Signing up to a healthcare degree you know what to expect; slightly longer academic years than other degree programmes and a shorter than average summer break… this year at just over 3 weeks, mine went by in a whirl! (Yes, this was a bit shorter than what you’d usually get … that’s because I had placement hours to make up… Note to you all… keep up with the 95% attendance rule) But I used those precious weeks away from uni to work and save some money for the upcoming year, no awesome summer travel plans for me this year, but I am on the home stretch, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!
So now it is the 3rd year we’ve hit the ground running! Straight into lessons for the first two weeks and now I am back on placement, but you know what, I love it!
I can see myself getting more competent and confident and the staff in the department are constantly challenging me but also reminding me of how well I am doing. That’s the thing with a degree that is so placement heavy, you learn practically so all that theory you are learning and picking up you are using straight away. I know I still have a long way to go and I am still met with the same brain tiredness I had at the end of the day in my 1st year but I really do feel like it’s all going to be worth it! Don’t get me wrong… the self-doubt still creeps in at times! I am on a CT placement at the moment so it is anatomy central and I have realised I need to brush up on that! It may be the same profession but scanning patients for treatment planning is a completely different ball game to treating them which is what I was doing for the previous 3 weeks. But again, it may seem tough in the moment, but that in itself is another reason why I love Radiotherapy…. There are so many dimensions to the job that it constantly challenging you… I doubt I am ever going to get bored of this job like I have in others!
Something else that we have been asked to organise over the last few weeks is our elective placement. For once I was ahead of the game getting this sorted and started contacting people back in May. Having spent quite a lot of time in Australia in my 20s and having my niece and sister out there I had always intended to try and do some work experience in either Melbourne or Sydney so our electives are my perfect opportunity. I made contact with a past lecturer who was amazing and put me in contact with the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne. Fingers crossed everything works out as it looks like an amazing facility and I think I will learn a lot there. The plan is to head out there after I have handed in all my final projects and portfolio for 3-4 weeks!
It may sound like I am pretty busy but in reality I have been taking it a bit too easy though these last few weeks, concentrating on getting my groove back with placement… the truth is, I need to pull my finger out! With a group presentation, poster presentation, and an article presentation all due just after Christmas the work load is starting to pile up. The problem is that I am a bit of a social butterfly so between placement, part-time work and seeing friends I think I have been putting academic on the back burner…. Things are going to have to change and I think it will have to be this weekend 🙁
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