FIRST GP DAY – Monday:
I started my GP placement yesterday at a rural, yet busy GP practice outside of Carlisle.
Who we saw:
We saw a total of 9 patients in surgery and 1 patient was a home visit. I’ll briefly describe each to get a feel of the variety of patients, their symptoms and our treatment steps.
Our first Gentleman presented with ear scarring that was originally a large bump/ wound. He was given cream and had no/ to little effect. Due to this, he was referred to Dermatology but not before he also volunteered for his flu jab!
Woman presented with shoulder pain, not a lot that could be done other than pain management and an x-ray being booked.
The next gentleman was well known to my Dr. He is currently under review as he has had malignancy within his lungs. Thrilled that his chest and lungs sound clear. Booked for further review.
We had my first child in. He was a 14 month old who had been ill for a week now and has had a constant high temperature. Not eating or drinking and passing no urine. Mum was extremely emotional so a precautionary admission to the paediatrics on-call at the hospital.
An interesting one. A lady came in following recent tests. Her HLA-B27 (human leukocyte antigen) gene test was POSITIVE. Whilst a positive HLA-B27 gene is not always a sign, she fit many of the criteria for ankylosing spondylitis and as such, had her first diagnosis. She was referred to Rheumatology.
A young lady had concerns for scar tissue on her nose from where a doctor abroad had taken away a query cyst. Scar tissue looked normal and didn’t show any indication of malignancy.
An other young mum brought in her baby boy. He had a wheeze however didn’t show signs of laboured breathing. His ears were red but his temperature wasn’t highly raised. He was prescribed a course of antibiotics and mum reassured.
We had another review patient who came in and we requested repeat bloods and cholesterol.
Part of a GP’s workload also includes home visits. I was fortunate enough to be invited along – an elderly, almost completely bed ridden lady who also suffers from Raynauld’s Disease. She presented with the feeling of stocking legs where she felt as if she was wearing compression stockings and had pain. Her pedal pulses were check and we weren’t concerned that she was presenting with possible DVT. District nurses were informed and would visit to ensure all is okay.
We also had a few phone calls to make – one to a patient to inform them that results had come in and were absolutely fine. They were an anxious patient so calling was a way of putting them at ease.
The second call was a bit different. It was a request from safeguarding for information regarding a mother, her unborn baby and the baby’s father. The father had been red flagged at appointments as being under the influence of drugs. They requested any information as to his substance abuse, mental health and admissions.
What I learnt:
- I was given the opportunity to listen to a child’s laboured breath sounds.
- I was able to look at a young child’s ears and see how red they are.
- I was able to examine scar tissue closely and confirm no malignant markers.
- I was shown how to refer and fill in referral forms to the hospital for various specialities.
- I was shown how to approve medications for repeat prescriptions.
- I was shown the admin sides of a GP’s role.
- I was fortunate to experience the reception side of a practice too.
Overview:
A large variety of patients, all requiring different needs and clinical advice. A large learning curve but more hands on than I imagined. It’s set this week up to be really, really, exciting!
Becoming Dr Bex 