One Year Check Up Junior Doctors: Your Life in Their Hands


One Year Check Up

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Summer, 2011.

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Eight junior doctors hit the wards

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of the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

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One year later, as they're about to move on...

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ALL: Cheers.

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..they are getting together to look back

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on the most testing year of their lives.

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You don't just develop professionally

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but actually you develop quite personally as well.

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They'll talk about the hard times...

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Starting on nights was shocking.

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..the wild times...

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CHAMPAGNE CORKS POP

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CHEERING

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THEY SING

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..the things they remember...

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Ready? Go.

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PATIENT CRIES IN PAIN

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Sharp, spiky thing goes in and sharp, spiky thing come out.

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BOY CRIES

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..and those they'd rather forget.

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-Get off my hand! Get off!

-Alfie, Alfie, Alfie, Alfie.

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Alfie. Alfie, Alfie. Alfie. Boom, there's a needle in your face.

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..what they learnt...

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There's this myth that doctors make a lot of the decisions.

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-Nurses run the show, don't they?

-Yeah, the nurses do run the show.

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..and where they're going next.

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I'm really interested in helping patients who have

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disorders of the skin.

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I've seen the impact it has on their lives.

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12 months ago, these eight young people were about to take on

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the biggest challenge they'd ever faced:

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becoming junior doctors.

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They were joining thousands of other juniors across Britain,

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starting work for the first time.

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One year on, they're coming together for the last time.

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ICE CLINKS

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You don't really appreciate how much you've grown

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and developed in that short space of time.

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Now you go in and the patients are,

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"Oh, you know, are you any good at this?"

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And I'm, like, "Yeah, I am good at it."

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Do it first time and they are, like, "Oh, that was really good,

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"some people are rubbish at this."

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I think we've accomplished so much. We've learned a lot.

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Just about practising medicine.

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Until you have to do it and it's your responsibility,

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it's completely different.

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It's just very satisfying.

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Going to a procedure and knowing you are good at it

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and you can do it.

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12 months ago it was a very different story.

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If they work out that you're useless in the first few days

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then it's not a good place to be, is it?

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24-year-old Priya and 26-year-old Milla were fresh out of med school.

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Until you are actually a doctor, you're not a doctor.

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You see what I mean?

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As were their fellow colleagues, Aki, Andy and Lucy.

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I've got an awful memory,

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and that really is honestly something I have to work around.

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-Make sure you write everything down.

-I do, but then I lose my paper!

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Sharing a house with the first years were second years Amieth and Ben.

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How did you guys feel on your first day, in your first week?

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Petrified.

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It's terrifying. And then the first set of nights, they are horrible.

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Oh, no! I'm not going to ask you any more questions!

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PHONE BEEPS AND VIBRATES

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With little experience,

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all the junior doctors were about to head into the unknown.

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See you later.

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And anxious about what the day would bring.

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-You're new doctors?

-Yes, my name is Lucy.

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You go straight in. Boom.

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Go save that patient's life.

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It's not that easy.

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At just 22-years-old, Andy was the youngest.

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Going in to the first day, yeah, it was really nerve wracking.

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And straightaway he came face-to-face

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with an age-old challenge.

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Fitting a device called a cannula.

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Hello, Mister Straw.

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OK, so I'm going to have a go at doing a cannula, if that's all right?

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The procedure involves first finding a vein.

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OK, so sharp scratch coming up.

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Then threading a hollow needle through it.

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A common task but a nerve-wracking one.

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HE TUTS

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Right, that's not in. Let's have a look at this arm, shall we?

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Basically, he had to endure your lack of skill.

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Yeah, yeah, I wasn't very good at cannulas.

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-Are you all right there?

-Yeah, fine.

-Good.

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All right, two goes, yeah?

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All right.

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Mister Straw was a lovely gentleman

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who took it for the team, I have to say.

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Andy's pincushion.

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So I get one more go? Yeah?

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He was just on the wrong end of someone who

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wasn't very good at doing cannulas.

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I felt for Andy. I could really understand his position.

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But my God I was, like, that poor man,

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having to go through all of that just because we're crap.

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-Well, I'm crap.

-No, we all were.

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HE SIGHS

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Yeah, didn't manage to get it in again

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so that's kind of annoying but...

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I guess I'm glad I persisted because you've just got to do it

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and I'm going to get one of the others to come and have a go.

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And then, yeah, hey, next time.

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I think he took it really well.

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It could be the beginning of a downward slope

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but I think you took it on the chin, picked himself up and went on.

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I basically can't walk around the hospital

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without getting cannula jokes everyday.

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No, you can't!

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It wasn't only the first year doctors who were struggling.

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-Who's your favourite Star Wars character?

-Darth Vader.

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Second year Ben was about to meet a young patient called Alfie.

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-All right there, Alfie?

-Hi.

-Hiya.

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Have you still got that magic cream on?

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-No.

-No, it's all gone, good.

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Working with children was Ben's dream job.

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So he needed to prove he had a winning way.

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I'm going to spray this on your arm, OK, it's just cold spray. Ready?

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It will make it go numb in a minute.

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Alfie was a young boy who needed a big operation on his bowels,

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so he needed part of his intestines taken out.

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I essentially had to put a cannula in him.

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What's that?

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It's a little needle I need to put in your hand

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so we can give you some medication.

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Do you want to hold mummy's hand and lie back as we do it?

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-It's cold.

-Just put this down, OK.

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So you've got the cream on so it shouldn't hurt,

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it should be all right.

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Look at mummy, there we go. Alfie.

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I can't do it!

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HE CRIES

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Can't do it! Get off my hand!

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Alfie, Alfie, Alfie.

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Alfie, Alfie. Alfie, Alfie, Alfie. Alfie.

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Boom, there's a needle in your face.

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I don't want it on there. I don't want it!

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Alfie, we'll do it very quickly, we'll get it over and done with.

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It was a nightmare. It was late at night, end of an on-call.

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I just did it badly.

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Don't be silly.

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I don't like it here.

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I know, but come here and me and you will go for a walk.

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Rather than make sure he was completely still,

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I should have found a vein, had him calm and just gone ahead and done it.

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He's got local anaesthetic on his hand,

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he's not going to feel it anyway so just do it.

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Mum. I'm not doing it.

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Nowadays I'd just go ahead and put the cannula in the back of his hand

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and that would be that, rather than build-up to it and him get stressed.

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-It's all right, we're not putting any needles in you today.

-Why?

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Maybe he needed that one experience where he had that difficult child

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and all the future Alfies he has to put the big needle in,

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he'll know exactly how to deal with them.

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See you later, Alfie.

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Alfie, Alfie.

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All anyone ever bloody says to me is Alfie, Alfie, Alfie, Alfie.

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Alfie, Alfie, Alfie.

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All junior doctors have to manage the transition

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from textbook knowledge to practical application, and it's not easy.

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I had it for a second there.

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Learning how to put it into practice is a whole new ballgame.

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It's terrifying to encounter that for the first time.

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I think your scariest moments are when people expect you to be able

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to manage and you feel for the first time that you're on your own.

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I was quite confident with my medical knowledge but what I perhaps

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was less confident in was how you actually then apply it in real life.

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First year Aki tried to brace himself by doing some

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last-minute swotting up.

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I'm going to be a little bit nervous on the first day

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so I just want to make sure that I'm prepared.

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At the start of the year I wasn't very confident at all.

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I was really worried about not doing my job right.

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Pissing all my colleagues off.

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SECURITY LOCK BEEPS

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Harming patients.

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I don't think her blood tests are back

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or she might have not had them done this morning.

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Just hours into his first shift,

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Aki got a grilling by a senior doctor.

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Before we do that, which trial evidence do you know of

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for use of atorvastatin in acute coronary syndrome?

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Erm...

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There was a time when I knew so many studies.

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-I know this doesn't help.

-When was that time?

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About two months ago.

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That time has come and gone already. It's only your first day.

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No one knows that stuff. No one.

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I know now.

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I happen to have a friend who's quite interested in becoming

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a cardiologist and he didn't even know about it until afterwards.

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It's an apprenticeship so you get asked by your seniors about,

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do you know how to do this,

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do you know what drug you're supposed to give this kind of condition.

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You are constantly tested.

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As well as working together,

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the eight junior doctors shared a house in south-west London.

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It was a bit like being back in university halls.

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It was a very interesting experience living with the guys in the house.

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It was a complete range of different characters.

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When I'm ill I know I get really princessy and moany.

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When you're ill?

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SHE LAUGHS

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I loved moving in with seven people.

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It made the whole thing very entertaining. It was like a sitcom.

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Living together allowed the juniors to chew over pressing issues.

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Lucy, if it was your last day on earth, who would you sleep with?

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You could all relate to each other.

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We knew what each other was going through.

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Just being able to discuss your day and laugh at things,

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I think that was a massive boost.

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And just to see you weren't alone in feeling completely inadequate.

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It was really nice.

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Men should stay at home and do the cooking and women should go out

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and become good doctors.

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No two colleagues got on better than Andy and Aki.

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It's been really hectic on the surgical unit.

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-Are you, like, down on men, manpower, as in are people away?

-No!

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Yeah, no, we've been really busy.

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We haven't been down on men,

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I certainly haven't been down on any men.

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Aki and Andy's bromance was beautiful.

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# You're just too good to be true... #

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When I was at school, I was in this pop punk band.

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Really? That's hilarious. Same.

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No, bullshit!

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Andy and Aki have a special relationship, don't you?

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-I wouldn't say it was a special relationship.

-I would.

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-Just a friendship.

-I would say it was special.

-It's a friendship.

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-Aki.

-What?

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Screw being a doctor, let's become rock stars!

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-You definitely had a bromance with Aki.

-You reckon?

-Yeah.

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Oh, wow!

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-Dude you look...

-What?

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It's good, we did good.

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-Within the house, Andy and I got on very well.

-Yeah.

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Shall I go blazer or leather jacket?

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-There's a lot of man love.

-Well...

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-There is.

-Is there?

-Yeah.

-All right, take it.

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We didn't touch each other if that's what you're asking.

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-You look good.

-Thanks.

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Let's get our game on, bitches.

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Whilst live at the house may have been fun,

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their jobs were demanding and stressful.

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PHONE RINGS

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Chelsea.

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And none more so than for second year Amieth.

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Laid-back by nature, he was working in A&E,

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where quick decisions are vital.

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Could you tell me what happened to you today?

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-I fell down about 15 or 20 stairs.

-Really?

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He ran through the standard checks and decided on a course of action.

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I had wanted to get a CT scan on him

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to look for any bleeding into the brain

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because there were lots of risk factors for that

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and he had some slightly alarming clinical signs.

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Yeah, I think so.

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Yeah.

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All right, shall we stitch first then?

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Can I do it?

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I think we'll be able to make you pretty again.

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MAN CHUCKLES

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So now we just have to make small talk for a few minutes.

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It's very difficult starting off as a doctor

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and you need to do everything you can to make your job easier.

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Using the nurses and their experience is just one way

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of making the job much easier.

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It didn't take long for the junior doctors to realise how much

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they needed the nurses.

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Can I possibly borrow you?

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-Am I right or not?

-That's right.

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It's twist and pull, isn't it?

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There's this myth that, you know, doctors make a lot of decisions

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and they do a lot of things.

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-Nurses run the show, don't they?

-Yeah, the nurses do run the show.

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What enema do you tend to give? And we'll prescribe the one

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that you tend to use, because we're both new.

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-Usually phosphate.

-Just a phosphate enema, OK.

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And we're just like their minions.

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We'd go to the nurses a lot in those first few days.

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Maybe I wasn't clear enough verbally. I thought I said but...

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No, but nurses should still be reading the notes.

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-Don't blame yourself.

-All right.

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I am referring, not I would like to refer, I AM referring.

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Make an enemy of a nurse at your peril.

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They'll make your life miserable if you start to piss them all off.

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But I don't think that happens that often.

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Well, not that often.

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Don't get too friendly with them either.

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Even with the support of a team, the days were taxing.

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But more daunting were the nights.

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First to run the gauntlet was Milla.

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It's not like the daytime when you have your colleagues around you

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and it's a lot easier to ask for help.

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All doctors on call are given a crash bleep, which alerts them

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to medical emergencies. Milla hadn't used one before.

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But you just double-press the green button.

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-And it's definitely going to go off?

-It will definitely go off.

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-OK.

-Or you'd be very lucky if it never went off.

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-So this is how it begins?

-This is how it begins.

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BEEPING OK. OK.

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Starting on nights was, for me, shocking.

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BEEPING

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Oh my God, I'm not going to get my jobs done!

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You're not supported by an entire team so you start on your own

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and you have to deal with all the emergencies.

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BEEPING

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This is my new best friend, Mr Beep.

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He basically doesn't stop bothering me.

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BEEPING It's just one bleep after another.

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Mr Bleep still goes off all the time. You can't get away with it!

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I now go to the supermarket

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and from the check out I literally think a bleep's going off somewhere.

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To run off and answer ten million beeps.

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BEEPING

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And Milla's difficult night was only just beginning.

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Somebody called me up to come and certify, I think, a death.

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I had to do some, I think, really quite challenging things.

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Things that I would never have experienced before,

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including sort of having to certify a death.

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I mean, it's my first night.

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If you can help me out, I'd be most grateful.

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He was still warm.

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So I think that's kind of...

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It's probably part of the really scary bit

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because you kind of... You expect them to have a pulse,

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so it's quite weird.

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Yeah, just to look into his eyes and stuff...

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So, yeah, quite shocking actually.

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I guess I didn't really expect that on my first night.

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And Milla's stress levels were about to go up a notch.

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That's it. Fantastic. OK.

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'Cardiac arrest. A&E Resus. Cardiac arrest.'

0:19:020:19:06

Oh my God, I don't have a card. Shit!

0:19:120:19:14

When your crash bleep goes off you literally see yourself running

0:19:170:19:21

to the crash call and you look up in the corridors in the hospital

0:19:210:19:24

to see whether there's anyone else running.

0:19:240:19:27

A patient was in cardiac arrest.

0:19:270:19:31

but Milla was four floors up on the other side of the hospital.

0:19:310:19:35

Hello, Milla. How's it going?

0:19:400:19:42

Hello. Good, you let me know if you need me to do anything.

0:19:420:19:44

Milla arrived just in time to help Amieth and the A&E team.

0:19:440:19:48

Point 99. PTO twos.

0:19:480:19:51

She was given the job of monitoring the patient's heart rate.

0:19:510:19:54

Basically says minus 24.

0:19:540:19:56

-I still need to continue.

-Are you happy in your job?

0:19:560:19:59

-Yeah, I am, thank you.

-It's the most important job going.

0:19:590:20:02

And after an hour she had helped stabilise them.

0:20:040:20:07

-Anything else I can do?

-No, thank you very much.

-Thanks very much.

0:20:100:20:13

You can't take those first few nights back,

0:20:130:20:15

you'll never experience them again.

0:20:150:20:18

But I don't think that I did anything that I would do differently now

0:20:180:20:22

but I think that I can now deal with things much quicker.

0:20:220:20:25

At the front line of this intense job, it was crucial to switch off.

0:20:290:20:34

But the junior doctors soon realised that their chosen career

0:20:340:20:37

was going to have a big impact on their personal lives.

0:20:370:20:40

It's really difficult to plan a social life around this rota.

0:20:460:20:50

You're supposed to finish at a certain time but you rarely ever do.

0:20:500:20:54

Hello, I've just been bleeped. It's Lucy.

0:20:590:21:01

Hi, it's Ben, I was just bleeped.

0:21:010:21:03

Well, in every job, when you start, you have days where you're just like,

0:21:080:21:12

"This is awful, I hate it, I'm miserable."

0:21:120:21:14

And it's now 2am, so this is my cereal.

0:21:150:21:19

Unfortunately, I think I've lost my life completely in the last year.

0:21:190:21:23

I got four bleeps just then.

0:21:230:21:25

I just think you get completely immersed in work

0:21:250:21:27

and you forget what's outside of it.

0:21:270:21:29

I'm already sleepy.

0:21:310:21:32

-Can I hand over this patient to you?

-Yeah, of course, man, no worries.

0:21:320:21:35

I just... I think that I'm so tired now after the ten days.

0:21:350:21:39

It's a very conscious effort to maintain your life outside of work.

0:21:410:21:44

So when they did get a chance to go out they really went to town.

0:21:460:21:50

-I've been looking forward to tonight so much.

-Going to get trashed?

0:21:500:21:54

That's the biggest balls up you've made in the last 12 days!

0:21:550:21:59

And I think it's absolutely crucial, especially in a job like ours,

0:21:590:22:03

to have things to look forward to.

0:22:030:22:05

Cos we know how hard we work.

0:22:070:22:09

THEY SING KARAOKE

0:22:090:22:11

When it came to party planning, Chelsea girl Milla led the way.

0:22:160:22:20

Hello. Hi. Thank you for coming.

0:22:200:22:24

-Oh, do you remember the bhaji thing?

-I do.

0:22:240:22:26

-Thank you so much for organising that.

-Oh, you're welcome.

0:22:260:22:28

CHEERING

0:22:280:22:31

She bestowed upon us the honour of teaching us this amazing skill.

0:22:310:22:37

Across the bottle. Priya, come on!

0:22:370:22:41

CHEERING It was a completely bizarre party with the champagne

0:22:410:22:46

and the swords and Milla being...Milla.

0:22:460:22:48

Work life balance is hard.

0:22:500:22:52

You can end up in hospital all the time, go home,

0:22:520:22:54

you carry on working actually

0:22:540:22:56

and end up going a little bit crazy and it is hard to balance.

0:22:560:23:00

-Ready?

-Yeah.

0:23:010:23:03

I wouldn't say I've got the work- life balance right just yet, no.

0:23:030:23:06

The doctors were bonding with each other.

0:23:120:23:14

On the wards they also had to build relationships with patients.

0:23:140:23:18

It doesn't look like there's any wax or cotton in there.

0:23:180:23:22

It felt as if someone had taken me lungs out,

0:23:220:23:25

given them a good kicking and put them back in.

0:23:250:23:27

Can you point to where the pain was?

0:23:270:23:29

And from day one it was clear that Lucy was a natural

0:23:300:23:34

when it came to bedside manner.

0:23:340:23:36

I just feel like I need to get older because, at the moment,

0:23:360:23:39

when I'm talking to 80-year-olds and telling them

0:23:390:23:41

what they should be doing, I feel quite young.

0:23:410:23:44

Lucy was based in the General Medical Ward

0:23:450:23:49

where she treated mostly older patients.

0:23:490:23:51

You're 97 and doing everything on your own. Can't complain.

0:23:530:23:56

I shall be 100 soon.

0:23:560:23:58

'I think my first job offered me what I enjoy,

0:23:580:24:01

'so just the nature of the job'

0:24:010:24:03

meant there was a lot of elderly people

0:24:030:24:05

that had very long stays in hospital.

0:24:050:24:07

At just 25, Lucy had to give advice and support.

0:24:070:24:11

I wonder whether I'll be able to manage when I get home.

0:24:110:24:13

That's exactly why I want to talk to you.

0:24:130:24:15

I manage to kind of foster relationships with people that

0:24:170:24:20

actually, they give you quite a lot of slack,

0:24:200:24:23

so as a first job, people were very patient with me.

0:24:230:24:27

-Do you know where my eyebrows are?

-Do I know where they are?

0:24:270:24:30

-Yeah.

-I think I can probably guess.

0:24:300:24:32

'But you slowly gain confidence

0:24:320:24:34

'and the fact that you'd go in and people would know you'

0:24:340:24:37

and they enjoy seeing you and you would enjoy seeing them

0:24:370:24:41

and that kind of stuff I am a completely softy for really.

0:24:410:24:44

I just really enjoyed it.

0:24:440:24:45

I'll draw the curtain round and have a listen to your breathing.

0:24:450:24:48

We've taken him off his oxygen to see what he's saturating at

0:24:480:24:51

so he's been a bit better.

0:24:510:24:52

From her first day, Lucy cared for a 92-year-old patient

0:24:520:24:57

called Robert Beck.

0:24:570:24:58

He was suffering from a chest infection.

0:24:580:25:01

-Stick your tongue out. Did you have breakfast this morning?

-Not yet.

0:25:010:25:04

-Oh, you haven't had any breakfast?

-No.

-Not even a cup of tea?

0:25:040:25:09

-I had a cup of tea, yes.

-OK, that's what medical students are for.

0:25:090:25:12

Would you mind getting some tea and biscuits for Mr Beck, please?

0:25:120:25:16

-Thank you. How do you take your teeth?

-Milk, no sugar.

-Well done.

0:25:160:25:21

-No sugar.

-OK, it's coming up.

0:25:210:25:23

Robert Beck was a patient that was there for a long time

0:25:230:25:25

during my first job.

0:25:250:25:26

Over that time you get to know things about people,

0:25:260:25:29

and he would tell you about...

0:25:290:25:31

Well, he'd tell me about his insecurities and about his worries

0:25:310:25:35

and you can't help but really grow very fond of somebody

0:25:350:25:39

and empathise with them.

0:25:390:25:40

Do you?

0:25:420:25:43

Let me shut the curtains and we'll have a proper chat.

0:25:430:25:46

I'm a bundle of nerves.

0:25:490:25:52

Are you? What are you nervous about?

0:25:520:25:54

What's just round the corner?

0:26:090:26:11

I don't think so.

0:26:120:26:14

I know it's a little bit miserable being in here.

0:26:170:26:19

It's just a matter of keeping going.

0:26:190:26:24

And you look good.

0:26:240:26:26

You do.

0:26:260:26:27

The secret is, Robert, I like having you here and we want to keep you.

0:26:290:26:33

But I certainly don't want you to be nervous.

0:26:340:26:37

I know. I know it's human nature.

0:26:440:26:47

I don't think it's pleasant for anybody, being in hospital.

0:26:470:26:51

I'm sorry it's been like that.

0:27:060:27:08

I know you do.

0:27:110:27:13

You've been in here now though for about two and a half weeks

0:27:130:27:16

and because you've been in for that long I want to carry on

0:27:160:27:20

and make sure that you get home and you stay at home and you're well.

0:27:200:27:24

Because I think we can do that. Honestly I do.

0:27:240:27:28

Yeah.

0:27:280:27:31

I feel very privileged when people put their trust in you, actually.

0:27:360:27:40

I think it's such a privilege.

0:27:400:27:42

I think it still touches me now, actually.

0:27:420:27:45

I still think, God, it's a great job for that.

0:27:450:27:47

People are in hospital

0:27:490:27:50

and that is the worst time of their lives and we forget that.

0:27:500:27:53

Oh, yeah, especially when you've got 20 patients.

0:27:530:27:56

We just waltz in and waltz out.

0:27:560:27:58

You don't have to scratch the surface very far at all with most patients

0:27:580:28:02

and they do have massive insecurities

0:28:020:28:04

and worries and concerns and stresses

0:28:040:28:06

and I think they always appreciate it if you just spend a bit of time.

0:28:060:28:10

And are you warm enough? Because you feel quite cold.

0:28:100:28:12

My friend asked me,

0:28:120:28:13

"If my mum becomes sick, can you make sure Lucy looks after her?"

0:28:130:28:17

If my mum's sick, I'll make sure... I would pay Lucy to look after her.

0:28:170:28:22

-And I'll see you later. You enjoy that tea.

-OK, love.

0:28:220:28:25

I'm honoured to be her friend.

0:28:250:28:27

Like Lucy, Milla was learning the art

0:28:300:28:33

of putting patients at their ease.

0:28:330:28:36

In Dermatology, she saw a patient with severe psoriasis.

0:28:360:28:40

It's quite smelly, isn't it?

0:28:400:28:41

A skin condition which needed treatment with coal tar.

0:28:410:28:45

How often do you have this done?

0:28:450:28:47

-So you had psoriasis for that long?

-Yes.

0:28:540:28:58

He was just the most loveliest man who had dealt with this condition

0:28:580:29:03

for so many years and I think more shockingly

0:29:030:29:06

he obviously was, you know, was struggling dealing with it.

0:29:060:29:12

How does it affect you physically?

0:29:120:29:14

You said both physically and mentally.

0:29:330:29:35

-And so 40 years, you said?

-Yeah, about 40 years now.

0:29:560:30:00

-Wow. And you're still smiling.

-Yeah, I'm still smiling, yes. Yeah.

0:30:000:30:04

It was really quite upsetting,

0:30:050:30:06

some of the things that he shared with me regarding his wife

0:30:060:30:10

and regarding his children.

0:30:100:30:12

I think sometimes we don't realise

0:30:120:30:14

how much different medical conditions affect people and their lives.

0:30:140:30:19

And Milla has decided that dermatology

0:30:230:30:26

is going to be her chosen career path.

0:30:260:30:29

-OK?

-Is that all done?

0:30:290:30:32

-No, not yet, that was just the anaesthetic.

-Oh, right.

0:30:320:30:34

But that was it, I promise you that was the worst bit,

0:30:340:30:37

you shouldn't feel anything else now.

0:30:370:30:39

The fact that it's something that people can see

0:30:400:30:42

and it's something that, you know, we can do something about...

0:30:420:30:45

Because a lot of these conditions are really debilitating for people

0:30:450:30:49

because they are visible.

0:30:490:30:50

And we can do something about it.

0:30:500:30:52

As well as rewarding, patient contact could also be challenging.

0:30:570:31:03

Starting out as a junior doctor is very daunting

0:31:030:31:05

and there's lots of trepidation about what's going to happen

0:31:050:31:09

and how you deal with things as they occur.

0:31:090:31:12

And Sameer was about to meet a patient

0:31:120:31:15

who would test his bedside manner.

0:31:150:31:17

I will. I will talk to you first.

0:31:200:31:22

So just to introduce myself - I'm Sameer, I'm one of the doctors.

0:31:240:31:28

So where's the pain?

0:31:280:31:30

So does anything make the pain worse or better?

0:31:380:31:40

I just need to make sure I've got the whole story.

0:31:550:31:59

-But I will be as quick as I can.

-Of course.

0:31:590:32:02

'I knew you'd need to have difficult conversations with patients.'

0:32:020:32:06

There's always going to be a couple of patients

0:32:060:32:09

that you're not going to... You know.

0:32:090:32:12

Perhaps not enjoy talking to, but they're going to be difficult.

0:32:120:32:16

I want to talk a bit about the drug use.

0:32:160:32:19

How long have you been using and what kind of drugs have you...?

0:32:190:32:24

It's just... It would be helpful...

0:32:360:32:38

It's just questions we ask everyone.

0:32:380:32:40

Well, no, there's a reason for it.

0:32:430:32:44

No, no, it's because...

0:32:470:32:48

I-I...

0:32:490:32:50

OK.

0:32:530:32:55

Don't worry, we don't have to talk about it in that case.

0:32:560:32:59

OK, can I just move on to...?

0:33:010:33:04

'He did take me on a ride a bit and he was quite difficult with me

0:33:070:33:10

'and I did feel a bit uncomfortable on the inside,'

0:33:100:33:13

but I think sometimes that part of the doctors' job

0:33:130:33:17

is to keep control of the situation.

0:33:170:33:21

That patient was trying to engage with him

0:33:240:33:27

and was just been very challenging.

0:33:270:33:29

And he stayed quite calm, and I think he managed him

0:33:290:33:32

as well as anyone could have done, to be honest.

0:33:320:33:36

'I know exactly what to say now if that were to happen again,'

0:33:360:33:39

but I guess I didn't when that did happen.

0:33:390:33:42

A lot of the time, difficult patients are being difficult

0:33:440:33:47

because of anxiety and fear about being in hospital and being unwell.

0:33:470:33:52

And once you kind of get past that

0:33:520:33:54

and you address their particular concerns,

0:33:540:33:57

then they become a lot easier.

0:33:570:33:59

Um, it is something that I'm becoming a bit more used to,

0:33:590:34:02

but there are always certain patients that you just find

0:34:020:34:05

you don't quite make that connection with.

0:34:050:34:08

..a test to a blood stent, please.

0:34:140:34:17

For all the junior doctors,

0:34:170:34:19

new experiences were coming thick and fast.

0:34:190:34:23

Chest drains are quite nasty, OK? So really keep anaesthetic, all right?

0:34:230:34:27

OK. Just so you know, I haven't done this before.

0:34:270:34:30

-I will talk you through it.

-OK. Yep.

0:34:300:34:32

Aki was asked to carry out an advanced and difficult chest drain.

0:34:320:34:37

-My God.

-What's that?

0:34:380:34:41

-Chest drain. Have you done one?

-Yeah. You'll love it.

0:34:410:34:45

I'm sure I will(!) Thanks, see you tomorrow.

0:34:450:34:48

I think was really nice that I was given the opportunity

0:34:480:34:51

to do something a bit exciting really early on,

0:34:510:34:53

because it kind of sets you up for the whole year, really.

0:34:530:34:57

The crucial thing was to put the patient at ease.

0:34:570:35:02

I'm going to really honest with you, this is...

0:35:020:35:05

I don't want to scare you...

0:35:050:35:07

-This is the first time you've done this?

-Yes.

0:35:070:35:10

"I don't want you to worry, but I've never done this before."

0:35:100:35:12

"Oh, well, that's fine then, I feel completely at ease about it."

0:35:120:35:15

"It's extremely dangerous and you might die.

0:35:150:35:17

"But I've never done it before but it's fine."

0:35:170:35:19

Aki had to pierce the chest from behind, avoiding vital organs.

0:35:210:35:25

So...

0:35:250:35:26

Put that in, and then with your needle,

0:35:260:35:29

you are going to go straight in, perpendicular to the skin.

0:35:290:35:33

-Like that.

-Mm-hm.

0:35:330:35:35

-We're going to give it a try now.

-Can you feel that?

-No.

0:35:350:35:39

Hold the needle, remember not to let go of that guard.

0:35:390:35:43

Push it through, twiddle, twiddle, twiddle.

0:35:430:35:45

-Sorry.

-How are you doing there?

0:35:450:35:48

-It's hurting a bit.

-Is that bearable?

-Just.

-OK.

0:35:480:35:52

Take a big breath in for me please? You can see it's swinging, yeah?

0:35:550:36:00

Good. Well done.

0:36:000:36:02

-Congratulations.

-Thank you very much.

-Your first drain.

0:36:030:36:06

It was my first drain.

0:36:060:36:08

I'm really, really proud of Aki, he did really, really well,

0:36:080:36:11

and actually the patient was really comfortable as well

0:36:110:36:14

and that's really satisfying, so, no, job well done.

0:36:140:36:16

# I wanna sing... #

0:36:160:36:18

That was...really cool.

0:36:180:36:21

# I wanna scream till the words dry out... #

0:36:210:36:25

Job done!

0:36:250:36:26

'When everyone else is wondering around,

0:36:270:36:30

'filling in bits of paper, looking lost,'

0:36:300:36:31

you're there, sticking bloody great needles into someone's chest,

0:36:310:36:35

and walking around like you own the place!

0:36:350:36:39

I think every year I have a moment where I think,

0:36:420:36:45

"Oh, my God, this is the best job ever."

0:36:450:36:47

I think Aki was somewhat of an excited puppy dog, wasn't he?

0:36:500:36:54

-After he'd done that chest drain!

-SHE LAUGHS

0:36:540:36:56

-How are you?

-I am exhausted,

0:36:560:36:59

-but I'm really happy, I just put a chest drain in!

-Oh my gosh, wow!

0:36:590:37:02

That's exciting.

0:37:020:37:04

'I was very surprised, slightly jealous,'

0:37:040:37:07

because, you know, it's quite a challenging procedure.

0:37:070:37:11

-I haven't done one since.

-No. Take the opportunity when you get it!

0:37:110:37:16

So when I go into my second year, in a new hospital,

0:37:160:37:21

everyone's going to be like, "Oh, Aki, chest drain.

0:37:210:37:24

"Standard, right? Just whack one out, why don't you?"

0:37:240:37:26

I'll be like, "I've never done one since."

0:37:260:37:28

I think Aki dealt with the situation really well.

0:37:280:37:31

It's difficult. It's nerve wracking.

0:37:310:37:32

We've all been in that situation,

0:37:320:37:34

where you are doing a procedure for the first time.

0:37:340:37:36

Yet you have to exceed confidence

0:37:360:37:38

otherwise your patient doesn't have confidence in you.

0:37:380:37:40

'It's coming up to a year, now, of being a doctor.'

0:37:400:37:43

Some things repeat itself.

0:37:430:37:46

And the more you do it, the more confident you become.

0:37:460:37:49

'It's a positive spiral.'

0:37:490:37:51

And I just hope that continues.

0:37:520:37:54

As they gained more experience,

0:37:550:37:57

the junior doctors' confidence started growing.

0:37:570:38:01

In A&E, Amieth now had a few months under his belt.

0:38:010:38:05

PHONE RINGS Hello, A&E resus.

0:38:050:38:08

Just as well, given the case he was about to face.

0:38:080:38:12

A waitress had been admitted to A&E -

0:38:130:38:16

her hand had been impaled with a spike.

0:38:160:38:18

Make sure you keep all the receipts.

0:38:200:38:22

I was going to say, are these the chits or just the counter slips?

0:38:220:38:25

Oh, no, they'll need them for their records!

0:38:250:38:29

-I liked your joke as well, "Keep the receipts."

-It wasn't a joke.

-OK.

0:38:290:38:33

I actually wanted... You know, I thought they might be important.

0:38:330:38:36

'And if you just throw them away, the whole business goes under,'

0:38:360:38:40

so not only is she out of a job, she's also got a spike in her hand.

0:38:400:38:44

You can just take this out.

0:38:440:38:46

OK.

0:38:460:38:48

What we'll do is get a decent pair of pliers.

0:38:480:38:51

It's very deep, though...

0:38:510:38:52

'I'd actually anticipated sending her to the operating theatre

0:38:520:38:56

'to do that, and then the registrar turned around'

0:38:560:38:58

and said "Oh, no, you can do it, just go and get some pliers."

0:38:580:39:01

Get further down and a bit more in the middle, that's it,

0:39:010:39:04

right, now I'll tell you when...

0:39:040:39:06

Ready? Go.

0:39:060:39:08

PATIENT MOANS

0:39:080:39:10

Sharp spiky thing goes in and sharp spiky thing comes out.

0:39:130:39:16

-You've taken it out?

-I managed to get it out, yeah.

0:39:160:39:18

Oh, my God, well done, you!

0:39:180:39:20

I've certainly learnt to work on my own a lot more this year,

0:39:210:39:25

and I'm certainly much more comfortable in dealing with

0:39:250:39:29

many different sorts of problems.

0:39:290:39:31

-PRIYA:

-'The funny thing is you and I are both doing A&E next year,'

0:39:320:39:35

-and I don't know how...

-I know.

0:39:350:39:37

You get faced with anything and everything.

0:39:370:39:39

That's what we've seen with Amieth.

0:39:390:39:41

We've seen Amieth go through it, we've learnt a few things from him.

0:39:410:39:44

You have to be so versatile.

0:39:440:39:45

You have to adapt to the situation

0:39:450:39:47

and, you know, get out the toolkit and just get on with it.

0:39:470:39:51

Right, let's run through this list, cos I want a good day.

0:39:540:39:56

Like Amieth, Andy was being given more responsibility...

0:39:560:40:00

on the night shift.

0:40:000:40:01

My SHO, he was like, "We're going to get a bit of sleep

0:40:090:40:12

"and then you can run the show," so I'm just a bit like, "Oh, God!"

0:40:120:40:16

Ah, thank you. Cheers.

0:40:200:40:21

On his patient list was 22-year-old Cristobel.

0:40:210:40:24

So tell me what's been going on then?

0:40:240:40:26

At five o'clock today, some cramps started.

0:40:260:40:30

If I move or if I cough, or if I laugh or anything like that,

0:40:300:40:33

then it really hurts.

0:40:330:40:34

-Point me exactly where?

-The middle, just here.

0:40:340:40:37

Underneath the belly button, around here.

0:40:370:40:39

I need to have a feel of your tummy now.

0:40:390:40:41

She had severe abdominal pains.

0:40:410:40:43

-Ow.

-Sorry.

-Ow!

0:40:440:40:46

That's painful there, is it?

0:40:460:40:47

It could have been appendicitis or just some non-specific pain.

0:40:470:40:52

BEEPING

0:40:520:40:54

The patient I saw earlier has fainted.

0:40:560:41:00

But a few hours later,

0:41:000:41:01

her stomach pains had taken a turn for the worse.

0:41:010:41:04

Hi.

0:41:060:41:08

She just looked awful, and I thought, you know,

0:41:080:41:10

"There's really something seriously wrong here."

0:41:100:41:13

So we need some gel infusion, get some oxygen as well, please.

0:41:130:41:16

That's when the sort of real training kicks in.

0:41:160:41:19

OK...

0:41:190:41:20

No, what's been happening with your chest?

0:41:200:41:22

OK, can we get an ECG as well? Thanks.

0:41:280:41:31

'I think the moment where I realised

0:41:310:41:34

'that I did have some responsibility there'

0:41:340:41:38

was when the nurses have done their bit,

0:41:380:41:40

they've got her into bed, called the doctor, and they're standing,

0:41:400:41:43

waiting for you to make that decision, "What do we do now?"

0:41:430:41:46

Then you think,

0:41:460:41:47

"Right, I'd better get on and do something to help this girl."

0:41:470:41:52

Andy suspected an internal bleed, and called his senior for back up.

0:41:520:41:56

She's had a faint and her blood pressure's dropped,

0:41:560:42:00

she's looking very pale, I just thought I'd call you sooner

0:42:000:42:04

rather than later about this because I think she looks quite ill.

0:42:040:42:06

If Andy was right, the condition could have been fatal.

0:42:060:42:10

'So he gave her fluids, he got her comfortable,

0:42:100:42:12

'he gave her pain killers, and actually stabilised her

0:42:120:42:14

'so that the gynaecology surgeons could come in'

0:42:140:42:17

and deal with the problem in a sort of more definitive way.

0:42:170:42:21

Based on Andy's diagnosis,

0:42:240:42:25

a specialist surgery team took over her care.

0:42:250:42:28

I don't think he realises what he's done there,

0:42:300:42:32

like, what he's achieved,

0:42:320:42:34

because he's being really nonchalant about it,

0:42:340:42:37

but that was pretty cool, what he did.

0:42:370:42:39

After three months of living together,

0:42:400:42:42

the junior doctors were starting to feel like a family...

0:42:420:42:46

SHE LAUGHS

0:42:460:42:47

..and really getting to know each other's quirks.

0:42:470:42:51

There's quite a variety of characters in there.

0:42:510:42:53

I think I've only noticed that on reflection.

0:42:530:42:55

-No, you definitely mentioned it all the way through.

-Did I?

-Yeah.

0:42:550:42:59

But now... OK, well I had an unusually high tolerance level

0:42:590:43:02

over that time.

0:43:020:43:03

Sameer is somewhat quirky. He's rather awkward.

0:43:030:43:08

If you weren't doctors, what would be your ideal job?

0:43:080:43:12

Um, I'd be Batman.

0:43:120:43:14

He completely recognises what he's saying is a bit odd

0:43:150:43:18

or, you know, a bit satirical, but who cares, he doesn't care.

0:43:180:43:22

The stuff he comes out with is magical.

0:43:220:43:25

And why, Sameer? Why would you be Batman?

0:43:250:43:29

I went into medicine so I could help people from disease,

0:43:290:43:34

and if I couldn't do that, I'd like to help them from...

0:43:340:43:37

save them from organised crime.

0:43:370:43:39

Right.

0:43:390:43:41

While Sameer kept the house amused, Priya kept the house fed.

0:43:420:43:46

My mum tends to cook a lot of food for me and send it down to London.

0:43:470:43:52

Priya could never eat all of it, so she always gave it to us,

0:43:520:43:55

and we appreciated that, so thank you, Priya,

0:43:550:43:57

and thank you, Priya's mum.

0:43:570:43:59

I hope you enjoy my curry attempts.

0:43:590:44:02

-LUCY:

-This looks so nice.

0:44:020:44:04

Priya is so conscientious, can sometimes be a little bit ditzy,

0:44:050:44:09

but that combination's lovely.

0:44:090:44:10

I think this is my road.

0:44:130:44:15

Parking wasn't one of Priya's strong points.

0:44:150:44:18

-Oh, man!

-Are you still going to park it there?

0:44:190:44:23

I always thought, when I was a child,

0:44:240:44:26

that I've got very good spatial awareness.

0:44:260:44:28

You're quite far away from the curb, Priya.

0:44:280:44:31

Maybe my mirrors aren't set right.

0:44:310:44:33

You need to go that way a bit and get flush with the curb.

0:44:330:44:35

-I don't know what that means.

-Right, OK, turn the wheel a bit.

0:44:350:44:38

-Which way?

-That way.

0:44:380:44:40

-You're looking behind, yeah?

-Yeah.

0:44:400:44:42

OK. Stop!

0:44:430:44:45

-Good work, team.

-Good work, Andy. High five.

-Yeah.

0:44:470:44:50

I'm just not very good.

0:44:500:44:51

But parking was the least of Priya's problems.

0:44:550:44:58

On the wards, she was about to be given

0:44:580:45:01

an even bigger test of agility...

0:45:010:45:03

I'm going to ask her if she's had bloods.

0:45:030:45:06

..by taking blood from a patient with notoriously small veins.

0:45:060:45:11

OK. Right.

0:45:110:45:12

Throughout their early months, most of the junior doctors found

0:45:120:45:16

taking blood a surprisingly difficult task.

0:45:160:45:19

When you learn how to take blood, you learn it on models.

0:45:190:45:21

You do it a few kinds at medical school,

0:45:210:45:24

and then you're expected to go out

0:45:240:45:25

-and do it for real on patients aren't you?

-Yeah.

0:45:250:45:28

And you know, the models you have at medical school,

0:45:280:45:31

the veins are literally like...

0:45:310:45:34

-Like drainpipes.

-Yeah, drainpipes, it's impossible to miss.

0:45:340:45:37

And then when you get into the real world you realise that

0:45:370:45:40

patients are elderly, they're sick, they're shut down,

0:45:400:45:42

you're not going got find veins that easily.

0:45:420:45:44

Let's go.

0:45:440:45:45

But the juniors were no longer fresh out of med school,

0:45:450:45:48

and Priya had to prove herself as a doctor.

0:45:480:45:51

She's so difficult to get blood from that the phlebotomists,

0:45:510:45:54

who are the trained experts in getting blood,

0:45:540:45:56

they would often say to her, "If I get blood from you today,

0:45:560:45:59

"you have to take me out on a date."

0:45:590:46:01

We've all been in that situation where

0:46:020:46:04

patients either have very, very tiny veins or you can't even see them.

0:46:040:46:10

I was basically set up for failure.

0:46:100:46:13

A sharp scratch.

0:46:160:46:18

-You OK?

-Ooh.

0:46:200:46:22

-OK?

-Egads!

0:46:230:46:25

-Oh.

-It's all right.

-What happened?

-Keep going.

0:46:250:46:28

-No, no, no, no.

-You're not stopping it.

-I withdrew it.

-Why?

0:46:280:46:33

You moved a little bit and you screamed!

0:46:330:46:35

-Don't be a quitter, cos I'm not quitting.

-OK, I will try again.

0:46:350:46:39

A sharp scratch.

0:46:390:46:40

-Let me know if it hurts too much.

-No, it's fine.

0:46:420:46:45

Still fishing.

0:46:470:46:48

-Have you got it?

-I've got some.

0:46:500:46:52

Oh, well done! Yes!

0:46:550:46:58

-Isn't she wonderful?

-YOU'RE wonderful.

0:47:000:47:04

For tolerating having a needle stuck...

0:47:040:47:06

Did you get enough, though?

0:47:060:47:08

Yes, I did. I've got more than enough.

0:47:080:47:10

'At that time, it felt like a good achievement,'

0:47:120:47:15

simply because everyone else was struggling.

0:47:150:47:18

I mean, right now I look back at it

0:47:180:47:19

and think that it was just a simple, mundane task,

0:47:190:47:22

but, at that time, it felt rewarding

0:47:220:47:24

and I felt like I was winning for once.

0:47:240:47:26

I just did what is the impossible,

0:47:260:47:28

I managed to take blood from Mrs Tristholt.

0:47:280:47:31

'Probably one of the most conscientious doctors that...'

0:47:330:47:36

I know of, actually.

0:47:360:47:37

She's good. She really is good.

0:47:380:47:41

But, however, you'll never see me parking in a straight line, ever,

0:47:410:47:44

that's one promise I can never make.

0:47:440:47:46

Priya's latest placement is in Dermatology.

0:47:510:47:54

If you feel any pain let me know, I'll stop straight away

0:47:560:47:59

and I'll put a little bit more local anaesthetic to numb it, OK?

0:47:590:48:03

It's the area she's decided to specialise in.

0:48:030:48:07

'I'm really interested in helping patients

0:48:070:48:09

'who have disorders of the skin,'

0:48:090:48:11

because I've seen the impact it has on their lives.

0:48:110:48:14

It's just a little hole, it looks a bit unsightly now,

0:48:140:48:17

but what we'll do is we'll put a stitch in it

0:48:170:48:19

and in time it will heal over, OK?

0:48:190:48:20

Like Priya,

0:48:260:48:28

second year Ben had made some big decisions about the future too.

0:48:280:48:32

Probably best if we get you holding her.

0:48:320:48:35

After getting a chance to work with children,

0:48:350:48:38

Ben wanted to make his dream

0:48:380:48:39

of specialising in paediatrics a reality.

0:48:390:48:43

Hey there.

0:48:430:48:44

Sorry! Sorry.

0:48:460:48:48

-That was easier than expected.

-Yep.

0:48:490:48:51

All built up for it to be a nightmare!

0:48:510:48:54

I think you can see his real passion for the job,

0:48:540:48:57

I think when you see somebody do that,

0:48:570:48:59

you just think, "THAT'S why you should do something that you love."

0:48:590:49:02

But he still needed to stand out to get ahead

0:49:050:49:08

in this highly competitive field.

0:49:080:49:10

Quite a big deal for me, but it's also terrifying.

0:49:100:49:14

So he put himself in the limelight,

0:49:150:49:17

presenting new research to an audience of top paediatric surgeons.

0:49:170:49:22

'I remember Ben having to make a presentation to

0:49:220:49:25

'sort of a national conference with lots of different consultants,'

0:49:250:49:28

and I just thought, "Wow, that must be really, really exciting."

0:49:280:49:31

Anaesthetising a neonate

0:49:310:49:33

has a suggested high risk than anaesthetising an older child,

0:49:330:49:36

making it even more prudent to try

0:49:360:49:38

and avoid a second operation in this patient population.

0:49:380:49:40

Thank you very much.

0:49:400:49:42

APPLAUSE

0:49:420:49:44

This helped land Ben the recognition that enabled him

0:49:440:49:47

to clinch a place on a prestigious surgery training programme.

0:49:470:49:51

The next step for me is starting what we call

0:49:510:49:54

an academic clinical fellowship,

0:49:540:49:57

in Oxford, in paediatric surgery.

0:49:570:49:59

BABY BURBLES

0:49:590:50:00

It's essentially the dream job, this is the best job I could have

0:50:000:50:03

hoped for, it combines paediatric surgery and further training.

0:50:030:50:08

Hopefully it'll take me through to consultancy in 20 years' time.

0:50:080:50:12

It's scary that you're making such a long-term decision,

0:50:140:50:17

and it's something that we'll all have to do in a year's time.

0:50:170:50:20

While some of the juniors know exactly

0:50:230:50:25

which fields they want to pursue,

0:50:250:50:28

as they come to the end of their 12 months, others are still undecided.

0:50:280:50:32

I don't know what kind of doctor I want to be, it's, um...

0:50:320:50:36

to be announced.

0:50:360:50:37

Hello, sir.

0:50:370:50:38

Hello again.

0:50:380:50:39

I think I learnt over my first job how much I value patient contact.

0:50:390:50:45

I just need to take a blood test today,

0:50:450:50:47

just to make sure that your clotting's OK.

0:50:470:50:49

During her year,

0:50:490:50:50

Lucy found that her key talent was really connecting with patients.

0:50:500:50:55

-There you go, all good.

-That's an English rose. That's for you.

0:50:550:50:59

Lucy came across great, she's open, honest and they trust her,

0:50:590:51:02

and actually she spent a lot of time going the extra mile to help them,

0:51:020:51:06

and that makes a massive difference.

0:51:060:51:08

-Thank you very much. Bye!

-Bye.

0:51:080:51:12

In terms of long-term, I've not really got a plan,

0:51:120:51:14

I'm just going to see how it goes.

0:51:140:51:16

Now I'm on surgery, one of the doctors at Chelsea tells me

0:51:160:51:19

that surgeons are born and not made, and I think that's absolutely true,

0:51:190:51:22

I was not born a surgeon, I think I was born a medic.

0:51:220:51:24

At the end of their first year,

0:51:320:51:34

Andy and Aki have brought their bromance to the work place.

0:51:340:51:38

-Have you seen them, Aki, today?

-Not yet.

-Not yet?

0:51:380:51:42

You serious?

0:51:420:51:44

They're working together on the same ward.

0:51:440:51:47

It's been fun, apart from Aki's managed to avoid

0:51:470:51:49

spending any time with me, by constantly being on call.

0:51:490:51:52

So basically he's a guy who's got end-stage heart failure.

0:51:520:51:55

So me and Aki are doing the ward round today,

0:51:550:51:58

so we're basically just going round all of our 18 patients.

0:51:580:52:02

Big breaths.

0:52:020:52:04

'Generally just...'

0:52:040:52:05

..saving lives.

0:52:060:52:07

Don't say that. Please don't say that again.

0:52:070:52:10

THEY LAUGH

0:52:100:52:11

Now, with much more to prove than their early days,

0:52:130:52:16

the junior doctors have to show they can go it alone.

0:52:160:52:20

..pitting oedema in the knees, but I think that's improved.

0:52:200:52:23

I feel a lot more confident at assessing a patient.

0:52:230:52:26

We're fine with you medically,

0:52:260:52:27

it's just making sure that you're safe at home.

0:52:270:52:29

Making a decision on their management.

0:52:290:52:31

I'm just going to check your chart. What was his weight?

0:52:310:52:35

It's just, isn't it? The more you do it, the better you get.

0:52:350:52:38

-Which one of you is coughing? MEN:

-Me.

0:52:380:52:41

Both of you are coughing?

0:52:410:52:43

'Quite incredible what a year can do to you,

0:52:430:52:46

'I mean, looking back to the first couple of weeks at work,'

0:52:460:52:49

you know, it was a complete nightmare,

0:52:490:52:51

I didn't know my left to my right,

0:52:510:52:54

but now I actually feel like I can look after the patients a lot better

0:52:540:52:58

and in a more confident manner.

0:52:580:53:00

Bye.

0:53:000:53:01

And, for Andy, there's one basic procedure

0:53:030:53:06

he's happy to have finally conquered...

0:53:060:53:09

..the cannula.

0:53:100:53:11

I'd like to think I'm a bit better now after a lot of practice,

0:53:160:53:19

you know, I can do them, I do them, you know, fairly regularly now.

0:53:190:53:22

Probably done a good few hundred this year.

0:53:220:53:25

Just keep that on, I'm just going to stick that down now.

0:53:250:53:29

Everyone knows who we are, it's very weird.

0:53:290:53:32

It's going to be sad to go to a new hospital

0:53:320:53:34

because suddenly everyone won't, or they will and they'll think,

0:53:340:53:37

"You're shit at cannulas, don't come anywhere near me."

0:53:370:53:40

THEY LAUGH

0:53:400:53:41

12 months on,

0:53:450:53:46

all the doctors are leaving to take new positions around the country.

0:53:460:53:51

If I had to describe this year in one word, it would be busy.

0:53:510:53:54

This is the last time they'll be together.

0:53:560:54:00

It almost feels like I'm looking through a dream or something,

0:54:000:54:03

it's just so different to how it is now,

0:54:030:54:05

and you go into shifts now

0:54:050:54:08

and it's just like going to work, it's routine.

0:54:080:54:11

Even the hardest times actually turn out to be quite a fond memory,

0:54:110:54:14

even those night shifts where you're like, "Gosh, it was awful."

0:54:140:54:17

I look back on them now and I almost think,

0:54:170:54:19

"Actually, that was pretty great."

0:54:190:54:21

I've learnt to work on my own a lot more

0:54:220:54:25

and trust my own judgement a lot more.

0:54:250:54:28

Ben, where do you see yourself in ten years' time?

0:54:280:54:30

-Be outrageous.

-"Be outrageous"?

0:54:300:54:33

-Great Ormond Street.

-Do you?

-Yeah.

0:54:330:54:36

As Professor Allin?

0:54:360:54:37

Well, not in ten years' time - I'll only just be a registrar!

0:54:370:54:41

So we're probably won't see each other for a while again.

0:54:410:54:44

All going on different directions,

0:54:440:54:46

to different parts of the country and scattered all over the place.

0:54:460:54:49

Aw, I'm going to miss you all.

0:54:490:54:51

To the future.

0:54:520:54:54

This year has been probably the most challenging years of my life.

0:55:020:55:07

-Get off my arm! Get off!

-Alfie, Alfie, Alfie, Alfie.

0:55:070:55:11

I've grown in confidence out of any sort of recognition from a year ago.

0:55:110:55:15

Yeah, didn't manage to get it in again, so it's kind of annoying.

0:55:170:55:21

Definitely feel I can go into the job day to day

0:55:210:55:23

and know what I'm doing, and it's not as stressful as before.

0:55:230:55:27

I feel a million times more confident now.

0:55:280:55:31

That's still not the confidence level that I should be at,

0:55:310:55:35

but I am a lot more confident.

0:55:350:55:38

PATIENT MOANS

0:55:380:55:40

I think I have improved

0:55:400:55:41

because I've gained a lot of experience in the last year.

0:55:410:55:44

It would just be helpful... It's just the questions we ask...

0:55:440:55:47

Our shared experience was starting off at a new hospital

0:55:500:55:53

for the first time,

0:55:530:55:54

and those challenges actually brought us together.

0:55:540:55:57

CHEERING

0:55:570:55:59

The people that you work with inevitably become

0:56:000:56:03

a huge part of your life.

0:56:030:56:05

Oh, my God, that is amazing!

0:56:050:56:08

To suddenly have to move on and detach yourself from that.

0:56:080:56:12

You're quite far away from the curb, Priya.

0:56:120:56:15

Truly and sincerely, I'm sad to be leaving

0:56:150:56:17

because I've sort of made it my home.

0:56:170:56:20

CHEERING

0:56:200:56:21

-ALL:

-CHEERS!

0:56:210:56:23

Yeah, I'd definitely do it all again,

0:56:230:56:25

I mean it's been an amazing experience.

0:56:250:56:27

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