Basics

The more I learn new stuff, the less time I have to reflect on past.

One thing I've learnt and still am learning is a saying a band teacher taught me when I was still in primary school "It's not 'Practice makes perfect' but 'Perfect practice makes perfect'

Perfect practice... I think is fundamental. e.g. history taking.

You can forget even the smallest thing and boom your effort can go down the drain and miss a diagnosis e.g. asthma and pets!

Pathology is important in getting your head round pathophysiology of a disease. I regret not reading a pathology book before reading about presentations of a disease. Memories last longer when you understand pathology behind a disease.

For example, I was just reading about placenta abruption. How would you manage this patient? Well first of all you need to understand the pathology (placenta "rupture" from uterus before labour... so you get blood between placenta and uterus. Blood in uterus causes pain and has both maternal and fetal complications. Take note of key words there: blood, pain, mother, fetal)

THerefore...
Blood loss - IVF
Pain - painkillers
Maternal - short term (oxygen), long term (Anti-D)
Fetal - CTG

That reminds me of classification esp in O&G. Short, medium, long-term. Fetal and maternal. Obstetric or non-obstetric related...