Nov 30

Nov 30 De-escalating Delicate Situations in the Emergency Department.

One of the key aspects to prevent injury and harm for oneself and others is to have good de-escalating skills. In this blog, I will cover some of the key steps one can take to reduce the chance of having a patient harming themselves or others.

Nov 15

Nov 15 Bite-Size: Witnessing Substance Abuse on My Placement.

Andréas L.P. Astier

Medicine & Pharmacy

In this edition of Bite-Size, I talk about substance dependence I witnessed whilst being on my placement, which made me think of how that patient got into that situation. Addiction must be seen as a very complex disease, and no one should be blamed for their situations. What are the best approaches to solve substance dependence in society?

Oct 30

Oct 30 Bite-Size: Reflecting and Acknowledging Substance Abuse in Medicine.

Andréas L.P. Astier

Medicine & Pharmacy

In this edition of Bite-Size, I talk about substance abuse and its relation to medicine. The medical world is challenging and stressful, what are some of the strategies that we can do to avoid substance dependence?

Oct 10

Oct 10 A Case Study on Whooping Cough — Its Ethics and Its Approach.

Andréas L.P. Astier

Medicine & Pharmacy

This is a 2-part blog on Bordetella pertussis (B. pertussis) a disease also known as whooping cough. Part 1 will talk about the pathophysiology and management of B. pertussis, whereas part 2 will talk about the ethics surrounding the case study. This is part 2 with a focus on ethics.

Sep 30

Sep 30 A Case Study on Whooping Cough — Its Pathophysiology and Management.

Andréas L.P. Astier

Medicine & Pharmacy

This is a 2-part blog on Bordetella pertussis (B. pertussis) a disease also known as whooping cough. Part 1 will talk about the pathophysiology and management of B. pertussis, whereas part 2 will talk about the ethics surrounding the case study. I really enjoyed this case study, especially when ethics are involved.

Sep 25

Sep 25 Bite-Size: Safe Medical Practice — Reflecting and Learning from Mistakes.

Andréas L.P. Astier

Medicine & Pharmacy

In this edition of Bite-Size, I reflect on what I have done well to create safe medical practices and discuss some of the mistakes I have done involving needles. Reflecting is healthy and helps in sharing ideas with colleagues and improve ourselves as healthcare professionals.

Sep 15

Sep 15 Bite-Size: Increasing Safe Medication Use with Strategies — What Medical Students Can Do.

Andréas L.P. Astier

Medicine & Pharmacy

In this edition of Bite-Size, I wanted to talk about medication safety and their impact on patients. Medications are as present as the disease itself, and awareness and education are essential. As medical students, we have the opportunity (with the luxury of time) to talk to our patients without being on a strict schedule.

Sep 5

Sep 5 Bite-Size: Professional Boundaries — an Integral Part of Medicine.

Andréas L.P. Astier

Medicine & Pharmacy

In this edition of Bite-Size, I wanted to talk about professional boundaries and its presence in medicine. It can be tricky to form a doctor-patient professional relationship and also making sure no boundaries are crossed, especially when medicine is becoming a lot less formal than it used to be.

Aug 30

Aug 30 Bite-Size: Providing Good Care with a Focus on Alleviate Distress.

Andréas L.P. Astier

Medicine & Pharmacy

In this edition of Bite-Size, I wanted to talk about a topic regarding good patient care with a focus on alleviating pain and distress. Dr Rana Awdish who authored In Shock: My Journey from Death to Recovery and the Redemptive Power of Hope, inspired me and provided many insights of what it is like to be a patient.

Jul 30

Jul 30 My Rural Placement in Benalla, Its Health and Tourism — Victoria, Australia.

Andréas L.P. Astier

Medicine & Pharmacy

During the second year of my MBBS degree, I had to complete my 1-month placement in a rural town. I went midyear to a small quaint city called Benalla in Victoria. I decided to record and make a little video of what it felt like to go to Benalla City and speak about my placement, its health and what to do as a tourist.

Mar 15

Mar 15 Teaching in Health: Utilising Pedagogy Techniques and Putting It All Together.

Andréas L.P. Astier

Medicine & Pharmacy

Part 2 demonstrates our assessment on ‘Learning How to Teach’ by using everything we had learned in Part 1. We had to showcase all our learning on teaching as my colleague and I had to prepare and present 2 lessons to a group of medical students.

Feb 29

Feb 29 Teaching in Health: The How-To and Its Relevance in the Scope of Clinical Education.

Andréas L.P. Astier

Medicine & Pharmacy

I find this topic very interesting and invaluable, especially in a hospital setting where I could present a case study to a whole medical team. Learning how to teach enables the teacher to become better communicators, which is useful in physician to patient communication.

Dec 30

Dec 30 The 4P Factor Model and Its Purpose in Psychological Medicine.

Andréas L.P. Astier

Medicine & Pharmacy

The 4P factor model formulation is a tool used in psychology and psychiatry where it is deemed necessary and useful. It is quick, easy-to-use and is a structured method to describe, assess and observe your patient’s narrative into a coherent and concise record. In a nutshell: “The formulation asks what is wrong, how it got that way, and what can be done about it”.

Nov 30

Nov 30 The Mental State Examination and Its Purpose in Psychological Medicine.

Andréas L.P. Astier

Medicine & Pharmacy

The Mental State Examination (MSE) is a tool used in psychology, psychiatry, psychological medicine or anywhere else where it is deemed necessary or useful. It is quick, easy-to-use and is a structured method to describe, assess and observe your patient psychological functioning and mental state.

Oct 10

Oct 10 The Significance of Subject Wellbeing and How It Is Connected to Social-Economic Determinants of Health.

Andréas L.P. Astier

Medicine & Pharmacy

I gave a presentation about the relationship of subject wellbeing, a scientific word for happiness, and the health of individuals. I then researched how high or low their subject wellbeing was and compared to their social-economic determinants of health which was very interesting and new to me. Health is essentially connected to happiness!

Sep 20

Sep 20 The Anti-Hypertensive Rap for Medical Students — How to Learn Your Pharmacology with Style.

Andréas L.P. Astier

Medicine & Pharmacy

Now, this is a fun little way to enjoy learning pharmacology for hypertension. If you like to sing during your pharmacology exam and annoy your friends then this is for you!

Sep 10

Sep 10 The Wonders of the Tongue — Its Muscles with Motor and Sensory Nerve Innervations.

Andréas L.P. Astier

Medicine & Pharmacy

Have you ever wondered how your tongue worked? If you think about it, it is quite complicated and intricate on how all the muscles come together so that you can move your tongue around and change its shape. It is also very interesting to learn about its nerve innervations and how it communicates with our brain. Let's find out!

Aug 30

Aug 30 My Book Review on The Tall Man — Death and Life on Palm Island.

Andréas L.P. Astier

Medicine & Pharmacy

The Tall Man – Death and Life on Palm Island by Chloe Hooper essentially boils down to Mr Mulrunji Doomadgee, an Indigenous person, found dead in custody on the cold prison cell floor where Mr Chris Hurley, a non-Indigenous person, was the police officer in charge.