Year 1 At the end of our first semester (September 2011 starters).....

Hey penguin!
Im at the start of my journey and have just handed in my resignation letter to a company ive worked for for 12 years and im terrified!
But excitted!!!
I love your post and it makes me more excited ( slightly nervous hearing all the work) but CANT WAIT to be where you are!!
Well done and keep up the good work!!!
xx

How are you finding it?
So far? Not too bad actually. I'm loving the cohort and the new friends I've made. I feel lucky that I also have 2 friends that I went to college with who are also in my cohort, so there is always someone to lend an ear when your worried about something.


Different to what you thought?
It is exactly what I thought it would be and much more. Nothing has really surprised me as I went into it with my eyes wide open and I didn't have any expectations. What has saddened me is how much involvement there is with social services when a women might not be keeping the baby or there are child protection issues. That's the only thing I never really thought of before I started.


Have you been on placement yet?
I have been on placement twice and loved every second of it. I have given quite a few injections (Love doing that! lol) Taken out IV's, catheters, taken out staples and done lots of obs. It's been lovely talking to the women and how they come to you to ask for advice when you have built a relationship up with them. I'm back on placement in about 5 weeks and I'm so excited but scared too as it's delivery. I havent seen a birth yet so I'm hoping to see my first one then!


Handed in a lot of assignments yet?
Any exams?
We've had a 2,500 word report, a rationale for a presentation, a presentation (which was today, eek!) and an OSCE. I've passed the OSCE and will hopefully hear about the presentation next week. Not sure when we will get feedback for the report but I assume it will be 4 weeks.

Have you managed to keep up your social life!!
It's not been too bad. I have had to miss out on a couple of things as I've been so tired some of the time. Doing six 12 hour shifts with only one day off in the middle was so exhausting but a great experience. My children wern't too happy that I had to work 2 weekends in a row but they are very understanding, even for 10 and 12 years old. I'm looking forward to the next few weeks off and enjoy Christmas as a family.

Good thinking penguin. I still have a week of nightshifts to go before the end of term but here are my musings!

How are you finding it?
I love it! I am part of a lovely cohort and have already met people who I know will be lifelong friends. We only had a few weeks to get to know each other before we went on placement but we have all helped each other along. When I had a mini breakdown, it was people from the cohort who helped me and sent lovely texts and fb messages of encouragement and if it wasn't for them I may not have bounced back so quickly.
For the most part the midwifery tutors are good but of course there is the odd exception to that rule.

Different to what you thought?
In someways yes and others no. I had prepared my self for uber strict uni hours after having it drummed into my head during open days but it isn't as bad as expected. Lectures are alot more fun than I thought, ok maybe not the shared lectures with nurses but the midwifery specific ones are very interactive and I learn without even realising it. It is very full on, masses and masses of information to take in with very little time so it does get a bit overwhelming at times.

Have you been on placement yet?
Oh yes! I have one week left of my an/pn ward placement. I have been lucky and been on the labour ward once or twice too. Within the first few days I realised that this was the path I was meant to follow so I have been on a high for most of the time.
However, and for me this has been quite a biggie, because the highs have been soooo high, the low I hit this week was terrible and even had me contemplating my place on the course. I'm fine now but I spent a good 24 hours crying and questioning myself before a certain smnetter (who shall remain nameless) talked some sense into me.
I have loved the hospital environment but I haven't really been exposed to many low risk pregnancies - I guess it goes without saying that if they are in hospital there is a problem.
I am suprised with the number os IOL's, quite often arranged by the obs team without any real input from the women. Also the number of women who get induced early by mentioning a few conditions without any real investigation by the consultants. Now, I am not saying they do not have them but there is alot of cynicism on the ward.
I experienced my first pph, my first c-section and have spent alot of time just talking to mums and dads.
I've also seen the sadder side of the profession, although not directly.

Assignments
Only one so far and working on the next. It hasn't been too bad although the academic support has been somewhat lacking.

Exams
Not yet thank crunchie!

Social life
It has been affected but more through choice than it beong forced upon me. Night shifts have been a killer but late shift the worse as I only get to see my family for a hour in the morning and maybe an hour at night. Friends have taken a bit of a back seat but I'm looking to remedy that over Christmas.

Sorry for rambling on so much, I could write alot more but I won't subject you all to that!!!

How are you finding it?
fantastic, yet tiring! have made some fantastic life long friends!!

Different to what you thought?
alot different! i thought i would struggle as im not that intelligent!!, however im plodding on! annything that dont understand i lookup videos and diagrams on youtube! lol! i thought there would be alot more assignments and essays actually, so its a nice suprise for now!! but i never realised there would be sooooooo much biology lololololololololol - duhhhh....

Have you been on placement yet?
No. im being chucked in at the deep end, and starting my 1st placement 9th jan (6weeks) on central delivery suite!!! eeeeeeeek!!!
Assignments
one 3000 word reflection on communication. i achieved 63%. (40% is a pass)

Exams
No proper midwifery exams yet but have passed the mandetory year 1 assessments which were, adult basic life support, neontal resucitation, manual handeling, numeracy (drug calculations) test.

Social life
i still have one for now..until january then that will fizzle out lol!!

Broke up for christmas last wed. Been constantly ill for the past 12 weeks due to stress lol. But i absolutely love it! passed 2 osces done a 2000 word essay and got another 1500 to do next week. It takes alot of adjusting cuz its so full on but its great. ive already learned so much and cant wait for placement in jan. straight onto labour ward in the deep end.met some great friends and its goin so quick already. Just need to get used to being tired all the time. Also had food poisoning for the first week and a half so spent it constantly tensing my bum cheeks lol cuz i didnt want to miss uni. Now my tutor knows il come in with food poisoning i cant skive off with anything.

Thanks for these, love reading them as I can't believe I'll be in this position next year!! Love how much experience you are getting already!!! x

How are you finding it?
It's been great, tiring, interesting, overwhelming, exciting, intense, fun, scary, tearful overall I wouldnt change it for the world.
Different to what you thought?
Yes and no, I have been to uni before but think I have learned more in one semester than I did in 3 yrs last time round.
Tutors are good, cohort are great, met some people I would like to still know when I am 90. Like someone else said it's more flexible at uni than I thought it would be but I have way more work outside uni than I expected, I realised quickly that if I wanted a really good mark I needed to put the effort in so was doing an extra 15-20 hours a week on top of classes.
Have you been on placement yet?
Yes I am halfway through my first placement in a unit where they practice integrated midwifery, it's fab, seeing antenatal and postnatal women, taking bp's, doing urinalysis, palpations, using my pinard, taking bloods, seen some scans, learning how to document things, what we do at each visit for mum and baby, learning how to get to know people quickly has been the biggest things for me. That and seeing my first birth = one happy student.
Handed in a lot of assignments yet?
Yes, got an A for first module, 2 assessment handed in 3rd is an osce in january.
Any exams?
No we dont have any in 1st yr at all
Have you managed to keep up your social life!!
lol I didnt have much of a social life before I started but yes I have missed a few things with my family but nothing drastic, it is more than possible so far to have a social life if you plan your work out in advance.

How are you finding it?
I am really enjoying myself so far, I can find it very overwhelming at times but I expect that to happen for the next three years. But I have fantastic people on my course and my tutors are so helpful so I am really happy with that.
Different to what you thought?
No actually it’s everything I thought it would be.
Have you been on placement yet?
I have done 3 weeks on community, I enjoyed it so much more than I thought possible. I think this was mainly because I have the best mentor, she is really kind and makes sure that I am learning everything in the right way. I haven’t struggled nearly as much as I thought I would, got the hang of using the pinnard and palpating with I was dreading doing but so far so good.
Next placement is straight after new year on the Labour ward... soooooooooooo excited!!!!!
Handed in a lot of assignments yet?
I have my first 2500 word assignment due in Jan but we have had one presentation to do
Any exams?
We have weekly A&P exams, we to be fair I am terrible at lol. But last week we had an oral (including role play) exam on clinical skills. On two areas one I didn’t do great in but the other I passed with flying colours.
Have you managed to keep up your social life!!
Yes I have, I didn’t go out overly a lot but I have not had to say no to anything. On Thursday me and some of the girls on the cohort went out for a Uni night out in Manchester.