Adaeze Nwashili

My duties and responsibilities were mainly centred around Medicine and Emergency Medicine.
My duties are;
-Daily History taking and performing physical, general and systemic examinations.
-Follow-up to review patient progress and care as well as liaise with senior
colleagues.
- Reviewing complex/challenging cases with seniors
- Prompt referral of challenging cases to tertiary centres.
- Emergency management of cases.
- Primary survey and secondary survey of acutely ill patients.
- Continuous monitoring of patients, prescription of medication.
- Performing basic procedures such as IV cannulation, venepuncture, urethral
catheterization etc.
- Interpretation of Laboratory results, radiographs, ECG, Spirometry, Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, Holter ECG, etc
- Teaching colleagues and nurses (Basic life support, performing and interpreting ECGs, Ambulatory blood pressure monitor, intravenous cannulation, spirometry etc.)
- Communicating with patients, family members and handling complaints.
- Proper and thorough explanation of prescribed medications and possible side effects
and/or interactions.
- General health education and health promotion of patients and the general public.
- Proper scheduling of follow up visits.

I worked in two units: Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Surgery (Otorhinolaryngology) and the Emergency postings.
I participated in consultations for antenatal women and managed a wide range of conditions including infertility, Pelvic inflammatory disease, Sexual Transmitted Infections, menorrhagia/dysmenorrhea, miscarriage etc. I handled pre-eclampsia/eclampsia (instituting fluid, blood pressure control, magnesium sulphate administration, urethral catheterization, foetal monitoring and prepared patients for emergency caesarean section); APH/PPH management, septic abortion and incomplete abortion.
I participated in outpatient clinic consultations for antenatal women on specific weekdays as well as routine consultations of other patients under supervision. I was the first on-call at gynaecological emergencies and labour ward, clerking, examining and investigating patients and formulating initial management plans before presenting to resident doctors and consultants for further reviews. My role also included performing episiotomy repairs without supervision, taking deliveries, MVA and assisting my seniors during procedures like; hysterectomy, myomectomy, C/S, cervical cerclage etc. I also undertook the role of pre and post-operative care, amongst other routine house officers' procedures.

As the on-call medical officer in the trauma centre; I attended to emergencies and trauma cases, formulated management plans and informed my seniors of their inputs. Carried out pre-op workup, post-op instructions and ensured optimal analgesia. I prepared operative lists, patient summaries for clinical meetings, discharge summaries, referral notes. I was also involved in weekly unit outpatient clinics and assisted in surgical procedures.
I routinely performed otoscopy, foreign body removals, aural syringing (under supervision), aural toileting (under supervision), and assisted surgeries like tonsillectomies, adenotonsillectomy, parotidectomies.
I worked in the outpatient clinic managing cases like benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), Meniere's disease, wax impaction, Vestibular Neuronitis, tinnitus, preauricular sinus, acute otitis media, chronic suppurative otitis media, etc

As a medical intern at the University College Hospital, a 1000-bed capacity tertiary health facility in Nigeria, I underwent postings in internal medicine, surgery, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology attending to emergencies in all 4 departments.

SURGERY: I had three months of dedicated experience in General Surgery (GastroIntestinal), Cardiothoracic and Neurosurgery units. As the on-call house officer in the trauma centre, I attended to emergencies and trauma cases, formulated management plans and informed my seniors for their inputs. I carried out pre-op workup, post-op instructions, ensured optimal analgesia, blood transfusions, total parental Infusions, chemotherapy infusions, and instituted resuscitation in cases of transfusion reactions. Prepared operative lists, patient summaries for clinical meetings, discharge summaries, referral notes. I was also involved in weekly unit outpatient clinics and assisted in surgical procedures.
I routinely performed incision and drainage, intravenous cannulation, urethra and suprapubic catheterization, chest tube insertions, pleurodesis, nasogastric tube insertion, venepunctures, suturing of lacerations, femoral tap for blood sampling, aseptic dressing and stitching, staple removal, removal of drains, bladder irrigation.

INTERNAL MEDICINE: I was the on-call house officer at the Accident and Emergency, and worked in the Pulmonology. I managed life-threatening emergencies like acute exacerbation of Asthma, acute exacerbation of COPD, Tuberculosis, Sarcoidosis etc., under the supervision of my seniors. Participated in initial patient resuscitation and stabilization before specialist review.
On the ward; clerked and reviewed patients that were admitted into the units daily. Apprised my seniors on the daily state of admitted patients and participated in their further management during ward rounds.
Counselled and educated patients and families about their concerns, conditions, complications, prevention and follow up plans before their discharge or once stable.
Prepared discharge summaries and patient summaries for the weekly clinical meetings. I attended and participated in multidisciplinary team meetings, grand rounds, mortality and morbidity case reviews.

OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY: I participated in outpatient clinic consultations for antenatal women on specific weekdays as well as routine consultation of other patients under supervision. I was the first on-call at gynaecological emergencies and labour ward, clerking, examining and investigating patients and formulating initial management plans before presenting to resident doctors and consultants for further reviews. My role also included performing episiotomy repairs without supervision, taking deliveries, MVA and assisting my seniors during procedures like; hysterectomy, myomectomy, C/S, cervical cerclage etc. I also undertook the role of pre and post-operative care, amongst other routine house officers' procedures. I was awarded the senior house officer of the department for my organizational skills.

PAEDIATRICS: I attended both inpatient and outpatient for the NICU, Haemato-Oncology, Neurology and Emergency units. I stabilized emergencies and attended to common cases like; preterm with LBW requiring incubator care, NNS, NNJ, Acute Severe Asthma, Sickle cell disease, Pneumonia, cyanotic CHD, heart failure, Febrile convulsion, and clerking, examining, requesting investigations and treating as appropriate.
I coordinated tutorial sessions on the wards and clinics for medical and nursing students throughout my internship year.