Orthopaedics and Traumatology 101

Caveat
This poorly attempt at a guideline is written by the mediocre student who has just finished her Orthopaedics rotation and now she's waiting to get home on a jet plane and she thinks, 'WHAI NAWT' so here it is. Please, if you wanna add something, be my guest.


That first day,
you'll wake up, smile, and say to your subconscious, 'I'm gonna ace this posting- whatever it takes' Just like what I did this morning, this peaceful Monday of the 1st Ramadhan. (Salam Ramadhan Mubarak, fellow sisters and brothers)


Briefing
Where : Seminar room, Ortho department at the 9th floor (lecs, seminars, all will be held here)
Time : Just be there by 8 c'clock.
You'll be sorted into houses teams : Spine, Sport, Arthroplasty, Oncology, Paediatrics, Hand, Trauma and Rehab. For the first TWO weeks you'll be under your primary team and starting week 3, you rotate. As simple. As for me, I was in Spine and be supervised by the benevolent, so cool Mr Shaharuddin Abd Rhani :)


Requirements:
1. Clinic - Like any other postings, where you learn most things. Don't just stand in the alley you'll precipitate atherosclerosis and irritate kakak PK and doctors, pick a file and get out of their way, please thank you.


2. Morning rounds - Mandatory. Know your patients. Some doctors expect highly of us, some just looked through us, if you get what I mean.......hehe. There are FOUR wards in Ortho : Trauma, Ortho Female and Male, Spine. Will that be sufficient or you gonna need a floor plan? ;) hehe. And if you're under Paeds, you'll go to this one Paeds ward situated just there.


3. Operational theatre - Oh, the stuffs are just too specific for me. But hey, we are learning, right...Hmm during Hand Team we are advised to observe cases in Daycare. You'll learn some common procedures like carpal tunnel release and pulley release for trigger finger. (AND remember this, if there is a Mr Jamari, you follow him, don't let him get out of your sight. Never, ever, promise me)


4. Seminar, lectures - GO GO GO.


5. Radiology/histopathology conference - Hehe. You go once, and then decide by yourself. It was what I did.


6. Practical skills workshops -
    a)Splinting and casting : be done in POP clinic. You'll perform to each other, and you are required to wear  it for a night and later write a reflection on it (as a PPD component)
    b)Wound dressing : no workshop, but you must perform it, it's the basic of a wound care. I prefer doing in the wards rather than clinic, and you learn from the staff nurses, they have been amazing. :)
    c)Traction : also, no workshop. You must observe the procedure. Go to OT in the emergency department (ground floor)
    d)bandaging, taping, tourniquet : also, no workshop. Learn from the staff nurse.


7. Log book - you fill her up.
8. Write ups - TWO needs to be done. One Orthopaedics case and the other is Trauma case.
9.Observed long case - in the guidebook says it but nay,there isnt one. I could only speculate 'em surgeons are just too busy. hihi.


Is that all?
Maybe I should elaborate on each teams? I dunno....


Oh, the books. For physical examination, you refer either 1)McRae 2)Apley. You dont go and order the UM physical exam from you-know-who. That book lacks in so many places. Hoho, sedap mengata buku orang.


Xx