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I'm back! 4th year now baby!!

It has been a while..i know. i am now in the 4th year of my studies. can you believe it?? Just this year and 5th to go and i am a doctor! I am really looking forward to starting my life as a junior doctor! I am currently on a psychiatric rotation in airedale and i am enjoying it...infact i am currently working on my case report on a very interesting patient...i start primary care in about 2 weeks and i cant wait! there is so much going on but please give me some time to get my act together! i will try and post something at least once a month as it is now a whole lot easier since this integration with gmail! so speak soon and thaks for supporting me continually!

Here I am once again..

I have had a very difficult first term as the work load has been very heavy. I have written over 25,000 words of assignments, given 10 presentations, and sat 2 exams. I am tired, stressed and i neeed a holiday. I take a short trip to Spain for a week in december with my family and i hope to be able to unwind. The last project of this term was quite enjoyable; I went as part of a small group bowling and evaluated the facilities and how the organisation worked. We did video footage which we showed in a presentation today. I have to finish off the rest of my assignment before the deadline at 4pm this afternoon. Out side of medical school....

In music: On Dec 5 i sang at Love so Amazing 2 and led the song Above All. I look forward to seeing the dvd of the whole performance. I am constantly trying to find the time to write more music and perform. but you can go to my myspace at www.myspace.com/joelbrownmusic an check out my music. i will post later once i have rested awhile.

Peace

Joel Brown Off the hook nov 2006.mp4

I performed at Club Geisha @ Bar d-fusion on nov 5 2006. The first 3 songs are my originals and the last 3 are covers.

Joel Brown Off the hook nov 2006.mp4

I performed at Club Geisha @ Bar d-fusion on nov 5 2006. The first 3 songs are my originals and the last 3 are covers.

Reflecting on my life as a medical student

The bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot.
-- Michael Althuser

It is amazing to think that I am already coming to the end of my second year at medical school but as Mr Althuser expressed it so succinctly in the quote above, it is only I that can determine where I will allow time to take me. Since I have begun medical school I have gone through many experiences but I will share about one particular one that has seriously affected my personal and academic life.

The month before our first year integrated summative examinations I was on the way home from church on a Sunday afternoon and my Dad had a look on his face which I will never forget. He seemed so calm yet I could tell that thousands of thoughts were galloping through his mind. We got home and I was having my evening meal and he called me to my room. This was unusual for him to call me to my room so already I was concerned. He was standing with a very calm look on his face and looked on me with very empathetic eyes and asked me if I remember Chester (named changed to protect his identity). I replied confirming I had only been speaking to him 3 days before. He then told me he was killed earlier that day and that the police was still investigating the circumstances. I looked at him with surprise and could only find myself with my jaw fixed in unbelief. I had just heard the news of the death of one of my best friends of whom I had known for several years and were planning to work on music together. Time must have halted for eternity within the time my father gave me the news of Chester’s death and the time I fully understood what my father had said. In that eternity I flashed back to when I just met Chester and I saw a picture of him in my mind. Now under a strong belief that men shouldn’t cry I truly struggled to let my tears flow despite how strong the urge felt. I went to bed that night and I am sure that was the longest night I have ever experienced.
The next day I found out that Chester’s death was actually a murder and the police was questioning several suspects some of whom I knew. When this news that his life was snuffed out by a brutal and deliberate act I broke down and the tears flowed. For the next few weeks I was so confused. I couldn’t concentrate on my studies as I was always trying to find out the latest on his death, who was the killer and what justice would my friend Chester receive. I was so besotted with grief that I felt I needed to see the academic sub dean as it was threatening my ability to study on the run up towards the first year integrated summative examinations. The subdean was very supportive and provided me with his personal mobile number in case I needed to contact him urgently.

As time went by I was able to get myself together and started studying for my exams and even though Chester’s funeral was about 2 weeks before the exams I was able to complete them within the standard allotted time.

Personally, this experience has taught me so much about the importance of tenacity and courage during times of difficulty and not allowing a negative situation to completely steer me off the course towards my destiny.
This attitude will certainly help me through my studies and career as I could face potential difficulties such as institutional discrimination due to my size and colour, failure in exams, or even formal inquiries and complaints against me but I need to maintain a resolve in the midst of these trials and pull through.
However, on the other hand if it wasn’t for the support from my family, my church and the university I would probably have not passed those exams. This exemplifies the importance of knowing what support is available and utilising it and I plan to make sure my patients in the future are made fully aware of what services and support are available to them. This experience again reminded me of Dr. Tracey Jackson’s experience of surviving breast cancer and how she could have given up during those points when it was difficult. I posted in my reflective journal how much I admired her courage and the extent to which her story inspired me to believe that my grandmother would get better when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. It is also important to point out that this experience I faced is one that patients’ relatives often face when the patient dies and it is important that doctors share the news of bereavement with sensitivity and empathy. According to the Good Medical Practice booklet by the GMC they say it is vital that doctors share to the best of their knowledge, the reasons for, and the circumstances of the death to the patients partner or close relative unless they have reason to believe that the patient would have objected.[1] This experience has confirmed to me that bereavement can have a detrimental effect on one’s life and so it is important we as doctors follow the guidelines but support patients relatives as much as we can when our patients die.

[1] Point 23 on page 9 in the Good Medical Practice booklet by the GMC issued Sept 2001

YOU MIGHT BE JAMAICAN IF...

Seen as I have not posted in a while let me use this opportunity...Firstly, I recorded the video last night after church......the one i will be using on the interview..so thats sorted. I wanted to share with you something i got in email today...its quite funny yet true in so many respects:

YOU MIGHT BE JAMAICAN IF...

You point with your mouth

You express disgust by hissing your teeth

You 'cut yu yeye' when you are upset with someone

You distinguish between 'good clothes' and 'judging clothes'

You don't wear a dress, you wear a frock

You don't wear sneakers, you wear 'boogas' or ‘crepp’

You refer to fancy shoes as 'boot' (as in "fetch di boot nuh missis!")

You have ever had cold patties and hot drinks for lunch

You refer to all soft drink beverages as 'drinks'

You stir the ice in your drinks to make it colder

You take the ice in your mouth and spit it back into the glass while drinking

You eat the ice loudly when your 'drinks' is finished

You refer to vegetables, yams, green bananas, etc as 'hard food'

You refer to poultry, beef, mutton, pork as 'meat kind'

You strip sugar cane with your teeth

You challenge someone with 'say feh!'

You refer to any traveling distance as "jus' roun' di corner!"

You have a lamp with a 'home sweet home lampshade' somewhere in the house

You never throw any leftover food out, no matter how small the portion

You pronounce the name 'smith' as 'simit'

You derive your words of wisdom from 'miss lou'

You use words twice for emphasis (fool-fool, pyah-pyah, fenke-fenke, so-so, big-big)

You refer to saturday as 'satday day time'

You refer to the lord's day as 'big-big sunday mawnin'

You have ever told a 'horse-dead-cow-fat story'

You instigate a fight by saying 'touch a button!'

You clean the house and have soup for dinner every 'satday day time'

You cannot enjoy sunday dinner without rice & peas

You differentiate between 'spinners' and 'cartwheel dumplings'

You refer to both male and female as 'him'

You call all cute female children 'pretty likkle girl chile!'

You call all rude female children 'facety likkle gal pickney!'

You refer to all stubborn children as 'hard ears pickney!'

You refer to anything of a sexual nature as 'slackness'

You don't go to see a movie, you go to a 'show' or a 'flim show'

You don't develop photographs, you 'clean' them

You refer to any compulsory act by saying 'had was to' (mi had was to go to di doctor)

You have a BOAC bag somewhere in the house

You go to the bathroom to TIDY.

You can't get your "h's" in the right places.

You carry Carib Carbolic soap to the beach.

Your suitcase stinks of the combination of roast breadfruit, ackee, fish and white rum.

You have yellow tint, shag carpeting, 2 crown air fresheners,2 Lion Kings,

2 nodding dogs and a Garfield in the back of your Lexus.

You eat too much and then you feel Clyded.

Somebody asks you the time and you tap your watch and listen to it to make sure it's working (even if it's digital).

Your family's living room set is still upholstered - after 20+ years.

You're male and your name ends in “roy” (Glenroy, Leroy, Fitzroy, Ezroy,Delroy, Troy, Gilroy) or “ton” (Linton, Clinton, Ralston, Welton, Everton,Barrington)

You're a girl and your 'pet name' is Petal, Cute, Rose or Lily

Your nickname is Bunny, Reds, Junior or Frenchie

Your name is Oliver, Clement or Oswald and everyone calls you Tony.

You drive a Legend, a Cressida, a BMW 2002 or any old Beemer, Maxima,Camry, (pre 1994), Accord or Nissan Sentra.

You use knife and fork simultaneously.

Your parents don't understand school terms like "grade" or GPA"

Your father asks how old you are.

You meet your half brothers/sisters for the first time in your teens.

You have Dettol, Milo, or Horlicks in your cupboard.

BONUS

Real Jamaican men:

Carry face towels in their back pockets.
Can stand with arms akimbo and still look cool!
Wear "Ganzi's" under shirts.
Call every Chinese person "Missa or Miss Chin"
Don't drive Yankee cars.

Top Ten "Stereotypical Jamaican" Male names (not in order).

If you see a black man with one of these you can have 90%confidence he's

Carribean.
1. Danavan (Donovan)
2. Patch-ik (Patrick )
3. Dennis
4. Chevva (Trevor)
5. Mikey (Michael)
6. Devahn (Devon)
7. Desmahn (Desmond)
8. Bobby
9. Fitzraay (Fitzroy)
10. O-rayce (Horace )

Most Common Young Female Names.

You can be secure that all of you have a sister, wife, girlfriend, or

cousin with one of these names.
1. Patrice/Patricia
2. Sheron (Sharon)
3. Karen
4. Michelle
5. Daahn (Dawn)
6. Claahdine/Claahdiah (Claudine/Claudia)
7. Marie/Marcia/Marjorie
8. Caahleen (Carlene)
9. Charmaine
10. Jackie
11. Paahlett (Paulette)
12. Peta-Gay

Top Ten Yard Granny Names:
1. Pearl
2. Cintia (Cynthia)
3. Gloria
4. Merle/Merkle (Myrtle)
5. Mabel/Mavis/Madge
6. Winnifred/Winsome
7. 'Ellen (Helen)
8. Rose
9. Hegniss (Agnes )
10. Heeditt/Hettell (Edith/Ethel)



Top Five Aunty (even Moms) Names:

1. Doreen
2. Joan
3. Beaulah
4. Hivvonne (Yvonne)
5. Karrall (Carol)

Take one!!

You seriously will not believe when I tell you what opportunity just landed in my lap over the last few days!! Basically, my allegiance to myspace.com has finally paid off big time!! I have been just faithfully complimenting and supporting the music of many independent and signed artists on the website over many months and now someone who has heard my music decided to do more than just compliment!! A TV presenter of a channel in England approached me via myspace mail saying she was really interested in my material and wanted to bring me on for an interview!! Did you hear that right there....

For the visually impaired:

I HAVE AN INTERVIEW ON TV! CHANNEL 765 SKY DIGITAL ON MONDAY 10TH OF APRIL 10:30-12AM

This is clearly only the beginning but I will never despise a small start...I mean, who knows? Something real could come out of this! So I look forward to attending that interview down in London. For those of you that have supported my music I just want to thank you as I feel this is your success as well! If you have SKY digital then please tune in to watch this interview!!

Blessings!

PS For people outside the UK : As far as I am aware SKY network is limited to the UK so unfortunately you will not be able to tune it....but guess what...and I make no concrete promises..I will try and an audio copy of the interview and upload it to my website at www.joelbrown.co.uk where you can have a listen!! I will also let everyone know how it went!