Practical Skills

[magix]

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Hi there,

Could someone please share ur pratical skills learned so far in ur college. i woul like to compare the practical skills taught at various college at different stages of academic year.

for ur info, these are the practical skills may be included in the PLAB test:

Taking blood pressure
Venepuncture
Inserting a cannula into a peripheral vein
Giving intravenous injections
Mixing and injecting drugs into an intravenous bag
Giving intramuscular and subcutaneous injections
Suturing
Interpreting an ECG, X-rays or results of other investigations
Basic respiratory function tests
Bladder catheterisation
Taking a cervical smear
Safe disposal of sharps


thank you,
magix
😛

 

[Winged Scapula]

FYI Magix...

you will find very few undergrad students of UK schools here in these forums. Most are American students contemplating studying abroad or already studying abroad but in post-grad courses.

 

[magix]

hi,

thanks for the info, but my question was directed to medical students all around the world not only to UK or US. I want to understand the different practical skills taught at various countries.

regards,
magix

 

[Winged Scapula]

Ahhh...I see. I assumed since you mentioned the PLAB (which many will be unfamiliar with) you were interested in UK students.

At any rate, my experience was as follows:

Taking blood pressure
- taught during my first semester, first year

Venepuncture
- again, first semester, first year (FS, FY)

Inserting a cannula into a peripheral vein
-FS,FY

Giving intravenous injections
- never taught

Mixing and injecting drugs into an intravenous bag
-never taught

Giving intramuscular and subcutaneous injections
-don't recall, but probably during my required nursing rotation or GP

Suturing
-3rd year before surgical rotation

Interpreting an ECG, X-rays or results of other investigations
-frequently during all 4 years

Basic respiratory function tests
-during first year respiratory block

-Bladder catheterisation
-during 3rd year surgical rotation

Taking a cervical smear
-3rd year OB-Gyn rotation

Safe disposal of sharps
-don't remember being told; perhaps during surgery?

 

[Jus]

I'm in medical school in the UK and we have a mini-firm (4 weeks duration) half-way through our 2nd yr (of a 6 yr programme - 5 yrs medical school, 1 yr compulsory Intercalated BSc). By the end of the firm we should have been taught (by practicing on models) and have seen done and should the opportunity present itself attempt to do:

Taking blood pressure
Venepuncture
Inserting a cannula into a peripheral vein
Suturing
Interpreting an ECG, X-rays or results of other investigations
Basic respiratory function tests
Bladder catheterisation
Safe disposal of sharps

Regards,

Jus

 

[neilc]

we were taught injections (IV, IM, SQ, ID), BP, bladder cath, IV setup & insertion, mixing drugs during first year, second semester.
during a nursing rotation we had the opportunity to do some of the above in the second year summer. in anatomy we reviewed x-ray and ekg. during physiology we learned EKG and PFT, hearing eval, eye evals and some other random stuff. during IM intro in third year we learned a bit about the physical and history, as well as reviewed EKG and radiographs. during intro to Surgery, also in third year, we learned how to wake up early, retract and cut sutures.

i am actually a bit nervous about my H&P skills, as well as all the other stuff. i am doing an IM rotation in a few weeks in Atlanta, and i just don't know how well i will be prepared compared to the US students. we are not very heavy on the clinical stuff yet, and i have yet to do a full H&P myself....but, i guess i am there to learn, right? any hints or advice??? thanks...

 

[magix]

Hi,

Thank you all for taking time to reply. Is practical skills taught in medicine college important. Is it possible to learn them during internship or during medical practical from other doctors?


Regards,
magix

 

[Winged Scapula]

Magix...

There is a great deal of variation in what skills are learned (or at least taught) during medical school and which are gained during internship and residency. For example, I have colleagues who routinely placed central lines and chest tubes during 3rd year of medical school and those who came to internship never having done any. Obviously the more experience you are the better - but everyone realizes that there is a wide variation and that you'll gain the skills you need.

Neil...

While normally I would tell you not to worry, if you're doing a clinical rotation in the US, you *will* be expected to know how to do a full H&P and to document it as a 4th year medical student. Our students are not only expected to be able to do that but also to see patients before rounds (on services still pre-rounding), write daily SOAP notes, assist in the OR, remove drains, staples, sutures, present patients on rounds, etc. Please do yourself a favor and at least practice some H&Ps (writing them and presenting them) before coming over for your US elective - you will look much better if you are on par with the US students (no one expects perfection but you need to at least have some idea about how to do these things).

 

[Skip Intro]

Except for where you mentioned interpreting lab results, technical skills, at least in my program, are second to everything else. H&P is your bread and butter. You will need to read Mosby's and/or Bates until the cover just about falls off.

Still, there is ample time to pick up technical skills along the way. But, this is not what you'll be graded on. And, if you go into medicine or any subspecialty, you won't be doing a lot of the things you mentioned on a routine basis (at least in the U.S. ... and, that's not just based on my experience in school thus far, but on years working directly in the medical and peri-medical fields).

Focus on knowledge. Know why and how certain diseases manifest themselves in certain ways. Know how to distinguish heart sounds and know why they occur. Learn how to do a complete head-to-toe physical exam... and to do it correctly! This is what will keep you afloat in school. No one really cares how well you can cannulate veins. You'll get to do all the technical stuff you need to know how to do in you residency anyway.

-Skip
MSIII RUSM

P.S. To directly answer the question, I would say my experiences so far have been similar to what Kim Cox's were when she was in school. It's just that, and not to beat the dead horse, the attendings and senior residents you round with care MUCH more about your H&P skills and your knowledge base than the do about what is tantamount to (and not meaning to offend) most of the skills you listed, which mainly fall under the nursing purview.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Originally posted by Skip Intro
Still, there is ample time to pick up technical skills along the way. But, this is not what you'll be graded on. And, if you go into medicine or any subspecialty, you won't be doing a lot of the things you mentioned on a routine basis (at least in the U.S. ... and, that's not just based on my experience in school thus far, but on years working directly in the medical and peri-medical fields).

Agree with Skip on this one - I haven't cannulated a vein (ie, placed a peripheral IV) since 3rd year medical school, never mixed any meds, given any sub-q/IM injections since medical school(although I have pushed IV beta blockers on a non-tele unit on occasion as a resident) or any venepuncture. All of these are done by nursing or allied health staff at every US hospital I've rotated/worked at.