#41 - Mercredi 23rd

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 Up, hair washed, boulangerie visited and off to hospital. Sat through another handover, met another medical student (externes) and then went to follow the interne as usual. She said maybe, if I wanted I should be with the externes and see what they do. So awkwardly had to go back into the doctors room and thankfully one of the girls asked 'was I bored'... I then explained I'd been sent to sit with them - french is hard. Thankfully I managed to help them out with a telephone number, although the french structure their telephone numbers differently, in speech - so my, 'huit-neuf-neuf-neuf...' wasn't quite right. One of the the medical students was really friendly and patient, we got to learn a bit about each others medical schools, in France they have six years as medical students, in this time - I'm not sure what year they are, there are usually four med students on the ward - having I would describe a secretarial role, filing x-rays and ringing other departments. They don't take bloods here, the nurses do, they don't write in the notes during the round as they're electronic... and they don't shadow and visit the patients everyday. Feeling very lucky to be an English medical student. After six years they become internes, still linked to university I think, but acquiring a salary, after two or three years they become doctors, I have no idea about specialty training. Hoped despite the boring morning to slip off with the students at lunch, one of them actually said I could leave... as I was going I saw the interne, "I am going to go..." "to eat?" she replied... No this was my time, I was going to stand my ground and get some time off to explore, "well, what is this afternoon?"... "we have a cours (teaching)." Ranted to the poor medical student. I decided I would ask the doctor most in charge of my stage if we could plan something more clear for the next two weeks, including some days off.... she said to see her after teaching....and off I set to eat my lunch outside, lovely sunshine (applied the suncream), just enjoying more harry potter when a man shouts to me, I responded in the usual way , declaring that I was English. Next thing I knew he's on the grass next to me, looking at my kindle - still speaking in French - despite no comprehension passing between us. I made my leave, back to the dining hall with the docs.... who informed me.... psychiatry is nearby.... Teaching was actually very interesting, effects of old age on diseases and their treatment, I managed to follow a great deal of it in French. (The french medical students weren't there...) Unfortunately the doctor and intern I often follow were called away.... I looked in the doctor's office and on the ward,  in the doctor's office and on the ward,  in the doctor's office and on the ward, eventually reading harry for an hour or so (I wanted to get this sorted today!!). Ended up leaving a note and heading home at half 4 - harry's in the forbidden corridor.... Also bumped into my Proffeseur supervisor during all the tooing and froing - it took a while to understand but it was his english I'd corrected yesterday - yikes, managed to anser, "de rein, je suis anglaise.."
Grumped home. Time for a run (28 degrees but only 'feels like 27'), actually really enjoyed myself, again massive sweat/heat shower, think I over did the water drinking and felt pretty ill later! courgette curry and a cycle ride, saw a beautiful sunset, very nice half an hour... came home and suddenly had an idea for Corinne's painting... Definitely time to sleep. 

I can't seem to rotate it!