Good Guidance with a Full-Time Curtin Clinical Supervisor

For the past four weeks, I was having my musculoskeletal clinics and in a facility with a full-time Curtin clinical tutor,

For the first three weeks, I had to consult my supervisor after both subjective and objective assessment and to work out my treatment plan verbally with her. I found it very tedious and time consuming. This was especially so when I had to join the queue together with five other students. I started to appreciate this form of teaching when I assessed and treated my own patients.

During the last week (where the final assessments were held), I was allowed to assess and treat my own patients (seeking guidance only if I would put my patient in ‘danger’). I found it so much easier to consolidate all the asterisks findings and coming up with the correct diagnosis and classification. I think this was partly due to having more hands on experience with patients and also due to the teaching process in the facility. Having to verbalise my subjective findings, objective assessment plan and findings for every new patient had allowed me to consolidate all the asterisks findings mentally and treat the patient there and then.

It was definitely frustrating in the beginning but I hope future batches of students will appreciate it eventually and enjoy the clinics!!!