Surviving the tsunami

Being cared for in a hospital where few people spoke English was frightening for Lucy Haylock, but the kindness of nurses changed her life.     

Surviving atlanto-occipital dislocation

Traumatic atlanto-occipital dislocation carries a significant mortality and morbidity. We present the clinical and radiological features of a case of traumatic skeletal and central nervous system disunion. Thanks to a combination of early resuscitation and luck, the patient survived an improbably severe injury to leave hospital and enjoy a degree of independent life. Such severe injuries are usually fatal and the literature on such extensive cervical disruption is often confined to postmortem evidence.     

Surviving Medical School

Medical schools damage students in at least two ways. Over 30% are likely to become diagnosable as psychologically disturbed. At the same time students start to lose idealism, humanity and their ability to listen. This paper argues that facing this situation with 'hardiness' can be crucial in maintaining psychological health. Hardiness consists of treating medical school as a challenge, realizing that one has a good deal of control over how one responds to this challenge, and staying closely in contact with why one originally made one's commitment to medicine. These attitudes will have practical implications which may include seeking support groups, working on staff-student committees, maintaining one's general health and supplementing the educational process where necessary.