Sarah Giles
ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR
- 6/8/2011
Pardon my French
I’m an Anglophone. I’m PAINFULLY unilingual. Here’s the problem: I am now based out of Ottawa’s most French-speaking suburb and I frequently locum in a Francophone community. - 6/5/2011
A shock to the system
Never one to do things by halves, yesterday I jumped back into world of work—after 10 weeks off—with a 24-hour ER shift. - 5/17/2011
Medicine and fashion make strange bedfellows
Medicine seems to have infiltrated my life to even the most basic areas. This became painfully obvious as I shopped for clothes recently. - 5/4/2011
Back to Canada, the cold and the Conservatives
I understand why some doctors find it easier to keep working rather than to take vacation—coming back is overwhelming. And I'm not even coming back to a practice of patients! I'm not sure how those in full-time permanent practice do it; I'm in awe! - 4/25/2011
The best perk of a locum life? Time off to travel
As I've stated many times before, I am incredibly lucky to live an amazing life. I locum in Canada and Australia, with a goal of working 26 weeks per year. In my time off, I travel. I have just finished an unbelievable month in East Africa. - 3/9/2011
Coping with the unknown is stressing me out
Coping with the unknown of the fatigued/dizzy/persistently nauseous patient stresses me out. I try to remember that common things are common but the zebras always lurk around the bend in my mind. - 2/22/2011
Worst doctor ever!
Everybody makes mistakes—some are just more noticeable than others. I often shudder to think of the mistakes I unknowingly make and luckily get away with. Last week, I made a big mistake and it was noticed. - 2/15/2011
The seven stages of a locum
The first day of a locum is never good. First off, I have spent hours (and sometimes days) getting to my destination and I arrive tired and hungry. Is it any wonder that giving me a killer call schedule at the same time is going to make me grumpy? - 2/2/2011
When to say no, or how to avoid ‘the ol' locum bait ‘n’ switch’
I recently started a new locum in Western Australia. I'm working in the deeps of the desert in a mining town. Traditionally, this has been a great place to work but recently there has been an exodus of doctors. Of course, nobody told me this before I agreed to come. - 1/16/2011
The life of a locum: One size does not fit all
As a locum, it’s next to impossible to walk into a 15-minute appointment and make any headway into the tangled web of mind-body medicine. The patient profile just can’t tell you enough about the situation.
