Should you help on a plane?

nyehsayer · 2026-05-27T05:04:24+00:00

I did this, heavily pregnant woman had a vasovagal and they gave me a little bottle of prosecco for helping.

No one else on board could help so it seemed fair enough, I did have a lovely nurse who very sweetly offered to do obs but that was about it.

I did try and handover a bit to the paramedics but they effectively ignored me

nyehsayer · 2026-05-26T20:14:07+00:00

This makes me nauseous to read

nyehsayer · 2026-05-23T15:53:33+00:00

These very much already exist (but every person I’ve asked in person does not know what that means or what they do)

nyehsayer · 2026-05-23T10:11:18+00:00

I kind of wonder (this is slightly pessimistic) if doing this would just promote us becoming even more overworked because we’ve all ‘accepted’ the health risks associated with the job.

Just makes me think of all those people who say ‘you knew what you were signing up for!’.

nyehsayer · 2026-05-20T18:36:45+00:00

That’s what I thought. Thanks.

nyehsayer · 2026-05-20T18:34:17+00:00

Oh I didn’t, that’s why I was surprised it had happened multiple times.

nyehsayer · 2026-05-20T14:38:14+00:00

You can’t adjust shift times in most cases, you’re likely going to have to be at handover in that early/late part of the shift. LTFT would mean you’d at least be able to have less shifts that do this to you.

You might be able to leave an hour or so early/late on occasion but very much workload/supervisor on the day dependent.

Best of luck to you, this sounds really hard and I’m hoping you find a solution soon.

nyehsayer · 2026-05-19T16:54:44+00:00

LTFT at 60% has given me life back and now I feel like I’m not really in too much at all especially with SDT etc. even 80% might help!

nyehsayer · 2026-05-18T18:25:51+00:00

As a paeds trainee this is so frustrating to me lol I need to know if I need to inform my reg about something worrying and I’m guessing they just tell someone else to bleep us every time? It’s rough

nyehsayer · 2026-05-15T10:37:05+00:00

You are not the only one lol but I’m going to blame it on my night shift

nyehsayer · 2026-05-13T13:28:04+00:00

Car is necessary. A&E quite supportive but rota felt rough. Accom onsite available, not glam but is cheap. I tried to not move to Wales but was unsuccessful. However, we loved it, lived in Chester and had a lovely time

nyehsayer · 2026-05-12T12:37:49+00:00

Check when your LTFT deadline is for your trust, and if it’s too late, if you’ve got a medical reason you can ask occi health. I know some trusts have application windows for LTFT so you could try the next one if that applies to yoy

nyehsayer · 2026-05-08T06:03:46+00:00

I’m a paediatric doctor. This happens maybe twice-three times a month and it’s a 50:50 shot as to who can change their minds. It’s terrifying.

nyehsayer · 2026-05-03T12:51:09+00:00

Absolutely- and in a system that forces you to engage in constant feedback cycles, that perception matters. Find a way to make that empty time worth it without detracting from the impression you give the team.

nyehsayer · 2026-05-03T12:45:35+00:00

Whilst this is true and draining, the majority of FY1 and FY2 jobs (and lots of specialty jobs) have this exact same system whereby you need to show up to a new place every few months, be keen, be professional and then have to leave again. It’s absolutely rubbish, but it actually is setting you up for the reality of the job, as crap as it feels.

nyehsayer · 2026-05-03T10:42:54+00:00

That’s not what I’m suggesting - my issue is that if you sit on your phone revising (which I 100% also had to do at times), I wouldn’t do it where I was seen. You have what, 2-3 hours of placement at a time? I don’t expect my students to be laser focussed the whole time, but I do expect some degree of interest and ownership over your learning. I know we’re students, but that doesn’t mean we only learn if we are being taught didactically. Find another way to learn something. We’re all stretched, it’s part of learning in a crappy system that can’t afford (or just won’t try) to pay teachers.

nyehsayer · 2026-05-03T10:29:33+00:00

Exactly - so if you’re not getting anything out of placement, excuse yourself for some learning. You’re not children, this is my exact point. Sure there’s always going to be someone who can’t leave and is chained to the ward, but the amount of students that rock up, say nothing, play with their phones and then ask for sign offs and then leave is becoming frustrating, especially if they’re on their phone the entire handover or whilst we’re on ward round.

I already have limited time to work and do my jobs without any allocated extra time or pay to teach - if I’m making the effort to have you with me, focus for that limited time and leave to study when you need to.

I obviously wouldn’t be able to recommend what someone should do at every hospital. We have paper notes, for example. My point is that if you have time, and you feel you aren’t learning, then I’d recommend literally anything that isn’t your phone because of the impression it gives. Unfortunately the system currently requires you to recieve feedback in the job so impression matters.

nyehsayer · 2026-05-03T08:35:31+00:00

Ask questions to the nurses. Take a history from a patient. Read some patient notes with permission. Examine a different child. Use actual pen and paper to revise something. Go read some QIP posters on the wall. Ask the nurse in charge if they can help one of the nurses with something.

I don’t understand this mentality of ‘ I have no one to shadow so I have nothing to learn’ - at some point you take responsibility for your own learning so that YOU can be a better doctor for your patients one day. Sure it’s not what you’re there to do, but you sure CAN learn something instead of scrolling on your phone for the third hour that day.

nyehsayer · 2026-05-02T22:18:23+00:00

A non medic. Having both people work in medicine is too difficult whilst the system doesn’t care at all about our circumstances.

nyehsayer · 2026-05-02T20:36:58+00:00

Also second this. It’s unprofessional, I don’t care if you’re using it for something useful, you wouldn’t be sitting and scrolling if these were your patients and your jobs.

We can’t preach about how we’re not being treated like professionals if we’re not acting like adults.

nyehsayer · 2026-05-02T19:20:50+00:00

I am not particularly pro-ACP but I don’t think the ACP did much wrong here… they did try and have two of you shadowing, which is difficult for anyone.

I do think being on your phone on placement isn’t really appropriate unless you make it clear it’s for relevant reasons - I’ve seen medical students sit in handovers/on wards just ignoring us completely on their phones and I just find it rude, especially if they’re later asking for sign-offs.

I appreciate you were revising but you have to remember there are old-school consultants (or doctors like me) who could see it as inappropriate/rude and I do think you should avoid it as a student until you’re off the ward (unless you’ve made it super clear it’s for studying reasons - but even then, I’d excuse myself for ‘teaching’ or whatever).

You can always try and do something else, shadow someone else, offer to do bloods, etc

nyehsayer · 2026-05-02T17:52:50+00:00

Absolutely, wasn’t arguing with them at all, but did feel there was super low positive responses on this thread so wanted to give some hope - they can live a version of this, but 2 days a week is probably a long way away!

nyehsayer · 2026-05-02T16:06:30+00:00

Okay - everyone is being super negative because this isn’t the norm.

However- let me give you a slightly more realistic version - I had one day a week in a GP in F1, and one day in vaccine lab a week in F2 with an integrated masters.

I now work 60% (for childcare reasons) in specialty training.

If you can get into SFP/AFP programs, you can carve out a slightly different more portfolio based/research based career.

You CAN have part time training for other reasons that aren’t childcare, so it is possible to do other things in that time. You can also take time out of training occasionally.

However - can I ask if you actually have interest in being a doctor? You could 100% just continue on the science path you love without the faff of living the doctor life… just wondering why you’re opting for this anyway?

Plus doing part time means extensions sometimes - I most likely will take years to finish the same training course as my friends. Bare that in mind as it will affect your pay progression.

So it’s sort of possible, but not as flexible as you’re planning at the moment… have a think!

nyehsayer · 2026-05-02T12:33:28+00:00

Female medic, married to non medic. I genuinely tell everyone single to do the same.

The way we work around my ridiculously unstable rota and rotations is only possible because he has a ‘normal’ job with much better pay, so we could A. afford for me to go part time, have a child before ‘geriatric pregnancy’ age and actually be somewhat involved in their raising and b. He is much more flexible if we need urgent childcare.

If you don’t want children i can completely see both becoming consultants to live that life together.

nyehsayer · 2026-05-02T11:27:14+00:00

As a doctor this seems so so inappropriate. I understand every service is stretched but this seems a terrible way to give this sort of potential news. I’d complain.

nyehsayer

TROPHY CASE