Tuesday, June 24, 2008

In my day...

This week we have OSCE exams for our midwifery students which is when they have to come and demonstrate their clinical and communication skills in front of an examiner. Needless to say, feelings run high and students get very nervous.

Old age setting in
Yesterday, I was 'camp mother' which meant it was my role to direct proceedings and make sure no students ran away! And my main words of comfort were...

"you're lucky, in my day..."

The dreaded midwifery viva
In my day, back in the early 1980s, we had a viva, which was an oral exam.

I had to go all the way to London on the train which was an incredible adventure for me - a bit like the country mouse visiting the big city. What was particularly exciting was that I was going to meet up with my sister, who was studying in London, after the viva and we were going to have afternoon tea at The Ritz.

My destination was a huge hall filled with rows of tables. At each table sat a midwife and obstetrician poised ready to grill hundreds of students from all over the region.

The midwife and obstetrician fired questions at me for what seemed to be ages. One of the questions I remember being asked was what I would do at a home birth if there was suddenly a cord prolapse in the second stage of labour.

Harden up, girl!
When I came out of the hall, I burst into tears. I cried and cried and cried..... and just couldn't stop. I had to abandon my sister and go home. I cried all the way home on the train and after six hours of solid weeping, collapsed into bed.

I think that was the most nerve-racking thing I have even done in my life. I would rather give birth than go through that midwifery viva again.

Do any of you 'old' midwives out there remember your viva? As for the rest of you, what is the most nerve-racking thing you have ever done?

Image: 'infant drama - _MG_9450' sean dreilinger
www.flickr.com/photos/43927576@N00/369559609

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog.I did watc=h the rugby we won!!

Anonymous said...

Hi thanx 4 leaving a comment on my blog I've been working on it 4 a while 'cause we had a day off school and it looks way better I've put on a couple of poems and some photo's

from Phee

xoxo

hope you will visit again soon

Sarah Stewart said...

Thank you, m3bailey - I know England lost-you don't have to rub it in!

Hi Phee, good luck with your blog - let me know when you put new poems there.

Anonymous said...

Hi thx 4 visiting my blog (again)
I read you blog page thingo and i'd have to say the most nerve racking thing I've ever done is - sat the entrance exam for the S.E.A.L Program (selected entry accelerated learning program) I got in thought so it is great I'm a year and a half into it and loving it - we get do do 4 years of schooling in 3 and we can start our VCE subjects in year 10 and stretch it out over 2 or 3 years i think we even have the option to finish school a year early anyway its really great. I've put 1 or 2 new poems on my blog so you'll have 2 come read it soon

From Phee

xoxo