Yesterday, the mobile DOs made our way back to HPB to attend the briefing on the workplan for HPB for this year. Figures and numbers had been bandied about, and we were told to improve on the targets set last year. Sometimes I wonder,statistics is used by the administrators to rate performances and determine the employees' efficiency and work quality. However, in clinical situations, numbers simply do no justice to the complexity of clinical practice. Grey areas do exist. Sometimes, compromises are made in the pursuit of fulfilling the numerical targets. Well.. but I guess there's not better way to go about evaluating the performance of an institution.
Anyway the briefing ended early, and we managed to sneak out to Clarke Quay, bidding a silent farewell to koffAahemBkoffT. Had lunch at Azabu Sabo(is it spelt like this?), tried the Hokkaido hotball. It tasted like fried potato or sweet potato, topped with vanilla ice cream, red bean and Japanese sweet potato. DS tried a dessert similar to an expensive chocolate ice kachang, minus the jelly beans. The food there looked rather promising, will go back one day to try their main courses.
Attended the NUS symposium today, saw many familiar faces, seniors, Profs and other clinical instructors. The lecturers were rather engaging, especially Prof Stanley Malamed. Americans seem to have a way in lecturing, they're always more engaging, more interesting than the rest, and the way they weave anecdotes into their script is amazing. The other Italian speaker spoke on usage of MTA, and some of his philosophies are rather radical, from my personal point of view, well... take the stuff with a pinch of salt I guess.
Tomorrow will be a packed day of lectures again. Time to zzz..