PREFACE

The presented reflection is about the encounters and challenges faced by a newly
graduated student, Anne, on her first day on the job of being a trainee doctor. It also
relates the disappointment and disbelief of the head nurse and the residing doctor
as they realize how little of the basics of medicine is covered in the modern medical
students syllabus.
This dramatic piece may be used as a part of a seminar held by the Ministry of
Health, its purpose is mainly to express the need for a better, and more developed
medical training and teaching system, in Trinidad and Tobago. And the target
audience is mainly tertiary level education lecturers, both male and female, of
medical students.. It also aims to improve the training of medical students. This
dramatic piece aims to help establish the importance of proper training and
teaching within the medical field, and also to highlight the lack of its presence
within the newer staff members of clinics and hospitals.

This dramatic piece takes place in a hospitals out-patient clinic. The head nurse,
Nurse Linda, is given the responsibility of introducing Anne, a fresh graduate of
Medical School. Doctor Fields is the doctor whom Nurse Linda works with and to
whom Nurse Linda reports.
ACT 1, SCENE 1
(Nurse Linda and Anne are at the nurses station in the clinic, they are both
standing behind the desk.)
(Doctor Fields enters the room)
Dr. Fields: Good morning Nurse Linda, how busy does today seem? And who is this
new face Im seeing?
Nurse Linda: Good morning doc! We are quite busy today, this is the new student
the chief told you
about, this is Anne. She has just graduated from medical school and
was put to study
under your wing.
Anne: Hello Dr. Fields, I am so excited to be interning under you!
Dr. Fields: You couldnt have picked a better day to begin in the out patient clinic,
today is extremely
busy. For today, I want you to help Nurse Linda over here to take the
vitals of patients, it
should be quite easy for you, this is lower than year one basics!
(Doctor Fields leaves the nurses station and goes into his office.)
Anne: (places her hands on her hips and slouches.) Aunty, vitals is like d blood
presha an ting ent?
Nurse Linda: (points at Anne with one hand on her hip.)
Yes, and try to speak properly, it is not suitable to talk like that when
working in
such an esteemed establishment. You do not want doc to hear you
talking so
unprofessionally, just because youre my niece doesnt mean you can
be so slack!
Anne: Wat wrong wit how we speak? This is we language, I doh ever understand
how we hatta pretend
so, all ah we is trini here!

Nurse Linda: ANNE! You will have some respect for those higher in rank than you
when you are working
in here! Do you understand or do I have to talk to your mother?
Anne: Yes aunt Linda, sorry.
(A mother and child walk into the out-patient clinic and walk towards the nurses
station.)
Nurse Linda: Good day, may I have the patients name please?
Patients mother: Hello, my daughter is the patient, her name is Tina, she has an
appointment for ten to
see doctor Fields.
Nurse Linda: Yes, of course, our new trainee here will take Tinas vitals before she
sees doc.
Anne: Okay Tina, lets take your blood pressure before we take your height and
weight.
(Anne sets up the blood pressure monitor and attaches it to Tina.)
(Nurse Linda hurriedly rushes to Anna)
Nurse Linda: Anne! What are you doing? Dont you know that you never take the
blood pressure of a
young child? It always reads inaccurately. This is below basic medical
knowledge!
Anne: (places her hands on her face) Oh shux! Oh gosh! Is true?
Nurse Linda: I will take over from here, Anne, thank you.

ACT 2 SCENE 1
Nurse Linda and Doctor Fields are in the Doctors office, on break, discussing Annes
performance.

Doctor Fields: So, how is your niece doing on her first day of her job?
Nurse Linda: (pushes her hair back and lets out a sigh.)
Well doc, Anne seems to be enjoying it, somewhat. Shes very
excited.
Doctor Fields: (frowns his brows and folds his arms) Is everything okay?

Nurse Linda: Its just that, Anne doesnt know the basic essentials, it worries me.
Doctor Fields: I know, its not entirely her fault, I realise some content may have
been skipped or not
covered properly in medical school.
Nurse Linda: Its worrying, many new medical practitioners are being taught this
way. What will happen
to the medical field in the next generation? They cannot
just depend on a Google search all the time!
(Nurse Linda cradles her head in her hand.)
END