I owe a great deal to my housemanship. Much of the doctor I became, and the way I lead today, began there. But reading the recent accounts of housemen’s working conditions, I have to be careful. “In my day” is a tempting opening. It is also an excellent way to stop listening.
During the two-week tagging period at the start of each posting, I worked from 7am until 11pm, sometimes longer. Our ward had about 40 patients. Bloods and reviews had to be completed before the 8am round, which could mean starting at six, depending on how many of us were on duty.
Breakfast was an ambition.
After rounds came the instructions to carry out, patients to discharge and new admissions to assess. Sleep and meals were fitted around the work. Sometimes they did not fit.
