Letter to Collegues

My dear collegues,

Happy Holidays!! 

How are you all doing?  Hope all of you are doing well.  Despite the economic ups and downs, we 'Podiatrists Keep America Walking' right?

It's been a while since I left the United States with full head of podiatric knowledge, bringing it back to Asia, and dreaming to be the "Queen Bee" of podiatrists in China...hope you still remember me =)

I have settled in Hong Kong now, and enjoying my hometown very much.  I found a job working in the government hospital as a podiatrist.  It is a completely brand new experience practising podiatry in Hong Kong! 

As most of you know, based on the qualifications of British and Australian podiatrists, most of them are not allowed to prescribe medications, admit patients, perform surgeries, nor order x-rays.  Myself being over-qualified, but being 1 of the very few (less than a handful) here in HK, we probably have to re-set the current legislation in order to do more, which probably wont happen in the next 10+ years...  I miss cutting quite a bit... I should buy some chicken wings to simulate bunion dissection...haha...

Besides public setting, I am kinda involved in a private office on a VOLUNTEER basis.  Check out the company website www.calfootcare.com when you have time =)

I am also building a network with some orthopedic surgeons in China, they are more receptable to American trained podiatrists.  Will definitely update you all when I get closer to becoming the queen-bee of podiatric surgeon in China...hehe.

Keep in touch!

Love,

Joyce

Dec 2008

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Below I just want to share my interesting and unique experiences in HK with you all.

Hope you stay calm and remain calm...  =P

First I gotta get use to the different drug names

such as Lignocaine (Lidocaine), Gliclizide (Gliplizide), etc...

also the different abbreviations

such as LABD for apply twice a day,

o/e for on exam,

o/g for onychogryphosis,

IGIF for ingrown toenails,

OT for operation theatre, etc...

btw, they use QD for everyday too, and recently they switched to 'Daily' as well.

oh..oh..oh.. remember I kept saying that i need to loose weight to meet the average in HK?

(back in June 08, I had to loose 15 lbs in order to be the norm with my height).

So, according to my friend who is currently a 3rd yr medical student in HK,

the BMI has same calculation, but the cut off point is different --

instead of 25/30 in the US, it is 23/25 in HK for the same category...

see...i wasn't exagaerating... :p

Here is another way to get a better sense of the size of HK ppl:

look at the podiatry chair in the pix below, it cannot sit more than about 200lbs?!

and 90% of patients that I see everyday fits in this chair.

        at its lowest position                                            half way elevated     

Now take a deep breath... ... ...

I finally am brave enough to perform PNA without local!!

this is unique...  there are various concerns such that doing it without local is probably 'more better' than trying to inject and numb the toe.  concerns such as traditional mind-sets, infections, allergies, adverse reactions, etc overcome the pain.

oh, SA is NOT a common skin infection, Ecoli and Proteus are far more common!

this is one of the reasons: see the market in the picture below?  people walk thru the wet floor market which sell raw meat and veggi and fresh fish, and most of the time they wear slippers or flip-flops, and this kind of place is everywhere! 

Note: this picture is taken at the slower time, at peak times, you cant even find the way in!

Of course this also comes along with all kinds of weired Ezcema cases daily! 

So, we can't write oral prescriptions in HK (also IV/IM/PR...).  Therefore we gotta find topical remedy for almost everything!  Exceptional cases are either admited or referred to internal medicine for further management.  Here I learned to use topical local, abx, antifungals, antibacterials, steriods, combinations drugs, various soaks, and also dressings with anti-bacterial properties quite well.

I remember HK being the second fastest walking city several years ago.  People walk very fast here,

and No matter how old, how young, how many legs (counting the unbrella or stick), how bent (contracted) the legs are, one has to walk everywhere in HK!  A lot of places are not wheelchair friendly.  Handicap people's adaptations here are amazing!!

Of course, due to the various sources of some medical supplies, sometimes one has to be creative, such as the heel protectors becoming foot & toes protectors.  

That's all for now...

Hope you enjoy my sharings =)

Feel free to comment in the 'contact me' link above.

With love,

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