Day fifty-four - Friday, my last day!

My last day had arrived! Baked another banana bread the previous night to bring in again, along with a goodbye card I'd made to give to the staff in the dept. Went down well, and I even made it up onto the 'pin up boys of A&E' noticeboard in the coffee room - Stephen wasn't best pleased that I'd beaten him to it. Was only in for the morning, but saw an interesting head injury patient - ran through history, examination with full neuro (cranial nerves, upper/lower limb motor and sensory), cleaned the head wound, dressed with Opsite spray on dressing and discharged after checking with EDP. Great last patient really, tying up everything in one case! I think that summed up what I'd got out of the 4 week placement here - getting comfortable with doing an entire casualty assessment from start to finish on my own. Great experience for final year and I feel pretty confident now with most of my examinations, having had the chance to practice loads here.

Around midday I said my goodbyes to the staff - it had been a superb placement from which I'd gained a huge amount. Quick look in the doctors room to say bye to some of the junior staff before heading back to the flat to wake up Alice (~1pm!) and have some lunch.

Weather was pretty rubbish but at least not raining so we capitalised on the free afternoon to do some touristy stuff on the west coast. First stop the Callanais standing stones followed by a cream tea in the cafe - felt very old! Pet hate though - the scone and jam were amazing (handmade) but the cream was the rubbish spray can cream, total rubbish. If it had been proper clotted cream it would have been amazing. Does this mean I'm now old?

Alice at the Standing Stones of Callanais

Next to the centre stone - shame it was a bit of a grey day, but at least the wind kept the midges away!

Another tourist tick - the Carloway Broch

Headed straight from the broch down to Tarbert on Harris to meet everyone for dinner at 1830. Slight problem though as I couldn't get in touch with any of them! Eventually managed to make contact and discovered none of them had yet left, meaning they wouldn't be down in Harris until much later. Alice and I just decided to eat anyway, and they informed us they'd booked a table at the 'Heritage Hotel'. Didn't know where that was so asked at a pub = "There's no place in the Outer Hebrides called the Heritage Hotel" was the response. Right, sack this, everyone's useless - being over an hour late and not knowing the name of the place!

We headed to a nice looking place on the harbour front instead, called the Hebrides Hotel. Superb food, very funny Australian waitress who took no messing from this guy who accidently whacked her with his large rucksack! Very reasonable price too. Alice sampled the Lagavulin whiskey which I'd been recommended - bit of a misunderstanding when the waitress thought I'd asked for the entire bottle! Man at the bar laughed when he heard it and I agreed that I couldn't afford the bottle! Very smokey.

Eventually the others did arrive, turned out they meant this place anyway. They had dinner before we all headed over to the local community hall for the second ceilidh of my elective! Again, pretty rubbish space for it in an old gym style hall with absolutely zero atmosphere. Was good fun though, everyone was getting involved. I heard from some of the other elective students that they were going on the helicopter the following day - gutted! They didn't think there'd be enough space for me and Alice and I had booked a surfing lesson anyway as part of the Harris Mountain Festival. Bit of a shame but I know I'll get out on helicopters at some point during my career anyway! Alice drove the hour back to Stornoway :)