u/Comfortable-Team-779

I’m currently working in a very busy and understaffed department.

One of my colleagues has taken stress leave this rotation and another has switched rotations. We are all exhausted and work at least 2-3 hours overtime daily plus weekends. We have made mistakes due to fatigue. Feedback from other doctors is that this department is notoriously bad and unsupported.

Personally, I feel stressed out all the time, my appetite is bad, I can’t sleep at night out of fear of going to work, I once called my parents crying after a particularly bad day at work.

To add to my stress my seniors have not signed off my assessment forms. I haven’t received any feedback that my performance was bad. So I’m not sure why the stalling.

I have now been asked to make a presentation for our monthly grand rounds. It’s making me feel even more stressed. I haven’t even been able to attend grand rounds because I’ve been so busy. No one gave a crap that I can’t go to teaching. Now I need to make a presentation which feels very unfair.

It’s all starting to be a little bit too much.

I’ve worked and studied in a few different hospitals and the Med Reg’s seem to have varied skills.

I’ve met BPT 2’s who don’t feel comfortable doing an LP. I’ve met people who have never done an ascitic tap or a joint aspiration.

But I’ve also met some who can put in chest drains, are great with using the ultrasound and enjoy all kinds of procedures. Some of the older Gen Med bosses I’ve worked with can still have quite good procedural skills surprisingly.

Do you think these are critical skills for a Med reg to learn? If you can do things like joint aspiration, LP’s, ascitic tap, pleural tap, chest drains etc. How did you learn? Do you feel like that with IR becoming more easily available these procedures are given to them vs having an incentive to learn?

I’m a current BPT 2 and the original plan was to sit my exams in February next year.

However, due to lots of personal issues including having to move interstate and then getting some busy rotations I don’t think I’m going to be able to do the exam.

My memory is awful and I forget most things that I learn. I’ve been doing MCQ’s/ Anki/ Lectures but not as many as I should be doing. I’ve tried a study routine but nothing has stuck. I do have a study group albeit not the best.

I feel like I’m not at the level where I can pass the written in February.

I’m a bit apprehensive about how to speak to my hospital about this. And if they’d support me doing the exam in October.

I’m keen to hear from any BPT’s who have gone through the same thing.

I’ve started working in a new hospital and the patient population is very different to where I’ve worked before.

This population has a high mistrust of medical professionals, lots of conspiracy theories and just very demanding in general.

Surprisingly the patients are okay. And even if they’re difficult they’re my patients.

But I’m starting to get burnt out with families. Some of the people I’ve encountered are beyond rude and their behaviour is unacceptable. I’ve never spoken to anyone the way they speak to the staff. It’s jarring to witness.

I have started avoiding these families. I’m happy to sit down and explain medical things to someone who is willing to listen. But I don’t have the energy to put myself up for verbal abuse. I try to give a once a week update or let them know if something has changed. But some people want daily updates or expect face to face discussion with the doctor multiple times a week. They want updates about allied health and nursing issues which I can’t help with.

It makes me feel weak and undermines my confidence that I can’t verbally de escalate people and address their concerns. I feel like a bad doctor. But at what level do I get to say no and that enough is enough.