Finale

Finally, the dreaded end-of-posting test. Had I learnt enough? Have I been well-taught? Can I remember everything?

The moment of truth.

MCQs sucked -BIG TIME. They were so un-clinically related and so theoretical, a biochemistry major could have sat for it and gotten the same marks. And the scope - huh?? What to do with teeth that have fallen out? Isn't there a dentist somewhere? And anyway, the entire paper was set by NUH tutors so it just plainly wasn't fair. I wouldn't have minded if it's my fault - but everyone else was screaming foul, so there. The NUH tutors would have elaborated (and stressed) on some of these topics, I shouldn't wonder.

The slide test was no better - we were given too little information, the pictures looked remarkably normal for some, and the first question was absurd. Why are they testing us on such uncommon ailments?

Viva voce was quite a semi-disaster. I conveniently missed a perforated viscus and air under the diaphragm on the chest x-ray, and only got the diagnosis right after going round and round about fractured clavicles and such. At least the equipment part was alright - endotracheal intubation. ECGs were good too - ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation, although I sustained a gigantic mental block and got stuck for a few seconds when my tester asked me how I'd manage a pulseless VT. Oh, and the 2nd xray - anterior dislocation of the shoulder, and tester managed to worm from me that I've never seen a reduction before. She was pretty nice about it though, and anyway I got the theoretical reduction correct.

Well ... we'll see.