Paul Watson - The Junior Doctor Survival Guide

Paul Watson MBBS, DipSurgAnat

General Surgery Registrar, Austin Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Joseph M O'Brien MBBS, BMedSc(Hons)

General Medical Registrar, Austin Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Elsevier Australia. ACN 001 002 357

(a division of Reed International Books Australia Pty Ltd)

Tower 1, 475 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood, NSW 2067

Copyright 2017 Elsevier Australia

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Details on how to seek permission, further information about the Publisher's permissions policies and our arrangements with organizations such as the Copyright Clearance Center and the Copyright Licensing Agency, can be found at our website: www.elsevier.com/permissions.

This book and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by the Publisher (other than as may be noted herein).

Notice

Knowledge and best practice in this field are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary.

Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility.

With respect to any drug or pharmaceutical products identified, readers are advised to check the most current information provided (i) on procedures featured or (ii) by the manufacturer of each product to be administered, to verify the recommended dose or formula, the method and duration of administration, and contraindications. It is the responsibility of practitioners, relying on their own experience and knowledge of their patients, to make diagnoses, to determine dosages and the best treatment for each individual patient, and to take all appropriate safety precautions.

To the fullest extent of the law, neither the Publisher nor the authors, contributors, or editors, assume any liability for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of product liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained in the material herein.

National Library of Australia Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Watson, Paul, author.

The junior doctor survival guide / Paul Watson; Joseph M. O'Brien.

9780729542258 (paperback)

Includes index.

PhysiciansVocational guidance.

Clinical medicineHandbooks, manuals, etc.

MedicinePractice.

O'Brien, Joseph M., author.

Senior Content Strategist: Larissa Norrie

Content Development Specialist: Lauren Santos

Senior Project Manager: Anitha Rajarathnam

Edited by Linda Littlemore

Proofread by Melissa Faulkner

Design by Georgette Hall

Index by Innodata Indexing

Typeset by Toppan Best-set Premedia Limited

Printed in China

We all live in the ocean of medicine. On our best days the water is still and clear. Sometimes the waves build, crashing over us. We need only put up our hands and someone will lift us from the storm. Remember to keep your head above the water and offer a hand to those who are being battered by the waves.

With great pleasure we present the Junior Doctor Survival Guide , a companion to the new students, interns and residents beginning their incredible journeys as medical practitioners. We wrote this text from the perspective of giving handover to you, our colleagues, regarding the daily life of the fledgling junior doctor.

There is a strong focus on the practical nature of working within the hospital system, learning the day-to-day job requirements often overlooked by formal medical education. Most interns spend more time worrying about how to order investigations, put on a backslab and properly document patient plans than they do about the minutiae of specialist practice. This is where we come in.

The prevocational years of medicine are greatly influenced by the hand of experience. It takes time to adjust to the inner workings of a hospital and becoming a busy, young professional. This text is the sum of our collective experiences, a series of tips and tricks for surviving that initial foray into the great unknown.

With a large number of concise chapters (and hopefully a bit of levity) we hope this book can provide a framework for you to build your own skills and knowledge with the wisdom to pass what you learn to others.

Paul Watson

Joseph OBrien

Kelsey Broom MD, BBiomedSc

Resident Medical Officer, Queensland Health
QLD, Australia

Kerry Jewell MBBS, BMedSc(Hons)

Medical Registrar, Austin Health
Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Todd Galvin Manning MBBS, DipSurgAnat, DipLapSurg

Research Fellow, MS (Urol) Candidate,
Department of Surgery (Urology), University of Melbourne, Austin Health;
Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University;
Young Urology Researchers Organisation (YURO),
Melbourne, VIC, Australia;

British Urology Researchers in Surgical Training (BURST),
United Kingdom

Joseph M O'Brien MBBS, BMedSc(Hons)

General Medical Registrar, Austin Health,
Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Rami Shenouda MBBS, DipSurgAnat

Emergency Registrar, Alfred Health
Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Paul Watson MBBS, DipSurgAnat

General Surgery Registrar, Austin Hospital,
Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Lachlan Wight MBBS, DipSurgAnat

Orthopaedic Registrar, Barwon Health
Geelong, VIC, Australia

Anna Bondorovsky MD, BSc (Anatomy & Histology and Physiology)

Hospital Medical Officer, The Royal Women's Hospital
Parkville, VIC

David A Kandiah MBChB(Hons), MClinEd, MPH, MHL, MBA, PhD, MRCP(UK) FRACP

Clinical Professor, University of Western Australia
Perth, WA

Benjamin Kwan MBBS, BSc(Med), FRACP

Staff Specialist, Sutherland Hospital
Caringbah, NSW

Kate Lord MBBS, BSc(Hons)

Physician Trainee, Austin Health and Northern Health
Melbourne, VIC

Hareeshan Nandakoban MBBS, FRACP

Network Director of Physician Education and Renal Staff Specialist, Liverpool Hospital
Liverpool, NSW

Yogendra Narayan MPH, MHA, Grad Cert PSM, DSM, FRACMA

Specialist Medical Administrator, Medical and Dental Workforce Services, Western Sydney Local Health District
NSW

Louisa Ng MBChB, MD, FAFRM (RACP)

Rehabilitation Physician, Supervisor of Intern Training and Deputy Director of RMH Clinical School, Royal Melbourne Hospital
Parkville, VIC

Belinda Weich MBChB, FRCAP

Senior Staff Physician, Mackay Base Hospital
Mackay, QLD

Kristen Pearson MBBS, FRACP , Consultant Geriatrician, Northern Health, VIC

Thanks to my friends and family who have supported me through this grand adventure. A special mention goes to my co-authors, Joe, Kelsey, Lachlan, Kerry, Rami and Todd. To the powerhouse team at Elsevier, Larissa, Lauren, Neli, Anitha and Linda, I thank you for your enthusiasm and superhuman patience! This is dedicated to all the junior doctors who work tirelessly, compassionately and admirably.