Whining on Oncalls

Its weird that despite me always getting stressed up for oncalls, I'm known to take someone's call without any exchange, payment whatever. And I'd get this look, "You crazy? Are you sure? You don't wanna swap with my call?" "No, lar just give me the call only." I have to admit I was inspired by a certain senior back in my university for this type of behavior. Though people take advantage at times. But oh well.

Even with RM100 incentive per calls for housemen, people would rather be back at home and sleep. A rare luxury for me indeed nowadays.

Funny how I wish that my oncalls would be cold (though they almost never are) and that I'd be able to get some sleep.

Pfft.

The reason why you are ON - CALL is so that people could call you up in the middle of the damn night to attend to - whatever. Wishing for a good night sleep is only WISHFUL THINKING.

Besides, the more you encounter during your oncalls, the more experience you get, the more procedures you are able to perform, subsequently building your personality to get over anything that work or life can throw at you. During my calls in O&G, I've had experienced red-alerts for post op intra-ab bleeding, bleeding miscarriages, high octane labour room calls, hordes of mothers coming into PAC to deliver, vacuum deliveries, ERPOC, caesarian section and for my most recent peds, I got to experience an intubation, exchange transfusion, and hordes of babies to poke and prick at 4 am in the morning. During these calls also I've picked up skills on management of certain common problems. I don't admit that I would know how to handle each of them again but the experience matters as it will most likely be stuck with you for the rest of your career.

Oncalls are then more valuable than the money earned, as in medicine, nothing is as important as the experience one gains during work. It's sort of unfortunate with the excess of housemen nowadays, calls are getting less. This may not be a good thing in the long run as we, young doctors won't be able to get the necessary experience needed. But I guess then one has to make the best of whatever they have and benefit from it.

People tend to get grumpy whenever they hava bad call. Me included. I can become a nit nastier than I usually am when faced with a bad call though I'm still generally nice :p But I'll try my best to be professional during my next call and do my best to go through them with a level head.


PROMO: If you need to switch calls, or need someone to take your calls do ask me. If I'm ok with it I don't mind the extra call. It'll only be beneficial for me.

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