I finally find a moment to write a little. The snow in Liverpool has melted, sadly, revealing a huge amount of litter scattered all over the street. (There are those in my neighbourhood who don't believe in using bins.)
Last term at dental school was insane. Two placements, which were disappointing, and some reports to write as well as continuing clinical activities. The term ended with an Elective Conference, where everyone presented their elective projects, either as a talk, or poster. My talk flew by in a whirlwind. I wasn't exactly nervous, until a few minutes beforehand, and then only that I wouldn't make myself clear. Sadly, I don't think 'breastfeeding and dental caries' is everyone's cup of tea. A few encouraging comments afterwards though.
Christmas was a lovely break, full of viruses for us. We spent evenings by the fire down at the in-laws' place in the West Country and were, happily, trapped inside for some days as we dared not venture out for the treacherous ice on the roads. Christmas Day, hubby, Wills, mum and I took a cautious walk to Bury, a local village. No one slipped, but there were a few close calls, and we stood and gawped at a Volvo estate driver trying to get up a small hill but making no progress whatsoever, until finally his car limped away, wing mirror hanging loose, back in the direction from which they came.
The return to school in the new year was not welcome for me, still feeling somewhat tired after the bug. My first day I had nothing timetabled, but on the Tuesday, I was due in for a surgical session in the afternoon when the heavy snow started to fall. I made it into the dental school to find students pouring out saying clinics had been cancelled. Not wanting to lose out on my hard-won MOS session I lingered to see what was going on. Lecturers were confabulating in the corridor. Apparently, the university was closing, so no student activity was to take place. This was a little disappointing, since I only get one MOS session per year, and the patient had taken the trouble to come in too. By a stroke of good fortune, the lecturer allowed the teaching session to go ahead and, despite the decree from on high, I was able to carry out the procedure myself. Got to grab em with both hands when ya can.
In the end, university remained closed for the rest of the week, so I had fun reorganising Will's toys and rearranging the lounge anew. No studying was done, whatsoever!
This term is set to be a rollercoaster, albeit a little tamer than the last one. This is my last term before the big Revision sets in. (I'm starting in 9 weeks). A few block weeks interspersed with normal clinical activity in the main: dental A&E, paediatrics, IV sedation, A&E at the Royal, and a few more case reports to write. Only 8 weeks til we meet the VT trainers and make our impressions. There are 48 places on Merseyside and 85 or so of us graduating, so I need to make a really good impression because I only want to work part-time!
