by The Festive period doesn’t always bring Christmas cheer to medical students in the UK and abroad. Whatever your religious standing, the Christmas break brings a welcome bit of respite from university study and placements, but normally brings up extra exam work.
We took a straw poll of our colleagues and friends who will be at work over the Christmas period: this will give some insight for those students who may not be too far away from the coal face:
Internal Medicine
Working up to the new year and its full steam ahead with our rolling rota. No breaks over the Christmas period sees me working the weekend but not Christmas day, so it will simply be time with the family
Medical Specialities
Ill be working the Christmas weekend (Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th) but not on the big day, which makes a change from night shifts! Had some fun teaching some of the students from Keele University on the Musculoskeletal Examination, makes you hark back to the days of having to know a little bit about everything… I wish I was breaking up for a couple of weeks though…
One of our Students:
Ill be doing absolutely no work over the Christmas period, watching lots of Tv, watching lots of TV and watching lots of TV. My Iphone should be arriving too which will be nice. Exams on return, have about 6 weeks off.
Anaesthetics:
Our Anaesthetic contributor was unavailable for comment after going in to work this morning on his day off, much to his disgust…He does have Christmas off though…
General Practice:
Well the surgery is shut, so even if I wanted too i won’t be working. As ever there is an out of hours service, but its supplied through an agency, so none of the other GPs will be contributing to the out of hours work. Its lucrative for those who don’t mind putting in a few shifts.
Accident and Emergency:
Too busy to comment. Period.
Our Verdict…. Its a bit of a lottery, unless you’re in General Practice, in which case you have already won the festive lottery!
We reckon most medical students will be taking things pretty easy up until the post new year time-frame, then the roll into the busy exam period starts. Stick to questions about naming all eight of Santa’s original reindeer, watch Rage Against the Machine parodies on YouTube and enjoy the festive break!
Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo, God jul, dah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah, Feliz Navidad y próspero Año Nuevo,Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda, Have a merry Christmas from the Medical Educator Team.