Kii Mufumba Wilson-211024-Portfolio

M.J: You're going to tell me basics about yourself.

megawatt: Okay.

M.J: Like your name, then your profession, and then you will start by telling me more about how long you've taken mentoring P.C.O students and then we proceed.

megawatt: Okay. So, my name is Wilson Mufumba, I'm a psychiatric clinic officer. I've been working with Butabika I think for two years now, and in between, I've been meeting students, both P.C.O and other medical students, whom we've been working together with. And I have been teaching them what they need, I've been guiding them, and I tend to attend to their concerns as well.

M.J: Okay.

megawatt: Okay.

M.J: So, you can start by telling us, in your perspective, how you help students in documenting in the logbooks and case-write up books.

megawatt: How to help them?

M.J: Yeah, how do you help them document in the logbook and case-write up books?

megawatt: Okay. Now, depending on the design of the case-book and then the logbook, I tend to guide them accordingly. I tend to dwell more on the practical bit, on evidence-based. Whatever they write down, it must correlate with whatever the patient has been experiencing. And then, the patient has been experiencing on the ward, and what they have exactly done on the patient.

Not poking information and introducing it in the case. Each case, it is handled independently.

M.J: Okay.

M.J: So, when the students are documenting in the logbook or case-write up books, what is your role or limitations at that moment?

megawatt: Okay. Okay. My role is to look for any errors made in the case-book for the case of the case-book, errors made, those errors, I tend to discuss them with the student. Usually, before they even write that case. Actually, it is like this.

They first bring a case. We discuss it. After discussing it, already we've identified where problems are. We discuss those problems on how we can rectify them before we put that case in the case-book. That is what we've been doing for the case of the case-book.

And then, also on the side of the case-book, it is ensuring that there is actual follow-up on these patients. So that they can really experience on what happens on the client. Not just putting down things.

Now, for the case of the logbook, my role has been focusing more at each case which is presented after clerking.

Once they clerk a patient, they come up with their own diagnosis. If that diagnosis is somehow correct or fully correct, I do accept to sign against when filled in. However, if that case it is fully wrong, it cannot even correlate... you see, some students have got issues with clerking. Especially those in year 2s and year 1s, they've got issues.

Usually, they fail to clerk properly and come up with something related enough. So, such cases, I don't allow to sign against them in the case-book until they bring a proper case. However, they tend to experience a bit of stress when I tell them they feel like they've got more to cover ahead. So, by not signing against it like you are making them to lag behind.

M.J: Okay

megawatt: Yeah

M.J: So, how beneficial are those log books and case write up books in terms of clinical experience of students?

megawatt: Now, in terms of the clinical experience of the students, I will start with the case-book. The case-book is more important in helping the student how to clerk, how to assess a patient, and to really dig deep on how we actually do things because what is written in the case-book is more detailed. However, for the case of the log book, I see there is less benefit because most students, I say they end up not doing what exactly is in the case-book. And then, it is not detailed enough, and given the time they are given, I feel it is not enough for them to fully fill it with any depth.

M.J: Okay.

M.J: So, you have mentioned some of the challenges, but what other challenges have you encountered when helping students in their documentation process of log books and case-write up books?

megawatt: The challenges as a person or for the student, what they face?

M.J: Challenge for either ways, both of them.

megawatt: Okay. Now, as a person, the major challenge which I face is the desire for the students to be signed for when they have not actually done it. It tends to compromise my professional interest against their interest. That is one of the major challenges. And then, another challenge which I personally face is to basically balance the time for the students' cases, logo books, with the clients I have in front of me. It is a little bit challenging to balance the two.

So, at times, you end up giving one side more time than the other side. Yet, they need to learn from us. And then, another challenge, it could be... I think another challenge I see is the lack of prior training on how to fill in the log books and the case books.

You find that most of them fill in, especially log books, wrongly. So, meaning that they were not trained prior. They just fill in and they learn on the way, meaning that some pages have got errors then, over time, they keep on rectifying.

M.J: Okay.

megawatt: Yes.

M.J: If you are to look at the log book and the case write up book, you can explain to us the scope and the depth of helping students in clinical experience.

megawatt: Explaining? Beg your pardon?

M.J: The scope and depth of the two books in terms of them being a representative of as an assessment tool to detail the clinical experience of a student.

megawatt: Okay. Now, in terms of... If I'm to look at the case book, the case book, it tends to give a student more chance of clerking and learning more. So, at the end of the day there is that increased chances for students to learn more, to acquire more knowledge, to encounter cases which they never expected, to learn how to document exactly the way we document in a file because a case book is like our files.

And then, it tends to give a chance to the students to follow up by force, even when they don't want. And then, how to apply theory practically.

M.J: Okay.

megawatt: Yes. And for the case of the log book, the log book, in terms of in-depth understanding of the concepts we deal with, I see it is less but, it is core importance, I say it is that it forces a student to attend a hospital whenever they are told to come because it is like one of the tools which can be used to track the student's attendance to the wards.

M.J: Okay.

M.J: So, if you were to give us some recommendations, you can give us some recommendations on how to improve using the log book and also others on how to improve using the case write up book in order to help our students.

megawatt: Okay. Now, for the case of the log book, as I said earlier, they need prior training before they are sent to the hospital to start filling in because most of them, they don't know how to do it from the beginning.

M.J: Okay.

megawatt: And then another thing is that we need to find ways of making these students to, okay, it is a little bit tricky for me to explain it. I don't know how to put it down. I had something in line with the log book, but in the case of the case book, I feel like where we are, it is good enough.

megawatt: Yes.

M.J: Do you have any further recommendations on how to improve the clinical experience of students on the ward?

megawatt: Now, in terms of clinical experience on the wards, one thing which affects them, I feel it is like that rate of rotation. It is very high. In other words, students are not given time to focus, to concentrate on one concept, digest it, understand it before they are transferred to another unit. I may give an example. When they are allocated, for instance, on a forensic ward, they come with their desires, but in the short time possible, they get shifted.

So, in the process of processing this information to a level of understanding it, they are being switched to another ward. I think the rotation rate needs to be a little bit decreased. If a certain ward does almost exactly the same work as another ward, it is better to locate those students there for some time before they are shifted to another ward, and then each student must be given the chance to experience, to learn on those wards where there is.... where there are super specialized services.

Because, like the forensic ward, like A.D.U, each student must be given a chance, but such wards, each student, they need more time there than it is. Yes.

M.J: Okay.

megawatt: Yes

M.J: Is there anything more you would like to share?

megawatt: Currently, no, but maybe to do more research in terms of encouraging P.C.O students to engage more in real research, not only to pass exams, because I feel there is a lot of gaps in mental health. I feel we need to work on it.

M.J: Okay.

megawatt: Yes

M.J: Alright. Thank you for your time.

megawatt: Okay.

M.J: The information will be very valuable to help improve the tools of assessment at the school.

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