The 2nd year of my Midwifery training is
officially complete. How on EARTH did I manage that?!
I have recently received my letter from the university,
confirming my progression into the third and final year of my studies. My
second year will account for 25% of my overall classification, so it is nice to
have a small chunk of it out of the way. I am not entirely sure how my grade
for this year is calculated, but I have done a few sums and I have achieved
either a first or a high 2:1. I’ll take that!
Over the course of the last few weeks I have received around
10 results, all of varying significance. My nerves are shot, however I passed
everything- so no resits needed!
The results I feel most proud of, I would say, are for my
exams. My cohort sat a written exam which was probably one of the scariest
things that I have ever had to do. Students two cohorts ahead retaking the
paper with us didn’t help with the panic. This was for our complications
course, and any 2 out of 30 possible obstetric emergencies/complications could
have featured. What made it scary was that we had to write at least a thousand
words on the management of each of the two topics. It was a hefty exam-
definitely not one that anyone could blag.
I was hoping for Post Partum Haemorrhage- (as the management
has been drilled in to me so much now despite having never managed one
following a vaginal delivery), or shoulder dystocia, which I do have experience
of in practice. I turned over the page to reveal my questions and the words
‘UTERINE INVERSION’ jumped out at me- I immediately freaked out. I knew the
basics- but I didn’t know enough to write 3 pages about it! I was starting to
feel all shaky when I told myself to keep it together, and I calmly read the
other two questions (we pick two questions out of three to answer). Maternal
and Fetal complications following shoulder dystocia- phew. The second question
that I answered was the role of the midwife in the care of a woman experiencing
a stillbirth. I left the exam feeling a bit uneasy, but secretly confident.
When I learnt that I had not only passed- but passed well, I was ecstatic.
My second exam was the dreaded OSCE. This is a practical
exam; again, centred on the management of obstetric emergencies. Whilst this
particular format of examination is daunting- the topics were narrowed down to
5, which helped a great deal with revision. The possible scenarios included
Cord Prolapse, Post Partum Haemorrhage, Vaginal Breech Delivery (not
necessarily an emergency but OK), Shoulder Dystocia and Occipito-Posterior
Birth (again, certainly not a stand-alone emergency).
For the entire month of June, my PROMPT (Practical Obstetric
Multi-Professional Training) manual went with me wherever I went. Evening in?
Prompt. 5 minute tea break on labour ward? Prompt. Bathroom? Prompt prompt
prompt. With the help of the PROMPT manual I memorised and felt confident
with 4/5 emergencies. However; malpresention (Occipito-posterior) doesn’t
really have a set management protocol, so I REALLY didn’t want that one coming
up. I’ve delivered OP babies before- many a time in fact, I just didn’t quite
understand how I would structure an entire OSCE exam around it.
To my huge relief, the scenario I picked out of the hat was
shoulder dystocia! I had learnt so much about this, I could feel myself going
bright red with joy. I had safely facilitated the birth of the dummy baby and
quoted additional evidence and medical definitions when the clock struck 13
minutes- with seven minutes to spare! I achieved a high first for that OSCE
which I am over the moon about.
The results for my numerous essays were varied to say the
least. I achieved both my highest ever mark and my lowest. That’s second year
for you- a complete rollercoaster! I was disappointed when I received my lowest
grade, however it was still a pass and I have made a point of taking on the
feedback I received. Hopefully my academic writing will improve during my final
year- although it will have to- it’s dissertation time!
I have a number of ideas in my head for my literature
review, at the moment I am leaning towards breech birth outcomes. (Watch this
space!)
For now, I can relax with second year as just a memory. The
feeling of relief is immense, especially as I now have no more exams to
undertake for the remainder of my degree. The OSCE had been looming over me
since day one of my training- I have always felt like if I could pass that, I
could truly make it and achieve my goal of becoming a registered midwife.
