constantly worrying about whether their contract is continued, yadda-yadda, etc, are going to be offended by this comparison, but truth is, writing my thesis full-time is a vacation. As another downside, this particular unit is in the arse end of the town, and the commute is a killer, so it won't be a permanent solution. That's about it.

The blog will now return officially to unscheduled random ramblings and sermons of Life(tm).