Fear, Loathing , and the 'Med Reg'

CotEcast #3 - Shownotes

Title: Fear, Loathing and the 'Med Reg’

Date: 28th August 2014

Host: Pete

Guest(s): Mark, James, Kelly 

Opening Question: When you were a child, what did you really want to be (and don't say a doctor!)?

Main Topic: Addressing the 'Med Reg' issue

Discussion Points:

G4J data identified that being a Med Reg put people off applying to Geriatrics, so we are going to try and address some of these issues. The guests will be challenged with each med reg fear and have to convince the host they can be overcome.

• Fear: How do I manage so many unwell patients at once?
• Fear: What if I cannot do a practical procedure that a patient needs quickly? i.e. Chest drain, pacing (Fran Denham)
• Fear: I will have no life, endless nights, terrible inflexible rotas and all that stress
• Fear: How do I trust my juniors when I know I make mistakes?
• Fear: Criticism or lack of co-operation from consultants
• Fear: That the buck stops with me and I will get blamed when things go wrong
• Fear: What if I don't know what is going on with a patient
• Fear: Everyone says it is awful, surely that is for a reason
• Fear: What I say over the telephone is not what is getting written in the notes (Jenni Harrison)
• Fear: I will know nothing about the surgery the patient I am reviewing has had! (Jenni Harrison)
• Fear: If a shift is going horribly, I have no one to confide in

Review of fears allayed and fears still existing

Top Three CotEcast Commandments

• Work with your team
• Face your fears
• Be nice to everybody

References, Links and Resources:

• Who Would Be a Medical Registrar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6rhSRiJGmM
• RCP Document: "Supporting the Acute Take" (http://www.rcpe.ac.uk/sites/default/files/supporting_the_acute_take-_advice_for_nhs_trusts_and_local_health_boards.pdf)
• RCP Document: "The Medical Registrar: Empowering the unsung heroes of patient care”(https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/projects/medical-registrar-empowering-unsung-heroes-patient-care)
• RCP Acute Care Toolkit 8: "Supporting the Medical Registrar" (https://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/sites/default/files/acute_care_toolkit_8_the_medical_registrar_on_call_maximising_clinical_experience_training_and_patient_care.pdf)