"The Slump", By Ian Wilson GPST3

At this time of  year, as part of our ST3 educational program we lay on what we call the "Finishing School". This is for those of you who have successfully completed the exam components of the MRCGP, the aim being to equip you for the challenges you will face in your next 30 years of general practice.

Sessions are varied and topics include:-  Financial Planning, What To Look For In A Contract, CV Writing, Resilience, Appraisal, Interview Practice and so on.

Today's session was on "Medical Humanities, What's The Point?"  The workshop focussed on the human aspects of being a GP and the central importance of the patient's story. It included time for narrative writing, during which participants were invited to reflect on their experiences as GP trainees and to write something from the third person perspective. The narratives were shared in pairs followed by a whole group discussion on the impact of the experience. During the wider discussion Iain was asked to read his poem to the whole group and was then encouraged by his fellow trainees to share it more widely , using this blog. So here it is!

The Slump

There once was a doctor called Ian

He hailed from the University of Aberdeen

Hospital was good, but he didn't fancy ST,

So packed his bags and set for the land of GP

Now the past 12 months have certainly been hard

Long days with no play resulting in extra lard.

He realised he began to struggle with the daily grind,

And even after a holiday still felt he was losing his mind.

But now there is a baby on the way!

He realises that he needs a job with some pay!

After recovering from the famous registrar slump

He no longer comes to work with the hump.

Although the future is still not entirely clear,

In GP, he knows he's picked an awesome career.

THE END