Week 11

Another week gone by, just like that. Feels like only yesterday I was writing last weeks blog plot, this year has just flown by, it's crazy. One week left of semester one, the study is well and truly under way with our exams looming in January. This week we learned about wound infection and it was actually quite interesting, we went into depth about cleaning diabetic foot wounds and the age old tap water or saline debate we also did a lot about and wound infection in practice. I am especially intrigues by the whole tap water or saline debate and I would love to see a study be done to prove tap water is perfectly ok to use.

Tuesday consisted of a mock spotter test so we went in and visited different stations just as we will in January. I think its a great idea that the lecturers factor time into our timetable for these, as it gives us a feel for what the exam will be like in January and we can spot our weak points and where we need to step up the study as the give us the answers at the end.

Thursday was a busy clinic day my sixth week of treating patients and it is the second last clinic in term! Where has this semester gone seriously??? We were on the morning clinic this week. It was a nice clinic with a good flow. The first patient I treated was a patient with long nails and callus to the plantar metatarsal area to both feet. After my bragging last week of being the only one not to have hemmed a patient, I hemmed my first patient this week and my god did it knock my confidence. I initially was quite upset and shaken by the tiny nick I had caused in the planter metatarsal area of the ladies foot. I had to get one of the qualified podiatrists to help me to finish the treatment. She encouraged me to keep going and she observed as I did but I was very tentative and afraid. The patient however was very nice and told me it often happens to her at the clinic. I was just in complete distress. However once I had finished with this patient the qualified podiatrist took me aside toe explain to me not to be upset that these things happen and even the best of them get in wrong it was only a tiny nick I caused in the skin and it was covered by a spot plaster not several stitches. She reassured me it was all part of the training and these things are bound to happen to first year students practising. She handed me another patients file and told me if I didn't do a second patent today I'd stay scared, she got me back in the band wagon and I've never been so delighted. I cute filed and cleared the second patients nails and then I reduced the little bit of callus on her 1st met head and t my confidence rose ever so slightly as I used the 15 blade. When I finished treating my second patient they gave me a box of chocolates as a christmas thank you! They we're delighted they could now go dancing over christmas! This really made my day and was a little pick me up from my earlier hemmed patient.

In the afternoon we were on skills lab which I thoroughly enjoyed! We learned more about pads and insoles and we made up some of our own. It was a lot of fun and felt like arts and crafts class back in primary school.

Caoimhe  x

Week 10

Well reading week flew and was even less productive than I thought it would be! We are now into the last month of our first semester and those January exams are looming. It is time to knuckle down and get stuck into the books!

Week 10 has been nice and easy so far we were given a later start of 10:30am for our usual 9 am lecture. Not a bad way to start a Monday morning. We learned all about wound physiology and important it is. I thoroughly enjoyed the lecture and learning about the different stages of a wound and how to tell if a wound is infected or if it is simply just on its way to healing. Tuesday was a bit tougher, we learned all about the hip and ankle joints in this mornings lecture before heading to our morning tutorial to look at the models and get to grips with the different muscles, ligaments and tendons important for these joints to function.

Tuesdays afternoon was slightly more tricky when we had a new lecturer introduced to us to speak about muscle contraction which I found very itty bitty and hard to grasp however hopefully as I go over it, it will become more clear. We had another surprise as we were told we had no evening tutorial and it made a dull tuesday, that little bit brighter!

Clinic was extra busy this morning although our group was eased in as we had skills lab first where we learned all about a pressure measuring kit and how it is an excellent piece of equipment to show patients the improvement redistributing/deaccelerating the pressure from a pressure point. In the afternoon we had a very busy clinic, we all saw two patients each and I am slowly gaining more and more confidence in myself and becoming more familiar wight he different techniques. Week 5 of clinic and I am one of the only few who have not hemmed a patient yet! I am very proud of this achievement. But for now its back to my anatomy colouring book for me before I hit the hay after a very long day!

Caoimhe x

Week 9

The only reasoning for this blog is procrastination, sat at my desk on reading week, (week 9) where I should be going over my anatomy and physiology instead here I am creating a blog to probably bore most of you with the ongoings of my course.

I am a 19 year old, Irish podiatry student at The University of Salford, I thought about starting this sooner but it is only now I am getting around to it. After reading Louise's excellent blog, I decided to create my own. We are now in week 9, three quarters of the way through our first semester and I am probably a lot more relaxed than I should be. A quick summary of the courses so far

I am throughly enjoying the course and it is certainly the best decision I've made in my life so far! Moving country at 19 years old has not been easy but I can tell you something I have learned more about myself in the last 3 months that I have in my whole life, this difficult decision has changed my life for the better and I know it is one I will always look back fondly on.

In 9 weeks we have a huge amount of the course covered (a lot more than I thought we would) and we have also had some great talks from Clarks about the importance of a good fitted shoe and from a Dr from Sheffield on a Corn Plasters Study. We have even finished a whole module on Inter Collaborative Professional Practice which we did with other health science courses within The University of Salford and we are now working on an assignment for the module due in just after Christmas. We have learned all the bones and attachments inn the foot and leg and nearly all the muscles and tendons We have had our terrifying OSCE exam to determine if we are allowed to treat patients or not and we have indeed gotten our uniforms and began clinic treating patients on our own!!!! Which I must admit is quite scary but also completely fascinating and satisfying as I see patients walk out in less pain and discomfort than they came in with, I absolutely love this aspect as I feel I am making a difference in a persons life, doing something I whole love. We've also began to make paddings and insoles for the feet which is entreating and enjoyable.

That is a very brief summary of our Podiatry course so far, I have undoubtedly missed out a lot but it is hard to remember everything in 9 weeks.

Caoimhe x

We all have to start somewhere.

Everything we do begins with the first step, our progress is often slow but if we are determined and strong headed and passionate enough about something we will all end up where we want to go. Sometimes we stress over the little things and let the big things slide its human nature. Its not easy to see some people sail through life as you struggle with work, money, weight whatever it may be. You watch as your friends glide through life as you are struggling to take the first step.

I can tell you first hand life is not easy but if you persevere you will end up where you want to be. It is ok to dream dreams but to chase them is often the hard part. I moved to boarding school at 15 to improve my academics and get me the points to study the university degree I had so long wanted, Podiatry. 8 weeks into boarding school on a cold Friday evening I arrived off the bus and declared to my parents I was never going back. After a week of torment, tears and stress I was back in my original school, a decision I would live to regret the rest of my life.

I got through the leaving cert with minimal study, and partying every weekend. I thought I had my life planned out and I would jump into Podiatry  with no problem at all. Until results day, as I slid the paper out of the brown envelope tears slowly slid down my pasty face, the grades were not as expected and my worst fear was here. What do I do next? Where do I go?

I was lucky enough to scrape into Computer Science in NUI Galway and deep down knowing it wasn't the right course for me I took it craving the university lifestyle, I did however manage to sail through first year going out 2+ nights a week plus the occasional Saturday, my grades were fantastic and everyone thought I had finally found my niche, everyone except me. I hated the course and although I made some of my best friends in my first year of University I knew I had to get out of the course. I pleaded my parents to let me drop out but they forced me to stay and promised me if I got my exams I could swap course.

I immediately began to search Podiatry, I emailed NUI Galway to see if I could transfer, the answer was no, several emails and three phone calls later the answer was still no. I knew this wasn't the end. I was determined to get onto my dream course and I was not willing to stop for anyone. I searched Podiatry in England and emailed all 13 Universities, I got in touch with podiatrists here in Ireland and wrote my personal statement. I applied to five Universities in the UK and after various Skype and face to face interviews I was offered an unconditional offer at all five universities. I was over the moon my life was finally coming together and my dream was in reach, providing I passed my summer exams (my parents rules).

I managed an impressive 2:1 in my summer exams and suddenly my dream became a lot more real. I secured my place Salford University after speaking to many Health Care professionals who had studied there or who had recommend the University. I booked my accommodation, my one way ferry and on the 10th of September D-day arrived, my phone was inundated with good luck messages and phone calls, I was nervous, scared, frightened but most of all I was excited for my new adventure.