A whole year and 3 days since the last post... Isn't it weird - that feeling that time has really flown by in a blink of an eye, and yet so much has happened in that one year that it seems to have taken a long time to get through it.
Top 5 tips for anyone starting to train in Palliative Medicine.
1. Someone wise said to me: Palliative Medicine takes a lot out of you emotionally, especially if you are hands on. And it drains you subconsciously, without you realising. So it's important to take regular breaks, and to look after yourself.
2. The same wise person said to me: All our emotional energy is spent on patients, leaving very little for working on relationships with colleagues. We take for granted that everyone is the same as us (surely we must all share the same values, that's why we are all working in palliative care right?), and forget that we all have different personalities. So save up some emotional energy for investing in work relationships.
3. Working in a hospice can be quite claustrophobic, as teams are very small. It helps to be in regular contact with other palliative medicine registrars, thereby giving and receiving some group therapy.
4. Going to a conference can be really rejuvenating, as you get to meet so many other people who are passionate about the same things. You realise that you are not alone.
5. Seize every opportunity to work with other people in palliative medicine on projects, or collaborative audits. The broadening of your experience through this will be invaluable. You will need more initiative than if you were working in a big hospital, where many different professionals already work alongside each other in the same building.
These are just some of the things I learnt in the past year as a palliative medicine registrar...
