Occupational Health

Hello!

There is no point trying to play catch up after all this time so I'll just dive right on in!

This morning, with 7 weeks left until I'm supposed to start work I had an occupational health assessment. I was dreading it! So far there's been the med school handing over to the deanery meeting   when I was asked (having just passed the same exams as everyone else) whether I felt I could *really* expect to work to the speed and standard of my colleagues and that I would have to guide them because they're not used to dealing with "people like me". Then because I had to take the year out because access provisions move at glacier pace I have to be investigated by the Gee Em See before they'll grant me provisional registration and they can't guarantee that if the relevant people don't get back to them promptly might not happen before I'm supposed to start work - and because the health board can take 3 months to decide on less than full time training there could be a delay which is in no way my fault. Oh, and my house burned down 3 days after finals.

I just want to do the job I have spent 7 years training for and have qualified for and have in fact been given (but not quite because all of the above).

So, today I saw Dr Occy Health. He took a thorough history - asked which type of Hypermobility Syndrome I have and made the link between dysautonomia and gastroparesis all by himself. He was horrified by all of the aforementioned nonsense and took names and numbers to chase things up.he thanked my partner for coming rather than being strangely confused that someone may need moral support at a big deal appointment. He took a fatigue and pain history which is not only rare of itself but he did it well and in a way that made it sound like he believed I experienced those things. I could go on but you get the idea.

If you are reading this and don't think 'wow!' you either are or have a good doctor. It shouldn't be worthy of comment when an appointment leaves you feeling better, or at least not worse, than you did when you arrived.

7 weeks to go.