Hi everyone!
I can’t believe I’m already over halfway through the program. It feels like just yesterday I was landing at the airport in London. There’s a lot to cover, so let me catch you all up to speed.
The first time I stepped into King’s College Hospital for my internship, I’ll admit I was a bit nervous. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from the projects I’d be working on, and that uncertainty made the first few days feel a little daunting. Looking back now, though, I’m glad I pushed through that initial anxiety, because the work has turned out to be really interesting and engaging.
Right now, I’m involved in a handful of different projects: writing an article about the needs of complex patients in dental surgery, improving the hip fracture patient pathway at King’s, refurbishing the preoperative area for the day surgery unit, and evaluating the patient pathway for craniotomies. Each one has given me a different lens into how hospitals function and how much coordination goes into patient care.
Of course, there have been challenges. One of the bigger challenges I’ve faced has been when I’ve been conducting the craniotomy patient surveys to help address the craniotomy patient pathway. We originally designed the surveys to be digital, intending for patients to fill out the survey on Google Forms for easier tracking. However, this format introduced an unexpected challenge. Because the ward rooms are kept quite dim while patients rest and sleep, I worried about their potential light sensitivity and realized that handing them a bright digital screen wasn’t ideal. To adapt, we transitioned to reading the questions aloud to each individual and tracking their responses on our own devices. However, the interaction still felt somewhat awkward, as it felt uncomfortable to avoid bothering people who had just undergone a major procedure.
Outside of work, I’ve been making the most of my time here, which has included a lot of museums. I’ve been to the British Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Imperial War Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Design Museum.
Most of these, especially the British Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the V&A, are enormous, packed with items and exhibitions. As someone who enjoys museums, it was exciting to explore the sheer variety of objects and artifacts each one had on display. I will be honest, however. Some of these museums are so large, like the British Museum and the V&A, that by the end I was feeling pretty worn out from standing and walking for so long. Still, overall, I’ve enjoyed my visits to all of them.
A few things really stood out from these museums. The Cast Courts at the V&A were incredible. The Cast Courts are two massive halls filled with enormous plaster replicas of iconic sculptures from around the world. The Rosetta Stone at the British Museum was another highlight, and the Natural History Museum’s Vault gallery containing precious minerals and crystals felt really special.
Beyond the museums, I’ve also managed to get out of the city for different adventures. On my second weekend, I hiked the Seven Sisters. These are a series of dramatic white chalk cliffs on the English Channel coast in East Sussex. The name comes from the seven distinct peaks that form the coastline’s silhouette. The views were stunning, both from the top of the cliffs looking out and from a distance viewing the cliffs themselves.
I also made a trip to Borough Market, which was super packed. The lines were long, and I wasn’t able to try everything I’d seen recommended on social media. I’m planning to go back another time when it’s a bit less busy so I can try the items on my list. That’s everything for now! I’ll update you all more in the coming weeks as I dive into the second half of the program. I’m excited to see what lies ahead.