Mastodawn

My Next 6 Months (Post Housemanship)

What is the biggest challenge you will face in the next six months?

Related Posts:

At the time of writing this article, it is the 8th of April 2025, Day 644 of my Housemanship Journey. I have just completed my Fifth Posting in Medical and is currently on leave as well as due to begin my 6th and Final Posting in Emergency Medicine on the 11th of April 2025.

One posting or rotation lasts for a total of 4 months if there is no extension, for House Officers.

Thus, it’s safe to say that for the upcoming 4 months, my focus would be on leaving and enjoying my final posting and the challenges I would most probably face then would be the completion of my logbook, preparing my presentation for CME and preparing for my end of posting assessments.

But how about for the subsequent 2 months after that?

That’s a grey area for me.

First of all, I do not know myself on the department that I would want to serve in as a Medical Officer as I enjoyed every posting that I have ever rotated in.

Next, the state or hospital that I would be interested in practicing in for at least the next few years. Currently, I am practicing in Hospital Umum Sarawak, otherwise known as Sarawak General Hospital or “SGH”, in Kuching, Sarawak.

Personally, I would like to stay back over here and serve here rather than to go back as I absolutely love it here and feel like this is where I am meant to be.

However, things might change in the future considering that I would want to get married and my partner is living in Peninsular Malaysia. That’s one as well as the consideration of my parents, having grown up as an only child.

Thus, a grey area for me, nevertheless. Me, being comfortable with procrastination has pushed this thought to the back of my head and refused to entertain since I have to submit my full MMC application by the 13th of April 2025.

This means, I have to set my mind on a department as well as my choice of state (location) or hospitals of choice.

Oh dear…

About Me | Privacy Policy | Contact Me

#6Months #article #Articles #Blog #blogging #dailyprompt #dailyprompt1804 #dailyprompt1823 #dailyprompt1829 #dailyprompt1833 #dailyprompt1838 #dailyprompt1839 #dailyprompt1844 #dailyprompt1852 #dailyprompt1853 #dailyprompt1855 #dailyprompt1857 #dailyprompt1858 #dailyprompt1862 #dailyprompt1863 #dailyprompt1878 #dailyprompt1881 #dailyprompt1885 #dailyprompt1886 #dailyprompt1892 #dailyprompt1903 #dailyprompt1976 #doctor #emergencyMedicine #futurePlans #healthcare #hospital #hospitalUmumSarawak #houseOfficer #housemanship #kuching #Malaysia #medical #medicalOfficer #Medicine #plan #sarawak #sarawakGeneralHospital #writing

Part 1 – Life As A Peri Medical House Officer In Hospital Umum Sarawak | The Emergency Department

An article regarding my life as a Peri-Medical House Officer in my Fifth Posting, The Medical Department (Part 1).

The Theoretical Doctor

The Theoretical Doctor 6d ago

Iced Tea & Cold Brew Coffee

Click here for more articles & daily dose.

What is your favorite drink?

As the title entails, it is Iced Tea and Cold Coffee.

1. Iced Tea

Photo by Barbara Webb on Pexels.com

I fell in love with tea, green tea, black tea and oolong tea in particular when I was 14 years old.

At that time, I was looking into drinks to aid my weight loss and I came across green tea and oolong tea being suitable drinks in facilitating weight loss when consumed without sugar.

Thus, I brewed my first proper sugarless green tea and fell in love with the taste. Ever since then, I started drinking it on a regular basis and it has pretty much replaced water for me.

Did it aid with weight loss?

Perhaps in the beginning, eventually, I continued drinking it because I enjoyed the taste be it warm or cold.

As I started working, I would usually prepare cold brew green tea in order for me to bring to work the following day.

Photo by Charlotte May on Pexels.com

Why cold?

The environment that I’m working in can get rather warm and considering I am a person who perspires easily, the temperature of the tea eases me and provides immediate rejuvenation.

Even after a long day at work, nothing refreshes me more than a cold brew green tea served in mason jar and a straw.

2. Cold Coffee

Photo by Marta Dzedyshko on Pexels.com

I am a HUGE fan of coffee, black sugarless coffee in particular.

My love for coffee began since I was in primary school, which I think is a bad thing since children are not supposed to consume coffee.

Back then, my mother would used to prepare coffee for my father and milo for me prior to my father sending me off to school and heading to work.

Me and my father would then switch drinks after he has drank half of his drink.

Then, when I turned 14 years old, I started pulling an all nighter or getting up at midnight just to study.

Eventually, I developed immunity towards coffee and is able to fall asleep even after consuming it. Thus, I merely consume it out of addiction and routine.

As I started working, as mentioned in my explanation for cold tea, the environment is rather warm for me to be consuming hot coffee. Hence, I would prepare my mason jars of coffee the night prior and transfer it into my flask the following day.

Click here for more articles & daily dose.

YouTube | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook | Spotify

About Me | Privacy Policy | Contact Me

#article #Articles #beverage #blackCoffee #Blog #blogging #coffee #coldBrew #coldBrewCoffee #dailyprompt #dailyprompt1804 #dailyprompt1820 #dailyprompt1834 #dailyprompt1836 #dailyprompt1839 #dailyprompt1852 #dailyprompt1854 #dailyprompt1855 #dailyprompt1856 #dailyprompt1857 #dailyprompt1862 #dailyprompt1865 #dailyprompt1873 #dailyprompt1881 #dailyprompt1886 #dailyprompt1892 #dailyprompt1897 #dailyprompt1959 #doctor #drink #drinks #favouriteDrink #icedTea #tea #writing

The Theoretical Doctor

The Theoretical Doctor Apr 13

My Evening Routine In The Medical Posting | Housemanship Diaries

Related Posts:

On most days in the Medical Posting, at least in the hospital that I’m practicing in, we are allocated to work the “Short Day” or “SD” shifts.

“Short Days” last till 6pm. Occasionally, we would have to work the “Long Day” shift or “LD” which lasts till 10pm or “on-night” which is the night shift.

On days where I’m allocated to work the short day shift, I try to leave work by 6pm. Most of the time, it is feasible while on some days, it is not so.

However, my evening routine is pretty much the same upon returning home irregardless of the time I leave work.

1. Preparing My Dinner

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I love to cook. However, considering I live alone, the meals that I prepare are usually many for one person. Thus, I would keep the extra, rendering me an extra meal prepped for a day or two.

Depending on my mood as well, should I be working the morning shift the following morning and I’m just too exhausted after work and there is no food, I would go for my regular comfort food, instant noodles.

My version of instant noodles involves sautéing chopped onions, curry leaves, mushrooms and diced chilli before adding the water and mixing the instant sachet powders into the broth. I usually add additional curry powder as I like the broth of my instant noodles to be extra soupy and not dry. Once it has come to a boil, I would crack two eggs into the gravy and boil it for a minute or two before adding “half” of the instant noodles and finally topping with some leafy vegetables.

Yes, that’s right, I only consume half. My instant noodles are extra soupy and has less noodles.

Partly because I love adding rolled oats into my broth, thus the whole meal would be too heavy for me if I were to eat all the noodles.

What do I do with the other half of the uncooked noodles?

I keep it and usually comes in handy if I were to cook stir fried noodles.

Photo by Amar Preciado on Pexels.com

Then, there are evenings where I’m filled with energy and the following day happened to be an allocated off day or my night shift, allowing me to cook something different.

Nevertheless, irregardless of my dish of choice for the evening, I would always prepare a set of chopped tofu and mushrooms which I would marinade with some oil, salt, crushed black peppers, diced chilli, slides garlic, curry leaves and some curry powder or chilli powder prior to air frying it.

Thus, by the end of 10 minutes, my dinner would usually be ready.

2. Resetting My Room

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

I don’t go through a major spring cleaning in the evenings, just simple tiny actions to reset my room back to an “acceptable” state.

This includes folding my clothes and keeping them back in my cupboard and their designated places, taking out the trash and vacuuming.

Considering I wash my hair every morning prior going to work, there would be strands of hairs on the floor after drying my hair and dusts and tiny debris begins to gather. Thus, I would vacuum almost every evening.

Since I live in a studio apartment, this action is merely a 5 minute job.

3. Preparation For The Next Day

Photo by Alena Darmel on Pexels.com

“Your morning begins the night before.”

I’ve forgotten where I’ve heard this but it’s what I’ve been practicing since I was a kid. Usually the night before, I would know of the set of clothes that I would be wearing the following day.

Next, I would prepare my jars of cold coffee. I usually save up spaghetti glass bottles or jam bottles to keep my tea or coffees or sometimes to be even used as drinking glasses.

I usually carry two 1.5L of flasks to work, one of it contains green tea and the other, my special prepped coffee.

After all of that is done, next would be…

4. Unwinding for the Day

Photo by KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA on Pexels.com

This begins with me pampering myself with a hot long bath to wash myself of the stench and tiredness of the day, followed by donning myself in a soft, flowy night dress and going about my self-care nighttime routine.

Only after that would I have dinner as I usually fall into a state of food coma after eating.

This is then followed by me clearing the dishes for the last time and finally, heading to bed, which on some days, would be as early as 8pm. However, on average, it is usually around 9-10pm.

This is my evening routine in my Fifth Posting, the Department of Medical, as a House Officer thus far.

I often get questioned by my fellow colleagues as to why I would even consider cooking considering that there are a lot of steps or effort that goes into the process.

However, I do not find it tiring at all as it is my version of de-stressing.

Nothing calms my mind more than listening to music or putting a good show on Netflix while going about my dinner preparations with my phone in “Do Not Disturb” or “Sleep” mode.

About Me | Privacy Policy | Contact Me

#article #Articles #Blog #blogging #bloggingAsADoctor #cooking #dailyprompt #dailyprompt1813 #dailyprompt1843 #dailyprompt1844 #dailyprompt1852 #dailyprompt1857 #dailyprompt1858 #dailyprompt1862 #dailyprompt1865 #dailyprompt1881 #dailyprompt1928 #dailyprompt1941 #dailyprompt1943 #dailyprompt1944 #dailyprompt1951 #dailyprompt1979 #doctor #eveningRoutine #healthcare #hospitalUmumSarawak #houseOfficer #housemanship #kuching #Malaysia #medical #medicalOfficer #Medicine #sarawakGeneralHospital #selfCare

The Theoretical Doctor Apr 11

Working on New Year’s Day (2025)

Related Posts:

This will be the second year in a row that I’ve chosen to work on New Year’s Day. If you’ve read my previous similar article last year, I’ve mentioned how my father has this tradition of working on New Year’s Day every year, ever since he started working at the age of 18. It is something that I’ve adapted as well.

This year, I began my year in the Department of Medical which is my Fifth Posting in my Housemanship Journey. I entered this department on the 11th of December last year.

Having just off-tagged the week before, I was still allocated in my first pool which is the Perimedical Pool.

Looking back as it is currently April 2025, at the time of writing this article, I do not quite remember where I was allocated to. I think that I was most probably taking care of the stranded Medical patients in the main building.

Thankfully, I remembered it not being a hectic day and I was allocated the “short day” shift, meaning that I had the opportunity to return home at 6pm.

Considering it was New Year’s Day which is a Public Holiday here, things were rather slow and tuned down.

Thus, it was a rather slowed down and uneventful day, ending with me returning home on time and unwinding early.

About Me | Privacy Policy | Contact Me

#2025 #article #Articles #Blog #blogging #bloggingAsADoctor #dailypost #dailyprompt #dailyprompt1804 #dailyprompt1829 #dailyprompt1833 #dailyprompt1836 #dailyprompt1838 #dailyprompt1839 #dailyprompt1841 #dailyprompt1843 #dailyprompt1852 #dailyprompt1853 #dailyprompt1854 #dailyprompt1855 #dailyprompt1857 #dailyprompt1860 #dailyprompt1862 #dailyprompt1863 #dailyprompt1865 #dailyprompt1945 #doctor #hospitalUmumSarawak #houseOfficer #housemanship #kuching #lifeAsADoctor #Malaysia #medical #medicalOfficer #Medicine #newYear #sarawakGeneralHospital #work #writing

The Theoretical Doctor Apr 9

My Reflection of 2024

Related Posts:

Albeit it being March 2025, at the time of writing this article, let’s take a walk down memory lane.

2024 started with me being in the Obstetrics & Gynaecology (O&G) Department and ended with me being in the Medical Department.

Each department has its own sweet memory of which I shall cherish when I reflect upon my days as a House Officer.

2024 was also the year I took a 6-week-break from my journey as a House Officer, unintentionally, while I was in the Surgical Posting which was a good break indeed. It felt more like a school holiday and I returned home and was being pampered by my family and loved ones.

Sadly, it was also the time I regained all my weight that I have successfully lost along my journey as a House Officer and have more or less kept it on since then.

The struggle to lose weight has returned and amidst the busyness, I still somehow managed to eat which certainly did not help with my weight management.

2024 was also the year I met my partner and best friend as well as his family. My circle of loved ones have been expanded of which I am truly grateful and blessed. Despite being in a long distance relationship, we both try our best to make time for each other everyday which was not at all hard and leaned onto each other for moral support. It made my journey even easier and lovelier.

In short, 2024 flew by rather quickly just like every year. But, it was a beautiful year, one that’s filled with love and multiple odd and funny experiences as well as important ones.

There were challenges as well. The year would not be complete or interesting without it. However, I pulled through or else I would not be writing this reflection today.

As for 2025?

I’m hopeful and I know , it’s going to be another interesting and beautiful year.

About Me | Privacy Policy | Contact Me

#2024 #article #Articles #Blog #blogging #bloggingAsADoctor #dailyprompt #dailyprompt1828 #dailyprompt1833 #dailyprompt1838 #dailyprompt1843 #dailyprompt1844 #dailyprompt1852 #dailyprompt1854 #dailyprompt1855 #dailyprompt1856 #dailyprompt1857 #dailyprompt1860 #dailyprompt1861 #dailyprompt1862 #dailyprompt1878 #dailyprompt1884 #dailyprompt1906 #dailyprompt1913 #dailyprompt1915 #dailyprompt1937 #doctor #hospitalUmumSarawak #housemanship #kuching #Malaysia #medical #Medicine #sarawak #sarawakGeneralHospital #writing

Surviving Tagging And Finally Celebrating Christmas In The Medical Posting – Housemanship Diaries

A short article regarding the time I officially off-tagged just in time to celebrate Christmas with my parents in my Fifth Posting of Housemanship.

The Theoretical Doctor

The Theoretical Doctor Mar 22

My First Day In Medical Posting – Tagging Day 1 | Housemanship Diaries

Tell us about your first day at something — school, work, as a parent, etc.

Related Posts:

Finally, my much awaited posting… Medical!

Ever since I was a first poster, I have always looked forward towards the Medical Posting but one I decided to keep as my last as I wanted to “learn“ and understand the posting rather than just “float” through.

This served as a disadvantage in other postings as when it came to simple management of hyperkalemia or hypokalemia, I wouldn’t know, neither hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia.

Instead, I simply memorised my way in terms of the simple management and “referred to Medical” rather than actually learning to correct them myself in other postings.

Thus, I went complex and complicated first prior to building my way up.

My first day in this much awaited posting was on the 11th of December 2024. I had just completed the Surgical Posting and was on a 5-days-break.

On my first day, I was allocated into the “Perimedical Pool”. Deemed as probably the “worst place” to be allocated in. Thus, as usual, the fear starts creeping in.

I started asking around in regards to my job scope as well as the superiors.

Most of them advised to just arrive on time, which I did, at 7am sharp.

That morning, I was allocated to handle the “Yellow Respi” zone of the Emergency Department.

Thankfully, I had a good friend who was my partner for the day.

We began with tracing x-rays of the patients as well as their blood investigations.

After we have gone through all of the patients, we began with our morning reviews while awaiting our medical officer and specialist.

The medical officer arrived and started reviewing the patients with my friend. Here I was, on Day 1, extremely blur.

I introduced myself to the medical officer and he proceeded to tell me to go about my own reviews while he assessed the other patients with my friend.

Alright, here we go again, just like in every posting. Just how and what am I going to review?

Soon, the specialist came and I proceeded to follow the rounds as I was used to in the Surgical Posting where we all followed the grand rounds.

Instead, I was again asked to proceed with reviewing the other patients in the other cubicle while they go about their rounds.

Feeling quite lost and left out, I proceeded as such. Before I knew it, I reviewed all the patients in that particular cubicle just in time when the medical officer and the specialist came.

Thus, I started presenting and writing, still being tuned to the work culture in the Surgical Posting.

Just like rounds in the other postings, we presented, followed, write and after rounds, proceeded with discharges and carrying out the active joblists.

Surprisingly, I had time for lunch.

Afternoon rounds started at 2pm with just the medical officer and my superior was more than kind enough to start explaining and teaching me as to why certain things are as such.

After the PM rounds, I proceeded to screen through the casenotes and update the list of patients in my zone as well as to take any STAT bloods. Before 6pm, I went for my early dinner.

Considering I was tagging, I had to stay till 10pm whereas the rest who are “Short Day” or “SD” went home by 6pm. Thus, from 6pm till 10pm, I was actively screening through the casenotes in the Yellow Zone, Yellow Respi Zone, Red Zone, Red Zone 2, CSSD, EDOU, Green Yellow Zone and updating the list as well as to take any needed STAT bloods which mainly included blood cultures.

A little before 10pm, I approached one of the medical officers to get my signature for the day and went home.

That concludes my first day of tagging in the Medical Posting which surprisingly turned out rather well. For the first day at least.

About Me | Privacy Policy | Contact Me

#article #Articles #Blog #blogging #bloggingAsADoctor #dailyBlog #dailyprompt #dailyprompt1804 #dailyprompt1829 #dailyprompt1838 #dailyprompt1843 #dailyprompt1852 #dailyprompt1858 #dailyprompt1860 #dailyprompt1861 #dailyprompt1862 #dailyprompt1949 #dailyprompt1979 #dailyprompt2151 #doctor #emergencyDepartment #firstDay #hospital #hospitalUmumSarawak #houseOfficer #housemanship #internship #kuching #Malaysia #medical #medicalOfficer #perimedical #sarawakGeneralHospital #tagging #writing

My Morning Routine Being A House Officer Leader In The Surgical Posting | Housemanship Diaries

An article regarding my morning routine while being one of the surgical leaders in my fourth posting of my housemanship journey.

The Theoretical Doctor

The Theoretical Doctor Mar 20

My Morning Routine Being A House Officer Leader In The Surgical Posting | Housemanship Diaries

Related Posts:

There are three main leaders in the Surgical Posting. One is in charge of curating the weekly schedule, the other, in charge of ward and cubicle / bed allocations as well as to reallocate if there are any people who took emergency leaves or medical leaves and the third one, in charge of our attendance at work.

I was the daily allocator. Being the “allocator”, I would be in charge of designating the house officers to the selected cubicles of both the male and female surgical wards (MSW and FSW), the Peri, EMOT and ETD as well as to look for substitutes if there are any last minute changes or leaves.

Usually, I will prep my allocation in advance after the schedule leader has done the schedule and make necessary changes along the way. The leader in charge of the schedule usually determines which person works the night shift and when as well as to approve any leaves. Usually, the house officers will be divided into their respective wards.

The night before, I usually run through the suggested allocation in the “Leaders Group” with the medical officers in charge of the House Officers to screen through.

After receiving the green light from them or making necessary adjustments, I would then upload the list in the House Officer’s group. Thus, they would then know where they would be covering.

The list is usually sent in the “MOHO” group, meaning the group containing the House Officers and Medical Officers at 6:30 a.m.

Thus, I would wake up and be on standby at 5am everyday, even on my off days as I would wait for any messages should anybody take medical leaves or emergency leaves and make the necessary adjustments needed.

At 6:30 a.m sharp, I forward the daily allocation into the “MOHO” group.

If I happened to be working on that day, I would pause in between work just to send and then go about my work.

However, if I happened to be on leave or having my off days, I would then return to sleep or go about my other activities after 6:30 a.m.

It was an interesting experience having had the privilege to hold the position as one of the posting leaders.

About Me | Privacy Policy | Contact Me

#Blog #blogging #bloggingAsADoctor #dailyBlog #dailyprompt #dailyprompt1804 #dailyprompt1836 #dailyprompt1838 #dailyprompt1839 #dailyprompt1841 #dailyprompt1843 #dailyprompt1844 #dailyprompt1852 #dailyprompt1853 #dailyprompt1854 #dailyprompt1856 #dailyprompt1857 #dailyprompt1858 #dailyprompt1860 #dailyprompt1861 #dailyprompt1862 #dailyprompt1863 #dailyprompt1865 #dailyprompt1897 #dailyprompt1903 #dailyprompt1930 #dailyprompt1957 #doctor #healthcare #hospitalUmumSarawak #houseOfficer #housemanship #internship #kuching #leader #Malaysia #medicalOfficer #morningRoutine #sarawakGeneralHospital #surgery #surgical #writing

Reflection Of The Surgical Posting | Housemanship Diaries

An article regarding my overall reflection of my fourth posting, Surgical as a House Officer.

The Theoretical Doctor

The Theoretical Doctor Mar 18

Reflection Of The Surgical Posting | Housemanship Diaries

Can you share a positive example of where you’ve felt loved?

Related Posts:

As you can see based on the prompt that I would be answering, Surgical Posting is definitely the place where the environment among the superiors felt more like a family to me and I’ve always felt the love and care towards one another and the patients in the whole team.

Prior to entering this department, I’ve always had my doubts and fear considering that I’ve heard numerous negative comments in regard to the department. Mostly, the department was deemed “toxic”.

However, upon entering there during my first day, I was guided and encouraged to follow rounds even when I seemed rather lost. I was not reprimanded or shouted at but instead I was guided and taught.

No doubt it is a tiring posting and after having completed my tagging period in all of the 5 major postings (Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Surgical and Medical), the tagging period in the Surgical Posting is the most tiring for me.

This posting sort of reminds me of Orthopaedics except the amount of patients are full-blown, never ending with random or common surgical-related issues and the patients are even more unstable.

The thing about being in this posting is that usually when an order is given by our superiors, it is expected to be carried out STAT, meaning immediately and they will usually keep checking in to know the progress and status of the patient which is both good and also annoying. Good because it keeps you on our toes and ensure things are being carried out. Bad as the day could be burning with multiple issues and joblists and there is lack of manpower and you barely had time to sit or even had a drink and next, you’re being summoned again.

However, looking back, I definitely enjoyed every bit of my journey over there. Eventually, I was given the responsibility of being one of the leaders in this department, the daily allocator to be exact, by my friend.

This unknowingly deepens my relationship among my superiors as we would constantly reach out to each other.

Along the way, I made friends with the nurses at Male Surgical Ward and I will always be grateful for their help.

The Surgical Posting also made me realise how much I enjoy Surgical-based and that I am one. Despite my initial interest in Medical upon entering my housemanship journey, I realised that I love hands-on more and I need to “see” the issue. For example, if a patient complaints of abdominal pain, assess the patient, send some blood workups which might help and in your direction of care as well as scans.

Most of the time, the issue is identified through the scan with the blood workup being highly suggestive. Thus we move on from there.

I can’t quite explain. Somehow it just make sense to me just like when I was previously in the Orthopaedics Department.

This posting is also where I spent the longest time. I entered the posting on the 4th of July 2024, which is around 5 months as I took a break in between due to my injury.

The Surgical Posting definitely holds a dear place in my heart. Upon bumping into my old superiors, I still greet them with joy and a smile, reminiscing my good times within the department.

If you are due to join the Surgical Posting, please prepare yourself both mentally and physically.

In my opinion, the Surgical Posting is a physically tiring and not as bad as it seems despite the multiple negative remarks. Perhaps, it was a different experience for others but in my humble opinion, it is NOT a toxic department. At least at the place that I am practicing in.

Have faith, hang in there and try your ultimate best everyday in both your work as well as in trying to learn the most you can out of this posting and journey.

About Me | Privacy Policy | Contact Me

#Blog #blogging #bloggingAsADoctor #dailyBlogging #dailyprompt #dailyprompt1820 #dailyprompt1822 #dailyprompt1826 #dailyprompt1828 #dailyprompt1833 #dailyprompt1834 #dailyprompt1839 #dailyprompt1841 #dailyprompt1843 #dailyprompt1844 #dailyprompt1852 #dailyprompt1853 #dailyprompt1854 #dailyprompt1963 #dailyprompt1976 #doctor #healthcare #hospitalLife #hospitalUmumSarawak #houseOfficer #internship #kuching #Malaysia #medical #medicalOfficer #reflection #sarawak #sarawakGeneralHospital #surgical

My Experience as A Plastics House Officer | Housemanship Diaries

An article regarding my experience serving as a Plastics House Officer while being in my Fourth Posting of my Housemanship Journey.

The Theoretical Doctor

Brighid's Ogham Grove Feb 18

The Gift of Literacy by Veronica Smith

Daily writing prompt Share one of the best gifts you’ve ever received. View all responses

I had learning difficulties as a child. Back in 1960s Ireland, class sizes were large. If you could not keep up with the quick-to-learn kids, then you were more or less abandoned by the teachers. Such was my case. Instead of trying to help me, the teachers labelled me as “slow” and kept me back with the younger children – which did not help my self-confidence!

Then, around the age of ten, I became seriously ill. Staying at home to recover, my parents discovered that I could barely read or write or do arithmetic. They felt horrified that the school, which had eagerly taken their money, had not bothered to teach me anything!

It was my parents and my older siblings, who gave me the priceless gift of literacy, not the educational system. They took the time to teach me, being patient with my learning difficulties and encouraging me to want to learn, without being ridiculed.

In later years, I returned to study as a mature student. I got my degree with Open University in my late forties. As you can see, I love to write and to do research.

I have several friends, who have chosen to home-educate their children, instead of sending them to conventional schools. These children – now young adults! – are the best adjusted young people I have ever met! They are smart and self-confident and prove, yet again, that it is their families who have given them the amazing gift of literacy.

Once you can read, you can teach yourself anything!

#dailyprompt #dailyprompt1852