Overworked and underpaid

Yesterday I got to do 4 jobs at once.

I was the resident medical officer for the dungeon, I was the admitting registrar for the dungeon, I was the inpatient registrar for Dr F, the inpatient registrar for Dr H and the inpatient registrar for Dr G.

What fun!

One of the reg's decided to get married and so is off on holidays for 2 weeks so I am filling in for him PLUS doing my own job this week.

Then one of the registrars took yesterday off (part time work or something?)

Then the other reg took off to training after the ward round and left me alone as the onyl doctor managing a 25 bed inpatient psychiatric ward.

I had to admit 2 new patients and fill in all their mental health forms. I had to prepare all the documents for the mental magistrate hearings today. I had to sedate an overly aggressive psychotic patient. I had to write all the med charts out and taper doses. I had to then attend to all their medical problems (ny original job) and then try to complete a 1 hour presentation for the RMO meeting today.

I should be getting paid more than the $22/hour they're giving me!

Thankfully I survived and it wasn't that bad. I actually made it out at 5pm on the dot and no one died (always a good day!)

Today is my last day in the dungeon for 10 days because I start 'night' duty next week and they give me 2 days off as 'compensation' (it's actually got to do with them not wanting to pay us too much $$ the stingy bums!**) to adjust to sleeping during the light and working during the dark. Sigh!

had to present to all the RMO's, Med students (MS's) and registrars today. Each week one 'lucky' tern gets to present an 'interesting' case which a certain consultant will then pick to shreds. Thankfully cos it was a semi-psych case he didn't say too much (except about the medical problems) Felt really self conscious though cos a lot of the reg's and the boss knew the patient so anything I said had to be 100% spot on or I was dead. I felt like it sucked but people said it was good. I always hate that... cos you don't know if they're just saying that to be nice/consoling whilst they think "Oh my... how awful was that!" or if they actually Do think it's good. Why can't people just say what they mean hey?

Got a bit miffed yesterday when the MS's ate all the 'tern's food before we got there. Lunch officially starts at 1pm but they stake a claim at 12:30 and yesterday lunch happened to show up ealry so when I arrived at 12:50pm there was not a scrap of food left. Totally cleaned out! "I'll get you evil MS's.... I'll get YOU!!!"

On the upside I got to try out the new staff cafeteria here which looks more like a McCafe than an underfunded public hospital staff feeding shed. Even in private hospitals I have never seen such extravagence. Pity they didn't realise that the new 'scenic' windows overlook the dungeon's courtyard with the crazy people running around... hehe!

** Actually I have developed a new loathing for medical admin. We had a 'meeting' with them on Monday to voice any concerns we had. We voiced our concerns about being unable to have enough time to finish our d/c summaries during working hours (rural hospitals are a lot busier than city ones) so we asked if we could come in and do overtime to complete them. We were told that we were 'expected' to have them done during wokring hours and even if we didn't it was part of our 'ethical duty' as doctors to complete them (unpaid if required) out of the goodness of our heart. What a load of c!@# I don't care what they tell us... I am an employeee... they are my employer... if I work, under Australian law (thanks Johnny for your IR law changes!) I HAVE to be paid for the work I do. They can't NOT pay us... it's illegal... but they think that because 90% of interns are eager to impress (to get onto their training programs - you have to suck up to the bosses to get a reference) we will cop it sweetly and accept this illegal behaviour. Well I wont! I don't give a stuff about my 'career'... I'm quitting in 2 years anyway! Thankfully I don't have any d/c summaries overdue but if i did... I would work and do them.. AND charge them for it! Grrr!