Apologises for not updating the blog for a while, but as you can imagine I've been SO busy. The last few weeks have seen me revising for end of year examinations, taking the examinations and undertaking further clinical placement in the accident & emergency department(s) of the hospital. What a crazy 6 weeks it's been.
OK, first off, I'll tell you all about the exams. Well, as mentioned previously there where 3 exams in total: a, Digital Imaging Systems, b, Digital Imaging: Skeletal Radiography, and c, an OSCE. This time around, each exam (apart from the OSCE) was 2 hours in duration and it was really surprising how much more 'work' there was to do in each exam compared to the last set back in January which were 'just' an hour and a half in duration. For the first exam 'Digital Imaging Systems' you had to answer 6 out of 8 questions provided, with each question offering a maximum of 20 marks. For some of the questions, you had to answer just one question; for others, there were between 3 and 5 sub questions. Examples of questions within the exam included: labelling and identifying structures of the colon, patient preparation, and aftercare for a barium meal examination, naming properties of radiographic contrast agent for intravenous injection, identifying, and describing the functions of the urinary system, defining certain chest pathologies, and describing correct radiographic projections for different parts of the body. It was tough, and hard to choose which questions to answer, but all in all, I think (hope) that I answered enough in order to pass. Time will tell...
The second examination 'Digital Imaging: Skeletal Radiography' was also a 2 hour examination, which was in 2 parts: Skeletal Anatomy, and Radiographic Technique. Examples of questions included within the anatomy section were: draw a labelled diagram of the left humerus to show both anterior and posterior views, describe different types of fracture, describe the knee joint to include joint classification, bones, articular surfaces and capsule, describe the process of fracture repair, describe a typical cervical vertebra, and how they differ from thoracic and lumbar vertebra. In the technique section of the exam, we were required to analyse, and describe in full how we'd carry out radiographic examinations for certain patient situations put to us; for example: 'A 36-year-old male presents walking unaided for a plain x-ray examination of his left knee. The request form states; "? Rheumatoid arthritis". Describe the plain radiographic examination of the knee using the following headings a, position of patient and image receptor, b, centering point and direction of central ray, c, patient care, d, radiation protection. Again, this was a difficult exam, but I hope all has gone well!
The final examination was something called an OSCE, which basically involved groups of 6-7 students going into a room to be faced with 10 work stations. You had 5 minutes at each station in which to answer varying questions such as describing radiation protection measures, or to critique a radiograph of a chest and abdomen. Once your 5 minutes was up, the 'buzzer' sounded, and you had to move onto the next station. I think it went pretty well, but you really had to concentrate hard, as you only had 5 minutes at each station, and each question was totally different, so you had to constantly flip your concentration and knowledge levels around for each station. Another tough exam, but rather enjoyable to be honest ;) All the end of year examinations will be marked and ready to view on July 13th, so wish me luck!
Once the examinations were over, it was straight back to clinical placement (no rest for the wicked!) and will be continuous until late July. I think most other degree courses finish for the year around now, so it just shows you that a radiography degree certainly isn't for the workshy!
For the last 4 weeks, I've been based in the accident & emergency department, which has been absolutely fascinating. I've been waiting to have a stint there for some time now, and I'm glad to have finally completed it. I've seen, and learnt so much in that department that it's difficult to remember everything to tell you all. It was extremely interesting to see how 'different' it is and feels working in a&e compared to the general outpatients ward which is where I had spent most of my placement time beforehand. You are being faced with a different set of circumstances in this department, and are (well, for students anyway!) constantly having to adapt and expand your knowledge and technique to cater for the hugely varying types of patient needs and requirements. Producing that all important diagnostic image in a&e can certainly be a real challenge sometimes, but the whole experience was one I'll never forget, and one that I really hope to undergo again in the not too distant future.
As well as a&e ward experience, I also had a week of theatre, and mobile placement. Again, I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it all. From fluoro screening a hip replacement procedure in theatre, to X-raying a patient using a mobile machine on a intensive care unit was all fascinating, and the amount you learn each day is incredible. The entire experience was truly enjoyable, and what I saw, and learnt in my time there is going to prove invaluable for the future. A great time!
Well, that's about it for this update, guys n girls, I have 5 weeks left of placement, and then that's pretty much year 1 wrapped up! It's all gone so quickly so far, it's unreal. Bring on year 2!
Catch you soon...
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