The ICC Essentials

Assalamu Alaykum! (Peace be upon you all!)

Heya! Here we go again with the usual "I am sorry it took me so long to post here again" scenario which I believe I should already get rid of (-_-) Starting today! I never even have a "Date published" tags on my posts...so no one would really know how late I am. haha! But kidding aside, I think the dates really doesn't matter anymore... If I am writing these experiences and maybe some tips for the next ICCs*, the order of each rotation would not matter: for every block (all 8 of them) have different schedules, and perhaps different experiences as well. So I will just write what I have in my journals, keep them short and concise as possible (which I am really poor at by the way), and hopefully pray that someone would stumble on this blog and read it. haha. 

Anyway, continuing our sharing of stories and learning experiences (?) as an ICC student... I see my calendar here that we are now in our 8th week as an ICC student. Cool! It's December already and we have 2 more weeks to go for the first semester! Yeay!

Which reminds me, I still have a lot of "weeks", I mean rotations to cover uuggggh! <(-_-)> oh well.

Back to our main topic for today: The ICC essentials. What is different with being an ICC Student or Junior Clerk is that you will now be more exposed to the patients. Most of your days will be spent not in the classrooms, but in the wards monitoring patients' vital signs; in the Out-patient Department (OPD) interviewing new and follow-up patients; and if lucky or unlucky, you will also be left ALONE to do your directed physical examinations. (I emphasized the word "alone" because the past 2 years we have been used to doing things by group.) And with that big realizations comes the great need to have your own medical equipment and stuffs.

Here are the important MUST HAVES as an ICC Student:

My ICC stuffs (sorry for the quality, just used my phone here)

MUST HAVE:

1) Your own Stethoscope -- No need to explain why. You just don't become a third year medical student without your own stethoscope

2) Aneroid Sphygmomanometer -- (we call it "BP App") Others prefer the digital one. Either way, it is important to have one anytime you go o duty. Just be sure you really know how to use them :) If you are still not sure, better train with your classmates first. Or here's a tip: ask your patient what's their last BP before, with that you know where you are supposed to here the Korotkoffs ;)

3) Calculator -- You will be asked to do a lot of computations: BMI, Expected Fetal weight, etc. If you are not a math whiz, better bring a calculator where ever you go. Keep it handy (not too big, you are not an accountant! And not too small that you have to use some ultra thin fiber to press on a single number!) These guys are also very helpful during exams.

4) Medical Tapes! (Micropore™) -- You can't live in the wards without these! There are expensive ones (P130) and some fake cheap ones (P35) in Bambang. Buy as much as you can. You will eventually see how handy these things are: from taping IV Canulas to labeling your stuffs to even repairing ripped off papers, Micropores will sooner be your favorite thing in the world! (at least in medschool)

5) Measuring Tapes -- Ever wonder when is the time that you will use those freebies that your seniors gave you during your freshie days? Well, this is it! Those handy, pull-and-tuck tape measures will surely be put to use in most rotations as OB, Pedia, Orthopedics, even in Ophthalmology!

6) Clipboard! -- Same as above, you know you need them.

7) Paper and Pens -- Oh come on! don't tell me I have to explain this one?

OTHERS (you can borrow them from your friends, but it's better to have one if you can)

1) Thermometer -- for the constant monitoring duties. We have digital thermometers now (P50-P75) in Bambang.

2) Penlight -- After your Neuro and Ophtha rotation, you are supposed to have your own penlight. But you can always borrow if you forgot to bring them :)

3) Neuro Hammer -- Don't forget to bring this one during ROR (Rhemua-Ortho-Rehab), Neuro and even in IM rotations.

4) Tourniquet -- You will be asked to extract some blood for laboratories, or insert an IV Canula, or "line" the patient, and a tourniquet is an essential item for that. Yes, you can use your latex gloves if there are really none of these around. But I say it's better to have one, it's pretty cheap anyway (P15-20), and makes you look like an IV-lining expert.

5) Pulse Oxymeter -- Not really required and it's kinda expensive. But if you are pretty rich and you feel lazy counting those pulses by the clock, then perhaps this item is for you.

6) Handy Dsinfectants -- Be it a 70% solution of Isopropyl Alcohol or a lemon-scented Alcogel, it's up to you. If not, you can still find a lot of alcohols scattered around the hospital wards (you see them on their alcohol holders attached to the walls). And I am sure there is at least one of your classmates who have one hehe.

NOT REALLY REQUIRED (You can borrow from your friends in other year levels)

• Ophthalmoscope --during Ophtha rotation, you will be expected to have at least 2 students sharing one Ophthalmoscope. It's a good investment if you are really planning to proceed to Ophtha.
• Otoscope -- usually comes with the Ophthalmoscope. For ORL duties.

Tadaa! I think those are the essentials that every ICC must have (or at least have an idea of). Being an ICC Student they say is pretty "benign" compared to the Clerks, but I believe this is the year that we should never put to waste. We have to learn as much as we can in preparation for the hellish year we are about to endure next year :) So, get as many patient as you can! Ask as much questions as you can! Learn how to do things in the wards, how things work, which paper to fill in, etc. 

Hmmm Hope this post will serve its purpose :)

Salaam! Logging out!

-AIMD

*In case you were wondering what those "ICCs" are... ICC stands for "Integrated Clinical Clerkship" which refers to the group of students in Learning Unit 5 (LU5 or 3rd year proper) of UP College of Medicine. It is the equivalent of "Junior Clerkship" in other Medical schools.